Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1862-12-12
THE EVENING STAR.
TINE + WIN 8.
,oxnos po1rrroFrJcER

The records Of police courts afford but I'm
c.r<eet evidence of the business really effected
Ne of5cers attached to them. The machine
~ Of English criminal law rs, In pracuce, so
subepr Went to the caprice OF indiv idual prose
An which nasrant violations Of natural Justice
arv from various motives. corrupt and other
Wise, Withdrawn not only from the cogni-
aance Of judicial authority, but from the repro
baton of public opinion. Compromises are
usually efsctrd between the apprehension Oh
the inculpated parties and the public eIsnina-
ton b. fore magistrate. The object OF prose
cation has been perhaps obtained BY the pre-
Gminary etrps OF arrest. or a eriniinai anoeL-
standing has bsrn arrived at in the interval
and IL is then found utterly herfiess 70 proce"u,
however manifeet may have appe Jared the quit
Of the prisoner. II you adopt the rNpedlrnt OF
compelling the attendance Of the accused, IL rs.
An nine cases out OF ten, mere .tr anu "a,
thrown away. The utter forceuuiness %
mtmery the loose recollection OF facts, so Wv
idly remen. b-rrd but few hours before. the
Neutrality-suspicious. hesitation TO depose con-
S5dsn,Iv 10 the cIrarr.t yerities eyinced BY the
prose- utor, render a conviction almost impos-
sihle: that, except IN cases OF Migrant and
starting crimes. which are of course earnestly
prosecuted by the crown lawyers, ofencas
against 'sour sovereign lady the queen, her
crown and dignity" r. criminal indictments
run, il no sggreved subject voluntarily ap-
pears to challenge Justice IN behalf Of his lsge
lady, remain Unchastised, and not unfreQuent-
iy HneNposed. From several examples OF this
prevalent abuse, which have come within my
own knowledge, select the following INSTANCE.
merely changing the names Of the pa rites:
My. seryicrs, the superintendent late one
afternoon informed me, Were required IN
perpiexed and Pntangled affair. which would
probably occupy me for come tire, orders
had been given 70 investigate the matter tho
roughly. "Therr," he added, els z Mr.. Rep
TOT, hishlyrespectable country solicitors
card. lie Is from Lancashire. and is staying
~ wrhb's Hotel, PiccadiIly. You are 70
him ~ once. He Will put you in possession OF
all the fac.S-surTris.S, rather. I should say,
for the facts, 10 my apprehension. are scant
enough-connected with the case. and you
will then use al possible diligence 70 ascertain,
first, If the alleged crime has been really COM
nal or erimifAIs 10 justice"
found Mr.. Rcpton, = stou', bald- haGded.
gsntlemanly person, apparently about sixty
year. OF age, jusl in the act OF Eoingeout. I
have pressing engagement for this evening,
Mr.. Waters" said he, alter glancing at the in
troductory note / had brought. sand cannot
possibly 20 into the business with the attention
and rinutencss il requires till the morning.
But I'll tell you what: one of the parties con-
Gerned, and the one, too with whom You will
have especially 20 deal. Is, i know, 70 be az
Covent Garden Theatsr this evening. 1t is,
Of course. necessary that you should be tho
roughly acquainted with his person; and if
You Will 90 with me in the cab that is waiting
outside. / will step with You into the theater,
and point him out / assented; and on enter
ing Covent Garden pit, Mr.. Repton. who kept
behind me, TO avoid observation, directed my
attention to group of persons, occupying the
front seats OF the third box in the lower tier
from the stage, on the right hand side of the
thirty years of age; his wife, q very elegant
person, year or two younger; and three child
rem, the eldest of whom, hoy, could not have
ben more than six or seven years old. This
done, Mr.. Repton left the theater, and shout
two hours afterwards did the same.
The next morning / breakfasted with the
Lancashire solicitor by appointment. As soon
&c IL was concluded, business was once
entered upon.
You closely observed Sir Charles Malvern
yesterday evening, L presume said Mr..
RsptoH.
II paid great attention 70 the gentleman Won
Pointed cut 10 me-" i answered. ''If he be Sir
Charles Malvern"
.'He il, OF al least. But Of that presently
First let me inform you that Malvern, 4 few
months ago, was beggared gamester, or near
ly 20, 10 speak with precision. He Is now in
good bodily health, has u charming wife, and
family 10 whom ne is much attached: IN unin-
numbered estate of about twelve thousand a
year and has not gambied since he came into
possession of the property. This promised. is
rhere, think you, anything remarkable III Sir
Charles demeanorr'
'.SingularIy So My impression was that
he was latoring under terrible depression OF
spirits, caused, imagine, by pecuniarv diff
cnltles. His manner was restless, distracted
He paid no attention whatever TO anything 60
Ing on en- the stage, except when his wife or
one Of the children especially challenged his
attention: and then, Il brief answer returned
he relafsed into the same restless umobserv-
ance rs before. He is very nervous too The
COX door as suddenly opened once or twice.
and noticed his sudden start each time;
OH nave exactly described him. Well.
that perturbed, unquiet feverishness OF man
Ler has constantly distinguished him since his
accession 10 the Redwood estate, and only
'IEee theE- II strengthens me and one or two
OTHERS III possibly All unfoUnded- Us picion.
Ehich-but i had better, if L wish ~ rrndrr
myself ineligible, relate matters in due Sc
quence-
Sir Thomas Redwood whose prorar.y in
Lancashire is chiefly in the neigh borho0d OF
Liverpool. met his death, as did his ONLY SON.
Mr., Archibald Redwood, about six months
S.6, IL very sudden ard shocking mapnar.
They were out trying 4 splendid mare for the
first time in harness, which Sir Thomas had
lately purchased AT very high price. Two
EIoOms on horseback were in attendance. IN
render assistance if required, for the animal
Was very powerful, high-spirited one. All
went very well till they arrived IN front of Mr.
Aeredith's place, Oak Villa. This gentleman
has passion for firing Off 4 number of brass
cannon Oh the anniversary of such events rs
he deems worthy of the honor This happened
unfortunately, to be one OF Mr.. Mer-ditIi's gun
powder days; and as Sir Thomas and his son
were passing, stream of light flashed direct
ly III the eyes Of the mare, followed by the roar
OF artillery, At no more than about ton paraS off
The terrified animal became instantly unmau
ageable, got the INT between her tn, 81
d2rIed oil at the widest speed. The ROAD - n
curved and rugged one; and after tParin y along
for about half a mile, the or wheel of the gis
came, at an abrupt turn, against Il milestone
The tremendous shock hurled the two unfortu-
nate genIl' man upon the road with frightful
violence, tore the vehicle almost completely
zsunder, and so injured the mare, that she died
The next day. The alarmed grooms, who had
not only been unable to gender assistance, but
10 keep up with the ter5ofed mere, found Mt
Archibald Redwood quite dead. The spine
had teen broken quite close 10 the napc of the
neck: his head, in fact, was doubled MP. so ts
speak, under the body. Sir Thomas still breath
I'd, and was conveyed 10 Redwood manor
. eonse. Surgical assistance Sas pronntiy OBJ
Iained; but the internal INJURIES were 80 praa,
ihai me excellent old gentleman expired in a
few hCers after he had reached his home I
vas hastily sent for; and when ] arrived Sir
Thomas was still fully conscious. He inpart-
Cd 10 me matters of great moment, 10 which he
requested would direct, after his decease. IN v
best care and attention. His son, / was aware.
had lat just returned from a tour on the ContI-
Eeni, where he had been abseut for nearly a
twelvc-mOnih, hut / not aware, neither
was his father Till the day before his Geath,that
Mr.. Archibald Redwood had not only secreii w
eepcUsPG Miss Ashton-of q reduced family
but belonging To our best srntry-but had re-
turned homo, not solely for the purpose Of So
IcIllng Sir Thomass forgiveness of his unau-
lfcrllad espousals, but that the pre- bIc heir
OF Redwood might b. born within cbe walls of