Brighouse & Rastrick Gazette. — 1882-10-21 (Brighouse, West Yorkshire, England)

CHARGE OF THREATENING THE PRINCE OF WALES.  In London, on Saturday, at the Bow•street Police Court, before Sir James Ingham, William Brooksbaw, aged 34, a tall, powerful, and intelligent looking man, was brought up on a warrant in custody of Chief Inspector Hagan, charged with unlawfully and maliciously sending a letter, well knowing the contents thereof, threatening to murder his Royal Highness the Prince of Wales,  Mr. Stephenson and Mr. Thomas attended on behalf of the Treasury to prosecute.  Mr. Stephenson maid that the prisoner was an inmate of St. George's Workhouse, Fulham, and it was proposed to show that on the day the letter in question was posted—October 9—he was absent, and that it was written on official paper and was in the prisoner's handwriting. The letter read as follows : "Colonel Teesdale. Sir,—To be brief, lam a young man brought up within sight of Buckingham Palace, wining and anxious to work, and cannot get it to do. The best thing I can do under these circumstances is to go abroad to one of the colonies. Fell your Royal master, the Prince of Wales, that I require Lie to start me there. If I succeed, it will be repaid. I want It this week. Send it to me at Wm. Brookshaw, Lemon's Hotel, fireat Chapel-street, Westminster. P.S. If you do not send it this week, I will camp on the Prince of Wales's trail, and, by all the gods, serve him worse than Lord Frederick Cavendish was served. Yours, in great earnestness, W. C. B. Sorry to speak so harsh, but severe diseases require severe remedies. Don't forget, this week." Thoroas Brown, porter at C. George's Workhouse, was called, and identified the prisoner as an inmate of that institution for the last seven months. during which time he had been frequently absent. He was absent on the 9th October from eleven o'clock in the morning until October 11. Witness produced a receipt signed by the prisoner for clothing and compared it with the handwriting in the letter. He expressed his belief that they were written by the same person. The latter was written on similar paper to that supplied to the inmates, and the envelope bore the workhouse stamp.  An inmate of the workhouse named Bolton proved the signature to the receipt to be in the prisoner's handwriting.  Mr. Coll, the master, identified the paper as being similar to that supplied to the inmates from his office.  Mr. Wilson, inspector of the South-Western District Post-office proved that the letter was posted in the neighbourhood of West Brompton on the 9th October -for the twelve o'clock delivery. He also expressed a belief that the handwriting on the receipt.(produced) and hi the letter was the same.  Mr. Superintendent Walker, of the Metropolitan Police, attached to his Royal Highness's household, proved receiving the letter from Colonel Teesdale, and subsequently handing it to the authorities at Scotland-yard. Inquiries were made by Chief Inspector Hogan, who arrested the prisoner on Friday night at the Above workhouse. In reply to questions, he said he was born in Bnckingbam.place, Buckingham Palace. road, and had served seven years in the United States Army in the Far West. When the warrant was read over to him he said, "It is an infamous lie. I never wrote such a letter. Somebody has been making use of my name." Sir James Ingham formally asked the prisoner if he had anything to say in answer to the charge. He replied,—" I am not guilty, and under no circumstances would Ibe guilty of such a crime. I wish I could invent a word to express my contempt for such an action." He was committed for trial.