The Weekly Journal. — 1904-10-28 (Hartlepool, Cleveland, England)

THE WEEKLY JOURNAL. FRIDAY.. OCTOBER 28. 1904.  1. This is a conversation overheard on Newmarket. Heath, and related to the Judge:— "That's Orkins, hover there—'im a-torkin' to Corlett. See 'int? Nice bernevolent old cove to look at, ain't 'e? Yus. That didn't stop 'is guvin' me five of his very best, eimply becoree by accident I mistook someb'dy elee'a 'ouse and plate-chest for my own. &irter mistake which might 'appen alinist to heny-body. There 'e is—see 'lin. That 'a Once at Paris the author got among a gang of loathsome English blackguards returning from a race, who hustled and bullied him, and evidently meant to rob him. Lifting his hat to show his short hair, Mr Hawkins Resumed a bold manner and a rough East-End manner: 'Look-co 'ere," said I; "I know you don't keer for me no more an' I keens for you. I ain't afraid o' no man, and I'll tell you what it is: it's your ignorance of who I am that makes you bold. I know you ain't a bad 'tin with the meters. Let's have no more nonsense about it here. fight you on Monday week, say, for a hundred a side in the Butts, and we'll post the money at Peter Crawley's next Saturday. What d'ye say to that?" Instantly the bullying and hustling ceased, and Mr Hawkins was able to get away unmolested. It was at the Old Bailey that. cross-examining flourished in perfection, and not in the sombre respectability of Chancery. The Old Bailey was a den of infamy, nut conceivable now, the very cesspool for the offscourings of humanity." Offences that would not now receive a day's imprisonment were punished with death, and, after the Judges and Mderthen had dined •together, business Idled go with amazing 'rapidity, trials occupying an averaxe of not more than four minutes each. Here is Lord Brampton's account of a trial that ended in transportation:— The accuse& having "held up his hand," and the jury having solemnly sworn to hearken to the evidence, and "to well and truly try, and true deliverance make," etc., the witness fur the prosecution climbs into the box, which was like a pulpit, and before he has time to look round and see where the voice comes from, is examined as foNows by the prosecutiug coonsel : " I think you were walking up Ludgate Hill on Thursday, 26th, about half-past two in the afternoon, and suddenly felt a tug at your pocket, and missed your handkerchief which the constable now produces. Is that it?" " Yes, sir." "1 suppose you have nothing to ask him?" says the Judge. "Next witness." Constable stands up. " Were you following the prosecutor on the occasion when he was robbed on Ludgate Hill, and did you see the prisoner put his hand into the prosecutor's pocket and take this handkerchief out of it?" " Yes, sir." Judge to prisoner: "Nothing to say, I suppose?' Then to the jury: Gentlemen, / suppose you have no doubt? I have none." Jury: "Guilty, my lord," as though to oblige his lordship. Judge to prisoner: "Jones, we have met before—we shall not meet again for some time— seven years' transportation—next case." Time: Two minutes, fifty-three seconds. At a country assizes when young Mr Hawkins had to defend a man charged with wife murder he had the children of the prisoner in court dressed in little black frocks, and weeping bitterly during his address to the jury, who were moved to let the father off. The same evening at dinner a neighbour told him where he had last seen the children. "'Why," said the old inhabitant, "the little children who sobbed so violently in court this morning, and to whom you made such pathetic reference, were playing on en ash-heap near their cottage; and they had a poor cat with a string round its neck, swinging backwards and forwards, and as.they did so they sang: "'This is the way poor daddy will go! This is the way poor daddy will go!' Such, Mr Hawkins, was their excessive grief!" Yes, but it got the verdict. That some judges think n good deal of them* elves is shown by. the following story of Iluddleston and Motility, who were at Liverpool Assites, and dining with the Lord Mayor. 'rho toast of "The Queen" was proposed, and Manisty, with his innate good breading, stood up to drink it." Huddleston pulled him violently by the sleeve, saying: "Sit down, Manisty, you d—d fool; we are the Queen!"  r,.,_. t%•4,.,