The Sun. — 1854-08-16 (London, England)

POLICE INTELLIGENCE.  MANSION-HOUSE. -ASSAULTS.- Wm. lif`Laughlin (tailor), and Elizabeth, his wife, were brought before the Lord Mayor, charged with having assaulted each other, and disturbed the neighbourhood of Bishopegate, in which they reside. The male prisoner had on Monday been charged with having assaulted his wife—to whose care, at her particular request, the Lord Mayor, after having heard the whole of the facts, consigned him, with a hint that if there should be any more public quarrels between them they should be both held responsible to the public. A policeman stated that at 12 o'clock on Monday night, upon hearing the cry of "Murder!" and "Police!" he went to the house of the defendants, when he saw them on the ground tearing each other's eyes and hair out. They were separated, but soon afterwards re-commenced hostilities in the street, and gathered together by the mere force of their abuse about a hundred of the neighbours, who had been roused from their repose many a time by the same sort of summons from the same parties; again they were separated, and entrusted to their own management of their mysterious differences, but at two o'clock, in consequence of the revival of the alarming discords in the house, the windows of which had been shattered by Mr. M‘Laughlin, it was found absolutely necessary to transfer man and wife to the station house.  The Lord Mayor—l was afraid I should see you both again. What have you to say, Mrs. M'Laughlin, for having been a party to this disgraceful scene, after what had taken place on Monday ? I thought you and your husband might have managed matters better. Mrs. M'Laughlin—My lord, the neighbourhood is a very bad one, and although I pay 301. a year for my house, we are kept wide awake all night long by the diabolical noise of these parties, who are so infernally vulgar, that we can stand it no longer. It is said that panes of glass were broken. Certainly there were, but my husband never thought of such a thing. It was quite accidental. I feel that I have been ill-treated by the police, and I hope I shall be protected by the magistrates. Mr. M'Laughlin, upon being asked whether he wished to say anything, acknowledged that although he felt that he and his wife had on Saturday night disturbed the neighbourhood, they had, after the discharge on Monday by his lordship, ventured to celebrate the occasion by about a pint of gin, the consequence of which he had no recollection of. That although he had no great opinion of his wife, he did not think she kept up such a row as had been described for so long a time. The Lord Mayor—Pray how much gin had you and your wife together after your discharge by me ? Mr. M`Laughlin—l make it a rule, your lordship, never to keep any account of the kind.  Mrs. M`L'auglilin—No, my lord ; it's never thought of after its gone. (Laughter.) But we mean to alter the thing altogether. We are in a bad and noisy neighbourhood, your lordship ; consider that. The Lord Mayor—l do. Remove from it, and you will have the credit of changing its character. Mrs. MiLaughtin— We will, my lord. I'll take him away and you shall never be more troubled with him. The Lord Mayor—Both of you are bound over to keep the peace towards each other and the rest of her Majesty's subjects for six calender months, in the sum of 101.  One of the officers said the male defendant had been paying his addresses to the daughter of his wife by her late husband, about a week before his marriage ; but the prudent mother said to him, " No, you are too great a fool for her, I'll have you myself ;" and so it happened.