The Warwickshire Herald. — 1889-07-18 (Birmingham, West Midlands, England)

QUIET " LODGER'S MERRY FRIENDS.  At Bloomsbury County-court Judge Bacon and * jury have heard an action for damage, tresyniss, and assault, the plainttifs being Mr. and Mrs. Bloom of Camden Town, and the defendant Mr. John Morgan, a puluic-house broker. Mr. Bloom clainisd £l5 for damage to furniture and trespass, and Mrs. Bloom claimed £4O for assault.—The defendant brought a counter claim for wrongful eviction. -- Mr. Morton Bell, in opening the awe for the plaintiffs, said that the evidence would powerfully remind the Court of Bob Sawpr's famous " Bachelors' Party."—ln March last the defendant took the first floor furnished at 255. per Aveck. Ni, sooner did he enter the occupancy than lie commenced to complain of his food and to abuse the servants, and on the fcilowing Friday Mrs. Bloom gave him notice. Defendant, on I receiving this message from the servant, said "Tell ' Mrs. Bloom I intend to stop here three months if I I please, and I'll make it hot for her." Then cornmenced a series of "Bob Sawyer's parties," at which some half-a-dozen gentlemen of a cons ivial turn of mind, assisted to keep the landlady and her lodgers awake until 4 o'clock in the merning. When the week's notice expired, as the defendant would not leave, Mrs. Bloom refused to serve him with food, and defendant then threatened "to give them some thing that would send them into fits." Coming home one night he blew down one of the gas-pipes, extinguishing all the lights in the house,and immediately afterwards the report of a rifle-shot iang through the apartments. Bi4ieving that her lodger had committed suicide, Mrs. Bloom led the policeman who had been attracted to the spot to the room, when, in response to their knocking, defendant told them to " go to the Devil, as be was cleaning his rifle." Next evening a still larger party of gentlemen arrived, and they were so very festive that a large crowd and two policemen were attracted to the spot by the row. Mr. Bloom, on his return from church was received with the chorus, "He's a jolly good fellow"; but instead of listening to his appeals the fun increased. Mrs. Bloom was struck in the shoulder by the defendant, and between one and two in the morning the party wound up by an attack on the coal-cellar. On their return to the sitting-room, large lumps of coal were thrown upon all the furniture and the carpet and curtains ruined. On the Tuesday Mrs. Bloom called in the assintance of the landlord and four men, who assisted defendant to pack up.—Mr. and Mrs. Bloom and the lodgers having borne out this recital, Mr. John Richard Morgan, described his stay as a quiet one, with the exception of the accidental discharge of a rifle at midnight and a scuffle between some of the other lodgers and defendant's friends. The alleged assault was accidentally done when defendant and his friends were capturing water in the kitchen, the water supply having been stopped by the landlady. They certainly were merry there, but not particularly so. The landlady stopped the coals; and he had to carry them up in his arms, and perhaps the carpet might thus have been spoiled.—The learned judge, having summed up, the jury found for Mr. Bloom for £3 Bs. 6d. for damage and trespass, and f„5 for the assault on Mrs. Bloom.with costs on the higher scale.