The Sun. — 1862-11-12 (London, England)

SOUTHWARK.—Stephen Tupsell, a conductor belonging to the Society for the Protection of Life from Fire, was brought before Mr. Combo charged with being drunk and assaulting Barnett Harrison, a hawker; also with stealing his cloth cap, value 3s. 6d.  The prosecutor, a Jew, said that about 9 o'clock that morning he was standing opposite a teashop selling his goods, when the prisoner cline up to him and said, " Are you here again, you b- Jew ? Whom are you for, Garibaldi or the Pope ?" The witness said he was for neither, and begged of him not to interfere in his business. The prisoner immediately struck him in the face, knocked his cap off, and threw it afterwards among the mob who had assembled. He was so severely ill-treated that he was compelled to take refuge in the teashop, but a constable came up, and he gave the prisoner, who was drunk, into custody. George Holmes, a salesman in the Borough-market, said he was present, and confirmed the statement of the previous witness. In answer to the charge the prisoner said that the prosecutor was a nightly nuisance to him at his stand by St. George's Church. He merely want up to the Jew for a lark.  Mr. Combe observed that fire•escapes were extremely useful if under the charge of sober and efficient hands, but if they were under the authority of such persons as the prisoner they would be entirely useless and liable to bring discredit on that excellent institution, the Royal Society for the Protection of Life from Fire. He should order a communication to be made to the secretary respeo;ing the conduct of the prisoner, who he considered was not fit to hold the situation of conductor or to have for the future charge of a fire-escape. At the same time he should flue him 205., with the alternative of 14 days' imprisonment. A young woman, named Ann Bennett, aged 28, wss charged with attempting to commit suicide by taking laudanum. Mr. Edwin, the chief clerk, said he had been made acquainted with the circumstance by a chemist, into whose shop she went and asked for a pennyworth of laudanum to allay the pain of her tooth. The chemist, perceiving something strange in her manner, mixed her a harmless liquid, which dhe seized with avidity and drank, saying, " Now I have done for it, as I have taken a larger quantity of laudanum before this." The chemist called in a constable, and as she appeared very ill he recommended him to convey her to Guy's Hospital immediately. Police-constable 125 M said that he conveyed the prisoner, who soon sunk into an insensible state, to Guy's Hospital, where the stomach-pump was used and a quantity of laudanum ejected. As soon as the prisoner had sufficiently recovered she told him that she had taken three-pennyworth of laudanum before she went into the chemist's shop in the Doverroad. She also said that her father had turned her out of doors and refused to assist her.  The Magistrate told the prisoner that it was fortunate for her that the chemist in the Dover-road had acted with such caution, as he had evidently saved her life. She did not appear to understand her critical position, therefore he should remand her until Monday next. In the meantime she would have the advice of the chaplain at Horsemongerlane Gaol.