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Northern Star (1837-1852), 23rd October 1852, Edition 2 of 2, Page 7, POLICE COURTS.

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    • POLICE COURTS.
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      Marylebone County Court. Saturday, Octob...

      1 p mp mig ht iece 5 » . and fliat he had thereb y ennched himself . He ! n S & d by leaving his case in the hands of his Honour . -The C C Sff here stepped forward , and , addressing the Judge said 7 £ S * cal 1 ? ° H ? ° C S aUenti ° ° ¦ £ the ** > * thelo ' au m - rhe 2 n d of July , the subscription was got up subsequently , and the ^ il e of the paper you nowhold in your hands , in which the defenit ' s le tter appear stopping the subscription , is dated the 12 th of t % same month -lhe Judge : Yes I have noticed that , and fad Z tedn the pendant ) I have nothing whatever to do with what ! dtile are doing against you or you against them ; hut as t has I . L ea ftMy P rove ? that y 0 X \ / tlns mone y' the onJy decision I can , Ime to is w make an order for you to pay it .-Judgment for the V taintig accordingly , with full costs .

      1 °^ 23,3 — __ The Star- Of Freedom. M

      1 23 , 3 — __ THE STAR- OF FREEDOM . m

      Police Courts.

      POLICE COURTS .

      Mansion-House. Swindling.— John Gerard, ...

      MANSION-HOUSE . Swindling . — John Gerard , a person of respectable appearance *• « js broug ht before Sir R . W . Garden upon the charge of having 01 ohta ' m ^ . under false alvd fraudulent pretenses , 140 tons of iron Tl Tilhi « £ 300 , from the London agent to the Coltuess Iron Company ' a al Glasgow . —Some of the officers in attendance said there were \ other charges of a serious nature against the prisoner , particularly o one for having obtained £ 400 under false pretences . —Sir R . W . C ¦ Garden said there was quite evidence enough to justif y the remand t of the prisoner , who was accordingly ordered to be brought up again i in a week .

      Stealing a Pistol . —John Chidley was brought before the Lord jiavor upon the charge of having stolen a pistol , of the value of £ 7 i 0 s ., the property of Messrs . Deane , Adams , and Deane , of king William-street . —Henry Bilson , assistant to Messrs . Barker , of Houndsditch , pawnbrokers , who have been the means of detectingand bringing to justice several dishonestpersons , said : Yesterday , between eleven and twelve , the prisoner came to our shop and offered a va-Inable pistol to pledge for £ 2 . I asked him how much he gave for it . He replied 7 guineas , and that he had brought it" at Deane and Adams ' s , London-bridge . He also said he had another in his possession , but that was unfinished . I then sent for an officer . —The

      officer said : When 1 took the prisoner into custody , he said he would so with me wherever I liked . I went , rinding the names of Deane , Adams , and Deane , on the barrel , to that firm , and I saw the foreman , who accompanied me to the station-house and identified the prisoner as one of their workmen . The prisoner said to him , " I don't know what has made me do it , but something queer came over me /'—The clerk and foreman identified the pistol as the property of Messrs . Deane , Adams , and Deane , and stated that the prisoner had been employed to work on the premises of his employers , but was not authorised to take any work to his house . The prisoner was committed for trial .

      GUILDHALL . Attempted Suicide by an Old Soldier .- —An old man of the name of Brown , aged seventy-six , was charged with attempting to to hang himself in the Twelve Bells in Bride-lane . It appeared the prisoner had been fifteen years in the 92 nd Regiment of Highlanders , and had lately been obtaining his living as a cork-cutter ; but , his infirmities increasing with age , he was unable to walk backwards and forwards to his work , and being almost in a state of starvation , and without friends to assist him , he obtained a lodging at the

      Twelve Bells , and before going to bed invited a friend to sleep in the same room with him , and shortly after , having knelt down and said his prayers , he took out a couple of handkerchiefs and tried their strength , and then fastened them to the roller of the jacktowel . His friend watched his proceedings with some anxiety ; hut , on seeing him put his head into the slip-noose , he immediately divined his object , and called up the landlord , who gave the prisoner into custod )' . —The prisoner was remanded to ascertain what could be done for him in forwarding him to his friends in Scotland , or procuring him an asylum in London .

      An . Unnatural Monster . —Michael Fitzgerald , who was remanded from Saturday last on the charge of assaulting his wife in the hour of her confinement , and five days after dragging her from her bed and thrusting her in her nightclothes out of her lodgings at a late hour of the night , was brought up . —The officer stated that the woman had since been taken care of by the parish authorities , but that she was not present to prefer the charge , in consequence of the threats held out to her by the prisoner's friends . She was willing to appear , and actually presented herself at the door of the court during the morning , but , being intimidated by a renewal of the same threats , she had retired . —Alderman Lawrence said the

      prisoner had been guilty of the most cruel and barbarous treatment that a man could use towards a woman , in assaulting his wife at such a critical hour as that stated by the officer , and he should therefore mark his sense of the offence by inflicting a very severe penalty . —The prisoner was then fined 40 s ., and in default was committed for fourteen days to the House of Correction , with hard labour . Robbery by a Tailor . —James Murphy , a tailor , was charged by Mr . O'Brien , also a tailor , with having stolen the materials for making six coats . —The prosecutor , who seemed to have been indulging in an extra glass over his loss , said that he left his house on Monday morning to look after his work , and locked his bed-room door , where he kept his stock . H . e understood that the prisoner , who had worked for him , came to the house , and , forcing open the

      door of the bed room , took away the property missing . His little girl Julia was in the house , but was sent away by the prisoner with a penny to take a ride in a chaise . Before he sent her away , however , he helped himself to some bread and meat , and afterwards disappeared . —Julia Wiseman , an intelligent little girl , ten years old , said that "the gentleman at the bar" came into the house yesterday morning , and , after taking some bread and meat , gave her a penny to take a ride . She went out and had a penny ride , and "when she came back she found the prisoner gone , and the door of the bed-room open . —The prosecutor : He has been convicted before , and I can trace the property , if your lo * rdship will give him a reprimand to next week . ( Laughter . )—The . prisoner : A reprimand indeed' I'm the most innocent body alive . —The Alderman : I shall remand the case to Monday , until the property is found .

      Brutal Assault . —Catharine Devine was charged with a bruta : assault upon a lad sixteen years of age . —George Wadsworth , the complainant , stated that he lived in Holiday-court , andj was a printer . He came home about eleven o ' clock , and found the prisoner abusmg his mother , and , on his taking her part and attempting to interfere , the prisoner rushed on him , pulled him down on the ground by his hair , struck him on the nose with a poker , and lacerated his face in a frightful manner with her nails . Not content with this , she called a dog which belonged to her , and set it on the complainant , and it bit and scratched his face severely . All this while the prisoner ' s son , a child about nine years old , was striking the complainant on the back and legs with a large hammer . —The prisoner was sentenced to pay a fine of 10 s ., and her husband was bound over on her behalf that she should keep the peace .

      Shirt Making . —Elizabeth White , apparently about sixty years ° f age , was charged before Alderman Lawrence with stealing a sheet from a person lodging in the same house with her The charge having been investigated , it was stated that , on being searched at the station , several pawnbrokers' duplicates were found upon the prison er relating to eight shirts , which had been entrusted to her for the purpose of being made up . —The person who employed the

      Mansion-House. Swindling.— John Gerard, ...

      prisoner said she was the wife of a carman , and worked for a M ' BIythe . The prisoner had worked for her for many years , and ha d always returned her work punctually , and she believed that the shirts m question , notwithstanding they were in pledge , would have been faithfully returned .-In reply to the alderman ' s inquiries , she said the price she received for the shirts was so low that she was not able to allow the prisoner more than a Id . for each shirt , and out of that she ( prisoner ) had to find needles and thread . Some workwomen could make four shirts , others eight , and a few as many as a dozen in a day , and great numbers of women were always found to work for that amount of remuneration . The prisoner was committed for fourteen days .

      BOW-STREET . Robbery by a Parliamentary Messenger . —Thomas Mitchell , for many years a messenger in the Private Bill Department of the House of Commons , was brought before Mr . Henry , upon a warrant , charged with stealing a quantity of stationery . —Sergeant Thornton , of the detective force , stated that he had received information respecting a quantity of stationery used by the Government shorthand writers , which-had been exposed for sale at a shop in the

      Londonroad . On inquiry it was ascertained that it had been originally sold , with a quantity of waste-paper , by the prisoner Mitchell . The sergeant now produced a certificate to account for the absence of Parkins , the most material witness in the case , who had been prevented attending by indisposition . —Owing to the absence of Parkins , his worship remanded the prisoner for further examination . —Mr . Lewis applied to have his client admitted to bail , but the application was refused .

      WESTMINSTER . Burglary . —James Hannan , aged twenty-two , and William Bennett , aged nineteen , were charged before Mr . Arnold with being concerned with John James and Richard Irvine , who have been remanded , in burgl ario usly breaking and entering the dwelling-house of Mr . John Kin g , licensed victualler and landlord of the house which is known as the Queen ' s Head , Keppel-slreet , Chelsea , on the morning of the Hth inst ., and stealing therefrom a variety of copper and silver coins , and other articles . The thieves forced their

      way into the house at the back , by taking down a shutter , and entered the window , which was unfastened . They then made their way to the bar , from which they stole 25 s . in copper , a large quantity of old coins , which were in a halfpint jug , a pair of boots , & c—Policeman Mead , 156 V , and Hanson , 133 V , proved having apprehended the prisoners near Kingston on the previous day , in consequence of the former having ascertained that some of the coins had been pawned at the shop of Mr . Collingbourne , pawnbroker , High-street , Wandsworth . Bennett was searched , when three

      copper coins were found in his pocket . He said that they were iven to him by Hannan . —The prisoners were remanded .

      MARLBOROUGH-STREET . The Murder in Shepherb-street . —James Phillips , the man who was charged on Monday week with the wilful murder of his aunt , Ann Mathews , alias Brown , at No . 11 , Shepherd-street , and the particulars of whose examination appeared in this journal , has been fully committed for trial . Daring Street Robbery—Charles Grant and James Ryan were brought before Mr- Bingham charged with having robbed James Stewart . —James Stewart , tailor , No . 3 , West-street , said he was

      walking along Compton-street on Monday , about four o ' clock in the afternoon , when the prisoners came up to him , and Grant seized him by the shoulder with one hand and with the other tore his watch from his waistcoat pocket , breaking the guard in the effort , and then running away . Complainant pursued the prisoner and called out "Stop thief ' . " The other prisoner , Ryan , immediately rushed at him and dealt him a violent blow on the throat , which knocked him down . Both prisoners made their escape . The value of the watch was £ 5 . The prisoners were fully committed .

      WORSHIP-STREET . A Violent Rival . —Amelia Tickner was charged with a murderous assault upon a young married woman named Mary Bray . The complainant , who presented a most shocking appearance , one of her eyes being so bloodshot that the pupil was scarcely visible , the bridge of her nose exhibiting a very desperate cut , and the back of her head enveloped in bandages , stated that she was the wife of a carpenter in good circumstances , but that , in consequence of his harsh and unfeeling conduct , she had been compelled to separate from him , and had since supported herself by her own exertions .

      Having lately ascertained that he had been living with the prisoner , and feeling anxious to see her children , whom he had taken away from her , she went to her husband ' s place a few nights before for that purpose , and , upon his opening the door , was telling him the nature of her errand , when the prisoner presented herself , and , after loading her with the most opprobrious epithets , rushed into the street , and picking up a heavy piece of granite , hurled it at her with such force as to lay the back of her head open . She then locked the door of the room and renewed the attack upon her , in which she was loudly encouraged by the witness ' s husband , and , after beating her in the most merciless manner about the head and body , caught

      up a knife and made two desperate stabs at her forehead with it m rapid succession , inflicting two severe gashes , from which the blood gushed down her face , and she instantly dropped to the floor in a state of insensibility . On recovering her senses , she found her husband bathing her temples and washing the blood from her face ; but as soon as he discovered that she had been restored to consciousness , he led her through the passage , and , at the instigation of the prisoner , thrust her into the street . A number of persons whom her screams had attracted round the house then supported her into the shop of a neighbouring surgeon , by whom her injuries were dressed , but they were of such a serious nature that she had entirely lost the use of one of her eves for four days , and was still suffering

      acutely from the effects of the prisoner ' s violence . —The prisoner alleged aggravation on the part of the complainant , which the latter positively denied . —Mr . Hammill , who characterised it as a most aggravated outrage , ordered the prisoner to be committed until that day week , that the result of- the injuries inflicted upon the woman might be ascertained . A Brutal Husband . —John Thomas Jeffreys , a respectably dressed mechanic , was brought up on a warrant before Mr . Hammill , charged with the following scandalous outrage upon his wife . — The wifea delicate-looking woman in an advanced state of

      preg-, nancy , both of whose eyes were shockingly contused , and who complained that she was suffering acute pain from various injuries upon her person , stated that she had been married for several years to the prisoner , by whom she had two children , but that she had been subjected to such incessant ill-usage and cruelty ever since , that her lite had been a perfect misery to her . On one occasion he beat her with such brutality that she was obliged to apply at this court for protection , and the prisoner was then punished ; but he renewed his illof her directly afterwards , and followed it up by such continual

      usage cruelty that she was compelled for some time to abandon her home altogether . The prisoner , however , earnestly assured her that she should not receive further molestation , and , upon his repeated promise of kind treatment , she consented to return to him again ; but he still continued the same course , from being addicted to habits of the most degrading drunkenness , and , although in circumstances which would otherwise keep them respectably , gave her so little for the support of herself and the children , that she was obliged to maintain them almost solely by her own exertions . The prisoner went out , as

      Mansion-House. Swindling.— John Gerard, ...

      usual , on the afternoon of the 12 th inst . to join his dissolute companions , and , after waiting up for him till past midnight , she at length retired to rest , but at two o ' clock in the morning was aroused by the prisoner stumbling into the bedroom in a state of intoxication , and , after loading her with the most disgusting epithets for being hi bed , he struck her two such violent blows on the face that both her eyes were terribly bruised and nearly closed , and upon her attempting to escape * from him he dealt her a third blow on the back of the head , which nearly stunned her , and brought her to the ground , when , upon her falling , he immediately renewed his attack upon her ,

      and beat her in a cruel manner with his fists all over her body , and continued so doing until her screams at length attracted the attention of some lodgers in the house , who hastened into the room and rescued her from further violence . —The prisoner in a dogged manner acknowledged the truth of his wife ' s statement , and expressed his regret for his conduct , but Mr . Hammill said that cases of this kind were of such constant occurrence as to demand the strong interposition of'the law for their suppression , and he was determined in every

      instance that came before him to use his best efforts to bring such persons as the prisoner to punishment . If he were now to send him for trial for his brutality , justice would be frustrated by the want of a prosecution , and he should therefore insure the wife as much protection as he had it in his power to give her by ordering tlie prisoner to pay the extreme penalty of £ 5 , or in default he must stand committed to the House of Correction for two months . Theprsioner could not pay the penalty , and at the close of the court was carried off in the van .

      Motherly Education . —Emma Newell , a little girl about eleven years of age , was placed at the bar before Mr . Hammill , charged with having stolen a number of spoons and various other articles , the property of her master , Mr . James Bouquet , a clerk in the Bank of England , residing in Somerfield-grove , Stoke Newington , and Hannah Newell , the prisoner ' s mother , a middle-aged slatternly woman , who was recognised by the gaoler as having been before

      convicted , was charged with feloniously receiving a portion of the property , well knowing it to have been stolen . Both prisoners declined offering any defence ; and Mr . Hammill said , that as regarded the unfortunate child , it was certainly a very lamentable case , as she had no doubt acted under the instigation of her vicious mother ; but he had no alternative , under the circumstances , than to send thetn both before a jury ; and , the depositions having been taken , the prisoners were fully committed for trial .

      THAMES . Unmanly Assault . —Abraham White , labourer at a wharf , was charged with assaulting his wife in a very cruel manner . —The complainant ' s face was swollen and discoloured , and her eyes blackened and partially closed . She stated that for some time past her husband had been in the practice of calling at the house of a woman in Rosemary-lane , whose husband was transported four years ago for receiving stolen property , and where she believed an illicit still was at work . She had endeavoured to dissuade her bus . band from going to this place , but without effect , and , on several

      occasions when she had spoken to him on the subject , he had struck her with his fists , knocked her down , and blackened her eyes . On Sunday morning , having heard that her husband had been paying too much attention to the servant of the woman in Rosemary-lane , and been calling there repeatedly , she again spoke to him , and he then applied , the most dreadful epithets and threats to her , and struck her about the head and face with his clenched fists . She was almost blinded , and in a moment was covered with blood . She had been in a state of great suffering ever since . —Mr . Yardley said there could be no doubt of that . —The defendant , in reply to the charge ,

      said his wife was jealous of him , and always taunting him with going to the house in Rosemary-lane . He had only called there to do some work , for which he was paid . The woman who kept the house did not keep an illicit still . He admitted that he struck his wife , who provoked him greatly . —Mr . Yardley said , from Avhat he had heard and knew of the place in llosemary-lane , the wife did quite right in entreating of her husband not to go there . He should punish the prisoner very severely for this most savage and unmanly assault . He fined the prisoner £ 5 , and in default of payment one mouth ' s imprisonment . —The fellow was committed .

      Savage Attack upon a Policeman . —Henry Edward Hodges , a shipwright , dwelling in Limehouse , was charged with assaulting Andrew Anderson , a police constable , who slated that on Monday night , at twelve o ' clock , there was a disturbance caused by the misconduct of two prostitutes in the New-road , Whitechapel . He told them to go away , and observed to one of them that his attention bad been repeatedly called to her in the course of the night . The prisoner , who was standing by , interfered , called him a liar , and struck him a severe blow on the breast which knocked him down . Directly he rose from the ground he pursued the prisoner , who suddenly turned round upon him , made a butt at him , and putting his head between witness ' s legs threw him right over his back . He fell

      heavily in the middle of the road , and was half stunned by the fall . When he recovered himself he again pursued and seized the prisoner , who struck him again , and had just put his hand inside his stock , and was about to grasp him by the throat , when another constable came up and secured him . —The prisoner , who is a powerful young man , sulkily growled out that he supposed ho was drunk , or this would not have happened . —Mr . Yardley : This is a very serious matter . You have assaulted , in a very savage manner , that policeman , who was doing his duty properly . You put your head between his legs and threw him over your back . You might have broken his neck or fractured his skull . I sentence you to fourteen days' imprisonment in the House of Correction .

      LAMBETH . Bigamy . —A woman , well advanced in years , and whose real name the court would have to determine , was placed at the bar and charged with bigamy by a person named Hensman , who had been married to her eleven years , but , as it appeared , was now anxious to dissolve the union . —It was proved that the prisoner was married six and-twenty years ago to one Smith , and again in 1841 to the prosecutor , Smith being then and now alive . —The defence was that Smith had a wife when the first marriage was celebrated . —The prisoner was remanded .

      .: Joanna Connor , a diminutive person with a most repulsive eountc- nance , and 20 years of age , was placed at the bar before Mr . Elliott , ; on a charge of pouring vitriol or some such powerful acid , into the . < mouth of an infant , only five weeks old , belonging to her master , by ; which its life was considerably endangered . Mr . Edward Lapham , a i master baker , carrying on business at No . 57 , Lower Marsh , Jjambetb , j deposed , that on the preceding evening the prisoner came down stairs r and said the infant was in convulsions . Mrs . Lapham , in consequence , e hurried up stairs , and found the infant crying violently , and , on look- k

      ing at its mouth found it much inflamed on one side , and it was quite te evident from its contortions that it was suffering severely . A medical : al certificate was put in , which described the life of the child to be still ill in danger . The prisoner , after the usual caution , was asked if she he wished to say anything to the charge , and replied that the injuries were ire done with a candle . Mr . Lapham presented before the magistrate the the ; dress worn by the infant at the time , and it was quite apparent at ai a » glance that the burning was caused by a strong acid , and not by a , at candle . . The prisoner was remanded to a future day .

  • Citation
    • Northern Star (1837-1852), Oct. 23, 1852, page 7, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse-os.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/ns/issues/ns2_23101852/page/7/