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IMPORTANT DECISION RESPECTING…

THE LATE LORD ARTHUR CLINTON.

A SALE OF VOTiVE OFFERINGS.

"A PERFECT PHENOMENON!"

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"A PERFECT PHENOMENON!" At the Wandsworth police-court, Frederick John Turner, butler, and Alfred Cummings, police-constable, were charged, on remand, with maliciously damaging a pier-glass and other property in the house or; Mr. Richard Valpy, of Heathlands, Wimbledon, and also with stealing several bottles ofwine. Mr. Arthur Valpy, the son of the prosecutor, said that shortly before 4 o'clock on Thursday morning he and his father's family returned home from a party, and they were admitted by Turner, who was the butler. About half-past 5 o'clock he was awoke by a tremendous crashing noise, and beard his father call out Who's there ?" Witness got up, andlooking into the drawing- room he saw that the pier-gla«s had fallen down. He then went in: o the dining-room, which he found in great confusion three p:mes of glass were broken. He and his father proceeded down to the pantry, where they fviund the bu ler intoxicated. They returned to the drawing-Demand found tbe chandelier and lamps broken. Two flower-pots which had stood in the hall wprK in the fire-place. The prosecutor was sworn and said he did not ob- serve anytntro; the matter with the butler on entering his house. He went from the hall to his own room and he was asleep, when he was awoke by an extra- ordinary. noise, which he at first attributed to a iiudd -n storm. His bed-room was over the drawing-room. He went downstairs and met a policeman coming out of t-ho dra-wing-room. He noticed that his number was 143. He told him to leave his house. Witness opened tht) door ani he went away. He found the drawing- room in the greatest confusion, ornaments having been knocked oown and glass s' a,dfs broken, and he esti- mated the damage at J3100. He said a pepper-box and mustard-pot used in the kitchen were found upon the lawn, and they were evidently the things which were thrown through the dining-room windows. His gardener brought him a bottie of wine which he had found in the shrubbery. The witness further said that bi< groom found fourteen full bottles of different kinds of wine near Turner's bedstead, in the pantry, also three empty champagne bottles. The butler had no business to go into the wine cellar. Witness afterwards found that he had omitted to lock up the key of the wine cellar on Wednesday. Inspector M'Laren, V, proved finding the butler drunk in the pantry with the door locked inside. He said he took the prisoner into the drawing-room and asked him whether be could account for its extraordi- nary appearance. He said, "No, its a perfect phe- nomenon." He denied having bad any one in the house with him, but at the station he said the police- man had been inside to have a glass of ale. The prisoner Cummings was on duty at the place, but he was absent from bis post, and be could not find him. Sergeant Casserley said he was sent by the inspector to Jook for Cummings, but he co del not find him until half-past nine o'clock in the mornirg, when he found him asleep, lying in a garden near the prosecutor's premises. He awoke Lim and found four bottles of wine upon him—one in each of his trousers pockets, and the others in his tunic pcckxts. The witness also said that the prisoner appeared to be recovering from drunkenness. He also found where he was lying two cloths marked with the letters" R. V." 0 In reply to the magistrate, Mr. Butt said the pri- soner Cummings came to the police with a good charge er frt m the dockyard where he had betn for several year. Tmner, in defence, said he let the constable in to give h;m a glass of ale, and while be was taking it the btit rang. He went to let in Mr. Valpy, and he saw no more of him. When he was shown the state of the nr&wiiig-room he was never more surprised in his lbe. Cummings had nothing to say, except that thesergeant saw h m on his t'eat at three o'clock. The Magistrate committed the prisoners for trial on both charges.

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