Monmouthshire Merlin

BOROUGH POLICE COURT.—MONDAY. [Magistrates: WILLIAM EVANS, Esq., chairman; H. PHIXLIPS, T. P. WANSBROUGH, and R. G. CULLUM, Esquires. ] THROWING A Boy DOWN STAIRS.—James James, a middle-aged man, described as a sculptor, was charged with assaulting a boy, named George Edwards, aged eight, by throwing him down stairs.-The boy Ed- wards appeared in Court with two black eyes and a bandaged head. He appeared frightened, and said, in answer to the Bench, that he did not know how old he was. As he seemed inclined to cry, his mother was called forward to stand by him, after which he gave his evidence with tolerable confidence. He said he lived in the Marshes-road. He remembered James James beating him, but he did not kiow on what day it was. James flung him down stairs. They were in their own house, and there was a great row. -In answer to the defendant, the boy denied that he called Mrs. James "a —— -The boy's mother, Martha Edwards, deposed that she came home from her work that day week, about four o'clock in the evening. She found her child all over blood, and took him to the Infirmary, and had his wounds dressed. She knew nothing of the affair but that, as she was away from home.—By Defendant: She did not offer to fight defendant, but she did say to him Mr. James, you are a brute."—This was all the evidence. -The defendant said the Edwardses were most noto- rious characters, and the children were brought up to nothing but swearing. The boy appeared very quiet nowr but he could swear awfully. He swore at his (defendant's) wife, and he (defendant) gave him a smack on each side of the head with his open hand, and shook him. The boy fell, and knocked his head against a pan. As for the stairs, he wasn't near them, and didn't fall down stairs at all.—The Chairman But he swears'you threw him down stairs.-Defen- dant He'd swear anything. He don t know how old he is, or what an oath means.—The mother of the boy said that James's wife had been at her all the previous day to make it up. She said the boy should have a new suit of clothes if the case was settled. She was at her (Mrs. Edwards's) place twenty times, and they went to the Police-station in the evening. She (Mrs. Edwards) had been hard at work all day washing, and had had a little drop of rum, and Mrs. James per- suaded her. She did not wish the man to go to pri- tton.-Defendant: This is only on purpose to get money from me. -The Chairman, to defendant: Were you obir at t.)e time ?—Defendant: Yes, I was.- The c hairman It is not often that you are.—Defen- dant Well, I was that time. It's very hard to be trod upon by b >ys.—Mrs. Edwards, in answer to the Ben^i, stated that at the time of the occurrence they were all living in the same house, but defendant had since had to leave. Before he went away he had a fearf ul row with his wife, and gave her a black eye.- Th ■ defendu;t said a lot of women got ddnking to- gether instead of attending to their homes, and that made him ten thousand times worse than he would have been. He did not intend to hurt the boy, and he was very sorry it had occurred. He had had 40 hours in a cell for what he had done, and that was not a very pleasant place. He had been to work all the week out of the town, and he did not know anything of the warrant till he got opposite the Town Hall, when he was taken before he had time to go home.— In answer to the Chairman, Mrs. Edwards said she did not know what reason James had for striking the boy. who might have sworn at him or his wife, as boys were very fUClJ, -In reply to Mr. Kcs-ick, the wo- aaar. said the doctor said the boy was badly hurt, ana ruicht have been "kilt."—Defendant hoped the M.i :stra.tes would be as lenient as they could, for he ates thought he had been pretty well punished now, having been 40 hours in the cell.—Mr. Superintendent Hux- table, to defeiulaat We did that to keep you sober. It vas for your benefit, for if it had not been for that yon would not have been sober this morning.— Defen- dant went to say that the boy was caliing his wife all the names he ci>nld think of, and hi3 wife said to him (defendant), "Do you hear what I am calied ? It's very hard to be trod on by children." It was enough to irritate any body's teuiper.- -The Chairman But you should not have let your temper carry you to such an extent as to endanger that child's life.—In giving the decision of the Court, the Chairman said the Bench bad taken into consideration the fact that de- fendant had been 40 hours in the cell, or the penalty would have been heavier. Defendant must pay 30s. in default, a month's hard labour. Ten shillings of the amount would go to the boy's mother. Defendant might consider mat he had got off very lightly indeed. -The money "'j.' paid. FIGHTABLK. Tom Denneen (Irish), was charged with being drunk and disorderly in Commercial-street on Saturday aiteruoon, about four o'clock.—It ap- peared that he created a disturbance near the shop of Mr. Morgan, butcher, and wanted to tight Mr. Mur- gan.— Ordered to pay 10s. Gd. Superintendent Huxtable said he should detain him on a judgment for arrears due for the maintenance of a chil-l which he had in a Reformatory. He had only paid 4s., and he owed more than £ 2. He had been in prison two or three times for the child.—Removed in eustodj7. A FORGIVING FATHER. — Thomas M'C'arthy, the younger, was charged with assaulting his father, Thomas M'Carthy.—The son did not appear.—The father, a very old Irishman, said he had forgiven his boy, who had gone away. He had nothing to say against the boy.—Mr. Huxtable said the defendant was brought to the station and released on his own bail.—The father repeatedly said that he forgave his son, but the Chairman told him there was a question involved beyond that, and directed him to appear at the Court again, as the case would be remanded for the appearance of the son.-Adjourned accordingly. f No LARCENY AFTER ALL. — Martin Murphy, la- bourer, was charged with stealing coal, the property of the Monmouthshire Railway and Canal Company. —Mr. Superintendent Huxtable said he was not sore that it was a case of felony. The man was working for the Gas Company, and he went on the Monmouth- shire line and took some coal to help to melt some lead in the course of his work.—Mr. Kessick said that was no felony.-The Chairman But it is not justifi- able, is it ?-The Deputy-Clerk Certainly not, but it is not stealing.-The Bench discharged the prisoner, the Chairman cautioning prisoner although he did work for the Gas Company against taking coal in fu- ture belonging to other persona. —Prisoner said all that he took he picked up off the ground. PITY THE SORROWS OF A POOR OLD MAN."— Tom Parsons, of Llantarnam, a lad of 16 or 17, was charged with assaulting Thomas Morgan, a man 84 years of age.—The old man, according to his state- ment, was going along the street with a donkey and cart, the latter containing a load of coke which he wa3 taking to Maindee from the Gas Works. Defen- dant pushed his cart about and pulled some of the coke off and threw it down. He would not let him (Morgan) go on, and shoved the cart on to the pave- ing, causing the complainant to be nearly knocked down. On this complainant appears to have not un- naturally lost his temper, and to have thrown a piece of coke at his tormentor. However, he missed his aim, and succeeded only in breaking a plate glass window in Mr. Bernal Jones' shop, for which he had to pay £ 1.—A boy named Rogers, telegraph messen- ger, was called by the complainant, but he appeared to know very little of the matter. -Defendant alleged, in answer to the charge, that he was in charge of a horse and cart, and could not get by complainant's donkey cart He asked Morgan to give him room, but he supposed Morgan did not hear him, as no notice was taken. He (defendant) then took hold of the donkey cart and slewed" it round to make room. The old man then got very hot-headed, and rose a bit of coke to throw at him, but he ran round a corner and the old man "let fly" at the witness Rogers in mistake and broke a window. (Laughter.) The Chairman told the defendant that he had no business to touch the cart, and he would be fined 10s. 6d.— The money was paid.—The complainant asked a ques- tion about compensation for the broken window.- The Chairman said the Bench had nothing to do with that matter. A RUNAWAY FATHER MADB AN EXAMPLE OF.— William Powell was brought up under a warrant charged with deserting two of his children, whereby they became chargeable to the Newport Union.-It appeared that defendant deserted his children on the death of his wife some years back, and the police have not been able to find him till recently, when it was found that he had married again and was keeping a fish shop at Brynmawr.-Mr. Downing Evans, clerk to the Newport Union, appeared in support of the information, and pressed for punishment in order that 'an example might be made. -One month's hard la- bour. NEGLECTING TO JOIN HIS SHIP.—Bad Oase.- John Balver, a Swedish seaman, was brought up in custody on the charge of neglecting to join the British ship Glenhuntly.—The prisoner pleaded guilty.—Mr. George Lloyd, a Mercantile Marine officer, stated that the prisoner signed the agreement on the 1st inst. to go a voyage to Peru. He was to join on the next day. He received C3 5s., a month's pay, in advance. The vessel sailed on the 4th, and the prisoner could no- where be found, and some difficulty was experienced in finding a substitute. Prisoner was subsequently found at Cardiff; he had got his note cashed by a person named Nathan. It was ascertained that pri- soner had shipped in an American vessel, and got f5 in advance. Prisoner admitted to witness that this was a fact. The Glenhuntly was a fine ship with 18 hands all told, and prisoner was the only delinquent among them.-Prisoner, in answer to the charge, said be went to Cardiff to see a friend, and he got a few glasses of rum. A boarding-master got hold of him, and told him he could ship again.—The Bench sen. tenced the prisoner to the full punishment, viz., ten weeks' hard labour. WINDOW SMASHING. -Michael O'Donnell, a man of great size and stature, was charged with being drunk and breaking the windows of the Salutation Inn, Commercial.road. -On Friday evening defendant went into the Salutation Inn and used abusive language. Mr. Harris, the landlord, requested him to leave, and refused to draw him any more beer. In the end he was put out forcibly, and the door shut upon him. He took off his coat in the street, and challenged all comers to fight. In his rage he smashed five panes of glass with his fist, around which he had previously wrapped a portion of his coat. P.C. Fry came up and found a great number of people assembled, and the prisoner acting in a most disorderly manner, who owned to breaking the glass. Fry took him into cus- tody.—The defendant, who had two black eyes, in answer to the charge, said that he was set upon in the passage of the house by the landlord and three or four bullies, who knocked him down and kicked him. When he was put out others in the street knocked him down and kicked him, and his right shoulder was so bad now in consequence that he could not lift his arm, and his side was much bruised. Two gentlemen were present who saw him ill-treated; he did not break the windows he was pushed against them in the scuffle. -P.C. Fry re-called, said that two medical gentlemen were present, and they pointed out to him two or three men who had assaulted and kicked the defendant when he was down. -Defendant was fined 10s. 6d. in default, 14 days.-He was removed in custody. —A portion of the line, if paid, was ordered to be given to the landlord, who valued the broken glass at 6s. 3d. STEALING IRON FROM THE GLOUCESTER WHARF.— William Jenkins, an elderly man, was charged with stealing three-quarters of cwt of iron, the property of George Clarke, from the Gloucester Wharf, on the 4th December.-P.C. George Lewis stated that on Friday evening, at half-past two, he was on duty at the above wharf when he saw prisoner come out of the yard with a bag of iron on his back. He stopped the prisoner, who said he had got some iron which he had got on board of a ship, whose name he did not kaow, ¡. and he did not know where she was lying. He gave 2s. for it. He did not know the captain's name, and he bought it on Thursday. Witness charged him with stealing the iron, and arrested him. —George Clarke, prosecutor, said that he bad some scrap iron stored on the Gloucester Wharf. The iron produced was his property. He could positively identify an axe and a butcher's cleaver. He had not sold any iron to pri- soner, who had not the least right to take it. —Defen- dant elected to be tried by the magistrates, and pleade 1 not guilty.—Prisoner, who is a collector of rags and bones, and who has been frequently before the Bench for drunkenness and assaults, was found guilty, and sentenced to 14 days' hard labour. Thomas Shelley was summoned for neglecting to pay £1 4s. arrears, under a bastardy order, for the sup- port of the child of Ellen Sbean. -The woman Shean did not appear.—Adjourned, defendant being advised to pay up in the meantime. "LOVELY WOMAN."—JosephinePodesta was charged with assaulting Elizabeth Dermoday, in Thorn's Court. —There was another summons, in which Dermoday was charged with assaulting Harriet Smith, a half- sister of Podesta's.—The evidence disclosed a deplo- rable state of things the language used in the course of the row, especially by the woman Dermoday, proving to be something frightful.—Dermoday produced some i hair, which she alleged Polesta had pulled out of her head. She had a black eye, and severe contusions on the side of her face.-It would appear that Podesta and Dermoday had a regular "rough and tumble" fight.—The Bench considered that Podesta was the aggressor, and fined her 10s. 6d.—After the row with Podesta, Dermoday appears to have turned her atten- tion to Harriet Smith, a married woman, whom she deliberately struck in the face, On a policeman being sighted, Dermoday was carried into her house, where the policeman, on looking through the window, saw two women holding her by main force in a chair, while she was using language which the policeman described as the worst he had ever heard.-For striking Smith Dermoday was fined 10s. 6d. ASSAULT ON A WOMAN BY A LAD.—John Huff, a youth of 16, was charged with assaulting Agnes Blake, a young woman, who appeared in the witness II box with a child in her arms. It seemed, from her statement, that Blake was lodging in the house of Huff's father. She and defendant's sister had a row, and defendant interfered, and struck complainant in her own room, making her nose and mouth bleed.- Defendant denied the assault, and accused complainant of using abusive language.—Elizabeth Norwood was called by the plaintiff.—Defendant called his sister, who said that she saw the woman Blake strike Huff, and that complainant's story was false; defendant only pushed her. -The Bench ordered defendant to pay 5s. LET SISTERLY LOVE CONTINUE.—Jane Harrtridge was charged with assaulting Caroline Yandall, her sis- ter.—The case was somewhat singular.—The Bench, on learning that the parties (who are both maraied) were sisters, advised them to settle the matter, but finding that a question was involved concerning the custody of a child, the Magistrates thought they had better hear the cage.—It would appear that the plain- tiff had a child before she was married, and that this child is now about four years of age. For the last 12 months Mrs. Harrtridge has kept the child. On Friday the child was taken by some means to its mother's house, without the knowledge of Mrs. Harr- tridge, who, on coming home from work, found the child had been missing since three o'clock, and sup- posed it was lost. She then appears to have gone to Mrs. Yandall's, where tea was being taken bv Mrs. Yandall and her husband. She rushed into the rcom, seized the child and cuffed its ears, and remarled, You little I'll give it to you when I getyou home." She then said to her sister (the mother 01 the child), "You shan't have him," and pulled Mrs. Tan dall on to the floor, and scratched her face. Mr. Yandall being a witness of this edifying spectacle, managed to separate the women, but ultimately Mrs. Harrtridge retired in triumph, taking the child with her.—Mrs. Harrtridge now alleged that her sister had never asked her for the child while Mrs. Yatdall averred that Mrs. Harrtridge refused to give the thild up.-In answer to the Bench, Mrs. Yandall said she was willing to forgive her sister if she would Ie: her have the child.—Mrs. Harrtridge said that she was willing to give the child up.—Mr. Kessick said that Mrs. Yandall was clearly entitled to the custody of her child. —The Chairman observed that it was a ?ery unpleasant thing to see sisters quarrelling, and he advised the parties to retire and try and settle it.— They retired accordingly, and it afterwards transpired that the sisters had kissed and made it up." OBSTRUCTION.—James Speary was charged with obstructing Clarence-place, by leaving a cart there. The cart was left in the road during the night. — Superintendent Huxtable said that Mr. Speary could not attend, as he was suffering from the gout.—It appeared that Mr. Speary had lent the cart.—Fined 5s. ANOTHER FEMININE Q PARREL.—Ellen Davis a prostitute, of the Jewish nation, was charged with assaulting Anne Grove, in October last.—It appeared that the parties lived in West-street when the assault took place. Defendant did not answer to a summons, and a warrant was issued. The assault was of the usual character-hair pulling, &c.—Fined 10 £ 6d.— Paid. A "STRIKER" IN TROUBLE.—Thomas Daries, of Crumlin, was charged with being drunk, in East Market-street. -He was quarrelling with a prostitute, and challenged her to fight.-Defendant said he was a striker.-The Chairman "Yes, it appears you wanted to strike the woman." (Laughter.)—When requested by a policeman to go away defendant re- fused, and followed the officer, who at length took him to the station. Fined 10s. 6d. WEDNESDAY. Magistrate—[The Mayor, B. EVANS, Esq., W. EVANS and H. PHILLIPS, Esqrs.] ASSAULTING HIS FATHER.—Thomas M'Carthy was charged with assaulting Thomas M'Carthy, his father. The case came on on Monday, when defendant did not appear. The old man now repeated that he forgave his son, who was discharged. VIRAGOs.-Mary Ann Scott, Jane Evans, and Catherine Desmond were charged with assaulting Joseph Pritchard. The parties live at 29, North Street, of which Scott is the landlady, the defendant renting a room from her. Complainant's wife and the defendants appear to be on very bad terms, which eventuated a short time ago in Mrs. Pritchard ap- pearing before the magistrates as defendant in an as. sault case. Pritchard alleged that on Saturday nightr as he was going into the house, the three defendants met him, and one of them-he did not know which— struck him a violent blow on the nose Mrs. Scott remarking" The-is deaf, and we'll make him blind." -Mrs. Scott said the other defendants denied the assault land said that defendant's nose was scratched in a quarrel with his wife. Superintendent Huxtable said it was a dreadful house, the Sergeant said there was not a worse house in the world, and that it was nothing but a brothel. The defendant Scott denied that the house was a brothel, and backed up her assertion by stating that there were none there but a "lot of old women," and that she was the youngest woman in the house. The defendants were ordered to pay 3s. 6d. each and were bound over to keep the peace. Catherine Desmond is the woman who was recently found by a policeman on Stow Hill helplessly drunk. ASSAULT. -Ashley John Davis, aged 18, was brought up on a warrant charged with assaulting Mary Brown, at Pill. Mr. Graham was for the de- fendant prosecutrix did not appear. Superintendent Huxtable stated that the defendant had only been arrested that morning, and he did not think Mrs. Brown knew of it. The warrant had been out since the 1st December, and could not be executed till that morning, as defendant had kept eut of the way. De- fendant said he had been away at work. Mr. Graham asked that his client might be admitted to bail. The case was adjourned till Monday, defendant being bound over in his own recognizance of j620, and his father John Davis, in a similar amount. A RAID ON THE PUBLICANS. Edward Arthur Harris, landlord of the Salutation Ian, Commercial-road, was charged with permittiug drunkenness on his lieecsed premises on Saturday evening. Mr. Gibbs appeared for the defendant, and (Sergeant Winmill having been put in the box) asked that Sergeant Willcox, the other witness in the case, might leave the court. The Sergeant accordingly left. Sergeant Winmill stated, on Saturday night about ten minutes past nine, in company with Sergeant Wil. cox he visited the Salutation Inn. There were ten men in the the tap room, three of whom were drunk. Some of them had been committed for violent assaults and for drunkenness. There were about 14 persons in the bar including two prostitutes and a convicted thief. None of those in the bar were drunk. He did not know the names of those who were drunk they were working men. One was asleep helplessly drunk. Witness shook the sleeper, but failed to wake him. He did not speak to the landlord, nor did he turn the men out. The landlord did not ask him to do so. By Mr. Gibbs: He thought that there being 81 prostitutes and so on in the bar, had something to do with the case, as it showed the conduct of the house. The house was a resort for thieves, drunkards, and prostitutes. He did not inquire the name of the men who were drunk, neither did he offer to assist the landlord to remove them. He had been outside the house five or six minutes before he entered. He was quite satisfied that the man who was asleep before the tire w as drunk. The other two were not helplessly drunk, but they were quite drunk. One of the men stood up, but he staggered. One of the men asked him to drink, but he told him he (the man who was drunk) had had enough already. The other men staggered. The landlord heard him tell the man that he was drunk.. Sergeant Willcox gave similar evidence to that of Sergeant Winmill, with the exception, that he put the number of men in the tap-room as eight instead of ten. He said the people in the bar had had quite enough. Mr. Gibbs cross-examined the witness as to the condition of the people in the bar, and asked him if some of those in the bar were not drunk. The Chairman But you don't want him to say that, do you? Mr. Gibbs Yes I do. The Sergeant, after some pressure, said he would not swear that all the people in the bar were sober. This was the case for the prosecution. Mr. Gibbs, in opening the case for the defence, intimated that the defence would be that the police officers were mistaken. They were very zealous officers, perhaps a little too zealous in carrying out the Licensing Act, for they seemed to go about, not to prevent drunkenness, but to hunt up Licensed Victuallers. The evidence of the two Sergeants did not exactly tally, and with a little more persuasion be could have prevailed on Willcox to say that the people in the bar were drunk. The Chairman No, uo you must not say that. Mr. Gibbs Well, Winmill said that the people in the bar were sol)er, and Willcox twould no swear that they were. Mr. Gibbs went on to remark on the fact that the officers did not offer to turn the men out, and said that the only aim of Sergeant Willcox was to obtain convictions. It amounted to a perversion of the Act of Parliament, which it was never intended should be strained in the way it sometimes was. He should confine his attention in the case almost entirely to the man who, according to the police, was helplessly drunk. Tue Chairman; Are we to discard the evidence with regard to the other two men, then, entirely ? Mr. Gibbs said that he should ask them to do so if he proved, as he intended to do, that the Sergeants were utterly mistaken rs to the sleeping man being drunk, for if they were mistaken in the one instance, they might be in the other. Mr. Gibbs went on to hint that the police were not impartial in their visits to public-houses, remarking that if the police were to see him, or any other gentleman asleep by the lire in the coffee-room of a first-class hotel, like the West- gate, they would think twice before they jumped to the violent conclusion that he was drunk. They never heard of the police going into the bar of the Westgate or of the King's Head. Superintendent Huxtable: I beg your pardon you'll see it here, (producing the book in which entries of such visits are made). Mr. Gibbs went on to observe that no doubt if the police were to visit the Westgate or the King's Head, they might occasionally see a gentleman who had had a glass or two of champagne too much. Instead of an innkeeper being prosecuted, he ought to be protected there. The Chairman t don't think you can say anything against the Bench here. We always do our best to pro- tect the publicans. Mr. Gibbs I alluded to the police. The Chairman But you used the word "here." Mr. Gibbs, having indicated the nature of the evi- dence which he intended to produce, called first Edward A. Harris, the defendant, who denied that there were any prostitutes or thieves in the bar to his knowledge. There was no one in the tap-room drunk. The man who was asleep had not beendrawnjanything at his house since between five and six o'clock. He then went out, and returned shortly before nine o'clock they were all quiet; there was no singing or shouting the sleeping man was not drunk he went to bed perfectly sober neither Sergt. Willcox nor Sergt, Winmill touched the sleeping man. By Sergt. Winmill: rhe man was asleep, and he was sober. Miss Ellen Stephens, a dressmaker, who was at work at the Salutation Inn at the time, stated that the man who was asleep was a lodger, and he was quite sober. Her attention was called to him after the police had left, by Mr. Harris, in order that she might see that he was sober. He stood up and did not stagger. Elizabeth Webber, servant of Mr. Harris, deposed to serving in the tap-room, on Saturday night; the sleeping man was perfectly sober she lighted him to bed he required no assistance; the other people in the tap-room were all sober. By the Clerk The police did not rouse the sleeping man, and he did not speak to any one. By Sergt. Wilcox: She did not hear one of the men ask him to drink. John Soper deposed that he had four or five bottles of ginger beer he was a teetotaler he had been a great drunkard, but for eighteen weeks he had not tasted beer. The evidence of witness was to ..he effect that everybody was sober; he conversed with the man who was asleep when the police came at half-past eight, and he was perfectly sober. This was the case for the defence. The Chairman, in giving the decision of the Bench, said that it was a case of strong suspicion, but without casting the slightest slur on the officers, they thought the evidence produced on the other side was of such a nature that they could not convict. They were a little surprised that the sleeping man was not pro- *duced they thought be should have been. Mr. Gibbs We should have had him here had he been in the town. The Chairman went on to say that they bad always adopted the rule, and he hoped they should continue to do so, of dismissing cases of this kind unless the evidence was perfectly satisfactory. Addressing Mr. Gibbs, the Chairman said that his remarks about the police were totally uncalled for. There was no desire on the part of the police to do anything of the kind imputed to them by Mr. Gibbs. The book produced there was a record of the visits of the police, who had nothing to do with it, as they were under the orders of their superiors. No doubt the police visited the Westgate and the King's Head, and all the other houses in the town. Mr. Gibbs I hope they do. The Chairman went on to say that the Bench could not sanction such observations as had fallen from Mr. Gibbs. Mr. Gibbs If I choose to make such observations I shall do so. Mr. Gething You are continuing the observations. Mr. Gibbs T shall continue the observations if I think proper. ANOTHER CASE. Mrs. Jones, landlady of the Albion, North-street, was charged with permitting drunkenness in her house. The summons was taken out against Mrs. Jones, as her husband has very little to do with the business, occa- sionally going to sea. A sister of Mrs. Jones appeared for the defendant, who, she said, was ill of bronchitis. In this case it appeared from the statement of a police sergeant and a constable that on Saturday night there was a drunken lot in the house, and two men were asleep in the tap-room, drunk, with their heads on the table. The landlord was three parts drunk, and commenced to blow the men up," when one of the men tried to stand up, but fell back in his seat, dragging the table with him. There was piactically no defence. A previous con- viction was proved, in which case, it seemed, Mr. Williams, solicitor, on behalf of the defendant, said that the people were going out of the house that week, upon which the Bench inflicted a light fine. Mrs. Jones has kept the Albion for 20 years. In the present case the magistrates inflicted a fine of 20s. and costs the conviction to be endorsed on the license. HARBOURING A POLICEMAN. William Salter Davy, of the London Inn, Bailey- street, was charged with harbouring P.C. Edward Gadd while on duty on Sunday evening. Sergeant Chamberlain stated that he visited P.C. Gadd on Stow-hill, at a quarter to seven. He after- wards met Inspector Curtis, and about half-past seven they saw P.C. Gadd in the London Inn. They waited a few minutes till Gadd came out. He said he went to see the time that a train went to Bristol. Superintendent Huxtable said that Gadd and the whole of the police had been distinctly warned not to go into public-houses, and especially into the London Inn, as complaints had been made by the inhabitants. Davy had been for many years in the police. The Sergeant re-called, said that Gadd ought to have been at that point at seven, so that he was half- i an-hour behind time. Inspector Curtis corroborated the Sergeant's state- ment. Defendant said that the constable came in and wanted to see the time a train went to Bristol, and he took down the time-table to look at it. It was all done momentarily, and he was innocent of any inten- tion to do wrong. If a policeman came into his house what was he to do ? Was he to turn him out! Superintendent Huxtable said all he wished for was a caution. Davy was in the Borough police a good many years, and was a well-conducted, decent sort of man. He produced a letter which he had received, stating that sometimes four or five policemen would be in the house together with their badges on. The defendant said there were four or five policemen living in the same street, and it was hard if he could not serve a policeman as well as anybody else. The Deputy-Clerk said that as far as the evidence went there was no case. The Bench dismissed the summons. KNOCKER WRENCHING.—DRUNK ON DUTY. Mr. Byron Briggs, landlord of the Caledonian Hotel, in Dock-street, was charged with permitting drunken- ness in his house between three and four in the morn- ing. The defendant asked for an adjournment, on the ground that his solicitor, Mr. Clifton, was unable to attend. He handed in a telegram which he had re- ceived from Mr. Clifton, in which that gentleman advised him to apply for an adjournment for a week. Superintendent Huxtable said that he had found out that one of his witnesses had been tampered with, for which he would have to answer next Tuesday before the Watch Committee. < The Chairman asked the Superintendent if he was I prepared to go on. The Superintendent said he only had one witness. He should have to go to Swansea for two of the men who were implicated, and another young man had left the town to be out of the way. The Bench decided to hear the evidence, and then to come to a conclusion about an adjournment. I P.C. Pike (No. 20) stated that on Saturday morning at a quarter-past three he saw four men come out of the defendant's house, and three of the men were the worse for drink. They went up to the next public at the corner, where there was a light. They stopped there a long time trying to get in. They were not admitted, and they then went on up Dock-street. About five o'clock in the morning he heard that some knockers had been wrenched off, and he gave a de- scription of the men. A lot of knockers were torn right otr the doors. The Chairman, to Mr. Briggs Can't you cross- examine this witness ? Mr. Briggs He cannot prove that there was any drunkenness on my premises. The Superintendent: No, we can't prove that there was any drunkenness in the house; only that men were seen coming from the house drunk. P.C. Pike went on to say that on the previous night (Friday) lie was round the same beat, and somebody whom lie did not know asked him to have something to drink. He had some whiskey, and it overcame him, so that he did not know what he was doing. He was incapable of taking charge of his beat. The Superintendent But there was a bottle of whiskey in your pocket. Witness Yes, he gave me a bottle of whiskey. That was about one o'clock in the morning. The Clerk: It's a very serious thing to get drunk on your beat. The Superintendent He'll hava to answer for it before the Committee. The constable, in answer to a question, said the man who gave him the whiskey was a respectably-dressed man. The case was adjourned for a week.