LAW AND POLICE COURTS.

Dunstan Times, Issue 410, 25 February 1870, Page 2 (Supplement)

LAW AND POLICE COURTS.

GAME PRESERVING. The ciiao of Dickons v. Heywood, known a3 the Mansfield game case, recently came before the Court of Common Pleas, and was dooided in favour of Mr. Dickons. This gentleman was a prosperous farmer on the Duke of Portland's estates, who had been dismissed from his farm on some representations made to his landlord's agent by some gentlemen who had the Bhooting on the estate. Mr. Dickons was accused of interfering with the sport, and the duke dismissed him. Thereupon Mr. Dickons brought an action for libel against Mr. Cursharn, a solicitor, who had made the representations to the duke, and a Yorkshire jury gave him a verdict, and 4500 damagos. The verdict was appealed against, but was confirmed by the judges. The verdiot was given expressly a3 a vindication of Mr. Diokons against the charges made by the sportsmen, and the confirmation of the verdict completes his vindication. The farmer on whose farm a number of gentlemen have the privilege of preserving game has not merely to keep on good terms with his landlord, but with the sportsmen as well. But all his interests aro opposed to theirs. This was the case with the Duke of Portland and his tenant, Mr. Dickons. Fortunately for the tenant the law gave him damages.

TEE " WOMAN" WITH TEE IRON MASK. A singular case has just been brought under the notice of the police magistrate of St. Helier's, Jersey. John Le Roy was charged with having fixed his head in a species of iron mask or cage The mask was produced in court. Its base consisted of a piece of rod iron, about a quarter of an inch thick, farmed into a ring, about eight or nino inches in diameter. The top was a similar ring, about six inches in width. These two rings were eonneoted by means of seven vertical bars of strong hoop iron, a couple of inohea apart. The instrument opened with a hingo in thcfront, was fastened at the back by means of a pad lock, and weighed three pounds. In the front part, immediately opposite the mouth, a piece of iron hoop had been placed horizontally, to prevent the wearer from getting anything up to her mouth, though this, it appeared, was ineffectual, as, from the mask being ratter too large, she had managed during tho short tisno sho had it on to turn it round on her htad, and drink a small glass of liquor. It appeared from the evidence of the wife that her husband forced th* mask on her he-id for the first time when she wa9 in a kneeling posture. Sho was seen in it by some of the neighbours, who gave information, and by their orders the prisoner romoved the mask. It also camt out in evidence that the prisoner had made a largi box into a species of cage with iron bars, into whicli he was in the habit of placing his wife occasionally A witness in describing the box said the wife hail plenty of room in it, and received no injury, " though it was not the place for a woman to be in." Theprisoner said his wife was so addicted to drunkenness that he did not know what to do with her. The wif;(who had a half-be3otted appearance) admitted the truth of what her husband had said, but added that "it was her only fault." The magistrate advised the man to make hi 3 wife an allowance of ss. per week aud get a separation. Both of them agreed to this, and the prisoner was fined 10 J . for the a=sault. which he cheerfully paid. The mask was confiscated by order of the magistrate.

THE BARONET AND THE BUTLER. Two charges of asaaalt, one preferred by a footman named Hobson in the service of Sir Henry Edwards against George Lovett, butler to Sir Henry, and the other a counter charge brought by the butler against Sir Henry, have been heard by the Halifax magistrates. Hobson, the footman, stated that one day ho was in the pautry, and the butler came in and asked what he had been saying about him. Hobson replied that he did not know what he meant, upon which the butler used abusivo language, and ordered him out of the pantry. The footman refused to go, and the butler took off his coat, threw it upon the floor, and seized Hobson by one of his whiskers and by the ear, but did not succeed in pulling him out. Hobson subsequently gave notice to leave and related Lovett's conduct. On the following morning, the butler, the footman, and the witnesses were called before Sir Henry, who gave the butier notice to leave that day three month 3, and charged him with having insulted his son Churchill. The batlor denied having done so, and Sir Henry then said, " You have; a gentleman told me bo, and if I had heard it I would have kicked you out of the house." Sir Henry afterwards told the butler he must leave that day, and ordered the men to " chuck " him out of the house. Sir Henry then went towards him, and struck him violently on the Mt cheek. Other witnesses, however, said that Lovett when ordered out of the hall refused to go, and said it was not gentlemanly of Sir Henry to order him out. Sir Henry told his servants to put the butler out, and to fetch a policeman, and the butler then "put himself up to Sir Henry, who, in pushing him away, caught his ear." The bench decidod that the charge against the butler was proved, and he would havo £1 Gs. 6d. penalty and costs to pay. With regard to the charge against Sir H. Edwards, their unanimous opinion was there was not a shadow of ground to establish it, and they therefore dismissed the case. BUST HOYI At Bow-street, John Heggate, of Shoreditch, tea grocer, and two other grocers, Copeland and Harrison, of Bethnal-green, have been charged with selling adulterated tea or the sweepings as buna-fide tea, to the loss of the revenue. It appeared that the revenue officers examined different samples, which they found to be adulterated with sand, dirt, straw, iron, &o. This tea-dust was sold at from Bd. to Is. 4d. per lb Thsy took possession of it all and subsequently analysed it.Thethreesamplesof tea-dust produced contained from 25 to 40 per cent, of dust and other ingredients, Mr. Eibton for the defendants drew attention to the Act of Parliament. It mtntioned leaves of other trees and plants, dye, or fabricated matter, to imitate tea, thereby prejudicing the healths of his Majesty's subjects. Such adulteration was a fraud on the Inland Eevenue, the buyer of the article, and the fair trader. But it was not so in the case as against the defendants. They dealt in an article known as the sweepings of tea from tho floor 3 of the warehouses, and sold it at a prico at which no genuine tea could possibly be obtained. The tea-dust they sold was mixed with wood, &c, which was clearly per ceptible, and which was previously exhibited in the shop-windows, so that the buyers could see easily what they purchased. The dofendant Heggate was sworn, and said that the sweepings of warehouses had been sold under the title of "tea-dust" for the last thirty years. Ho usually bought it of a grocer in the Kingsland-road, and as he bought it so he sold it. Ho had bought tea dust as low as 2-Jd. per lb. There was a duty of 6d. on every pound. This dust was imported in chests at tho docks. He said he obtained a good cup of tea from that tra dust, although ho was bound to admit that a pound of that tea would not go so far as a quarter of a pound of genuine tea. Sir Thomas Henry considered the case ono for conviction. It was not his intention to inflict the full penalty on the defendants. They must each be fined in the reduced penalty of £lO, but could petition the Board for a further mitigation. LIBEL BY A DUCHESS. Mr. Hawkins, Q.C., applied in the case Williams «. the Duko and Duchess of Somerset, which was an action by Dr. Williams against the defendants for libel, for a postponement of the trial until the sittings after Easter Term, on affidavits stating that the Duchess of Somerset, who might be a necessary witness, was suffering from neuralgia and an affection of the leg, and might nst bo able to attend the court for three weeks or a month. The Solicitor-General, who appeared for the plaintiff, objected to the postponement on the ground of the serious nature of the libel. The Duchess of Somerset had called Dr. Williams a "hypocritical murderer," and one of tho charges was that he had deliberately allowed the only son of the duke and duchess to die, because he would not meet another medical man, and that ho mismanaged the case from professional spite. Tho libel has been in general circulation for months, and flhe professional character of Dr. Williams has seriously suffered by it. The defendants have not pleaded any justification, and they have almost admitted the juthorship. Mr. Baron Bramwell decided that the case should not be tried before tho eighth day of the noxt sittings in London, with liberty to examine the duchess by commission if necessary.

A "EINQ" m A POLIOE-OOURT. There is a story of a, witness in a oonrt of law who wan called to attest to) a person's insanity. " I know he's mad," said the witness, " because the poor fellow imagines himself to be the prophet Jeremiah." "Do you consider that to 'be a proof of mental derangement?" asked the examining counsel. "I should rather think so," confidently replied the witness, "seeing that I myself am- the propliet Jeremiah." There are plenty of moncmaniaos, moreovor, who have just oraffc enough to keep their delusions to themselves j and sane society might bo astounded were it known how many self-supposed kings, emperors, Wellingtons, Marlboroughs, Shakospeares, and Byrons exist. It is a common form of mental aberration for the demented person to fancy himself the possessor of thoCro wn of England, or, at least, its rightful heir. A poor fellow, decontly drossed, was imprudent enough to let out his secret the other day in the justice-room of tho Mansion House. He entered tho witness-box after tho court had risen, and announced himself as a descendant both of the Deity and of tho Devil, and " King of England and the Globe." Of course, he wanted to see the Lord l Mayor. The lofty pretensions of the poor man at the Mansion House did not prevent his subsequently owning that his state of life is that of a potman. Tho officials listened to him with patience ; and the crazy man, having "liberated his mind," departed, and waa seen no more.

TWICE DIVORCED. Mr. aid Mrs. Braham, of Birmingham, are people whose domestic relations are unusually interesting. They were married in 18G2, and accepted the consequences of their imprudence till 18G6, when Mrs. Braham applied to the Divorce Court, and obtained a dissolution of her marriage on tho usual grounds. Next year, however, her husband found himself unable to get on without her, telegraphed to her that their child was ill, and asked her to visit him. Under these circumstances Mrs. Braham concluded to marry again, and refastened the knot which she had induced the Divorce Court to untie. However sbo again appeared before Lord Penzance and insisted on being released once more, and good oause having been shown, her petition, hi the absence of any opposition on the part of her husband, was granted. An interesting question would arise if she makes up h«r matrimonial differences once more, enjoys a third honeymoon, and then again appears before Lord Penzance with another catalogue of grievances, would she be divorced a third time ?

FEARFUL ASSAULT. Captain Madden, of the Eighth Regiment, hag been charged at Manchester with a ferocious attack on two gentlemen, at the Queen's Hotel. Captain Madden has been staying at Manchester some time, and has been addressing meetings in the neighbourhood. On Saturday evening he was in the coffee-room of the Queen's Hotel. In the same room were Mr. Brovm and Mr. Clark, of New York. Mr. Brown and Mr. Clark were at tea, and no worda passed between them and Captain Madden. Mr. B-rown was reading a letter to his friend, oTer which they chatted and laughed a good deal. Whilst so engaged Captain Madden left his seat, and in a short time returned, armed with a heavily.loaded life-preserver, and going up behind Mr. Clark aimed a blow at him, the lifepreserver descending with great force on the back of his skull. Fortunately the blow was so directed that it glanced off the Ekull, but it laid open the scalp, which was cat clean to the skull. Captain Madden then rushed upon Mr. Brown, aiming a blow at his forehead. Mr. Brown, however, by the dexterous use of a chair, intercepted the blow. waiters interfered, and prevented the assault proceeding further : but it required four people t& hold the captain, owing to his ungovernable excitement, until a policeman could be obtained. The prisoner expressed his sorrow, bat said it was not he, bat that tiling itself (the life-preserver), which being loaded, went off of itself. Mr. Headlam said tho prisoner did not appear to bo in his right mind, and remanded the ca?e for a week, in order that the prisoner's friends might be communicated with. ♦

An inquest has been held on the body of" an. elderly woman, who was deaf and dumb and nearly blind, who resided in Lever-street, St. Luke's. It is supposed that the deceased was in the act of putting somo coals onjthe fire when her dress became ignited. Her screams brought the aseistanoe of her son, who rolled his coat round her and extinguished the flames, but she died in the hospital from the effects of thoburns. The jury returned a verdict of accidental death. Recently several ladies travelling alone in first-class carriages between Blackburn and Accrington have been insulted by a young fellow, who always entered the carriage when the train was in> the tunnel, just outside the Blaokburn Station. One evening a deteotive officer, dressed as a woman, was placed in one of the carriages. The bait took, and she rascal referred to was made a prisoner, and taken to Blackburn. He turned out to be a servant ut the goods Btation. A strange-looking man was recently brought up at the Bradford Borough Court, having called at the police-office and stated that he wished to give himself into oustody on a charge of being concerned in the death of a gentleman at Carlislo in July, 1867. He told a very straightforward story, giving the name of the gentleman, and a clear statement of the circumstances under which the gentleman's death, occurred. He was remanded for further inquiry. Two cases op delusion lately came before the metropolitan police magistrates. At the Mansion, tfouse a woman who laid claim to the Throno was referred to either tho Premier or the Chancellor of the Exchequer, when she said that she had already applied to Mr. Gladstone. At the Southwark court a man charged with gambling in the street solemnly assured the bench that Mr. Gladstone gave him ■!xclusive authority to do so when the right hon. gentleman was elected for Greenwich. The "prisoner was remanded for an inquiry into tho state of hi 3 mind. False Witnesses. Railway compensation cases seem to engross a considerable portion of the' time of the courts just now. The Court of Queen's Bench has granted an application for a new trial in the case of a publican and his wife who sued the London, Chatham, and Dover Railway for damages, for an accident to the female plaintiff, but failed to get a verdict in consequence of evidenoe being given, that one of the witnesses had been promised payment for false testimony on their behalf. The plaintiffs now undertake to show that in a Chancery case thewitness in question had similarly turned against them, and wa3 unworthy of belief. &. ciiarge op conspiraoi of rather a einonlar character has been investigated at the Wandsworth Police-court. One Skoplehorn and his wife were summoned for having conspired to injure a Ma, Ironside, by endeavouring to p>lm off another person's child as his own. In August, ISG7, complainant received information that his wife had been safely delivered of a daughter, and ho continued to rear the child so presented to him for about 18 months, when his suspicious were aroused, and from subsequent inquiries it was discovered that tho child belonged to one Funny Wood, from whom complainant's wife had adopted it, Mrs. Skeplohorn act. ing as nurse. Tho defendants were remanded. Divorce and Damages.—lt is considered doubtful whethor the suit of Mordaunt v. Mordaunt Colo, and Johnstone will come on by the time Axed, tho' 12 th inst., as there are five oases which will have priority of time. It is conjectured that Atkinson v Atkinson and Gath will occupy at least two days' lhocasoof Patterson v. Patterson and Graham, in winch damages against a wealthy member of the bar to the amount of are claimed, will no doubt occupy a like amount of time. Morgan v. Morgan and Porter is a new trial, and may probably absorb two days. Jones v. Jones, Boss, Smith, and Myers is not expected to be quite so lengthy, but it will be followed_ bj'the ease of Rowland v. Rowland and allies, tho damages in which aro laid at £2O 000 1 hen will come the Mordaunt divoroe case, to bo fol-' lowed by Wellington v. Wellington and Williams, wherein the faot of tho co-respondent being a member of Parliament will add to tho interest of the case. •Another sensational case has just been added to the ImT™ ° v -. M " na and F°"lGr. The lady has i 1,000 a year in her own right, and tho co-respondent was the stipendiary magistrate at Manchester, tho petitioner being the late ohairman of the Salford Sos6ionf} - Damages in this case are laid a .15.000.