LEMON AND DICKENS IN BAD COMPANY.

Grey River Argus, Volume XV, Issue 1896, 3 September 1874, Page 3

LEMON AND DICKENS IN BAD COMPANY.

The Dublin Evening Post ] 849, contains | the following account of an adventure of I Charles Dickens and Mark Lemon: — "At the Marleybone Police Court on Tuesday, Mr Charles Dickens and Mr Mark Lemon preferred a charge of attempted robbery against Cornelius Hearn aged 19. Mr Lemon, on being sworn, said : I reside at No. 3, Saint Annne's Villas, Hotting Hill. Last evening about 9 o'clock, as I was walking with my friend, Mr Dickens, along the Edgeware Road, 1 felt a hand in my pocket, and on turning round saw the prisoner draw his hand therefrom. I gave him a rap with my stick, when he abused me and ran away. I and Mr Dickens ran after him, and he was shortly afterwards taken. He was extremely vislent, and he kicked me severely on the knee— Mr Broughton : did you miss anything from your pocket 1 —Mr Lemon : I did not, sir.— Mr

Charles Dickens : I live at No. 1, Devonshire Terrace, Regent's Park. I was with Mr Lemon, and saw him turn suddenly round upon the prisoner, who speedily ran away ; we pursued him and when he was taken he was most violent ; he is a very desperate fellow, and he kicked about in all directions. There was a mob of low fellows close by when he tried MiLemon's pocket, and we determined that lie should not make Ms escape if we could preveiu it. — Barkley, an officer of the D. divipion, desposed to lm having known the prisoner, for years as a reputed thief. — Mr Dickens : When at the station I said I thought I knew the prisoner, and that I had seen him at the House of Correction — Prisoner : Now your Worship, he must have been in " quod" there himself, or he coulden't have seen me. I know these two gentleman well ; theyr'e no better than swell mob men, and get their living by buying stolen goods (laughter). That one (pointing to Mr Dickens) keeps a " fence," and I recollect him at the prison, Avhere he was put in for six months while I was there for only two — Both gentlemen seemed to enjoy amazingly the honor which the prisoner had with such unblushing effrontry conferred upon them : but as may readily be imagined, neither of them confessed to having any connection whatever with that " highly respectable body," the swell mob, or to obtaining a living by dealing in stolen goods. — Mr Broughton, after remarking upon the consummate impudence of the ju-isoner in making tho allegations which he had against gentleman of so much repute in the literary world, committed him to hard labor in the House of Correction for three months. " Boz" and his friend left the Court."