CHAPTER XVI--PROPERTY VERSUS PERSON
In a civilisation frankly materialistic and based upon property, not
soul, it is inevitable that property shall be exalted over soul,
that crimes against property shall be considered far more serious
than crimes against the person. To pound one's wife to a jelly and
break a few of her ribs is a trivial offence compared with sleeping
out under the naked stars because one has not the price of a doss.
The lad who steals a few pears from a wealthy railway corporation is
a greater menace to society than the young brute who commits an
unprovoked assault upon an old man over seventy years of age. While
the young girl who takes a lodging under the pretence that she has
work commits so dangerous an offence, that, were she not severely
punished, she and her kind might bring the whole fabric of property
clattering to the ground. Had she unholily tramped Piccadilly and
the Strand after midnight, the police would not have interfered with
her, and she would have been able to pay for her lodging.
The following illustrative cases are culled from the police-court
reports for a single week:-
Widnes Police Court. Before Aldermen Gossage and Neil. Thomas
Lynch, charged with being drunk and disorderly and with assaulting a
constable. Defendant rescued a woman from custody, kicked the
constable, and threw stones at him. Fined 3s. 6d. for the first
offence, and 10s. and costs for the assault.
Glasgow Queen's Park Police Court. Before Baillie Norman Thompson.
John Kane pleaded guilty to assaulting his wife. There were five
previous convictions. Fined 2 pounds, 2s.
Taunton County Petty Sessions. John Painter, a big, burly fellow,
described as a labourer, charged with assaulting his wife. The
woman received two severe black eyes, and her face was badly
swollen. Fined 1 pound, 8s., including costs, and bound over to
keep the peace.
Widnes Police Court. Richard Bestwick and George Hunt, charged with
trespassing in search of game. Hunt fined 1 pound and costs,
Bestwick 2 pounds and costs; in default, one month.
Shaftesbury Police Court. Before the Mayor (Mr. A. T. Carpenter).
Thomas Baker, charged with sleeping out. Fourteen days.
Glasgow Central Police Court. Before Bailie Dunlop. Edward
Morrison, a lad, convicted of stealing fifteen pears from a lorry at
the railroad station. Seven days.
Doncaster Borough Police Court. Before Alderman Clark and other
magistrates. James M'Gowan, charged under the Poaching Prevention
Act with being found in possession of poaching implements and a
number of rabbits. Fined 2 pounds and costs, or one month.
Dunfermline Sheriff Court. Before Sheriff Gillespie. John Young, a
pit-head worker, pleaded guilty to assaulting Alexander Storrar by
beating him about the head and body with his fists, throwing him on
the ground, and also striking him with a pit prop. Fined 1 pound.
Kirkcaldy Police Court. Before Bailie Dishart. Simon Walker
pleaded guilty to assaulting a man by striking and knocking him
down. It was an unprovoked assault, and the magistrate described
the accused as a perfect danger to the community. Fined 30s.
Mansfield Police Court. Before the Mayor, Messrs. F. J. Turner, J.
Whitaker, F. Tidsbury, E. Holmes, and Dr. R. Nesbitt. Joseph
Jackson, charged with assaulting Charles Nunn. Without any
provocation, defendant struck the complainant a violent blow in the
face, knocking him down, and then kicked him on the side of the
head. He was rendered unconscious, and he remained under medical
treatment for a fortnight. Fined 21s.
Perth Sheriff Court. Before Sheriff Sym. David Mitchell, charged
with poaching. There were two previous convictions, the last being
three years ago. The sheriff was asked to deal leniently with
Mitchell, who was sixty-two years of age, and who offered no
resistance to the gamekeeper. Four months.
Dundee Sheriff Court. Before Hon. Sheriff-Substitute R. C. Walker.
John Murray, Donald Craig, and James Parkes, charged with poaching.
Craig and Parkes fined 1 pound each or fourteen days; Murray, 5
pounds or one month.
Reading Borough Police Court. Before Messrs. W. B. Monck, F. B.
Parfitt, H. M. Wallis, and G. Gillagan. Alfred Masters, aged
sixteen, charged with sleeping out on a waste piece of ground and
having no visible means of subsistence. Seven days.
Salisbury City Petty Sessions. Before the Mayor, Messrs. C.
Hoskins, G. Fullford, E. Alexander, and W. Marlow. James Moore,
charged with stealing a pair of boots from outside a shop. Twenty-
one days.
Horncastle Police Court. Before the Rev. W. F. Massingberd, the
Rev. J. Graham, and Mr. N. Lucas Calcraft. George Brackenbury, a
young labourer, convicted of what the magistrates characterised as
an altogether unprovoked and brutal assault upon James Sargeant
Foster, a man over seventy years of age. Fined 1 pound and 5s. 6d.
costs.
Worksop Petty Sessions. Before Messrs. F. J. S. Foljambe, R.
Eddison, and S. Smith. John Priestley, charged with assaulting the
Rev. Leslie Graham. Defendant, who was drunk, was wheeling a
perambulator and pushed it in front of a lorry, with the result that
the perambulator was overturned and the baby in it thrown out. The
lorry passed over the perambulator, but the baby was uninjured.
Defendant then attacked the driver of the lorry, and afterwards
assaulted the complainant, who remonstrated with him upon his
conduct. In consequence of the injuries defendant inflicted,
complainant had to consult a doctor. Fined 40s. and costs.
Rotherham West Riding Police Court. Before Messrs. C. Wright and G.
Pugh and Colonel Stoddart. Benjamin Storey, Thomas Brammer, and
Samuel Wilcock, charged with poaching. One month each.
Southampton County Police Court. Before Admiral J. C. Rowley, Mr.
H. H. Culme-Seymour, and other magistrates. Henry Thorrington,
charged with sleeping out. Seven days.
Eckington Police Court. Before Major L. B. Bowden, Messrs. R. Eyre,
and H. A. Fowler, and Dr. Court. Joseph Watts, charged with
stealing nine ferns from a garden. One month.
Ripley Petty Sessions. Before Messrs. J. B. Wheeler, W. D.
Bembridge, and M. Hooper. Vincent Allen and George Hall, charged
under the Poaching Prevention Act with being found in possession of
a number of rabbits, and John Sparham, charged with aiding and
abetting them. Hall and Sparham fined 1 pound, 17s. 4d., and Allen
2 pounds, 17s. 4d., including costs; the former committed for
fourteen days and the latter for one month in default of payment.
South-western Police Court, London. Before Mr. Rose. John Probyn,
charged with doing grievous bodily harm to a constable. Prisoner
had been kicking his wife, and also assaulting another woman who
protested against his brutality. The constable tried to persuade
him to go inside his house, but prisoner suddenly turned upon him,
knocking him down by a blow on the face, kicking him as he lay on
the ground, and attempting to strangle him. Finally the prisoner
deliberately kicked the officer in a dangerous part, inflicting an
injury which will keep him off duty for a long time to come. Six
weeks.
Lambeth Police Court, London. Before Mr. Hopkins. "Baby" Stuart,
aged nineteen, described as a chorus girl, charged with obtaining
food and lodging to the value of 5s. by false pretences, and with
intent to defraud Emma Brasier. Emma Brasier, complainant, lodging-
house keeper of Atwell Road. Prisoner took apartments at her house
on the representation that she was employed at the Crown Theatre.
After prisoner had been in her house two or three days, Mrs. Brasier
made inquiries, and, finding the girl's story untrue, gave her into
custody. Prisoner told the magistrate that she would have worked
had she not had such bad health. Six weeks' hard labour.
