Mornings at Bow Street: A Selection of the Most Humorous and Entertaining Reports which Have Appeared in the 'Morning Herald'Wight, J. (John)
General
Mornings at Bow Street: A Selection of the Most Humorous and Entertaining Reports which Have Appeared in the 'Morning Herald'
Wight, J. (John)
Crime -- England -- London
Mrs. Bridget Bull was an old lady of respectable appearance, very gentle
in manners, and rather infirm. She deposed that the defendant, Mr.
Kingston, was indebted to her husband the sum of four pounds six shillings
and ninepence halfpenny, for goods sold and delivered; which debt he
neglected to discharge, and thereby caused her husband and herself much
trouble and inconvenience. That on Wednesday last, she, by desire of her
husband, waited upon defendant with an earnest request that he would
settle the account forthwith. Defendant said it was not convenient for
him so to do, and she therefore took upon herself to remonstrate with him
on the impossibility of their waiting any longer; whereupon he pushed her
out of his room with such violence, that she fell down and bruised her
arms and back shockingly.--In proof of the violence, she exhibited her
arms to the magistrate, and doubtless they were bruised shockingly enough.
Mr. Kingston, "a goodly portly man, of a cheerful look, a pleasing eye,
and a most noble carriage--and, as we think, his age some fifty--or, by'r
Lady, inclining to three-score," entered upon his defence with an
impassioned eloquence that would have done credit even to a Phillips. He
spoke of the nature of his income making it impossible for him to pay but
at stated periods; and of the remorseless rapacity of tradesmen. He
disclaimed all intention of hurting Mrs. Bull, expressed his pity for her
bruises, and contended that what he had done he did in his own personal
defence. After having expatiated on all these matters for some time, he,
at the earnest request of the magistrate, descended to a particular answer
to the charge at issue. In the first place, he said Mr. Bull came, in the
morning, urging payment in no very gentle terms. He promised him payment
as soon as he should receive money, and with that promise he departed
apparently satisfied. In less than an hour, however, just as he had
dressed, and was leaving home in search of money, Mrs. Bull, with bill in
hand, presented herself before the door of the house, and positively
forbade his egress. He requested her to get out of his way, and let him
pass about his lawful business; but the more he requested, the more she
refused. She declared she would never lose sight of him till he paid her
the money, and she dared him to send for a constable to remove her. Then
he told her he should retire to his own private apartment: and he warned
her of the impropriety and unconstitutionality of following him thither,
as he should consider it as his "castle," agreeably to the good old
English adage, for such cases made and provided. She vowed she would
follow him whithersoever he went, let the consequences be what they might.
Nevertheless, he did not believe she would dare to put this threat in
execution, and therefore he commenced a retreat towards his own private
apartment; and, to his great astonishment, she followed him step by step,
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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