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
continually vociferating--"Pay me my bill! Pay me my bill!" Having reached
the first landing of the stairs, he attempted a parley, in the hope of
convincing her of the impossibility of his paying, without money to pay
with; but to all he said, she only answered--"Pay me my bill!" He
retreated farther up the stairs, remonstrating as he went, and she still
following with the hateful cry of "Pay me my bill!" even into the sacred
retreat of his own private apartment. What was to be done? Money he had
none, at that moment--he was not ashamed to confess it. He called a
council of war in his own mind, determined upon a system of operation, and
quietly, but firmly, addressing Mrs. Bull, he said, "Mrs. Bull--you come
here to seek money; I have none to give you--This room is my castle, and
if you do not depart _instanter_, I shall be under the unpleasant
necessity of compelling you." Having so said he advanced towards her, for
the purpose of gently ejecting her from the apartment, but she was too
quick for him; she eluded his grasp, and seizing him by the _under-lip_,
led him by it in triumph round the room! What could be more annoying than
this? To be led about by a violent old woman, holding by his stretched-out
and bleeding under-lip!
The magistrate admitted that it was a very awkward situation.
Mr. Kingston continued.--Under the circumstances, he called out, as well
as he could, for help; she cried out also--but it was the old inveterate
cry of "Pay me my bill!" At this moment a noise of people approaching was
heard, and she relinquished her hold upon his lip. He went to the door,
and saw it was Mr. Bull, and a whole posse of his servants and neighbours,
coming to the assistance of the lady; and seeing this, he resolutely
seized her by the shoulders, put her out of the room, and locked the door
before the great body of the enemy could reach it. This was the whole head
and front of his offending. If the lady fell and hurt herself in
consequence of his ejecting her, he was sorry for it; but she had brought
it upon herself by her own misconduct. Finally, he submitted to the
magistrate that he was justified in what he had done, inasmuch as the lady
was a trespasser on his premises, and he had taken the only means in his
power of removing the _nuisance_.
The magistrate held that the means he had used were improper. If, when she
insisted upon remaining in his house, he had sent for a constable to
remove her, he would have done right. On the contrary, he had taken the
law into his own hands, and must therefore find bail to answer the assault
at the Quarter Sessions.
STREET ETIQUETTE.
This was a proceeding by warrant upon a matter of assault and battery,
alleged to have been perpetrated upon the person of a very nice young
attorney, Mr. William Henry Squibb, by John Bloomer, a youthful and
golden-haired grower of cauliflowers and capsicums, in a pleasant village
on the banks of the Thames.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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