It was an unusually busy Day at Hamilton's Police Court on Thursday, August 28, 1884.
The Spectator had quite a task to sort out all the charges, names, and dispositions of the cases, but did an admirable job as shown by the folliowing
"The auditorium at the police court was unusually well-filled this morning
and there were sixteen prisoners in the dock – fifteen men and one woman. The
prisoners were all of the rough and seedy element, and most of them bore unmistakable evidence of a prolonged debauch.
Two of the crowd only, Alfred F. Williamson and Michael Sheen were in for
being drunk. They were drunk and they said so, and when the magistrate gave
them $2 or ten apiece they smiled complacently and took the ten.
J. McCarthy, Ellen Cunningham and James Muirhead were run in as vagrants,
but the charges against them were adjourned until tomorrow morning.
There was another charge against Muirhead – that of assaulting P. C.
Ferris early in the morning of December 26 last. The policeman disposed that he
met Muirhead with a companion and a bag. When the companion and the bag saw the
policeman, they quickly and expeditiously skipped, while Muirhead remained and
told the policeman to wander where the
climate is warmer and more sulphurous than it is here when the policeman asked
why he was there and what the bag contained.
Then the policeman attempted to arrest him on the general suspicion of
being a pretty notorious thief. But Muirhead objected and emphasized his
objection by assaulting the policeman and tearing away from his grasp. He has
been missing ever since.
Muirhead elected to be tried by jury and accused Ferris of swearing to
all sorts of untruths, and finally remarked that it was a mistake – it must
have been some other fellow that looked like him. Ferris was positive that he
was not mistaken and the magistrate sent Muirhead down for trial. His record is
bad and he has frequently done time.
Henry Plenn, a notorious vagrant, was sent down to Central prison for 30
days.
Thomas Fanning, the wandering phrenologist, who has been filling people
around town with wind for the last few days, was up in court this morning,
having been found slumbering sweetly in an alleyway by P. C. Coulter. He
confessed that he had no money and said phrenology failed to pay unless one had
money enough to hire a hall or get handsomely furnished apartments.
By trade, Fanning is a brick maker, and he promised to leave phrenology
and whiskey alone and settle soberly down to work if the magistrate would only
let him go. He was given 24 hours to get out of town, and if he don’t get, he
will pay $4 to the city treasury or go down for forty days.
Issac Reynolds, charged with fighting, was allowed to go, no direct
evidence being offered against him.
Wm. McAdams was assessed $7 damages and $1.50 costs for wilfully damaging
a wagon belonging to Geo. Jenkins. Jenkins’ little boy was driving down York
street when McAdams drove into his wagon, and tore off and smashed the front
wheel. It was estimated that it would cost $7 to make the repairs and McAdams was
accordingly instructed to contribute this amount to the Jenkins treasury.
The hat case, that case wherein Frederick Watterson and Peter Shew, were
alleged to have taken a valuable hat from J. P. Dossett, of Upper John street
by false pretenses, came up this morning for adjustment. Shew and Watterson
explained that they had 25 or 30 hats in their place and that it was quite
possible that they had made a mistake. They didn’t know that they had, but with
so many hats around, so many of which were alike, they were liable to make
errors. The magistrate thought so too and dismissed the case.
Patrick, arrested at the instance of Mrs. Hopkins for false pretences,
was discharged.
John Boyle was charged with assaulting Alex. Cowey. Complainant failed to
appear and the case was dismissed with $3 costs or 20 days in jail"
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