THE ALDERSHOT SCANDAL.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXVIII, Issue 8664, 5 September 1891, Page 2 (Supplement)

THE ALDERSHOT SCANDAL.

®WO POLICE OFFICERS PROSECUTED. A cable message published in the Herald On Monday stated that the charge against two constables at Aldcrshot of giving false evidence in the case of Alice Millard had culminated in their dismissal from the force. The affair has created a great stir in England. At the Alder3hofc Polico Courb on Monday, July 2d, tho caso of Alice Millard v. Polico-sorgeant Cottle and Police-constable Bradbury was resumed. Tho two otficors wore in court, having surrendered to their bail. Tho magistrates who heard tho charge against Miss Millard withdrew from the bench.

Tho officers were charged with having committed perjury by swearing that Miss Millard was a woman of bad character. They were further charged with having conspired to prefer a false charge, and with having conspired to commit perjury. Mr."'Mathews, in opening the case for the prosecution, said that the proceedings were instituted on the authority of the public prosecutor. Ho narrated tho facts of the ca."o as follows Alice Millard, who was 17 years of age last March, was on June IS charged with being a disorderly prostitute in tho streets of Aldershot on the night of June 17th. That charge was made against her by both of the defendants. Alice Millard was the daughter of William and Elizabeth Millard. Her father, who died in I!>S3, had been in the army. The complainant had earned her living as a laundress, and she had also been in service for a short time. She was living with her mother, and on the night of Juno 17 she was going home, after having been in the company of a Miss Sifton, when she found her mother at the corner of Wellingtonstreet, in the custody of tho. police. She became greatly distressed, and followed her mother to the station, when Policeconstable Bradbury went up to her and told her to go homo. She said, " W hen I've got my mother I will." Tho constable then" said to her, "You aro a prostitute." She replied, " No, I am not. My hands will show that," but tho constable took hold of her and said, " Como along with me." She was then taken to the station and charged as a disorderly prostitute. Alice Millard was then called. She said: Down to June 13 I was living in Aldershot with my mother, Elizabeth Millard, at Union Terrace. I havo four brothers, and am the eldest of the family. I shall be IS on March 17 next. My father, Herbert Millard, was a soldier in the Army Service Corps. He died in Liverpool in ISSS. We then came to Aldershot, where I afterwards worked as als undress and general servant. In IS9O I wan engaged to be married. Since then my intended husband, who is in the array, has cone to Madras. I went to work on June" 16 at Mrs. Sifton'?, and had an engagement to work the next day at Mrs. Ma :gregor's. I wanted a skirt on the 17th, and as it was at Mrs. Sifton's, went there for it on Monday night. _ She has a daughter named Mar}*, who is a friend of mine. I went for a walk that evening with Mary Sifton, and when I came back 1 went to Mrs. Sifton's and had supper there of bre.v.d and. cheese and coffee. I had had nothing intoxicating to drink all day. After supjrer I went home, Mrs. Sifton and her daughter going with me cart of the way. After they had left me 1 walked on to" Union Terrace, when I heard my mother's voice, but could not tell what she said. She seemed to hi crying. I then began to run, and met my brother John. When wo arrived ac Union-street I saw my mother between two policemen. She was crying, and was taken to the police station. I "followed her, crying to her as I went, when Police-constable Bradbury came up to me and took me by the arm, saying, "Go home." I said I would go home when I had my mother. He then said, "I know you ; you are nothing but a prostitute." I said, " I am not a prostitute —my hands will show that but he pulled me through the streets to the police station. I said, " Don't tear ray clothes. I have got to work hard for thorn." He tore my jacket, and I fell down twice on the way to the J station. 1 fell down on the steps of the station,-making the third fall. A corporal of the West Surrey, who stood in the passage, was called by tho constable, and they dragged me through tho passage. Bradbury went in to see the superintendent and then took me into the charge-room, where I saw Superintendent Brinson and his son. Constable Bradbury charged me as a disorderly prostitute and a3 being drunk and making use of bad language at the corner of Wellington-street. I said to the superintendent, "Am 1 drunk?" He did not answer me. He wrote something down m a book. I was then put into a cell and removed on Tuesday to another cell in which my mother was confined. I remained in the cell till Wednesday. The witness added that when the charge was gone into the defendants swore that she was a disorderly prostitute, but the magistrates dismissed the case. Cross-examined, the witness said : I am now living at 59 and GO, Chancery Lane, London, where my solicitor lives. I am staying with Mr. and Mrs. Moore, the caretakers. On tho night you were arrested wore you calling out in the street and quarrelling? No. I did not call any of the neighbours names. Mother was having a few words with a girl. I did not hit anybody that night. I was put into a cell with a prostitute. She told my mother and me that she was a prostitute. Did you work for Mr. Bennett among others? Yes, for a fortnight. Did ho discharge you because a drummer boy was also hanging about after you ? No, . sir. When you went to the Royal Standard did yo% have different soldiers with you ? No ; 1 swear that. Last time you were thcro did you challenge a woman to fight? No, sir. Nor use bad language? No, sir. Have you over been at the Eagle with a Diari at night ? No, ■ Whilst you wero at 129, High-street, did you ever help soldiers over the back wall ? No, there was no back wall. Ab this stage tho chairman intimated that tho witness might be accommodated with a chair, ...» announcement which ©yoked some applause in court. Tho witness denied that she had been with soldiers in a number of other places mentioned, < remarking that she did not know any of them. Sao swore sho was nob a prostitute. Elizabeth Millard, tho mother of tho last witness, of 3, Birchetb Road, Aldershob, corroborated her daughter's evidence, and added that on the night of Juno 17th the witness had a dispute with a neighbour named Maggie Mar. A sergeant and a constable took her away in tho direction of the police station. The witness was crying, And she was charged with being drunk and disorderly. Alice was also arrested because sho did nob wish tho witness to be taken to the station.

Cross-examined, witness admitted that she had some drink when she was arrested, but she knew what she was about. Oil Tuesday the court was again densely crowded, and upon making her appearance at the entrance to the court with Mr. J. K. Cattle, hop-solicitor. Miss Millard was loudly cheered. Mary IS if ton, examined by Mr. Mathews, Htated that she lived at 50, .St. James-street, Aldershot, and know both the prosecutrix and her mother. As far as she know they wero both respectable persons. She bad never seen Miss Millard in the bar of the Hussar Tavern in the company of soldiers. Albert MacCormuck, a lad of 14, Crimea Bond, Aldershot, deposed that on the night of June 15 ho saw Aline Millard in Welling-ton-street. When Constable Bradbury approached her he said, "Move on ; you are a prostitute." Miss Millard said, "Oh, no, I am not; my hands will show that I am not." She was theu pushed, and afterwards arrested by the constable and conveyed to the police station. Ho followed, but did not enter. Mr, John Hutchinson Gibson, a surgeon, i residing at 19, Grosvenor Road, Aldershot, 1 deposed to examining the prosecutrix. He formed the opinion that she was a virtjo intacta. Susan M'Gregor, wife of Sergeant McGregor, of the Royal West Surrey Regiment, said Miss Millard had been in her employ as servant for Bomo months, and had always behaved herself as an honest and industrious girl. . •Alice Maude Hodges, wife of Sergeant Hodges, Amy Constancy M'Cabe, Quartermaster M'Cabe, Louise Parker and Drum- , major Parker, Alice 'Foray the, London-

street, Aldershot; Thomas Lyon, Jane Barry, Alice Cawle, and a number of other residents in Aldershob, were called to testify to the respectability of prosecutrix. They all swore that sho was a hardworking, sober, and industrious girl. This closed the case for the prosecution. In the absence of Mr. Bullen, Mr. Godwin, solicitor, opened the case on behalf of tho defendants. Whilst admitting that Miss Millard was a virgo intactu, he argued that it had nothing whatever to do with the case. If the officers had sworn what I they knew to bo wrong they were guilty of perjury, and should beconvioted. If, however, they had, as ho contended, simply stated what thoy firmly believed to be the truth, ho submitted that they should not bo convictcd. Police-sergoant Meere, of tho Hants constabulary, stationed at Aldershot, stated that on the night in question he heard cries of " Murder 1" and " Police !" in Unionstreet. Upon going there he saw Mrs. Millard and her daughter outside a houso quarrelling with their neighbours. Ho asked them civilly to desist, and also advised them to go in-door.?. Miss Millard, however, turned round on him, and used very bad language. Witness repeated the expressions alleged. Miss Millard caused some cxcitomenb at this point by accusing tho sergeant of "lying." Witness, continuing, said that as neither would go away, and as tho girl used more bad language, thoy wore both taken into custody. Miss Millard was very violent. He told tho superintendent in charge that he believed Miss Millard was a prostitute, but added that he was unable to prove the fact. Witness had seen the girl with soldiers at eleven o'clock at night, after the houses were closed.

Have you ever seen her in bad places ? Yes, I have seen her in places frequented by women of bad morals. A largo number of other witnesses wero callcd, including some eight or ton " unfortunates," all of whom swore to having seen tho prosecutrix behaving herself indecently with men in various parts of Aldershot. James Cottle, a police-sergeant in tho Hants constabularly stationed at Aldershot, deposed that lie hud seen prosecutrix in the streets at different times and at different places up to twelve o'clock at night. Witness had noticed her go into various publichouses, both alone and with soldiers. Behind the Hussar public-house a passage ran through to another street, and in this passage the witness swore to having soon the girl and an infantry soldier under suspicious circumstances. Police-constable Alfred Bradbury, 205, Hants constabularly, said that on Juno 15 last, between 11 and 12 o'clock, whilst he was on duty at High-street, he heard loud screams and cursing. Seeing a woman, who turned out to be Alice Millard, he asked her to go home to bed, but she pointblank refused, and after cautioning and endeavouring to compel hor to go home some six or eight times, he took her into custody. She called him vile names, and struck and kicked him. When nt the station sho endeavoured to assault the corporal who had assisted him. Tho noise brought the superintendent. The girl continued swearing, and was taken into the office, where the charge was duly made against her and entered by the superintendent in the charge-book in witness' presence. He had frequently seen the girl in public-houses, and owing to her conduct ho had repeatedly cautioned her, at her mother's request. The mother, who was seated in court, excitedly exclaimed, "It is a lie I never asked him to do anything." She was removed from the court exclaiming, " 1 can't stand here and hear such lies."

Robert Brinson, superintendent of the Hants constabularly, in chargo of the Aldershot police, deposed to being brought out of his office on June 15 by the noise at the station as described by the last witness. He ordered the girl to bo brought into the office, and the chargo of being a disorderly prostitute was entered against her. On telling her the charge she said, "lam no prostitute. I am a hard-work-ing girl, and getting my living by washing or doing laundry work." Witness then directed Bradbury to take her out of the office, and sent for Sergeant Meera, and in consequence of what he informed him orders were issued for tho prisoner to be locked up on the charge of being a disorderly prostitute. That was done, and on July 17 she was brought before the Bench, remanded until the IStli, and then the charge was dismissed. This closed the case for the defence. After retiring for a few minutes the chairman announced that the Bench hud decided that the case of perjury was one for a jury to decide, and the two defendants would bo committed for trial. On tho counts of conspiracy the chargo was dismissed. Tho officers were admitted to bail of £50 in themselves and two sureties of £25 each, two responsible tradesmen offering themselves. Tho defendants were then committed to take their trial at the forthcoming assizes, : held at \\ inchester, on a charge of wilful j and corrupt perjury, and tho witnesses, | some 00 in number, were all bound over in the sum of £10 to appear at the trial. The summons granted on the information of Miss Alice Millard against Inspector Brinson, for wilful neglect of duty, in not sending for bail when application was made by Mrs. Millard and her daughter, was then called on. Mrs. Millard was called, and swore that on Monday, June 15 last, she was arrested at Aldershot for being drunk and disorderly, and locked up in a coll ab tho police court. She asked for bail, but it was not sent for. Miss Alice Millard gave evidence of her arrest, and said that she, too, asked for baii. The Bench found that the offence alleged against Superintendent Brinson was proved, but thought the justice of tho case would be met by imposing a fine of 5s and costs. The decision was greeted with mingled hisses and cheers by a densely-crowded court.