LONDON HOOLIGANS

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1507, 17 January 1901, Page 12

LONDON HOOLIGANS

RUFFIAN SENT TO PENAL- SERVITUDE. The London, papers -by the mail certain further accounts' o-r the doings of the “Hooligans” and the. prosecutions following thereon. At Clericenwell sessions -Samuel Blunt, twenty-five, a rough-looking individual, was convicted of having demanded money by menaces from Samuel Sewell, a collar-maker, living at Shepherd Bush. On the afternoon of October 24 prosecutor, a young man, was walking with a lady friend, a Miss Lottie Holmes, along Goodge street, Tottenham Court road, when prisoner, accompanied by another man, approached the pair, who were walking arm-in-arm. "With some violence they soperated! Sewell irons Miss Holmes, pushed;-her away, and then said to the prosecutor : “Give me some , money. s Meeting with a refusal, they adopted, a threatening attitude, and frightened the young fellow, so that fie stepped back a few paces. “If you. don’t give us some money we’iT knue you!" they exclaimed, and then Blunt pulled open Sewell’s l coat, while the other man snatched away his watch. To prevent him informing anyone they followed him and the young lady and threatened them. In Upper Eaihhone place Blunt- and; his companion confined! their attention to _ another victim of terrorism, they pushing him into shop doorway with no doubt felonious intentions. Taking advantage of this relief of attention to him on, their part, Sewell ran. for a policeman, and both men were captured. On th© way to the station, however, the second man said: “You’re not going to take the two of us.” Both men struggled: desperately, and although the actual thief was detained in custody, and indue course punished, Blunt succeeded in getting away. Fl© was arrested later ■on. A long list of convictions, dating: from- ISO I, and including sentences cl from three to eighteen months’ imprisonment, were proved by Warder C'oo-k. In sentencing the learned Judge remarked : “Very often it pains me to have to pass sentences on persons stanch ing where you do new : but in your case I feel no compunction or pang, because you were guilty of a highway robbery of the ‘most bold and aggressive character in broad daylight in a busy tboioughfare. My only duty is to protect the public. I sentence you to . four years* penal servitude.