CAUTION TO LOVERS.

Thames Star, Volume VII, Issue 2134, 5 November 1875, Page 2

CAUTION TO LOVERS.

A case, illustrating the danger which love-making couples who take moonlight walks in the public gardens run, of haying their characters injured by an officious busybody who may wish to annoy them, came before the Mayor and Messrs Fairchild and Noonan, J.P.s at the City Police Court on Friday, says the Australasian of October 16. A respectablelooking elderly man, describing himself

as a gentlen^n's coachman,:: named George Callaglian, was charged by Constable Slattery, a young policeman, with " insulting behaviour," a term which is :very widely interpreted by the police.* Slattery stated that he ,was sitting on ' the grass under a tree in the Treasury - gardens, at about halfpast nine the previous evening with, a young lady, when the prisoner came,up, and ordered him to go to the iwatchhouse. He followed the man a few paces, and then asked hint what authority he had. Callaghaa drew something from his pocket, and presenting it at Slattefy's head, said he would make hint''feel the weight of it or the contents of it. Slattery, who was in plain clothes, then said he was a policeman, and arrested Oallaghan, and locked him up. Callaglian accused Slattery and the young woman of sitting in a disgraceful position. The defence was that the prisoner only interfered because he saw the young people misbehaving themselves; The mayor said he knew the prisoner to be a " : respectable man, and adjourned the case in order that the young woman lin question, who was employed af the Criterion Hotel, might be produced. After a while she came, and gave evidencejH corroborating Slattery, adding that the^^ prisoner blew a whistle and called loudly for " Police," saying he was a private citizen, and was to look after the gardens, and not to allow anyone to sit on the grass. Slattery denied that there was ■ any impropriety, and though the girljrai not directly questioned, as the mayor did not want any unnecessary annoyance to be given to her, it seemed evident frona her manner that she was a modest girl, r and that both she and Slattery were telling the truth. With only the ordinary embarrassment which such an avowal might be expected to evoke, she said that she and the constable had known each other for a year and seven months, had corresponded, were regularly court* ing, and, injthe ordinary way, of courtship, had gone for a walk in the Gardens, and. sat down. Slattery took off his hat asjit was hot; but there was^hothirig to justify" what Callaghan said. Slitterry also told the Bench that about five months ago'he saw the same man takea giH larrikin in the gardens.:: Slattery 5J #aji 'then, in the gardens with the witness;* The young j woman, wheti. asked about this, said she did hot rightly remembej that affair. The Mayor swi it was •?!- dent that the prisoner had acted officiously in meddling, with the young people, who r were, doing no harm. The Bench, however, with this reprimand, discharged him.