STRANGE SCENE IN COURT.

Waikato Times, Volume IV, Issue 238, 18 November 1873, Page 2

STRANGE SCENE IN COURT.

At the Worship-street Police Court, London, recently, a woman who, while waiting in the pi isoner's passage at the rear of the court, had kept up a continual fire of bad language, and gieatly disturbed the Court, was charged before Mr Busbby with being drunk and disoiderly. The prisoner was bronght into court between two constables, and Bendall head gaoler, asked her name. Margaret Freestone, she lepiied loudly ; and with a great deal of free speech she made love to the gaoler, and seized him over the dock There was immense laughter in Court, and Dicker, the doorkeeper, called silence. The Prisoner : Yes, silence ; what are you laughing at you stupids ? (Then bowing all round) Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen all. Look at the beak, boys. Mr Jessie, chief usher : Silence. Prisoner : Silence gives consent, Look at the minister there. He'll pi each directly. Mr Bushby : Is the woman sober ? Police constable, 446 N : Yes, sir. I took her into custody on S.ituiday night. Impectoi Gibbons: I should inform your Worship that the woman had to be taken to a doctor's wnile on the way to the Court this mori'ing, and then she turned like this She appeared well befoie. The Pnsoer : Well ; of course, I'm well. Mr Bushby : Is her head affected ? The Prisoner : Am I cracked ? Of course — in the nut, You'll be to-morrow. Ths constable then commenced to state how on Saturday night he had found the prisoner drunk on the doorstep of a public-house, and in a very disgraceful state. During his evidence the prisoner sang — " Good bye Johnny ; before I leave you One more kiss before I go. For 1o catch me on the hop, Or on my tibby drop." And there the prisoner dropped her song, amid roars of laughter The Usher cried silence, and the prisoner told him to go and iay his prayers. Mr Bushby sentenced her to a month's imprisonment with hard labour. The Pnsoner • What! only a month? What fun! Good night ladies and gentlemen all. Good night, boys (turning te the public part of the Court). Three cheers for the beak. Hooray ! But her cheer was cut short by being hurried out of Court. Later in the day it transpired from tome person exiling to seethe prisoner in the cell that something of a painful history attached to her. It was stated that she had been deserted by her husband and left with a little boy to support, -<nd while not bearing a good character herself, having been previously in custody, she had until lately been working as a domestic servant. On Friday last she entered upon a new situation, but had not been m the house iive-and -twenty minutes before she left by climbing the wall of the gaiden. She had previously expressed her intention of going to church, but nothing was seen of her until she was m custody. It is behevi d that she is insane, and that her family troubles luwe preyed I upon her mind.