Daily News
United Kingdom
17 November 1888
COMMON LODGING HOUSES.
Mr. MATTHEWS, answering Mr. Howell, said he was informed by the police authorities that the provisions of the existing law were fully carried out. There were provisions for enforcing the law against any breach of sanitary regulations. Reports on the subject were made in writing.
Mr. HOWELL, asked whether many of the crimes which had occurred in the East-end of London had not been more or less associated with these common lodging-houses.
Mr. MATTHEWS said he could not assent to the proposition in its general form.
MARLBOROUGH-STREET.- THE LATE POST-OFFICE ROBBERIES.- Francis Robarti, a young man, described as a "tipster," was again charged on remand with being in unlawful possession of 120 fivepenny postage-stamps, which were believed to form part of the proceeds of a robbery of 268£ worth of stamps at the Mitre-square Post-office some weeks ago. The stamps in question were presented by prisoner for change at the Burlington House Post-office, where he accounted for possession of them by saying he had got them from a bookmaker named Lacy in payment for a bet. He had, however, presented other stamps at other post-offices, and, in some cases, obtained the money for them. Failing direct evidence as to complicity in the robbery at Aldgate, and as to how the prisoner obtained the stamps, the Post Office authorities asked the magistrate to deal with the case as one of unlawful possession. - Mr. Purcell, barrister, who appeared for the defence, withdrew all imputations against Mr. Lacey, and the accused was sentenced to two months' imprisonment with hard labour.
DR. HERMAN ADLER'S feat in preaching a sermon to the Jewish working men in the great synagogue in the strange mixed dialect known as Judisch Deutsch appears to have been accomplished with complete success. The learned Delegate Chief Rabbi took for his theme the sacredness of an oath and the folly and sin of some of the evasions of this obligation which are attributed to unscrupulous witnesses. Apropos of this he related an amusing story of a man who disputed his indebtedness to a neighbour; but knowing that his conscience was not clear he took with him before the Beth-Din, or Jewish tribunal, a hollow walking stick filled with gold pieces representing the sum demanded. Having then asked his accuser to hold the stick, the fraudulent debtor took the oath and solemnly averred that he had already given the money to his creditor. The latter, however, horror-struck at the perjury, involuntarily raised his hands aloft, and, letting them fall, the stick struck the ground sharply, and out fell the gold pieces, by which the deceit was discovered. Incidentally Dr. ADLER touched upon the malicious and unfounded charges against the Jews in connection with the Whitechapel murders, and showed by many references that next to murder nothing is more abhorrent to Jewish feelings that the idea of mutilating, or disfiguring a corpse. It is the strength of this feeling, as pointed out by the great Rabbi of Prague, which forms the most powerful argument against the introduction of cremation among the Jewish race.
ALLEGED OUTRAGES ON WOMEN.- It is stated that the Kensington police are investigating a case of chloroforming a young woman in one of the West-end squares. The young woman, who is a domestic servant, is named Amelia Ponting. She was spoken to by a gentleman at Notting-hill-gate station, who accompanied her to Pembridge-square, after offering her refreshment. On arriving at the square - a rather solitary quarter - the girl, who is only eighteen became alarmed, and endeavoured to leave her companion, whereupon he placed a handkerchief over her mouth and chloroformed her. She was afterwards found to be in such a condition as to make it necessary to remove her to the nearest hospital. The hospital authorities decline to give any information as to the condition of the patient, stating that the case is in the hands of the police. A young woman named Annie Murphy, living with her widowed sister, at No. 1, Sanderstead-road, Croydon, when in the Brighton-road, about nine o'clock on Thursday night, was seized round the waist by a tall thin man. She struggled and screamed, and a police-constable, who was close by, ran up to the spot. By that time, however, the man had got away, and the young woman only complained that he had caught her round the waist, and said she thought she should summons him. No arrest was made. An hour afterwards, however, while sitting at supper, Murphy discovered that she had been stabbed in some way, her dress having been cut through at the chest. She immediately went to the doctor, and also informed the police, who have not yet found the man wanted. Murphy states that she felt no stab at the time of the assualt. The police are on the look out for the man.
