Daily News
United Kingdom
27 November 1888

Harry Humphreys, 36, a billiard player, of Wych street, Strand, was charged on remand with disorderly conduct and making use of threatening language towards Annie Vaughan, of 14 Malvern road, Kilburn. The evidence was that while prosecutrix was waiting for a female relative at the corner of Malvern and Cambridge roads on Sunday night week the prisoner accosted her, and then, producing a sort of dagger knife from up his sleeve, showed it to her, and said, "This will do for you." She screamed, and ran away, and he went into a public house, where he was afterwards arrested. He had previously been into a confectioner's shop and sharpened the knife on the counter. Mr. Wontner, for the defence, said he was there to express the prisoner's deep regret for having behaved in such a foolish way, and to apologise to the young woman for his very improper conduct. The prisoner was in drink at the time. Mr. de Rutzen said he regarded this case a monstrous and cowardly outrage - cowardly, because it was common knowledge as to what had happened to women in the streets of London. He was not going to be a party to dealing with such a case as if it were a trivial matter. He should deal with it as one of threats, and order the prisoner to be bound over in his own recognisances in £500 and to find two sureties of £250 each, ot go to gaol for one month in default.

Mr. Matthews, replying to Mr. C. Graham, said that although Sir C. Warren had sent in his resignation as the Chief Commissioner of Police, he had not yet been relieved of the office, and he still continued to exercise its functions. No successor has yet been appointed to Sir C. Warren.