Daily News
United Kingdom
8 December 1888

At Worship street Police court yesterday, Joseph Isaacs, 30, who said he had no fixed abode, and described himself as a cigar maker, was charged with having stolen a watch, value 30s., the goods of Julius Levenson. The prisoner, who was brought up in the custody of Detective Sergeant Record, H Division, is the man who was arrested in Drury lane on Thursday afternoon on suspicion of being connected with the Whitechapel murders. It transpired during the hearing of this charge that it was committed at the very time the prisoner was being watched as a person "wanted." The prosecutor Levenson said that the prisoner entered his shop on the 5th inst. with a violin bow, and asked him to repair it. Whilst discussing the matter the prisoner bolted out of the shop, and witness missed a gold watch belonging to a customer. The watch had been found at a pawnshop. To prove that the prisoner was the man who entered the shop a woman named Mary Cusins was called. She is deputy of a lodging house in Paternoster row, Spitalfields, and said that the prisoner had lodged in the house as a single lodger for three or four nights before the Dorset street murder - the murder of Mary Janet Kelly, in Miller's court. He disappeared after that murder, leaving the violin bow behind. The witness on the house to house inspection gave information to the police, and said she remembered that on the night of the murder she heard the prisoner walking about his room. After her statement a look out was kept for the prisoner, whose appearance certainly answered the published description of a man with an astrachan trimming to his coat. He visited the lodging house on the 5th and asked for the violin bow. It was given to him, and the witness Cusins followed him to give him into custody as requested. She saw him enter Levenson's shop and almost immediately run out. Detective Record said that there were some matters alleged against the prisoner which it was desired to inquire into. Mr. Bushby remanded the prisoner.

Mr. Edward Dillon Lewis, solicitor, of Bow street, accompanied by Mr. Conybeare, M.P., attended at the court and tendered sureties under the special case stated by Mr. Vaughan in the prosecution of Antonio Borgia against certain police constables for an alleged assault upon him at one of the "Constitutional Meetings" held in Trafalgar square in July last. Mr. Vaughan dismissed the summonses against the police constables, holding that there was no right of public meeting in the square, and that the constables were justified in preventing the meeting or the delivery of addresses or speeches. Mr. Dillon Lewis than asked that a case should be stated for the opinion of the Court of Queen's Bench with a view of raising the question as to the right of public meetings in Trafalgar square and open spaces generally, and gave an undertaking that if a case was stated to raise the question of the right claimed, Mr. Cuninghame-Graham, M.P., Mr. Conybeare, M.P., Mr. Saunders, and others who had organised the meetings would, whilst the case was sub judice, abstain from holding meetings. The case stated by Mr. Vaughan is a very voluminous one, extending over eleven brief sheets, with a plan of Trafalgar square annexed, and the proclamation of Sir Charles Warren, the validity of which is impeached by Mr. Dillon Lewis as not being authorised by common law or statute. The case will in due course come on for argument in the High Courts of Justice.