Punch (36.1859)

154

[April 16, 1859.

A STRONG-BACKED CAR. SCENE—IRELAND.

Tourist. " Well, but my good fellow, you can't carry US, and all our Luggage ! "
CarBrirer. " Och, never fear, yer 'onour, shure I'd carry twiced as much!"

ME. PUNCH'S POLICE COURT.

thought, for a good servant: had never forbidden him to go to the Derby,
nor objected to his keeping a betting-book in the butler's pantry: was

m • v1 jut • j.1 i l -l.t i l not prepared to say prisoner had ever neglected Ms work for sporting

f^o™r^inbl^ had ^ t ^ from botb the r^0ner83

of Mr. John Bull, were brought up by their employer, charged with , dud th ^ twelvemonfhs . had sometimes objected to items : never

making a disturbance m his househo hi refusing to give up their keys, | found°prisouers make any difficulty about altering anything that was

^f™Tl^ They gave q])- ^ tQ; remember>d a m[ for Indian goods,%ickles, curry

the names of Rupert and Benjamin.

_ Mr. John Bull, the Complainant, stated the prisoners had been in
his employment for rather more than a year. The prisoner Rupert
was engaged as upper servant, or major domo ; the prisoner Benjamin
as house-steward. It was the latter's business to see to the receipts
and payments on account of the house.

In consequence of information he received, he was led to believe
some trickery had been practised with a particular Bill, lately brought
in to him for settlement by the prisoners, in consequence of which
he gave the prisoners warning in the usual way. On this the
prisoner Rupert became exceedingly violent and abusive, refusing
to give up his keys, and threatening to punch the heads of
John Russell and Henry John Temple, two respectable elderly
men, formerly in complainant's employment (who, as the prisoner be-
lieved, had put complainant on his guard against the Bill in question).
Hearing a noise in the butler's pantry, complainant went down-stairs
and found defendants storming about the pantry. On asking for their
keys, they refused to give them up, and swearing at John Russell,
declared their intention " of having a shy at the crockery before they
went." He was apprehensive that if the* defendants were not bound
over to keep the peace, they would not only carry out their threat of
making a smash on complainant's premises, but would commit an
assault on his old servants, Russell and Temple. He wished the
worthy Magistrate to dispose of the case summarily, as he had a great
deal of work on his hands just now, and could not be absent from his
business without great loss and inconvenience.

The Complainant was subjected to a cross-examination by the prisoner
Rupert :—The prisoners had done their work very well up to the
time of the complaint about this Bill: Rupert was a little too free
of his tongue for his (Mr. Bull's) taste, and too fond of the turf, he

powder, and so forth: the prisoner Benjamin made great alterations
m that Bill at complainant's request; in fact, made quite another Bill
of it: did not consider such willingness to alter Bills a mark of a good
servant: liked to see a man stick to a thing when he had once put it
in black and white: had let both prisoners know as much: had no
objection to state from whom he received the information against the
particular Bill which led to this charge, it was John Russell told
mm the Bill was not an honest Bill: Temple saw the _ Bill too, but
did not say anything till after Russell made his complaint: Russell
was not now in his service: objected to say whether he meant to
employ him in the situation now filled by prisoner: would not say
Russell did not expect to be so employed: might have said he would
think about it: Russell had been in his service on different occasions :
had parted with him: Russell was not a pleasant servant in a house :
he was rash and violent, and in the habit of quarrelling with the other
servants, and had a trick of writing letters that made a good deal of
mischief: had objected to Russell's Bills, often enough: had told
him to take 'em back again: believed Russell's complaint against
Rupert's Bill was well founded: won't say whether Russell may
not have had private motives for objecting to it: would not have
given prisoners warning if they had consented to alter the items of the
Bill complained of: would rather not give an opinion whether or not
Russell had acted in a straight-forward way: Rupert might have
reason to be angry with Russell • does not consider that a reason lie
should make a disturbance, and threaten to smash everything on
complainant's premises. Understood prisoners meant to go to the
country: hoped the change of air would do them good : didn't give
warning as a threat only : meant to discharge prisoners when he gave
it: still adhered to that intention.

Cross-examined by prisoner Benjamin :—Had expressed Ins sense of