In
the short time while I was waiting, two cases were tried, in the first of
which the prisoner was discharged. The second case was of a woman,--a
thin, sallow, hard-looking, careworn, rather young woman,--for stealing a
pair of slippers out of a shop: The trial occupied five minutes or less,
and she was sentenced to twenty-one days' imprisonment,--whereupon,
without speaking, she looked up wildly first into one policeman's face,
then into another's, at the same time wringing her hands with no theatric
gesture, but because her torment took this outward shape,--and was led
away. The Yankee sailor was then brought up,--an intelligent, but
ruffian-like fellow,--and as the case was out of the jurisdiction of the
English magistrates, and as it was not worth while to get him sent over
to America for trial, he was forthwith discharged. He stole a comforter.
If mankind were all intellect, they would be continually changing, so
that one age would be entirely unlike another. The great conservative is
the heart, which remains the same in all ages; so that commonplaces of a
thousand years' standing are as effective as ever.
Monday, February 20th.--At the police court on Saturday, I attended the
case of the second mate and four seamen of the John and Albert, for
assaulting, beating, and stabbing the chief mate. The chief mate has
been in the hospital ever since the assault, and was brought into the
court to-day to give evidence,--a man of thirty, black hair, black eyes,
a dark complexion, disagreeable expression; sallow, emaciated, feeble,
apparently in pain, one arm disabled.
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