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3C3S :::eWESTMINSTER SESSIONS.cas(Mbethabillwaco?onVcwhbeinaiwhC.«HmiuranSototvl.stctiltrcacpateiU!fblOn Thursday, George Girton, a,Box-place Keeper at Covent-Garden .Theatre, was indicted for violently assaulting Isaac Samuels, a foreign Jew, on the night of the 2Hth of March las?.The prosecutor stated, that on the above night he went to the Theatre, accompanied by his wife and a young lady, to sec the Comedy of John Bail, and perceiving a glass in the door of the box, No. 48, broke, he looked into it, and not seeing any body in the box, he concluded it was not taken, and put his hand through the hole to open the door, there being no box-keeper near* Having opened it, he was about lifting up the back-seat, to go in, when the prisoner came from the next box, and pushed him away, saying that he should not go in ; foiced him,and the two ladies out of the box; pursued him with a great deal of abusive language into the lobby ; and gave him a most violent blow under the right eve, which caused the blood to gush out of his nose. He bled for a considerable time, arid the next day his eye was closed and very black.The case was proved by John Edwards.On the part of the defendant, Mr. Brandon, the boxand house-keoper, and a man deservedly and univqppsally e-'teemed, was called, who proved that the whole of the box winch the prosecutor endeavoured to enter on the above nii»ht, was nikeu.John Wilson, a pi .ce-keeper, swore, that he was keeping' the box, No. 47, and the prisoner keeping No. 48, sat on the hack soil, so that no person looking through the glass could distinguish any person in it, and he saw the prosecutor put ins hand through the hole occasionedby the glass being broken. The prisoner remonstrated, hut the prosecutor persisted, and at length opened the door, when the prisoner told him the box was taken, and he could not come in. This did not deter the prosecutor from entering and putting up the seat. The prisoner, Who stood at tae door, put up lrs arm to prevent him, and the prosecutor gave him a violent blow. He denied that the prisoner made use of abus.ve language, and asserted, that he conducted himself with the greatest propriety]Ralph Walls, a box-kccper, said, that he employed the prisoner to keep the hex No. 4H, and that the. whole of the box was taken by one party ; lie did not know any thing of the beginning of the dispute, but acknowledged that lie saw the prisoner give the prosecutor the blew on the eye j upon which he was a-krd by the Court, if he • lid not take him into custody ? To winch he answered, be did not take any notice of it, as di-putes wore so common in the Theatre. He was likewise asked by the Court, if hi heard the women scream He-aid he did. hut screams of women were so common in the lobby, that he paid no regard to them.The Chairman, in summing up the evidence, observed, that the trial was of some importance to the public, as it regarded the management of the Tin atre, to which all descriptions of persons resorted. lie said tint, although the evidence had in some degree been contradictory, with respect to the blow given by tin; p:o:%rnior to the prisoner, yet, supposing tint to he the case, the pt soner was not justified in following him into the brnOy and striking him ; for then he was taking the law into his own hands ; if the prosecutor struck him, why was a prosecution not instituted ?The J ury found him guilty.—IJe was sentenced to pay | ~ a fine of lOl. to the King. *NccCMbea iLesmclih;VcGotNmtiiicwtowaaitls.tlw
Newspaper Details
Bells Weekly Messenger
London, Middlesex, GB
Sun, Oct 23, 1803
Page 7
Full Page
Clipped by
Allan H.
FL, USA 24 Oct 2021
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