George Jones and Sarah Lawson

The Colonial Times Hobart Tuesday 1 April 1845 page 3

Hobart Town Police Report

We are pleased to find that, as we opined last week, the Police are compensating by their activity, as far as they can, for the insufficiency of their force, and, as will be seen by our present record, Mr. Price is determined to relieve the town of all bad, or suspected characters. We regret to find, that Ticket-of-Leave holders principally figure as these transgressors ; but this is not much to be marvelled at, when we find this indulgence so indiscriminately lavished upon persons of almost every calibre of character. The Government, in its supreme power and wisdom, is anxious to get rid of as many of its incumbrances as it possibly can, without the slightest reference to the wants, wishes, or interests of the public, and thus the Gazette teems with notifications of indulgences ; hence, also, it is that the Police Magistrate is more troubled with individuals of this class, than any other ; and from the same judicious and prudent source will, if we mistake not, the public be plundered during the ensuing winter to an extent, which it is frightful to contemplate.

DISTURBANCE CASE - Rogers v. Norah Lynch, Mary Ann Moore, and Mary Lawson, alias M'MulIen (sic).

Previously to the calling on of this case, Mr. Price asked Mr. Wynne whether he was engaged in it? Mr. Wynne replied that he was, and that, of course, he appeared on behalf of the three innocent defendants.

The information was then read, which charged the defendants with abusing and annoying the complainant, Mrs. Catherine alias Kit Rogers, and smashing a pane of her "glaze," on the night of the 25th March.

Mr. Price here looked at the information, and asked Mrs. Rogers if she had paid the fees? She replied, that a "gentleman" told her, that all was right. His worship, however, to "make assurance doubly sure," sent Mrs Rogers into the Information-office to "dub down the needful :" having done so, Mrs. Rogers, with great complacency, informed the Bench, that she had deposited a sovereign-a golden one-in the hands of the clerk. The case was then gone into, and Mrs. Rogers's evidence taken.

The fair defendants, who seemed to treat the whole affair as a capital joke, were requested by his Worship to behave themselves with pro-propriety " Do," said his Worship, " be pleased to draw upon your small stock of decency for the short time you remain in this office ; if not, why-"

Mrs. Rogers, with considerable volubility, ' stated, that on the evening of the day mentioned  after some altercation about the misdeeds of some little child, the defendants proceeded to throw gravel at her parlour window ; not content with this, they then, or at least one of them, Norah Lynch, threw a stone through the window," which by the mercy of Providence, did not " open the brains" of her young lodger, Kitty Cochrane ; that they then all ran away, and jumped into bed in their own proper residence ; but not till they had called her an " old cow," and Heaven knows how many names besides ; and what all this annoyance was for she (Mrs. Rogers) could not for the life of her make out, for she had never, to the best of her knowledge and belief, ever even " exchanged common civility with them. [We forgot to mention that two of the defendants were our old acquaintances the " Bull-pup" (Mary Lawson alias Macmullen (sic)), and " Fair Ellen" (Mary Ann Moore).

Hereupon the lovely " Bull-pup" exclaimed, but sotto voce, " Oh, you old villain ! liar 1" but being checked by the office constable, she was for a time silent. Language was deposed to have been uttered with which we cannot stain our columns ; but witnesses were called on behalf of the complainant, who fully proved the charge "against the defendants. Mr. Wynne,' however, with that zeal, energy, and ability which he ever displays in the defence of suffering " innocence," endeavoured to shake the testimony of the witnesses, but having failed to do so, his Worship ordered each of the innocents to enter into sureties, herself in £30, with two bondsmen of £20 each, to keep the peace for the ensuing six months towards Mrs. Kit Rogers, in particular, and her Majesty's subjects in general. Norah Lynch was also ordered to pay 2s. for the damaged glaze. .

Here our Report for yesterday concludes ; there was nothing of any importance to the public after this. We may state, however, that we have full and accurate notes of this " very important case," for anyone who wishes to peruse them. They are truly rich in the under-current morality of Hobart Town.