Walter T. Crawley, tidewaiter, appeared on remand before Mr. W. King at H. M. Police Court on Thursday charged with havin, threatened to shoot, and with stabbing, a woman named Jean Roy, at No. 16 Soochow Road, and with having attempted to strangle Jeanne Dunn.
Mr. R. C. Faithfull informed his Worship that he had received instructions from Major Hilton Johnson that morning to withdraw the charge. It appeared that the police would never have brought the charge if the girls themselves had not brought it. Therefore, there was no alternative but to withdraw, as there were no police witnesses of the assault in either case.
His Worship—Have the ladies been told about the attitude of the police?
Mr. Faithful—I have not told them. I have told them that I am instructed to withdraw the charge, and they are pleased enough.
His Worship—The position is that the police withdraw from the prosecution. Then I want to know if the police have told the complainants, and what the complainants have to say on the subject.
Mr. Faithfull—Very well. We can have them up. 1 asked them before coming into Court and the; were quite willing to withdraw. ask that the pistol and ammunition belonging to defendant be confiscate His Worship—You withdraw a charge and ask me to confiscate the man's property.
Mr. Faithfull—The property is in the possession of the police.
His Worship—How can you conficate the property of a man against whom there is no charge?
Mr. Faithfull—Very good, Sir.
His Worship—Very well. The prosecution having been withdrawn, I shall say nothing at all. You are discharged, Crawley.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.