ABSTRACT
BOW STREE T - A N OLD OFFENCE I N A NEW FORM - O n Monday , a welldressed man , wh o sai d hi s nam e wa s Adolphus Henry Judge, bu t wh o ha d bee n apprehended a s Adolplins Henry Delplatigiic [elsewher e spelt 'Delflanque'| , wa s brough t up i n custody o f Sergeant Thomas , o f the detective force , upo n a warrant issued by Sir Thomas Henry , th e chie f magistrate , and issue d a t th e instanc e of th e Societ y fo r th e Suppression o f Vice , chargin g him wit h sellin g and publishin g obscene books, prints , photographic slides , &rc . Mr . Sleigh , instructe d b y Messers . Pritchar d an d Collette , solicitors t o th e society , conducte d th e prosecution ; an d Mr . Popham , solicitor , defended. Mr . Sleigh , i n opening th e case , sai d he believed th e name Judge, whic h th e prisoner no w gave , wa s hi s rea l name , bu t h e had fo r year s been know n t o th e polic e not onl y b y tha t name bu t als o b y th e name of Delplangue , unde r whic h h e had lon g carried on busines s in the sale and publication of obscene an d filth y books , prints &c. In consequence o f the vigilance of the police and the powers granted by the statute know n as Lord Campbell' s Act , thi s infamous trade as carried on i n the shops ha d been almos t entirely broke n up , an d thos e wh o practise d i t ha d bee n drive n t o a ne w mod e o f disposing o f thei r productions . Catalogue s wer e sen t t o th e officer s i n th e variou s barracks, nava l depots , an d dockyards , an d t o privat e gentleme n throughou t th e kingdom, wit h title s elaborately contrived t o sugges t thei r character , an d containin g descriptions o f books , prints , an d stereoscopes , suc h as . could leav e no doub t o f th e nature of th e publication s in question . Th e advertiser s requested intendin g purchaser s to selec t fro m th e catalogue such works a s they wishe d to purchase , and to forward th e price i n postag e stamp s indicatin g the particula r books t o b e forwarded. Th e constan t transmission of such catalogues had latel y become a positive nuisance at certain military stations, an d some officers wh o fel t thi s to be an annoyance, had, by the advice of their chaplain, communicate d with th e police . Th e resul t wa s that Sergeant Thomas , o f the detective force , a n office r wh o ha d man y year' s experienc e i n th e disagreeabl e duties which that society sometime s impose d o n him, was instructed t o investigate the case. A letter wa s sen t t o Delplangue , fro m a n imaginar y "Captain Brown, " o f a regimen t stationed in a town to which catalogue s had been sent , makin g an appointment in King - street, St . James's, t o mee t Mr . Delplangu e [sic]. This was forwarded t o the address of the latter , whic h wa s "Pos t office , Kentish-town. " O n th e day mentione d a gentleman who ha d been particularl y annoyed b y havin g these circulars forwarded t o him , was in attendance. Th e prisone r presente d himsel f and offere d t o th e gentlema n som e books and stereoscopi c slide s o f a mos t atrociousl y obscene character . H e purchase d tw o o f the books , fo r whic h h e pai d 3()s . each , fou r photographi c (stereoscopic ) slides , an d a pack o f cards , apparentl y of a most innocen t character , but whic h whe n hel d u p to th e light exhibited delineation s of a most abhorrent nature . Fo r these he paid in all 5/. H e at once hande d ove r thes e disgustin g document s t o th e officer , wh o ha d bee n o n th e watch, an d had seen th e prisoner enter . No w o f course th e officer, unti l he had seen th e
| who m h formerly known , but when assured of that and also of the nature of the productions the prisoner ha d offered fo r sale, he would no doubt hav e taken the prisoner into custody at that time , bu t h e wa s the n unprovide d wit h a warrant . O n th e followin g da y h e obtained th e warran t fro m Si r Thoma s Henry , upo n whic h th e prisone r wa s apprehended o n Sunda y afternoon, as he was on hi s way t o a dinner party. Evidence of these facts havin g been given , Mr . Sleig h mus t now urg e wha t he had hitherto not fel t justified i n mentioning , becaus e i t ough t no t t o b e brough t forwar d o n a question o f guilt or innocence , but i t was materia l as to th e granting of bail. The prisone r wa s fiv e years ag o convicte d o f a n offenc e o f a similar character, and sinc e tha t perio d h e ha d been agai n indicted . H e the n gav e bai l whic h turne d ou t t o b e fictitious , an d b y absconding h e avoide d trial . Sergean t Langley , o f th e detectiv e force , ha d hel d a warrant fo r hi s apprehension since 1864 , bu t ha d bee n unabl e to apprehen d him . Mr . Vaughn committe d th e prisone r fo r trial , an d refuse d bail .
