until I get my hat," and then taking
him to the Castle, handed him over to the police. He turned out to be a
man named Stockledge, who was partner in an extensive wholesale business
in Manchester. He had been in two lunatic asylums, and when questioned
by the Mayor of Windsor, as to the object of his visit, said that: "he
was like all other men who wanted wives--he was looking after one,"
evidently alluding to Her Majesty. On being further questioned, he said
"he was the King of England, and was impelled by the Spirit." He
afterwards said that "an unknown power had done it," and that "it was the
Spirit which helped him over the gates." Of course he _was_ mad.

There was yet another fool this year, but, this time, he was not a
maniac--only a Post Office Clerk, who wanted to have an interview with
Her Majesty. On the afternoon of the 8th Dec., a carriage and four drove
up to Windsor Castle, and, from it, alighted a personage wearing a
foraging cap, a fur boa round his neck, and fur gloves, who announced
himself as the bearer of important despatches which he must deliver into
the Queen's own hands. This, of course, was not complied with, and as he
would not part with the documents, he was handed over to the police, and
taken to the station, where he made a sturdy resistance when they were
taken from him. He turned out to be a junior clerk in the Foreign Post
Office, named William Saunders, who, being on duty when the Foreign Mails
arrived, found some letters and papers addressed to the Queen, and put
them into his pocket with the intention of delivering them himself. He
was suspended from his duties, but I do not know his ultimate fate.

Gambling houses were still in existence, although the Police Act of this
year (2 & 3 Vict., c. 47, s. 48) gave the police great and additional
power towards suppressing them. Here is a sample raid as reported in the
_Observer_ of 15 Dec.:

"Superintendent Baker, C, succeeded on Saturday night week, in breaking
his way into a gambling house, 60 Jermyn Street (commonly called the
Cottage), and some persons, therein found, were fined, on Monday, at
Marlborough Street Office. In all, seven persons were captured, of whom,
two were connected with the management of the gambling house; the others
were gentlemen players. They were taken to the Station house in Vine
Street; and, as we know it to be the anxious desire of the police
authorities to suppress the nuisance of gaming houses, w