There is good in all of us. The latent good in these poor creatures was stirred into activity, and they defended the man whom they believed was doing his best to spoil their business and ruin their trade, with the ferocity of wolves, and the shrieking courage of the hyena at bay.
In the result, the young aristocrats were so taken aback that they grew pallid with shame and fear. All thoughts of aggression left them, and they simply turned tail and fled away down the flaring thoroughfare of the Mile End Road.
They went back to their own place and concocted a scheme together—a scheme which was to result in the "outing" of Frederick Charrington.
They engaged several low-class pugilists, sent them down to Lusby's Music Hall in cabs, with the direction to thrash Charrington within an inch of his life. They were to do him all possible bodily harm which stopped short of actually killing him, and were each promised a five pound note for the work.
These hired bullies went into the music hall and stood at the door. They drank sufficiently to loosen their tongues, and the manager of the hall heard, through one of his satellites, what was on foot. The manager, a shrewd business man, at once saw that, if these fellows were allowed to carry out their dastardly plan, such an uprising and stir of public opinion would take place, that the hall would be swept out of existence. He deputed an emissary to treat these prize-fighters with champagne. This was done with such success that they became helpless for any evil purpose, and were put into cabs and sent back home.
Mr. Charrington knew nothing of this organised attempt until some time afterwards.
All these incidents made it imperative for the proprietors of the music hall to take some action if they were to keep the place open.
The armies of Christ were at their very doors, they must needs defend their stronghold by every means in their power.
In the High Court of Justice, Chancery Division, on February 12, 1885, before Mr. Justice Chitty, the case of Crowder versus Charrington was called.
"Mr. Ince, Q.C., and Mr. Francis Turner, instructed by Messrs. Peckham, Maitland and Peckham, appeared for the plaintiffs, and Mr. Romer, Q.C., with whom was Mr. Charles Mitchell, instructed by Messrs. Shaen, Roscoe, Henderson and Co., appeared for the defendant.