When the Crystal Palace re-opened at Sydenham on 10th June 1854, there began a new era for the people of Sydenham. They now had an unrivalled leisure resort that catered for all tastes and people of all classes; it was to become the 'Palace of the People'. From the onset the palace had its own resident police force, the Crystal Palace Constabulary. This establishment consisted of three sergeants and ten constables commanded by Inspector John Lund, which could be supplemented as and when necessary. Among those who attended the Crystal Palace as part of their social grounding were the cadets of the Royal Military College at Addiscombe, which was at that time the 'Sandhurst' for the off icers of the Hon. East India Company. On Easter Monday, 5th April 1858, a detachment of fifty cadets made their way to the Crystal Palace, conspicuous in their uniforms. This day saw the first of a series of fetes held to mark the opening of the West-End Railway, whose line ran from Battersea Suspension Bridge to the Crystal Palace.ter she came and visited every day. She was not an intellectual, talked a lot of title-tattle, but was desperately attractive."
During the afternoon, the cadets wandered around the building in groups of three or four. The National Anthem was scheduled to be played in the building at 4.30pm and for that reason the cadets made their way to the centre transept in order to join in the patriotic singing. In those days, it was the practice that when the National Anthem was played, gentlemen wearing hats were obliged to remove them. At 4.30pm the National Anthem began and a cry was raised: "Hats off!" The cadets duly complied, but looking around they observed that a number of people were still wearing their hats. In light of this, the cadets went about with sticks knocking the hats off. At first, this activity was taken with good humour. However, one man reacted violently when a cadet attempted to push his hat off and he struck at him shouting: "I'll be damned if I will take my hat off for anyone!" A bystander who saw what happened rushed at him and knocked off his hat with his umbrella. A scuffle began between them and the cadets soon became involved. Immediately policemen appeared on the scene, led by Inspector Lund. Seeing the cadets caught up in the fracas the police directed their attentions towards them, seizing them by their collars they began to manhandle them roughly. At the height of the ensuing melee, Inspector Lund shouted: "Send for the cutlasses!" Before long, order was restored and the cadets began to assemble in order to resume their homeward march to Addiscombe, but not before hoisting Inspector Lund shoulder high and calling for three cheers in his honour. However as they left the building several constables followed the cadets.
The policemen handled them roughly as before and took some of them into custody. The next day, three cadets: Henry Mackenzie, Henry Maxwell Campbell and Ernest Marriott appeared before the Hon G.C Norton at Lambeth Police Court. Mackenzie was charged with assaulting Inspector Lund and Police Constable Rogers 483P in the execution of their duty. Campbell and Marriott were charged with attempting to rescue Mackenzie. A fourth gentleman William Wilcox, a gardener at Tulse Hill, was charged with interfering with the police while they had one of the cadets in their custody. One gentleman, the Rev. Mr Abbott, incumbent of Christ Church, Clapham, testified that Inspector Lund had arrived at the scene in a very excited state and called for cutlasses to be sent, which in his view was quite unnecessary. Inspector Lund explained that he only meant to intimidate the cadets and he had no intention of actually ordering for the cutlasses to be used. Mr Norton observed that the best test of Inspector Lund's general conduct was the good order that had prevailed at the Crystal Palace, which had been under his supervision since its opening. As this was the first such case which had been brought to his attention, he was disposed to deal with it leniently. He fined Mackenzie £3, Campbell £2, Marriott £1 and William Wilcox 10 shillings. There were to be no more shenanigans involving the cadets. In 1860 Addiscombe College was closed down and sold to developers for £33,600. It was then razed to the ground.