The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1881-03-22 00:00:00

BEGGING-LETTER IMPOSTURE.

A married woman named Murphy, with • rich flavour
of the Emerald Island brogue, but whose husband is
employed at the Gasworks was brought up on Friday
before the Mayor iN. i 4 ward, Dr. Drew. J.
Lundie, EA., B Hopkins, Esq., and J. K. ft.ibens. E 4.,
for attempting to impose upon • charitable gentleman by
means of • begging-letter.
Mr. Vickery produoed a letter by which rhs had
attempted to levy on Ihi gentleman, end said the
wi.man's husband is in constant w irk. Toe gentleman
whale name be did not wish made public, and others who
were charitably disp,sed, had made complaints of the
constant applications tc,them. The complainant did not
wish to ormocute in tm.is c VIA: but he would in the next.
The Mayor said there was an Act of Parliament by
which they oould punish ths begging-letter-writing which
the:superintendent told them several people in this town
indulged in. These beggine-le.ter-writ, re were liable to
be sent ti prisen for soy tutu net excrieding six months.
The Superintendent said the gentleman bad actually
bought ‘he woman • suit of mourning, and now she
applied for 301. to take it out of pawn.
The Mayor said he had been applip4 to with such a
statement that he was induced te spend a soverngn ; hut
he afterwards found that the persons who applied were
living in • respectable position on the other side of the
water, the busbaad earning respectable wises, yet he was
foolish enough from the character of the letter to spend a
sovereign, so that he did not wonder other people being
foolish also.

The woman Murphy owned that she had some things in
pl.dge, and consulted this gentleman ma to getting them
out

The Mayor t But your husband le in mutant work.
Mrs. Murphy I here a Ion.: firefly.
The Bench enquired who it was who wr be the belying-
letter and, finding the authoress wee &young lei rant gil
to Mr. Fry. sent for her.
Mary Guise was fetched, and questioned by the Mayor.
She said she was not married, end sras 0 years old. She
wrote the letter out of kindners to Mrs. Murphy.
The Mayor: Da you know that that kindness we. to
help her to impose upon the c'i ,ritahle, and th tt you are
liable to be sent as an accomplice to Dorchester gaol
Silence.
Dl you know some of the statements you msdo in the
letter are not true I

No, sir, I did not.
Mr. Lundle: What do you know of tiqs woman
Murphy that you wrote this letter
I have known her these nine year,.
Mr. Area: You knew what you wroto was not true,
and you say you did it just out of kindness!
Sileare.

il;•--gu'per. intendant. in answer to the Mayor, said the
woman had two children at horns dependent upon her.
Her husband earned 18s • week.
The Mayor: 18*. • week, and to write begins letter"
Do you know whether there are any other persons about
writing this class of letter.?. .

The Superintendent : There are two or three, and it hm
come t, such a pitch that emse gentlemen hare thoudst
about leaving the t3wn, and we thought an multiple must
be made.
The Mayor, to Mother Murphy: Thent is wit tits
slightest excuse for you. You have rendered vourarlf
liable to imprisonment, and not only you, but that girl
also, and I hspe, as longs. she lives, tuts will he. worn•
leg to km. Mere is a woman whose husband, all through
the winter months, has been earning 18. a week, and, in
the face of that, when then are so many really poor people
.bout, you lend begging letters. If you do, it Ls a great
plty 4e Charitable public should 'Mai to these iamb

If any persons receive such appesli. let them come to the
proper authorites. an I the superintendent %ill It them
,w who the 'Nal poor people arr.
Mrs. Murphy seLl her husband knew nothing about it.
The Mayor: The sours you say the worse you make your

-With these ceutiong, the womm were allowol to go.