The Express.
London, England, 1862-03-04 00:00:00

THE POLICE COURTS.

LAMBETH.
William Fry, a jobbing carpenter, was charged with green
and inhuman torture of a child.
Mr. Clifford, the relieving oHosr of Camberwell parish.
said that on Friday last • poor little boy of 11 years of age,
very thinly clad fur such a time of year, and in • state of
greet exhaustion, was brought to him to the workhouse,
and en examining him be was quite shocked atfindiog an iroa
manacle, weighing upwards of two pounds, made fast to his
right instep. It consisted of • thick iron belt, secured at
both ends with a strong bolt and screws, and attached to
this bolt was passed the sod of an S hook of sufficient
strength to control an elephant. On questioning the
boy he said that far at least ten months be had
been compelled to wear this formidable shackle,
and that it was by the merest accident he
got a chopper, by which he was enabled to release him-
self from the block to wbich it had been made fast, ael
then escaped from the house of his father. do secure was
the manacle that Mr. Clifford had to go to• blacksmith's shop
to get it off. sad after it was removed the poor boy could
scarcely move from the smith's anvil. On examining that
part of the right leg round which the iron belt had bees.
placed he found it much wasted and apparently bent, and
very different from the left leg. His whole frame also
appeared emaciated, and he only weighed 38 pounds. The
poor little fellow seemed in the greatest terror of
being brought tack to his father. On the Fri-
day night the prisoner called on witness, who
then told him he must attend at thii court to answer the
charge of assaulting his son. The prisoner, however, said
he should not attend unless compelled, and he (Mr.Clifforil
in consequence applied for and obtained a warrant for his
apprehension.
Mr. Clifford here placed on the table is front of the bench
the manacle, and the block to which it had been attached,
—the latter being found in the washbouse from which the
poor child had made his escape—and both weighing nearly
12runds.
, Friday afternoon hat he was at

JolinFurdy said that on _ .rietay ai.
--
work in • nursery ground adjoining Woodbine °eases, the
residence of the prisoner, and new the little boy come
through the hedge with the irons attached to his leg.
He told him he had just relieved himself from • block, and
he (witness) took him to the next polimetation.
Mr. Hogan, • retired mariner. residing next door to the
tier, said that for the last nine or ten months he bed
frequently seen the hey in the yard of his father's house
dragging the log produced and carrying pails of water into
the house. He was generally lightly clad, and did not
the due now that he did twelve months ago.
aprarrir near
the
who also lives next door to the pri-
soner, deposed to the same facts, and added that she
bad
frequently seen prisoner's children locked up in the wash-
house, sod had on many occasions given them food, as they
complained of not having had enough to eat.
Edward Mark Fry, a poor emaciated little fellow, who
was clothed in the workhouse drew, was here examined by
Mr. Elliott respecting. the nature of an oath, and having
answered with much intelligence, he was sworn, and said he
was 11 years old, and that his father's family consisted of •
sister older than himself, a brother younger, and • step-
mother. He had been to school, but it was so long since
the time. Towards the latter end of the
_