The Express.
London, England, 1852-03-02 00:00:00

SCOTLAND.

HORRIBLE CABE OF CRUELTY TO PAUPER

-- - -
CHILDREN.
On Thursday last, Mrs. Cunningham or Paul,
lately residing in the Pleasance, was tried In the Sheriff
Court before Mr. Sheriff Gordon and a fury, charged with
usaulting, te the effusion of blood, serious injury of the
person, and danger of life, two children, • brother and
Water, entrusted to her keeping by the West Kirk Charity
Workhouse for upwards of four years; and also with cruel,
barbarous, mid unnatural treatment, or wilful and culpable
neglect, in failing to provide the children, whose names are
Jane and William !Lennie, with wholesome and sufficient
food, in not maintaining there in • comfortable condition,
and in withholding from them articles of clothing which
she received from the Charity Workhouse. The horrible
particulars of the ease, which excited great sensation in the
court, are brought out in the evidence which we subjoin.
Mr. John Thomson, inspector of poor of the West Kirk
parish, deposed that the two children were deserted by
their parents in May, 1847, at which time their Rees were
respectively four and three years,—the girl being the oldest.
Mrs. Paul apvlied to keep them, and she received Ilk Bd.
per month for their maintenance, and also clothes for them
from the matron. She kept them till 9th December, 1851,
when they were brought to the workhouse. The body of
the girl, who was find brought, was literally black and blue
from head to foot, obviously from blows which she had
received. She was in such a state teat she was placed in the
sick ward of the hospital. lie then went for the little boy to
Mrs. Paul, and he found his person in even a worse con-
dition, if possible, than that of his sister. It was all
covered with marks from head to foot. There was one mark
in particular, on the back of one of the feet ; It was • per-
fectly fresh mark ; and on questioning the little fellow, he
said that Mrs. Paul had applied a red-hot iron to it. They
were both in such • state, that medical men bad to be called
in. The children recovered in a short time.
- - .

Jane Rennie, the little girl who was maltreated, was
then examined. She was not sworn, as she was only about
nine years of: age. She gave her evidence with great dis-
tinctness, and stated that at the various places where Mrs.
Paul lived during the four years she and her brother were
under her charge she ill-used them. The prisoner licked
them very sore, knocked them to the ground, kicked them
pith her feet when they were down, and struck them
with ropes, and with the poker. She made marks on
them with her blows. The prisoner told her (Jane) that
if she cried she would give her more than she had got.
On being asked in shad state Mrs. Paul was when
she treated them in that manner, the little girl, with
great simplicity, answered that she was km." She also
sewed that Mrs. Paul once struck her little brother Willie
in the face with the poker—that she broke a hearth brush
over her own back from the force of the blow ; nod that on
one occasion, when she was very cruel to them, Mrs. Paul
sent her for whisky two or three times that night, all of
which she drank herself. On a Sunday night, when resid-
ing at the Castle-hill, the prisoner struck her on the In ad
with the poker, and a great deal of blood camo. The little
girl gave a number of other instances in which she and her
brother were cruelly and barbarou-ly treated. She in per-
' ticular stated, that when her brother was sleeping on a
shake-down one Sunday night, Mrs. Paul trampled un him;
anti that she has seen her holding hie legs before the fire for
a good while, and that they were blistered afterwards. M.
Paul continued this barbarous treatment during all the
time they had lived with her. They were often cold, and
without shoes or stockings.
The little boy Bennie, who woe about eight years of age,
and who had a large rtd mark on his brow, was next
brought into court. He said that the mark on his head was
caused by Mrs. Paul striking him with a poker—that she
need to hold his legs before the fire, and that blisters ruse.
He stated a number of particulars similar to those given by
his sister, and a.tid that he had a sore merle on his
when brought to the workhouse in December last, which
was made by the prisoner.
Catherine Paul, a young woman, and niece to the pri-
soner, stated that in July last her aunt came to live in Bell's
Close, Canongate, and that she brought the two children
Rennie with her. Her aunt resided there till November last,
a period of four months. During that time she had seen her
aunt beat Jane Rennie severely. She had seen her beat
her with a rope several times. The rope was not so thick
as that which pulls up a window. Had also seen her
strike the little girl with a stick on different occasions.
Once new her mash her, and she came against something,
and blood came. Never saw them wearies Charity Work-
house clothes, but clothing of her aunt's. She found fault
with her aunt for the manner in which she used the
children ; and on one occasion said that she would inform
upon her. In November last Jane came into witness's
house with her head bleeding, and her cap was covered
with blood. The little girl said that her aunt had done it.
On the Bth December last, Jane came into witness's house
crying and complained that Mrs. Paul had struck her
severely; but she did not sawith what. The little girl's both
head had been bleeding on sides, but the blood was
dry at the time. Her fingers were blue, but had never
examined her body. When witness wanted her to go home
she said that she would not go back, as she was afraid that
Mrs. Paul would kill her. The little girl then went to
Mrs. Davis, who took her to the Charity Workhouse.
In cross-examination the witness stated that she never
gave information to the workhouso authorities, and that the
workhouse people me to inspect the children.
Mrs. Davis, who was a neighbour of the prisoner, in
Bell's-close, was next examined. She gave similar testi-
mony to that of the preceding witness as to the cruel
treatment experienced by the children. Stated that she
once heard Mrs. Paul say to the girl, that If she durst cry
she would give her more, and that on examining her body
she found it all covered with marks, and that on Catherine
Paul asking who did that, the little girl said, Mrs.'
Paul. When she came into witness's house with her
head bleeding in two places, on Mond ty, the Bth December,
she said that she had got no meat since the preceding ,
Sabbath evening. Catherine Paul said she gave her half
a shave of bread ; but on giving her it she could not'
eat it. She would not go back to Mrs. Paul, and the next
day, the oth December, witness took her to the Charity
Workhouse. Nobody staid with Mrs. Paul but her bus-
hand, and he WWI out all day. Jane Bennie was a very
tractable and obedient child, and she did all the work fur
Mrs. Paul. Told Mrs. l'aul that she would go to the
workhouse and inform them of the disgraceful way she
used the children ; and she said it was no business of '
witness's.

Mew. Furrow, who lived in the Pleasance when the
prisoner resided there, stated that the prisoner's room was
only divided from hers bye thin partition of lath and plater;
that she lived there for about a month in December last,
and that during that time often overheard her beating the
two children, as if with a stick or some hard substance.
Heard the children often crying bitterly on these occasions
for about half an hour. On Sunday the 7th December this
took place; and the prisoner afterwards came into witness's
house and began to talk to her husband. Witness mode an
excuse to go into the prisoner's house to see the children,
wbo had been bitterly crying previously. Jane's head was
bleeding, and on asking her who did it she said that Mn.
Paul had struck her with the poker, and that she had
kicked her about the floor. She then went to Win. Rennie,
who was lying upon a shake-down, and gave hint a piece
of bread. Ho could not eat it ; and on asking him why,
he said that mother Paul had tramped upon him, and that
he was very sore. Witness asked Jane if that was true,
and she said that it was, and that Mrs. Paul stood upon
him till she thought he was near dead. Roth children ap-
peared to be suffering great pain. The whom stated that
one day she beard severs blows and great crying, and that
Jane ran out. The hearth brush, which the witness saw
whole in Mrs. Paul's hand a minute or two before, was
broken ; and the little boy Rennie said that mother Paul
had broken it over Jeanie's Nick.
Dr. Alexander said that he had examined the persons of
the children on the 9th of December, immediately after
their removal front Mrs. Paul, and that be had drawn up a
certificate. The certificate stated the girl was much disco-
loured in various parts, apparently from the effects of se-
vere blows., that her head was one mass of disease, arising,
he bad no hesitation in saying, from culpable neglect, and
want of attention to cleanliness. Indeed, the children ap-
peered to have been neglected and most inhumanly used.
The boy had the remains of injuries on the legs, and had
sores and teats on Ms person, and they had the appearance
of having both been deprived of necessary food and
clothing. Dr. Alexander said that he bad very great diffi-
culty in drawing up a certificate that be thought would be
believed, the children were in such a condition ; and he
could scarcely have conceived that almost any human being,
and especially the girl, could have got such usage and been
alive.

Dr. Glover's and Dr. Nsvia's testimony Was to a similar
effect.

Two witnesses were then brought forward as exculpatory
evidence, but their evidence only tended to prove the guilt
of the panne].
The Sheriff, in addressing the jury, dwelt strongly on the
barbarous cruelty practised by the prisoner on the children,
and said the Cu. was the most atrocious that had ever been
brought before him.
The Jury, without leaving the court, unanimously found
the pannel guilty as libelled ; and stated that the case was
of such a nature that it should have been taken before a
higher court, and that transportation should be the punish-
ment.

The Sheriff sentenced the prisoner to eighteen months'
imprisonment, with !lord labour, and said he was sorry he
could not pass a heavier sentence upon bor.—Edinburgh
Waxen.

WARRINGTON AND ALTRINCTIAM JUNCTION RAD,
WAY.—This is • new line In course of formation, and the
first ordinary meeting was held in Liverpml yesterday.
Mr. Gilbert (treenail, the chairman of directors, presided.
The report stated that the lino will form the one link want-
ing for the completion of a new, independent, and more
direct route from Birkenhead and Oorston Docks on each
side of the Mersey, not only to Manchester and its sur-
rounding d' -era, but also, by means of the Manchester,
Sheffield, and Liucolnabire Railway. to the Humber, with
the Grimsby Docks at its mouth. The railway will like-
wise prove equally important to Shrewsbury, Hereford,
and the Welsh mineral districts, by affording the same faci-
lities for the transmission of their products to Lancashire
and Yorkshire, The directors are happy to state that they
have entered into a contract with Messrs. Dreamy and
McCormick for the formation of the line, on terms within
the estimate.—The chairman proposed the adoption of the
report, which was seconded by Mr. Henry Winch, who
said that if they would refer to the map, they would find
that the line, like an hourglass, connected the sands at both
ends; and it formed • junction with • complete network of
railway', which must secure • large amount of traffic.—
The report having heen adopted, the directors re-elected,
with a vote of 6001. fir their services, and other resolutions
of • formal nature pasted, the proccedinp terminated.