The Express.
London, England, 1859-01-06 00:00:00

BOBBING PALTER LUNATICS OP TRAM FOOD.

A most heartless case of robbery, attended, it would
seem, with the most disastrous results to the health, end even
Ilvee of • number of those poor unfortunates, pauper lunatics
oatoe before the Recorder, D. Jardine, Req., at the Beth 1
Winter fiemdoos, just held.
John Cave,
_the attendant in the male lunatics ward, at the
Bath Union Workhouse, was indicted for stealing llb. 7 ox. '
of beef, 2lbe. 6 on. of mutton, lib. 2oz. of butter sod Ilb. 8 oz. !
of cheese,. the property of the gwerdians of the Bath Union ;
and Benjamin Etiolates of Combs Down, was indicted ter !
feloniously receiving the same, knowing it to have been
stolen.
The prosecution was conducted by Mr. T. W. Saunders;
and Mr. March defended Skeatee; Cave pleaded guilty.
The prisoner Cava, as the principal attendant of the
lunatics, had daily to serve out to them their
rations, but, Instead of faithfully performing that
duty, he appears to leave etinted them of their
food for • ameliorable period, sad to • great extent.
! The master of the workhouse, kir. Ratan, suspeterhor some-
' thing of the kiad from the altered appearance of the on•
fortunate lunatics, set • watch upon the prthonse Cave, and •
on the 6th and fish of December he was *Wired to secrets
meat which ought to have been debit:sad to the lunatics in
• drawer in his room. The rations of the inmates, by the
prisoner's heartless 000doet, were reduced to less than half •
the workhouse dist. On the 7th, two tieteedve alms of the •
Bath police, Barred and Baker, were not for and plaosd,
the former in a pump hones Imentiery well, sad
the latter outside. They had not been long concealed when
Barnett saw Cave come from the lunatics ward with a
ladder which he placed against tbs boundary wall, and
seceded, and continued on the top smoking for some time.
Whiles so engaged, the other prisoner was seen by detective
Baker to come up to the wall, and having looked each way
to see that no one was coming, Cave handed him down
a bundle, and then returned to the lunatic' ward.
Skeels; went in the direction of Comte Down,
bat was followed by Baker, taken into custody,
and brought beck to the aloe of the master
of the workhouse, when ha stated, ;In answer to a
question, that Cave had given him the victuals found upon
him, and which cautituted the subject of the presentindiat-
mait, and that he had frequently done so before. Cave was
then taken into custody. On their way to the police-station
Sheathe said, "This is a pretty mess we are got into, Mr.
Cave '" the latter replied, ' It's only my giving you a little
neat./ to which Bkeatas rejoined, "We too much for us, Cm
stied."
Witnesses were called to speak to Simian' good character,
including the Rev. G. H. Newnham, incumbent of Combs
Dow', and Mr. Great, of Medford, both members of the
board of guardiene.
The Recorder in summing up, however, cautioned the
tryw:oit to be mieled by evidence as to previous character.
the man were left in doubt, the character would form
no point for their consideration. It was often found that
men claimed to be honest, and bore a character for honesty,
whilst they were carryiag on their nefarious traneactione,
and until their dishonesty was brought home to them by the
verdict of • jury.
A verdict of Chilly having been returned,
Mr. Raton, the master of the workhouse, was recalled, and
The Recorder inquired if he had any reason to believe that
the proceedings of the prisoners had been solag on for any
kook of tines.
Mr. Eaton maid he bad, for atm the prime awe was
given into custody, other pieces of meet mad &teem whisk
had been issued the same day, were found In his drawer. His
suspicion was excited that the food served em b ths
hematite was misappropriated by observing • felling off in
their onedition. lie referred to his deed book and found
that no fewer than 6 lunatics had died in the month of Octo-
ber, and that in the eleven months of 1868, 17 bad died,
whereas in the corresponding period of 1867 only 6 had
' died. It was the beginning of December before hie intention
was called to the matter, sad be did not feel justified in
coannateicatlag his ratepiokes Iss the madical officer until ha
had ascertained something definite.
The Recorder, in paring stestencs, said thieves by far the
moot important cams that bad bees tried Awing these sea-
, eons, sat any moor. kr amp prim Thee& the Ogr4lllol
I might be looked on as cos of tbst only, yet when all the dr-
cucostanoes were considered, it was a more micas ems this
any which had come beim him. Them teekettemee people
—about whom or could Malty epmb 'Visa emettoe—
were placed under the care of the primmer Cave, red he had
taken advantage of the trust milord in his. to rob them of
their food. Be (the Recorder) hoped he (Cave) had not
on his mind the coneciousness of having by his con-
' duct -been the noun of the death of any of them ; he would
have enough to bear without that. He should not perform
' hie duty if he did not pose • heavy sentence on him. He
' must be imprieoned in the Bath gaol, and kept to hard labour,
for 18 months. Addressing Skeates, the Recorder said,
, though the receiver was in general worse than the thief,
there was something in his case to notice in his favour.
' He was outside the workhouse, and might not have known
the effect of the theft. But he must have known, from ths
t nature of the food, that he was robbing the per of the pro-
, vision made by the public for their etthdebthm. The earn.
I tense on him would be that ha be imprimaed sod kept to
hard labour in the Beth gaol for 12 Wender months.