The Express.
London, England, 1867-01-19 00:00:00

EXTRAORDINARY CAREER OP JUVENILE
CRIMINALS.

Three young girls, named Howard, Connor, and
Hyams, aged respectively 16, 13, and 12, and the latter of
whom was • Jewess, were yesterday brought before the
Lord Mayor at the Mansion-house, chrir. with stealing
a merino vest and six chemises, value 2!. 74., from the
shop of Mr. Burns, a draper, in Bishopegate-street.
This case presented some circumstances of a very extra-
ordinary character. The prisoners were all seen in cam-
piny together, and one of them was observed to take the
property in question, and when they were taken into
custody the articles stolen were found in the possession of
the younger priaoner,Hytiras. The prisoners were remanded,
in order that some inquiries might be made about them,
and the result of those inquiries was, that the prisoners,
although so young. had been constantly leading a course of
crime ; and Moffatt, • metropolitan police-constable, now
stated that the two younger prisoners had admitted. to
him that in one day they had committed five different
robberies. They had parents in London, but they could do
nothing with them.
The Lord Mayor inquired if the parents of any of the
children were present.
The father of the girl Howard got into the witness-box,
and entreated his lordship to do something to get the pri-
soner sent away. He had got good places for her, but she
would not keep them, and all her delight was to associate
with thieves and commit robberies of every description.
She had been already sent to • reformatory, and came out
of that institution four years ago.
The Lord Mayor, who was evidently surprised at this
statement, asked how it was poesible that the prisoner
could have been discharged from • reformatory four years
ago, when it appeared she was now only 16 years old.
The father replied that she was only nine years old when
she was sent to the reformatory, and she remained there
three years, but after her diachsrge she conducted herself
as badly as ever. If he remonstrated with her she only
abused him and made use of the most foul and disgusting
language to him, and the first opportunity that offered she
robbed him and left her home.
While Howard's father was making this painful state-
ment, the priooner who had conducted herself all through
the inquiry with the greatest effrontery, burst out laugh-
ing, and seemed to treat the whole affair as a joke.
The Lord Mayor asked what was known of the prisoner
Connor.

The constable replied that her parente were decent
people, residing in Foster's-court. Whitecross-street, but
she had conducted herself in such a manner that they
would not take any trouble about her.
The mother of the other prisoner, Hy►ms, a respectable-
looking person, then 'tried that her daughter bad beh►ved
in such a manner that she could do nothing with her; and
although of such tender years she frequently went away
from home, and she saw nothing of her for a week at a
time. If she did try to work her companions fetched her
away ; and she implored the court to place her in some in-
stitution where she might have an opportunity of reform-
ing her evil habits.
The Lord Mayor inquired how old the prisoner was.
The mother replied that she was twelve years old last
month.

The Lord Mayor, after conferring with Mr. Oke, the
chief clerk, told the mother that if ho sent her child to •
reformatory, she must understand that it would be to a
school where the Christian religion was taught. He un-
derstood she was a Jewess, and he therefore wished to
know whether she objected to her child being sent to such
an institution.

The mother said she would rather see her child go to •
Christian school than run headlong to ruin and destruction
as the was doing at present.
The Loral Mayor then said that the only course he consi-
dered it his duty to take was to sentence the prisoner
Howard to three months' hard labour as a rogue and va-
gabond, and he remanded the two younger prisoners for a
week, in order that some steps might be taken to get them
into • reformatory school.

SHOCKING CRVZLTY TO • CHILD,—A shocking
dory comes to us from Hereford about an idiot boy named
Johnny Herds, who was said to have been found dead on •
bit of straw in a cellar, owing to the gross cruelty with
which he had been treated. An inquest was held upon the
body, at which witnesses deposed that the toor boy had
not bad a shirt washed for twelve months, and that be
had been seen in a cold cellar almost naked, having on but
a thin pair of trousers and an old jacket. Bread was given
to him here by some women, which he ate ravenonaly, and
Mrs. Brookes, a witness, said, in her opinion, he was not
an idiot, for he had told her that his " aunty" (step-
mother) would beat him if she knew he received anything.
Mrs. Parry and Mrs. Wall said they found the poor crea-
ture crouched up in a cupboard at the top of the house,
with his face to the wall, and saw his sister Ann strike
him twice till he reeled again and they found Mrs. Herds
drunk downstairs. They tried to take the boy away, but
he ran frightened from his stepmother under an arch-
way in a dark cellar. He then had no shirt to
his back nor stockings on his feet, and his
breast and neck were a mass of sores and bruises.
She went to the police station for the police, but by the
time the officers arrived he had been washed and a shirt
put on him. Miss Newman had heard blows, and bad
heard him cry out frequently, " Oh, don't, aunty, don't."
Mr. Williams saw the boy kicked down the shop into the
cellar. Mrs. Jane Morris had seen him naked in cold
weather excepting his trousers, and had seen him fre-
quently beaten. The idiot's own brother and sister used
to beat him unmercifully. Miss Lswford had frequently
heard fearful screams, and seen him beaten with faggot
sticks. Dr. Lingen, who made a post-nortem examination,
said he had found the body pallid and emaciated. There
were many abrasions and scratches, numerous about the
elbows, wrists, and shoulders, burns and marks about the
loins and right temple ; inside the body there was no fat,
the muscles were pale and thin, and the stomach was
empty. He believed death was occasioned by congestion
of the brain caused by exposure to cold and absence of
food. The ittu returned a verdict that " Doomed died
from congestion of the brain by exposure to cold, and that
be had been treated with great neglect, harshness, and
cruelty by his mother-in-law, Mrs. Herds, his brother,
Thomas Suds, and his sister, Ann Herds." The deceased
child was, it is said, heir to considerable property in
Hereford. _ _

COLLIEION ON THE BLYTH AND TYNE RAILWAY.
An accident of a serious character occurred on Thursday
afternoon on the Myth and Tyne Railway, near to the
Backworth station, by which air or seven persons were
injured, one or two seriously. We have not been able to
ascertain definitely whether the collision took place
through the negligence of any of the cowpony's servants—
official information being refused—but so far as can be
gathered from the different accounts given, it would ap-
pear that the casualty was partly due to the slippery
state of the metals, and the consequent non-action of the
breaks. One of the statements furnished us is to the
following effect :—The train from Tynemouth to New-
castle left the former place at 1.30 p.m., and consisted of
three carriages, the guard's van, and the engine. For
some reason the engine was coupled behind the carriages,
and " pushed" them on the line. When nearing the
Bsckworth station, and coming down the incline on the
Tynemouth side, which is about one in • hundred, the
driver and guard of the passenger train perceived an engine
shunting on to • tiding. The distance between the two
trains was then about 15 yards, and the breaks were
apried, but were perfectly useless to prevent the collision
which ensued. The first carriage—a third clam—being
nearest the approaching engine was nook damaged. The
engine had been (employed ' piczliXe' the meow on the
line ; but why it was not shunparticularly as
at the time of the collision the Newcastle was very
late, we are not aware. Those passengers who were only
sligtlyd injured were taken to Newcastle, and at once at-
tende to.