The Northern Daily Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1856-10-20 00:00:00

EXTRAORDINARY CHARGE OF AFFILIA-

TION AGAINST A CLERGYMAN

ROMANCE IN REAL LIFE.

On Saturday, a case of an unusual description was
heard and determined, at the Police Court, before Messrs.
J. Aikin and R. Benn, presiding magistrates. It excited
much interest, and the court was crowded by persons of
apparent respectability, all of whom appeared anxious to
hear the details. •The summons was an ordinary one of
affiliation, but, from the position and profession of the
defendant, the interest taken in the proceedings was of
the deepest nature. It was the case of Deborah Stanley
against the Rev. Peter Brown, of Blackrod, Chorley, and
was the usual summons seeking for an order for the
support of a female child, born in Dublin, in December,
1852. Mr. Cobb appeared for the complainant, and Mr.
Blair, barrister, instructed by Mr. Bluck, appeared for
the defendant. The complainant was a very ordinary
looking ar d small-sized female, o' (; a sho stated) 20 years
of age ; the defendant was a gentlemanly-looking persor, of
about 40 years. The complainant was accompanied by a
female child about four years old, and also by her sister,
a genteel-looking person, apparently about 30 years old.
Mr. Cobb, in opening the facts to the court, said the case
was not at all one of an ordinary description, but was of
an extraordinary and peculiar character, and, therefore,
he felt bound to lay the whole details before the bench.
The transaction, which led to the present proceedings,
took place so long ago as the month of March, 1852, and
before he asked the, bench for an order to compel the
defendant to pay for his child, he would lay the whole
facts before the court, without the least attempt at
concealment, so far as he was instructed. He would prove
that, before complainant brought the present ease, she
had received payment for the support of the child. The
complainant was a native of Dublin, and, at the time of'
the transaction, was hardly seventeen years of age. She
was respectably reared, her father being a coachman to a
highly respectable lady in Dublin, and held the employ-
ment for over, twenty-five years, which showed that he
was a man of good character and respected in his posh ion.
The defendant is an Trishman, and is now a clergyman of
the Church of England; but lie (Mr. Cobb) would not,
as he could not prove the fact, say that he was in holy
orders at the time alluded to. .011 the 16th of March,
1852, the girl was in Mountjoy-square, Dublin, listening
to some music amongst a crowd of persons wha were
collected for the same purpose. She was standing amongst
the crowd, when she was addressed by a gentleman.
That gentleman, he (Mr. Cobb) would prove, was the
defendant. The complainant had never before seen the
gentleman, and he (Mr. Cobb) would not conceal nor
disguise any fact connected with the whole affair. After
some conversation, the girl was induced to go with the
defendant to a certain house in Dublin. He (Mr. Cobb)
admitted that it was very improper for her to do so, but
she did accompany him to the house in question. The
defendant at first told her it was his own house. On
entering the house, she at once discovered it was not his
house. fie took her up stairs to a bedroom, and there
accomplished her ruin. Her dress was torn, and her
bonnet and combs were broken. He made an appointment
to meet her next day, in order to give her some money.
After this, they had some beer, and she became insensible.
When she became sensible she proceeded home, and, on
searching her dress, she found 2s. 6d. in her pocket,
although she had no money before that. She went next day
to keep her appointment, but the defendant did not meet
her according to promise. After waiting a long time, she
proceeded home, and, on her way, she passed through
Mountjoy-square. She was attracted by a crowd of
persons who were standing at a door, looking at some
ladies and a gentleman getting into a carriage. She at
once recognised the gentleman the defendant—as the
gentleman whom she had met the evening before. She
did not know his name at this time. She asked a person
in the crowd who he was ? and she was told that he was
the Rev. Mr. Brown, of No. 12, Mountjoy.square, and
then she discovered who he was. In December, 1852, she
was confined of a female child, but he (Mr. Cobb) should
tell the court that, before this event, she had been turned
out by her father, who discovered her situation, and she
went to reside with her sister. She wrote several letters
to the defendant to Mountjoy-square, but got no reply.
At last she wrote one and placed it in the hands of her
sister, and sent her to him. The sister saw the Rev. Mr.
Brown, who, on reading the letter, said he would be with
the writer almost immediately. The next morning he
called at her lodging; she was in bed, and he went up
stairs and saw her. HO asked if the infant was a boy or
a girl 7 and she told him it was a girl. He expressed
great regret at her position, and asked would 33. a week
be sufficient to support her? She refused to give any
opinion on that point, as she did not know what to say.
Subsequently they went to Mr. Worrell, a most respect-
able attorney in *Dublin, and she received £1 from him,
and it was agreed to give her Is a week. This sum was regu-
larly paid to 'her for some time ; and in Sept., 1853, it was
proposed to her that she should go to America, she getting
a sum of money for that purpose. She agreed to go, and
it was arranged that she should leave Dublin for Liver-
pool, to take ship for America. Mr. Fitzgerald, the con-
ductor of Mr. Worrell's business in Dublin, was the per-
son who undertook to arrange this affair. He accordingly
came to Liverpool, and paid her passage in a ship, and
provided her with money, given by defendant. She sailed
accordingly, but, before the ship was many days out at
sea, she was dismasted in a storm, and narrowly escaped
being wrecked. The vessel, however, got bank to Liver-
pool and landed her passengers. The complainant then
wrote to Mr. Fitzgerald, informing him of what had
happened, and he at once replied he was very sorry for it,
stating that something would be done for her aeain.
After this she receive I, for some time in Liverpool, lOs a
week from Mr. Fitzgerald, on behalf the Rev. Mr. Brown
Matters went on in this way for some time, every effort
being made to send her again to America. At last she
consented to go a second time along with her sister, and,
curious enough, they went in the same ship she had been
in before. 'This ship was actually wrecked, and 180 lives
lost, but. the sisters were saved. She again got back to
Liverpool, and again wrote to Mr. Fitzgerald. In the
meantime, the Rev. Mr. Brown had gone to his rectory
near Chorley, and she got a letter from Mr. Fitzgerald
stating that she was an impostor. She then proceeded to the
Rev. Mr. Brown, to his rectory, and he said more money
should be sent to her. The next day she received a letter
from him, stating that he was going to Dublin, and that no
more money would be sent to her, as she was a swindler,
and, if she went to Dublin, it would be proved against her.
She then went to Dublin and saw Mr. Fitzgerald; but
instead of proving her to be a swindler, she was again
paid lOs a week fot some time. For the third time, 111 r.
Fitzgerald proposed to her to go to America, as a widow,
and she agreed to accept 4;35 for that purpose, from the
Rev. Mr. Brown. He (Mr. Cobb) would not conceal a
single fact of this extraordinary oaso from the bench, and
he was bound to admit that on this occasion she had hum-
bugged Mr. Fitzgerald, and the Rev. Mr. Brown. There ,
was some law in America that a widow could not go
there, hut she agreed to go on getting the 435. She did
go in the ship into the river, but being afraid to go, from
what she had suffered before, she got over the side of the
vessel, and came back to Liverpool in a tug boat. She
remained here as long as the £35 lasted, and he was free
to admit that she wanted more money. Mr. Blair : No
doubt whatever about that point. Mr. Cobb : No doubt
about it. lat once admit it. I will not conceal a single
fact of the case. She then went to the Rev. Mr. Brown, and
asked him for some more money. He did not deny a word
of her statement ' • but he called a policeman, and said he
would give her into custody. She then went away. I
am bound to admit that she has had a second child in Nov.
last, but Mr. Brown is not the father of that child, and it
will have nothing to do in this case. There was an order
made against the father of the second child, so that the
present case will have no relation to that at all. He men-
tioned
this in order to show that he did not conceal any fact
connected with this extraordinary and romantic case.
He would now call the witnesses to sustain it, and, if he
proved these facts to the satisfaction of the court, he
would call on them to make an order against the Rev.
Mr. Brown for the support of his child. He then called
the plaintiff, who, as remarked, is an ordinary, sallow-
looking girl, below the general size of' women. She was
well-dressed, and was accompanied by her child, and
sister, the latter a superior-looking person every way,
when compared with the plaintiff. The plaintiff, on being
sworn, identified the rev. defendant, and, in addition to
proving the Case, as opened by her learned advocate
(which she did to the very letter), she stated the following
facts :—The house where she was taken by the defendant,
she said was some place in or about Sackville,street,
Dublin. The next evening she was attracted by a crowd
in Mountjoy-square looking. at a carriage, and she then
saw the defendant go Into it with four ladies, and drive
off to Qt. Patrick's Ball at the Castle. She resided after
that, for about three months, with her father, and then
went to live with her sister in Meetlenburgh-street,
Dublin. Here a number of letters that passed between
Mr. Fitzgerald, the plaintiff, and defendant, were put in.
In continuation, the plaintiff said when she went to Mr.
Brown's rectory, she saw him and asked him how he was ?
and he replied he was quite well, and asked her how she
had found him out there ? She told him, and said she was
going to be married to a young man. He said in that case
he would give her .e 30 or a4O as a fortune. He said he
was going to Dublin that night, and if she wished, she might
go with him, and settle the matter there. lle told her not
to come down there tiny more, to expose hitt to his
parishoners. Mr, Cobb; Tou wanteti. snore money in
fact ? I did, I wanted something to support the child.
Mr. Blair : She got £l3O already. The witness in con-
tinuation said, she had been a second time to the rectory,
and Mr. Brown called to see her once at her lodging, in
writing,eDxuc ebplitn
0
Athol-etreat, in this town. Mr. Blair then proceeded to
lb
oulnt
en can was,o.nl y
cross-examine her at considerable length, the following
being the chief points of the examination :__When she
saw Mr. Brown the next day, she did not speak to him.
rt ahonewd tnoalwivni living,
littleig
She often went and sat on the steps of the door to see
him, but did not do anything more. Mr. Blair : On your
write her name. Her father supported her, and she did
when her father beat her, and then she went to asion,
attend on
a lady, and read the Bible for her. Who '
was the lady?
Mrs. M‘Ka.y. Where did she live ? At Gla
oath„nsiort.doClN
a'
Can
nrye t
readyhoi
nu notfprintor oh 1
et
usafe), near
publin. She wrote to Mr. Brown in
said she would have the child in the hall, if he did not
give her money. She got several persons to write to him
here, for her. Got a man named M'Clusky, to write to
him. What is this M'Clusky? A Custom House facer'
How did you know this ' nobtin
man ? I knew him in '
before I came here. Were you living with him here ? No,
I was not. Mr. *Blair; Now answer me this—how much
did you get a Week for the support of the child ? I got 7s
a Week up to the
.
time tte child was eight months
Old. AT.
.. .stair : And then what did you get in a bulk
i sum ? I got .e5O then. Mr. slide : Did you not threaten
ito take the child in your arms, and, go 2 No ; I did not. into the church
l and expose him before the congregation .
Did you not threaten to go into. Wigan and expose him