The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1825-10-26 00:00:00

BRUTAL CONDUCT OF A CHIMNEY SWEEPER.

REM V. JONES.

The defendant in this case, a chimney sweeper, residing at New-
castle, was indicted for cruelly and inhumanly beating and maim-
ing Wm. Cliff, a lad of about eight or nine years of age. After
Mr. Russell had stated the facts, which Ire was instructed would be
proved, he called NVm. Cliff, the little boy, who had been the sub.
sect of ill treatment, into the box, who gave this account :
.• I now live in the poor-house of Audley, to which purists I be.
long. In the summer of last year me fattier took me to Jones to
live with him; Jones used me very ill, and in consequence 1 ran
away from him. I rambled up and down till I came to Audley,
when I was taken into the poor-house, and very kindly treated.
On Monday, the 25th of July last, I was sent by the Governor of
the work-house to Burslem, and on my return, at a place called
Red-street, near Chesterton, my stepmother came up and asked me
to go with her to have something to drink ; I was going to pass on,
'but she caught hold of me, and Jones, the sweep, and my father,
came up. My father said to Jones, ` You may take him ; he's
your's; he's none of mine; you may do what you will with hint !'
I cried ver7 much, but the sweep took me off with Mtn to his own
house at Newcastle. lie kicked me on the road a good deal, and
when he got me in his house, he tied me to the rails of the stairs.
Afterwards he obliged nie to go up a chimney in his own house ;
and because it hurt me to go up, and I came down soon, lie flogged
me very much with a rope, and would make me try again. When
I was in the chimney again, he said he could murder me if I did
not look sharp; and he followed me a little way, and cut my feet
with a scraper ! This hurt Inc very much ; it gave me great pain.
%Viten I came down again, he beat me with the rope, and sent me
up a third time. Atter I had been up the chimney the last time,
Jones took me up stairs, gave me some bread and water, tied me to
a rail, and left me there till morning. The next day I left Jones's,
and went to Audley again ; my lea were: so sore that I was obliged
to walk on my tip-toes."
Mrs. Taylor, of Audley, who happened to be with the boy when
Jones and his huher met him at Red-street. corroborated that part
of his statement; and she, Ravi.; examined his body on his return
to the workhouse at Audley, the day after the all• ged cruelty had
been used, stated also that the boy's heels were very much cut, and
that lie was covered with bruises and weals ; it was a considerable
time before he could walk without appearing very lame.
Mr. 'l'. G. Coombe, surgeon, of Newcastle, deposed, that he ex-
amined the bey on the Friday after he returned to Audley, by the
request of the parish officers. There was a very deep wound on
each heel, which must have been made with some sheep instru-
ment; there were wounds upon the elbows and knees, and very
severe bruises upon different parts of his body, as if he had been
violently flogged with a rope or a stick.
Jones, in defence, said, that he did dot beat the boy at all; and
called a lad of about eight years of age, an apprentice of his, who
said that his muter did not touch Cliff' and•that helm, no wounds
upon his heels. and slept on a straw bed that night.
A man and o woman, Jones's neighbours, stated that Jones was
on the outside of the house while the boy was in the chimney, look-
ing for his appearance at the top, and consequently could not
have cut his feet.
William Underhill, of Stafford. a " trusty brother of the trade,"
then came forward to say that boys could not be instructed in
sweeping chimneys without having their elbows and knees bruised.
On cross-examination, he said, that it was not necessary that their
heels should be rut In the bone.
The Jury found the defendant Guilty.
The CHAIRMAN, on passing sentence, designated the conduct
of Jones `` cruel and inhuman in the extreme ; ' and said, that he
had added to his offence by encouraging his apprentice boy to for.
swear himself.—Sentence, to be imprisoned six months.
The pariah officers were complimented by the Magistrates for
their humane protection of the lad, and fur their public spirit in
prosecuting the master.—Sraifierdshire Advertiser.
SHOCKING DIMIICIDR.—Between twelve and one o'clock
yesterday, much alarm and anxiety were occasioned by an account
that Mr. John Dungate, the brother if an undertaker in the Broad-
way, Westminster, had terminated his existence by suicide. It
appeared that the deceased, who resided in lodgings in New-street,
near the Horseferry• road, had slim himself with a pistol. Deceased,
who was only 26 years of age, had been observed to recline his had
upon his hand, and apprered, when taken by surprise, to be in
rather a desponding state, from, u it is conjectured, the embarrass.
wants of burliness. Ifs was a young man of a high spirit, frank
sad generous to all, and much esteemed.