The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1824-10-18 00:00:00

THE BRITISH PRESS.

weather was excessively cold, and through the kindness of the
coachman she was permitted at nightfall to travel inside; there
were many passengers on the utside, only one gentleman within,
and this self-saine azentleman. whom she had never before seen,
was the identical, and positively, the only father of the child.
The Magistrate, anticipating the probability of their having slept
on the road, observed that she must necrimarily have sonic re-
membrance of her seducer, but the lady replied —" Oh, none what-
ever, the coach—the coach was the place of my undoing."
Magistrate—What. a public coach, with a person you had never
seen before?—Exactly so, Sir.
Magistrate-1 will nett believe it; how many men did you know
before, how mans, since ?—None.
Magistrate—Then you were a modest woman ?—Yes.
Magistrate—Were there windows to the coach?—Yes.
Magistrate—Then you called for assistance ?—No.
Magistrate—Why did you rot ?—Where was the use ? the
coach was moving, and, of course, I could no: be heard if I had
called ever SO loud.
Magistrate—ls it not the coachman's child ?—No.
Magistrate—Nor the guard's ?---No.
Magistrate—Nor any biller person's that you have any knowledge
of 7—No.
Magistrate--Then I certainly cannot grant a warrant upon such
an imperfect description as that given here of a tall man.
The warrant was, therefore, withdrawn, and the " tall man's"
bantling became chargeable to the parish, who have, however, the
power of compelling the mother to give a better account of her mail-
coach adventure.
BEGGING LETTER WRITERO.--011 Saturday. last AWN She.
lock. a very respectably dressed woman, between sixty and seventy
year old, was brought before ALLAN S. LAINO, Esq. by the
Officer of the alendteity Society, charged with being what is
termed a regular " Begging Letter Writer."
Irving Brock, Eq. of haughty. street, who appeared as one of he
acting managers of the hlendirity Society, stated the grounds of
complaint. On Wednesday last the prisoner came to his house, and
sent in a petition with the names of several persons annexed. The
petitioner described herself as having formerly held the King's
Head Coffee-house, Old 'Change, which was totally burned down
in August, and she was consequently thrown on the world without
house or home. The constant repetition of similar claims, gene-
rally found on enquiry to be the grossest fabrications, inducedim
(Mr. It.) to put her off for a day or two, in order to cause an in.
vestigation to be made at the Society's House, Red Lion-square,
when it appeared that the case of this very person had been con-
sidered four years ago, the fire having taked place in August 1819.
It would be seen that the year was carefully omitted in the several
petitions, and the object of that omission was evidently to induce a
belief that the calamity was of a recent nature. On Saturday
morning the prisoner called for an answer, and he (Mr. B.) handed
her a sixpence folded up in a piece of paper, and having constable
in attendance, he thought it his duty to give het in also ly.
A number of documents were then produced, in substance the
game as that presented to Mr. Brock, and addressed to acme of the
first Nobility, amongst whom wets the Duke and Duchess of Beau.
fort, the Marquis of Anglesea, Earl and Countess Bathurst, the
Duke of Northumberland, Earl Itelgrave, Lord Milton, Lord G
Cavendish, the Earl of Dartmouth, the Bishops of Durham Red
Exeter, the Countess of Liverpool, Lord Yarmouth, Lord de Is
Warne, General 'nigh, and many other persons of dis bas-
tion, front all of those she was in the habit, from time to
time. of receiving earionssuens of 101. N. and 31. t and, during the
last four years, it was presumed, that by this infamous system of
deception, she must have averaged an income of at least 2001. per
annum. It also appeared, that the prisoner had a sun and daugh-
ter, the former of whom pays 181. per annum for • very comforta-
ble suite of apartments, the daughter can earn 9s. per week, and the
mother is • parochial pensioner fur 65.., and could ,if she thought
proper to work, make something as • laundress.
31r. laden asked Mr. Brock if the Society had been able to
ascertain the fact of a Eire having taken place at the King's Head,
as described in the petition ?
Mr. Brock intimated, that there was no reason to believe that a
fire had not actually occurred on the premises of the prisoner's hus-
band, but at a period long previous to that which she now de.
scribes. When he (Mr. Brock) questioned her as to the date, she
admitted that it was two years ago; whereas, in reality, it was five.
She appeared, however, very averse to give any explanation, and
merely insinuated, that she should answer no interrogatory until
before proper authorities.
Mr. bataro—Then she Is now before the proper authorities, and
we shill call nn her for an explanation of her conduct.
Prisoner—l don't think you have any right to question me.
Mr. LAING-011, Madam ! you may set your scruples at rest on
that point ; I shall ask what questions I think proper, and you
shall answer them.
Prisoner—Very well, Sir • if I must, why I must., but distress,
Sir, drives one to many expedients, which, under other circum-
stances, one would not think of adopting. 31y husband and I kept
the King's Head, Old 'Change, in respectability tor twenty-two
years; but in consequence of a fire which originated in a neigh.
hour's house, our place was burned down, and from 700 to 800!.
worth of property was sleatnyerl. I was then cast on the world with
a son and daughter, wholly destitute of support, my husband hav-
ing deserted me ram after. I was then compelled to make any
shift I could, and my son wrote those petitions for me during his
illness.
Mr. LAING Said that BA there was no direct proof of misrepre.
sentation in regard to a fire having occurred, as stated, he should
bold the prisoner over to bail on the present charge; and it' the So-
ciety could obtain better information that it did not take place, she
might be brought up again.