The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1825-02-03 00:00:00

GUILDHALL.

CRUEL THEATMEHT OF CHIMWEY-SWEEP Boys.—George
Willorm Fountain, a master chimney-sweeper, residing in Rohin
Hood-court, Shoe-lane, appeared yesterday before the Sitting Al-
derman, Sir Charles Flower, Bart., to a summons, for ill-treating
his apprentice, John Brown, a child of about ten years and a half
old, very diminutive, and apparently weekly, for his age.
Frani the statement of the boy, his mother, and two of her
neighbours living in Goldsmith's place, Hackney-fields, it ap-
pawed that the boy was sent out early on the morning of Wednes-
day se'imight, with John Williams, Fountain's foreman, to sweep
a chimney. Williams, who is a tall stout fellow, hurried along
the streets so fast that the bey could not keep pace with him, and
the forma:returned with him to his master, requiring the assist.
snce of I,lzown's fellow-apprentice in the lieu of him. This greatly
incensed Ate muter, who, seizing Brown by his two ears, lifted
him up by them and then dashed hint down on the floor. This he
repeated once or twice, and the boy took the first opportunity to run
ore to hie mother's, where lie arrived, his ears still bleeding, and
his mouth swollen. His mother took him to Union-hall, where he
had bees bound in March last; and, open being stripped, the
Magistrates were so satisfied that too much severity had been exer-
cised, that they desired the mother on no account to suffer him to
return to his master, and to lay a complaint against the latter at
this office. The bey was also stripped before Sir Charles Flower
yesterday, and, besides that one of his ears was still In a state that
showed it had been in imminent jeopardy of being separated from
the head, there was a mark on his lett hip, which he said was the
consequence o(a violent kick from his mistress, and his body looked
lank and emaciated. His mother stated, that the day before he ran ,
away he had Leen kept altogether without food, but that when lie
did get it, it was of such a description that his 'stomach frequently
rejected it, and Ins bowels became so weak, that they had lost the
power of retention. There was a large scar upon his left elbow.
In reply to the charge. Fountain dented having touched the boy's
ears at all. The boy had not been at the business long enough to
have his knees and elbows hardened by repeated climbing, and the
sure elbow was a common thing with young sweeps. This charge
of ill-treatment was trumped up on purpose to give the mother an
opportunity of " raising the wind." The boy had been et the
bupiness before he came to him, and the former master failing in
paying up his instalments of the purchase money for the boy, the
iruther preferred a charge of iii-treatment against him at Union-
hall, and the indentuses were cancelled. klhe then brought her
child to him, and after the binding, he paid her her demand-
-21. 13s. She at the same time told him she could hate got 3/. for
the boy front Mr. Appleton, a swoop at Hackney. As to victuals
he fared the same as himself and wife exactly--living mostly on
baked beef or mutton, and potatoes. The boy was very dirty in
hip habits, and very saucy.
Williams, the (woman, corroborated this statement genera/1y as
to the saucy conduct and dirty habits of the boy.
The mother, being recalled, allowed having received money for
the child, and diftired only as to the amount, insisting that 355.
was all she got for him of Fountain, instead of 2!. ltts. She denied
any lode:aim of again disposing of the child, and said if his

THE BRITISH PRESS.

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dentures were now cancelled, Mr. Percival, the banker, would
place him in some school.
The boy was again questioned, and stated, that he did lot know
his prayers—had never said any—Dever went to church—slept on
a bed—set the same as the rest of the family—two slices of bread
and butter for breakfast, and meat foe dinner, but could not tell
what kind of meat—was sometimes rolled in the soot, and beat with
broomsticks. Williams had best him, at home and-in the streets—
the last time because his feet were sate—his shoes hurt him, and he
could scarcely walk.
C Ftowel--Good God, how shocking a recital
have we heard this day ! Are we in a civilised country ? "Can
children be bought and sold with impunity, at so much per head ?
Mr. Heresford (the chief clerk)—A similar purchase was exposed
at another police office only a day or two ago.
Sir CHARLES FLownn—Why, in the• present state of society
here, such bas4.tains seem to equal in 'enormity, the African slave
trade. As to the boy, he has been brmght up like a Hottentot—
, neither in the fear of the Deai' nor the Almighty. You, mother,
you, who have been so hardened as to tell your own child to a
sweep, you are a disgrace to the name of Englishwoman, and to
the sex to which you belong, and you shall never have the oppor.
I *unity of bartering him away again. Let the boy be taken care of
I' in the Comptcr until the presence of another Alagistrate can be
obtained to cancel the indenture, and until I have seen Dlr. Per-
cival, and arranged how he shall be disposed of. That the boy
has been ill-treated, I am quite satisfied, and not only by Fountain
himself, but by his wife and the foreman, and I shall therefore
direct all three to be prosecuted by the City Solicitor.
The parties were then ordered to.tind bail, and the City Solicitor
called iu and instructed to proceed.

BOW-STREET.
Yesterday 11r. Pat x Diem OAST, the Barrister, accompanied by
two or three persons connected with • Dissenters' Meeting-house In
some court in the Strand, applied to Sir R. Bina rE to issue a
summons for the appearance of lir. Charles Pitt, of Adam-street,
Adelphi, to answer to a complaint which he was prepared to sub-
stantiate against him, for unlawfully disturbing • congregation,
assembled for the purpose of divine worship. The disturbance
complained of was, that on a Sabbath-day, when • congregation
had assembled at the meeting-house in question, and one of the
persona who yesterday attended with Mr. Prendergast was address-
lug the rest from the pulpit, Mr. Pitt suddenly rose in the body of
the place, and exclaimed—" Call ye that preaching ? A pretty
fellow, truly, you are, to preach and attempt to instruct your fellow-
men in the sacred truths of religion ! You, who do not know the
commonest rules of your own language, and are equally ignorant
of the subject upon which you presume to hold forth ! Come
down, poor man, and let me ascend the rostrum." The conse-
quence of this interruption was, that the discourse was stopped,
and finally the congregation broke up in confusion, without finish-
ing the usual service.
Sir B. Bt ex 1E asked if this was not the same occurrence upon
which he had been befote applied to, and which was afterwards,
upon his referring the parties to the Sessions, brought before that
tiihunal, and disposed of ?
Mr. PRENDERGAST replied in the afErmatire.
Sir R. Bramiu—Then how can I be expected to Interfere In a
case that has been disposed of at the Sessions ?
Mr. PRENDERGAST said the case was disposed of at the Ses-
sions without going to a Jury; the Chairman stating that the per-
son charged ought to have been previously taken before a Justice of
the Peace, and held to bail to appear at the Sessions I and that
not having been done, Mr. Pitt was not legally within the cog-
nizance of the Court. His (Mr. Prendergasia) application now
was, that this preliminary step, declared by the Cheurman to be in-
diepensible, might be taken, in order to bring Mr. Pitt before the
next Court of Quarter Sessions.
Sir R. IhnN is asked if the person who pas preaching on the
occasion in question was present ?
A man, having the appearance of a decent mechanic, stepped
forward, and said he was the person who was interrupted by blr.
Pitt.

_
Sir R. BIRNIF. asked him if he had taken the oaths prescribed
by the 19th of George 111., and obtained a licence to preach ?
The man said he had not ; he only officiated occasionally.
Alt. PRENDERGAST said he had never been required to do so.
He was ready to take the oaths at that moment.
Sir R. Brads-1 believe he is liable to a penalty of 101. for
preaching without a licence.
I.llr. PRENDERGAST said, that' by the latest Act of Parl'Anient,
a person preaching without a licence was exempted from the penal-
ties awarded by the 19th George 111., upon his being willing to
take the oaths prescribed when required to do so. This person was
ready to take the oaths at that moment.
Sir R. Bias ir —I shall not require him to do so. He was not
a licensed preacher at the time spoken of: 1 shall not grant a
aumatcns. _

hir. PEENDE*GAsT—Why, this is very odd, Sir. I have got
witnesses here to prove the offonce, and why should a summons be
refused ? _ _

Sir R. BIRNIE—Why do you not take your answer, Sir? I
say I wig not grant a summons—neither will I give my reasons for
refusing it.
Mr. Penn:mm:4sT (rather warmly)—Why should you be of.
fended, Sir? I know of nothing that has been said at which you
should be offended.
Sir R. BIN NI E—lndeed I hare taken no offence, but you seem
rot a little offended. _ _

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PAIENDEUGAST—YeS, I do feel myself nffencled at your
putting your interrogation of " Why do you not take your answer ?"
I think you intended offence.
Sir R. Rinutg—Well, Sir, you may think what you please,
and go elsewhere, and coal your temper.
Mr. PRxWDERGAST (sharply)-4 wish you good morning. I
suppose you are aware that we may apply for a mandamus S
Sir R. lit HMIE—You may adopt shat course you please.
The parties left the office.
R. Palmer. one of the Sextons of St. Martin's parish, attended
before Mr. 11ALLe, to answer to a charge of having secreted the
body of a child which he was employed to inter in the burial ground
of thet pariah, in Drury-lane.
It appeared in evidence, that a woman of the name of Ford, the
wife of a mechanic, residing in a court in Castle-street, Leicester-
square, was delivered in the early part of last week of a child,
which died on the Silt day from its birth. It was agreed upon that
it should, to save expense, be buried as a rill-born child, and an
undertaker being applied to, brought a coffin, received payment for
that and the burial tees, and took away the corpse in the coffin, in
order to leave it with the defendant, who was to inta it the next
day at one o'clock, when Mrs. Ford's sister and another person were
to attend to see it dune. When they went at the time appointed,
they saw the defendant at the burial-ground, and he told them that
the child was already interred. Mrs. Ford's sister asked where ?
and the defendant pointed to some loosened earth, and said, " Why,
there, with two other children." She was not satisfied, and re.
quested to have the ground opened. lie said, she must pay Is. for
having that done, and she told him she did not care about paying
Is. so that she could be satisfied. The defendant then hesitated,
and at length refused to open the ground at all. This conduct ex-
cited strong suspicioa, and a search taking plat: in his house, the
coffin with the body of the child was found in a cupboard. In'
which bread and cheese and other necessaries of life were de-
posited.
The defendant, in answer to the charge, said, that the under.
taker left the corpse at his house in his absence, and that his wife
put it into the cupboard, and forgot to tell him of it.
The undertaker stated, that the defendant was not at home when
he left the corpse.
Mr. HALLS said, how was it that the defendant asserted that
the child was actually buried ? it was a cue which could not well
be brought within the Act of Parliament, so as to warrant a cri.
minal prosecution ; but he should take care that the Parish Of-
ficers of St. Martin's should be put in possession of all the facts,
that they might deal as they thought proper with the defendant.
Palmer was discharged.