The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1818-12-01 00:00:00

CRUELTY TO A CHILD.

Charles Elliott, and Leonora his wife, were in-
dicted fur nothrwfully !vesting, and otherwise alms-
iv; and treating with great cruelty, Russell Elliott,
their own that', it boy under nine years of age.
The Prisoners seemed to be persons of a respecta-
ble rank in life—they pleaded Aot
Mr. REV.voLns stated; that this prosecution was
undertaken by the Overseers of the Pariah of St.
Anne's, Bloomsbury, whole object was to inquire
into the trentrorot of the child of the Defendants,
Who was it buy of tender years, of infirm mind, and
bail bodily cmiformation. The Learned Counsel
then stated the nature of the evidence which he bad
to adduce in support of the prosecution. It was as
follows :
Mrs. J. Lee stated that she was a widow, and
resided in Fisher-oreet, Red Lion-square, the re-
sidence of the Prisoners, on the lit of June lain.
About that period she recollected hearing a faint
voice, like that of a child, front the upper part of
the house, and the faint noise being repeated, she
became lunch alarmed, and went to her mistress,
Miss Matthews, who overheard it also. She imme-
diately knocked at the Prisoner's room door, when
the female Prisoner opened it, and in answer to her
questions, she said that it was her fool who was up
stairs. The witness then described that she took
an opportunity of going tip stairs, where she saw
the poor child, stark tusked, fasteried to the bed-
post, and in a very filthy state. She often over-
heard the child slapped, but not severely. Witness
reoutoneisded the female Prisoner in send the
child to the workhouse, but she said she could not
do so, as that would cost two or three shillings a
week. She also said, " Ming the child, I could
cut its throat !" The child was always fastened to
the Led-post, and when witness gave meat for it;
the mother and others of her family would eat it.
Crest.eitnnined by Mr. A LtAT.
She was always on good terms with Mir. Elliott;
she denied havlntz written on ; ymous letter to
the Magistrate, but she knew who Wrote it, and
would not till. She was tint a stage dancer, not
would she tell the Learerid t'oniisrl how Olen a
friend of lies'a, a soldier. visited her.
I here the duly became eery angry with Mr.
Alley. and had evidently the advantage . of the
U. trued Couit,el iu viduliility, She said that her

1111`tren knew lietilivg of her Trceivilig the starlit-es
visits—the matter was quite a secret, though she
now perceived Mr. Alley had got in possession of
it, no doubt through the Prisoner, Mrs. Elliott,
who was of the party with the soldier, and partici-
pated in the conversation. They used to spend
long evenings together, hut Mrs. Elliott never
objected to the soldier's visits to witness. %he, re-
collected a gentleman's having accoated her in the
street, and against her wish accompanied her to the
door, where she mentioned the 'natter to Mrs.
Elliott, who sent him shout his business. In tak-
ing a put iii this prosecution, she was nut actuated
by and ill will to Mrs. Elliott ; she was solely in-
fluenced by humanity.
Mrs. Burlingham "dated, that she also resided at
Mr. Elliott's, for ah&it six weeks; and often while
there heard the cries of a child, who was confined
over her head. The reason alleged for confining it
was, that it was an idiot. She remonstrated with
the female Prisoner ou this treatment, who used to
reply. " Madam, I can cut its throat for you."
The father certainly blamed the mother for this
treatment, and used to carry the child bread and
water. She saw the child in a naked and in an im-
poverished state. The mother attacked her for
taking an opportunity of seeing the child, and said
that it was her wish no person should enter the
room where it was.

Cross-examined.—The last witness used occa-
sionally to come into her room, as they mere fellow-
lodgers in the same house, and they had certainly
had repeated conversations respecting the treatment
of this child.
William Reid, the officer at Hatton-garden,
stated, that he was sent on the 29th of September,
by the Magistrates, to the house of the Prisoners.
He first saw the female Prisoner, who said that all
her children were out at play, and that nobody was
in the house; he wished to go up stairs, but she
said she would go up first ; he went up at her heels,
and in the garret saw the child quite naked, and
tied to the bed-post with the leather strap which he
now produced. The reason that she assigned for
keeping the child in this state was, that it was an
idiot, and would tear any clothes it got fir its
dress.
Mrs. Mary Miller said she knew the Prisoners
when they lived in Westminster, about a year ago ;
she saw the child in their garret, in a filthy state;
they used to feed it on cold potatoes.
Mr. ALLEY addressed the Court for the Defeucl-
ant. He said that the unfortunate child who was
the subject of this inquiry was an idiot, and re-
quired restraint to prevent him from doing mischief
to himself as well as others. He would chew
from a variety of witnesses, the tender care which
the Prisoners took of him, and that he was only at
times confined to prevent his setting fire to the
place, and destroying himself and the rest of the
family.
The following were the witnesses for the De-
fence :
Ellen Nesbitt was then called and sworn.—
Knows the Defendants ; remembers when the child
was brought home from nurse 7 years ago; he then
was helpless. weak, and unable to walk. She was
an inmate of the Defendant's house then, and has
been in the constant habit of visiting them since,
and always saw the boy treated with the greatest
humanity. The mild used to betray symptoms of
passion and idiotcy. If witness ever said any thing
to irritate him, he instantly threw any thing in his
way at her. Always saw the child fed in the same
room, though at a different table; never saw him
treated unkindly ; was in the constant habit of
seeing him up to last April, but knows nothing of
Ilia treatment since.
Eliza Wetherhead examined.
Knows the Defendants two veers and • half;
lodged with them a year and a haft' of that time; had
frequent opportunities 'or seeing the child ; it was
apparently quite out of its senses. It was extreme-
ly subject to tits of passion, and used to scream in
such a manner as to be quite offensive, without
any reason. It was always treated kindly. Her
testimony does not apply to the last year, not being
during that space of time in the habit of seeiug the
Defendants.
Edward Staines examined. _ _

Is a teacher of mathematics; knows the Defen-
dants; sent fur the boy to examine him at his own
house, two or three months ago. The result was,
that he considered him to be an idiot. He seemed
to be in perfect health, and well fed.

Mrs. King examined.
Has seen the boy very frequently at his father's
house ; the first time she saw him, he set fire to his
mother's petticoat, which was standing at the fire
to air. Witness and his mother were out of the
room, and heard him cry, " Mother, mother ! come
and see what Russell has done !" They went in
and found the petticoat blazing—the child has
always had plenty to eat, and more than plenty ;
he was treated better than the rest of the children;
witness has known I to get meat when his father
and mother had only bread and cheese to eat.
Sidney Elliott is son to the Defendants; is be-
tween twelve and thirteen years of age ; his brother
has been confuted shunt four months; he was con-
fined because he welgnischievous; he used to break
the windows and plater below stairs; he used to
take things and throw thent at the plates, and
throw the plates on the ground ; he destroyed many
things. He had the same victuals froth his father
and mother as he (witness) had. There was every
necessary convenience in his room. He and his sis.
ter used frequently to be sent by their father and
mother up stairs to play with him ; he has played
With him an hour and a half in the Morning,
and again in the reciting. The perverse dis-
position of his brother wail the rraion why
the room was not 'deftly' in a state of cleanli-
ness—the shortness of the string would not prevent
that. His brother lied a good homy frocks; but
whenever c!othes were put on kin; lie could not be
prevented f tearing them to pieces ; he never
knew hie father to beat him; he slept in the same
room with hits; there were two beds in it clotie to
one another ; and the siting Ras long enough tit let
his loather get on either. Before he was put up
stairs, he floe day threw In iron instrument out of
the window, on tt gentleman mi.s tag, and hurt his
head ; the gentleman complained to his father about
it ; he elan lore the blitiikets and bed-clothes; he
hoed to carry it victuals to him, broth, mod
oilier food, and always ennugh. The day
Airs. Lee forced her way into the room, be

was bringipg potatoes
.{of winch his IpritLer w.
very fond, and beef; does not know wlt:•tlwr Mrs.
Lee saw them. Tlw strap► was only long roofing's to
permit his going between the two beds; they were
a yard asunder. . .
Mary Elliott, sister to the last witneqi, being
'rolled, and ,:rating rige to be . eleveii, was
11 desired by •Alji4 Alley to repeat the !limits Com-
' mandirusig, %loch sloe did, after so very lade
hrsiw-
tim►. She web then ekismineil. gird corruliorated her
brother's eviiletiee great part. She sifdeil, that
when she used to go to play with Rtis*eil, he
Would a•k her to lel him tie par her, Hod on her
letting hini, would laugh; that his rather a+ed to
smack his hands together tag flights-it him, but never
brat him; that his mother once haiinr tart him on
chair to rut his hair, lie cried out, Dragger !
Danger ! Murder ! Murder !"
Ma►y Marsh, the nurse to the wniLiionse where
the boy had been placed when taken Irons (mine,
was called, but did not appear, though whine a il.
The evidence for the Defetitlaiiis having hero
closed, Mr. Ituvuot.Ds imam addretoed the Jury.
The CHAIRMAN recapitulated the evidence, and
commented on it, and tile Jury were about hi
consider of their verdict, when Mrs. Elliott ad-
vanced from the bar, and asked, whether she
might say is few words ?
The Costastsst having given permission, ►he
said, with the oppesi once of labouring under
se-
vere distress of mind, that her husband was a la-
borious industrious lusts, winking trout six iii the
morning till eleven at night, to support live and
her children—that so far from behaving with wait-
ton cruelty towards his own child, he had carver
knowingly inflicted unnecessary pain on only living
creature—he was a harmless, inoffensive mats
and if he had ally fault, it was that lie had a too
easy disposition, and too readily yielded to the ad-
vice and suggestion of others.
The Jury, in about a minute, found ball Prison-
ers guilty, but recommended Mr. Elliott to mercy.
We understood that sentence is to be pronounced
on Thursday.
Joins Price, a servant of a Gentleman residing at
%Vest End, was indicted by Santuel Williams for
an assault on the 28th .J July.
The facts of the case were simply these :—The
Prosecutor was a showman, who assisted in the
sports and amusements of West End fair, by ex-
hibiting a Kaleidoscope, and the master of the De-•
fendant not liking to have a crowd stationed before
his door, to view this instrument, ordered the Pro-
secutor to remove to some other place with his stand.
The hitter did not immediately comply, and the
Defendant, according to his master's order. went to
remove the Kaleidoscope, et►d, in the scuffle with
the showman, the instrument was thrown down, and
injured.
The Defendant was summoned before a Magi.-
trate, and the shewinen got 255. for the injury done
to the instrument : be was not, lioa:ver, satisfied
with this satisfaction, ■nd he brought this prosecu-
tion for the assault; but as it appeared, according
to his own evidence, to have been committed alum
Ithe instrument, and not upon the man. the Jury,
without hesitation, acquitted the Defendant.