The Sun.
London, England, 1855-04-07 00:00:00

POLICE INTELLIGENCE.

MANSION-HOUSE.—Sir R. W. Carden placed in
the hands of the reporter a report made by Acting•ln-
spector Harding, of the city police, relating to the matter
of a summons upon which the alderman had been called
upon to adjudicate, and which at the time was so extra-
ordinary as to induce him to direct a strict investigation,
in order to ascertain whether the statement made by the
constable at all corroborated that made by the cabman
upon the hearing of the summons.

The following is the essential part of the acting inspec-
tor's special report :77

Police-constble Oliver, 524, was summoned to appear
at the Mansion-house on the 6th of March, to answer
the complaint of the driver of cab 3,358, for refusing to
pay him Bs. 6d. due to him for conveying to the union
an insane man whom the police-constable found in Ald-
gate at half-past 12 o'clock a.m., on the 27th of February
last, in almost a state of nudity, and %Cul appeared to be
suffering severely from the cold. Being unable to get
from him his place of abode, the police-constable had
him conveyed to the relieving-office in Northumberland-
alley, from which place he was sent to the East London
Union in Aldersgate-street (Aldgate being out of the
City of London Union District), but, finding that place
closed, as also that in Dunning's-alley, he proceeded to
the residence of the relieving-officer, who bad removed
from New-square, Minories, to Skinner-street, from whom
he obtained an order for the man's admission into the
union at Homerton.

The cabman was engaged five hours and a half, and
the authorities of the East London Union refused to pay
him more than 2s. 6d., his fare being lls..

The following are the particulars- of the case heard
before Sir R. W. Carden at the date alluded to :
Charles Oliver, 424, was summoned by Frederick Pas-
quail (cab driver) who said—l was fetched from Aldgate
stand between 12 and 1 o'clock on the night of Monday
week, to go to Northumberland-alley to take up a per-
son who was destitute. When I got there the defendant
and another officer put a man into my cab. All the
man had on was a hat, a shirt, and a pair of shoes. It
was bitter cold, and he complained of Laing cold, and I
was told to drive to Aldersgate street workhouse. The
defendant went with me, and rang the bell for some
time without being able to make anybody hear, and
the officer on the beat told us that the workhouse
was removed to Smithfield, and I was ordered
there, and when we got there the defendant pulled
the bell at the workhouse and the door was
answered by a man to whom I heard the defen-
dant tell the state in which the man in the cab was.
The porter refused to have anything to do with him, and
we then went to the Seething-lane station, and thence
to the workhouse in Dunning's-alley. I rang the bell
for some time, and a person inside said they had removed
to Homerton. The man inside the cab was all the time
complaining of the cold. I then went back to Seeth-
ing-lane station and waited there about an hour, while a
man was sent to New-square, Minories, to find the re-
lieving officer. He, however, had removed to Slcinner-
street, to which place I drove. We there saw the re-
lieving officer, who said he had nothing to do with the
case, and that I must take the man back to Northum-
berland-alley, and so we went back to Seething-lane
again, and then we were sent back to Skinner-street,
where we again saw the relieving officer, who gave an
order for the man to be taken to Lower Homerton, and
I took him there. I then brought the defendant hack to
the relieving officer, who told me I was to come,for my
money next day. My fare was lls. for five hours and
a-half, and I received 2s. 6d., and there is due' to me
Bs. 6d.
Sir R. W. Carden expressed great surprise at the state-
ment, especially upon being informed that the insane
man had been found in the immediate vicinity of North-
umberland-alley, where assistance had been refused.
The defendant—l found the unfortunate man withia
six yards of the district of Northumberland-alley, and I
told the person whom I saw there the state of destitution
in which he was.
Sir R. W. Carden—I thought the 20s. penalty I in.
fiicted upon the Northumberland-alley relieving officer
would have led to some improvement, but it appears that
in this instance,
as the poor man was not found within
the exact district, there had been no violation of the
strict letter of the law. There has been, it seems, no act
of illegality, but there has been a gross act of inhumanity
committed. I consider that the defendant has conducted
himself in the most creditable manner. The poor crea-
ture whom he tried to serve might have died if active
exertions had not been made to save him.

The police sergeant said that, in all probability, the
man would have died in the cab if a rag had not been
wrapped around him.
Sir B. W. Carden—The cabman shall be paid his de,
mand and expenses. It is most deplorable that there is
no place within 4A miles of London in which destitute
persons, afflicted with so awful a malady, and found in
the East London Union district, can be placed in the
most inclement weather. I trust that the culpable want
of accommodation by which the lives of our fellow-crea-
tures are constantly hazarded will cause interference by
those whose complaints ate likely to be attended to. Very
few people would, in my opinion, credit the lamentable
fact that a fellow-creature should be subjected to so
much misery before his admission to the proper asylum
for the reception of objects of the
kind. I was not be-
fore aware that the poor found in the city were com-
pelled to travel to so great a distance before they could
get a resting•place for their weary limbs.

THE LAST OF SONTAG.—Accounts from Hattburg of
the 3d inst. mention the arrival of the Danish brig, Juno,
Capt. Bohn, from Laguna, with the remains of the
Countess Rossi, better known by her maiden name of
Henrietta Sontag, who, it will be remembered, died of
the cholera whilst making a professional tour in Mexico.
The corpse—which is preserved in three coffins, one
within the other—was forwarded by railroad to Berlin
in the first instance, where the widower was accredited
formerly as the envoy of the King of Sardinia.

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