The National Register.
London, England, 1816-06-17 00:00:00

QUEVN-SQUA It E.

SHOCKING DEPRAVITY. —A most distressing and disgrace-
ful spectacle was, on Friday, exhibited at this office : it arose
out of an examination of a petty 44.14111 t. The complainant was
the son-in-law of a woman who is the 0% nes- of a considerable
number of little houses iu Pyc-street and the Broadway,
Westminster, which are all occupied by girls that hose brew
debauched and devoted to prostitution. lie stated, that his
wife, who was the daughter of this woman, left hi, house on
Tuesday night last, and did not return home till the nest morn-
ing; be and she had, in consivenee, 11111kleiwint cords ; and
she directly after left the house, and returned with her tiler
and two sisters, who set about kiln am{ beat hint, end tore Ins
face. lie now wished the Magistrate to bind them user to
keep the peace towards hint; for he knew, if they were not
bound, that they would come to his house, backed by abont a
hundred bad women, and he should be in danger of losing his
life. Mr. Fielding asked him why tutu bad women would assist
her in such proreedings ? lie replied, that if they were to
retiose, she nook{ directly turn them oat of their lodgings ; that
she hail at this time, he supposed, at least !so lodgers, all pros-
titutes ; and lit knew that some of them were not more Loon 12
years of age, and some of them younger. Mr. Fielding ordered
the officer, to go to the place, and to bring all the girls whom
they might find in the different 11.01114. They went accoriliogly,
onii in a short time returned with alfout O. They said they
could have brought 300. Four of skein were children about
12 years of age, and one ; only between 10 and 12, was shock-
iii .y disordered.
Mr. Fielding ordered the officers to take her to St. Martin's
workhouse ; and for the other cliil6 en they were to provide
lodgings till they could be sent to their friends. One child,
only fourteen, who had lately left lloilyst•ad st orkliouse, and
had been harboured in one of this vile woman's room', was se
diseased, that Mr Fielding said he would gt t her into the Lock
Hospital. He then addressed the woman, and informed her,
that Wan indictment should be preferred against her, she might
depend upon it her punishment would be pillory and confine-
ment for life; and if sbe or her daughters went to the house of
her Win-in-law to make any disturbance, he would, upon his
c plaint, se•ld them all to prison.
A man named Drawnt, residing in St. Margaret's, Westmin-
ster, was charged oil!' seducing his apprenbee, at gip! apps.
rently about Ii years old, but who was stated to be Ito, hound
from the I)tilse of York's school to the prisoners wife, 111.V1011%
to his marriages The girl being swim,' must solemnly my tun•
magistrate, declared the prisoner to be her seducer; that •Le
had suffered almost nrutyrdom mita lie elfi ellql his poreose ;
and that fear alone presented her tell.ng her iiie.tress Inc situa-
tion she was in ; but at lost she was contralto( to go into the
workhouse, where she remained moil the Ist of May. when she
was brought to bed. The magistrate obserted, it was a must
iel ed transaction: the ',foam under whose protection she
was placed was the first to rum her. He must, howe er, be •c-
-c table to the parish, and pay ail exrnees incurred, witless
his iinsocence could be mut e clearly inauifested.