The Sun.
London, England, 1852-12-03 00:00:00

POLICE INTELLIGENCE.

SOUTHWARK.—The Rev. Daniel Donovan, Roman
Catholic priest of Webb-street,. New Weston-street,
Bermondsey, was summoned before Mr. A'Beckeit, for
committing an assault on Mary Murphy, an Irish-
woman.
Mr. Watson, who attended on the part of the com-
plainant, said that she was recently confined of a child,
and that while she was still labouring under indisposi-
tion from that cause the defendant called at her place of
abode, in Palmer's-rents, Bermondsey, on Friday last,
and inquired of her whether she had had her infant bap-
tized by the Rev. Mr. Armstrong. She replied that she
had ; upon which the defendant told her that she had
sold her soul to the devil, and, lifting up his umbrella,
struck her a blow on the side of the head. He then
left the room, but returned in a short time afterwards,
and struck her three different times with the umbrella ;
and not satisfied with having given vent to his feelings
by such an attack on a poor defenceless' woman, he
called the landlady, and, addressing her, asked her why
she did not turn the devils out of her house (mean-
ing the complainant and her child). He then went away,
and the result was that Mrs. Harrington, the landlady,
a Roman Catholic, fearful of the consequences if she suf-
fered her unfortunate lodgers to remain there, eventually
took the bed from under her, and she and her child were
compelled to sleep on the floor of the room. He (Mr.
Watson) did not wish to distort or exaggerate the facts,
but he should prove that the conduct pursued by the de-
fendant on the occasion was as represented. The law,
the defendant ought to be made to know, would not
allow of his being suffered to use physical compulsion in
a case which he imagined was opposed to the doctines
which he promulgated ; and therefore, if the evidence
produced bore out the statement of facts, he trusted the
magistrate would have no hesitation in dealing with the
charge in such a manner as would prevent the defendant
in future from having recourse to such an unjustifiable
attack upon a poor woman. He then called
Mary Murphy, a young woman with an infant in her
arms, who, on being sworn, said that she now lives in
Palmer's-rents, Snow's-fields, Bermondsey, and that her
husband is a labourer. That on last Sunday three
weeks she gave birth to a child while lodging at the
house of a Mrs. Harrington, in Ebenezer-place,
Bermondsey. She knew the Rev. Mr. Dono-
van, the defendant, and he called upon her last
Friday while she was sitting up by the fire with her
child in her arms, and asked her if she was the woman
that the man fell upon by accident when drunk, and she
replied that she was. He then inquired if she had had
a child christened lately. She said that she had, and he
asked by whom, and she answered by the Rev. Mr.
Armstrong, the Protestant clergyman. The moment
she mentioned Mr. Armstrong's name, the defendant
struck her on the side of her head with an umbrella,
and exclaimed, " Don't you think you have sold your
soul to the devil ?" She replied that she did not think
she had, upon which he walked out of the room. He
returned, however, in about three or four minutes, in a

passion.
Mr. Watson—When he came back, did he say any-
thing to the landlady ?
Complainant—He struck me three times with the
umbrella, in the landlady's presence, and said to her,
" Why don't you send these devils out of your house ?"
The landlady at first said nothing in reply, but when he
repeated the question, she then said that she would
make her and her child quit the house. The defendant
then asked her (the complainant) if any ladies had called
upon her since her confinement, and she said "Yes,"
and he then inquired if they had brought her anything,
and upon her replying in the affirmative, he asked her
if she thought she was doing her soul good by accepting
charity from them, they being Protestants. She said
that she was glad and thankful for the assistance she
received ; and he then advised her not to take any more
from them, and left the room.
Mr. Watson—Now tell us what the woman Harring-
ton did on the occasion ?
Mr. A'Beckett stopped the complainant, and said
that, as it was admitted the defendant was not present
at the time, there was no occasion for introducing matter
not strictly applicable to the case as it affected her.
The complainant was then cross-examined by Mr.
Salomons, on behalf of the defendant, and in reply to
the questions she said that she was a married woman,
but that she had not the certificate of her marriage. She
was married at Pembroke, in Wales. She had relief
from the defendant the third day after her confinement.
He gave her a shilling. She had also relief from the
nuns belonging to the convent in Bermondsey.
Mr. Salomons : Of what religion are you I—Corn
plainant said she was a Roman Catholic before her mar
riage, but that since that event she had become a con.
vert to the Protestant faith.

Mr. Salomons asked her if she knew the different be-
tween the two religions
Mr. A'Beckett said that putting such questions would
only puzzle the woman, and that he had better only ask
her those having reference to the alleged assault.
Cross-examination continued—Will swear that she did
not exclaim, in the hearing of any persons, that she
would pitch the Rev. Mr. Armstrong to the seventeen
devils. (Laughter.) She recollected the defendant
having asked her where the father of her child was, and
when she told him that she did not know, his then say-
ing that he did not believe her. He also said that she
would be cursed for ever. Mrs. Harrington, the land-
lady, and another lodger were present when the de-
fendant assaulted her, and therefore she had not com-
plained to them, as they witnessed the transaction. Her
husband did not fetch the defendant to her. She did
not sing a song immediately after the departure of the
defendant on the day he assaulted her.
Mr. Watson having signified that that was his case,
Mr. Salomons said the fact was that the complainant
had practised a good deal of cunning fraud under the
guise of religion. She was Catholic and Protestant, just
as it suited her to obtain what she required. She first
received relief from Mr. Donovan and some lady nuns at
Bermondsey, and afterwards imposed upon the Rev.
Mr. Armstrong, by informing him that she had become

a convert to the Established Church. This was a very I RACING FIXTI
convenient way of exciting sympathy on her behalf, and I MA
imposing upon the ministers of two different persuasions.
But she had grossly aggravated the facts in her state.
ment of the alleged assaults.
Mr. A'Beckett said that it had been stated in the
course of the examination that two persons were present
who witnessed the alleged assault ; were they now in
attendance ? as all the witnesses were ordered out of
court in the first instance at the express desire of the
parties. He (the magistrate) should like to hear their
evidence.
Mr. Watson, however, declined calling any witnesses,
the complainant having described everything that oc-
curred.
Mr. Salomons, on the behalf of the defendant, also
expressed his intention not to call any witnesses, ob-
serving that in point of law it could not be denied that
an assault had been committed, if gently touching the
complainant with an umbrella could be construed into a
breach of the peace. The facts were these—his client
was sent for to relieve the complainant, and as he had
reason to suspect she would not disclose where the father
of her child was to be found, he questioned her closely
upon the point, and it was evident she was telling false-
hoods, he rebuked her, at the same time gently touchily,
her on the shoulder with his umbrella—this was the
assault. And with respect to the language attributed
to the defendant, he solemnly assured him that there
was not one word of truth in it. It was obvious that
the character of the complainant for veracity could not
be much depended upon, more particularly as no wit-
nesses had been called to support her testimony ; he
should, therefore, leave the case in the hands of the
magistrate,

Liverpool Spring...
Coventry Spring....
Doncaster Spring...
Salisbury

AP]
Croxton Park 6
Newmarket Craven ll
York Spring l9
MA
Chester 3

Newmarket Sec Sp.
Shrewsbury

Mr. A'Beckett expressed some surprise that no wit-
nesses were called on either side, and said that under
the circumstances he should send the case before a jury
without making any remarks himself on the subject, and
for that purpose should order the defendant to enter into
his own recognizance in the sum of 1001. to appear and
answer the charge at the sessions.,

THAMES.—A poor man named Carpenter, a regis-
tered coal-whipper, was charged with leaving his family
of three children chargeable to the parish of St. Paul,
Shadwell.

Mr. Sargeant said the defendant's children had been
for some time maintained by the parish, and that 61. had
been expended on their behalf, not one farthing of which
had been paid by the defendant, who, he believed, was
in a condition to partially reimburse the parish, and to
support his children in future. The prisoner was a
basket man, or foreman, and his earnings averaged 255.
a week.

The defendant said he met with an accident some time
ago by falling into the hold of a ship, and was taken in
an insensible condition to the Dreadnought Hospital,
where he remained for several weeks, and he was not
yet perfectly cured. While he was in the hospital-ship
all his furniture was seized for rent, and his home broken
up. He had no home in which he could shelter them,
and the remuneration for coal-whipping was so very low
that he really was unable to maintain them. /
Mr. Sargeant said the parish did not require the 6/.
already due, but it was considered that he was able to
pay 6s. a week for the future.
The defendant—That is as much as my average earn-
ings, and I am now ill and lame. I would gladly sup-
port my children if I could.
Mr. Deering, principal clerk in the coal whippers'
office, said it was quite true that the defendant had met
with a serious accident. Since the defendant had left
the hospital he was obliged to give up work for a week
or two at a time. Their average earnings for the last
three months had not exceeded 8 per week, and their
labours were very heavy.
Mr. Ingham was sorry to hear the wages were so low,
and asked what were the earnings of the basket men ?
Mr. Deering—ln no case did the earnings of basket
men, who were foremen of the gangs, average more than
10s. per week. He had taken the accounts of three bas-
ket men, whose earnings were larger than ordinary coal-
whippers, and their wages averaged 9s. or 10s. per week.
At present, the defendant, if in perfect health, might
earn 11s. per week.
Mr. Ingham—So it appears. How are they able to
support their families and pay rent ?
Mr. Deering—Many of them are in a wretched state,
living upon insufficient food. I don't believe one out of
twenty coal-whippers pay any rent at all. They can't
do it, and they are obliged to go in debt wherever they
can, and their children are running about the streets half
naked and without shoes and stockings.
Mr. Ingham said it was evident the defendant could
not pay 6s. per week. He must pay 2s. per week, and
when he was able and in full work give more.
The defendant—l wish to support my family, your
worship • but what am I to do ?

Mr. -Ingham said it was a distressing case, and he was
sure the parish officers did not want the defendant
wholly to maintain his children until he recovered his
strength, but he must do something.

Ascot
Hampton
Beverley, Hull, &;e
Bibury

Newmarket.
Worcester...
Carlisle (3).
Liverpool...

. 15
. 15

.ITCH

JULY.

RES FOR 1853.

Warwick Spring,
Kiplin Coates .. • •
Northampton (2).
Abergavenny .....

lvialton ............
_Newmarket F. S

..... •••

Y. 11
Bath ........................
Manchester (3)••..•" f,)l
Epsom ....................
NE. `,l
Stockbridge .............
:34
Winchester .. ••• • • ....
Newcastle...

19

5 Stamford .....
5 Nottingham .
5 I Goodwood ...