The Sun.
London, England, 1863-09-10 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON, THOR SDAY EVENING, SET rE MRER 10, 1863.

MORE FORTUNE-TELLING.

Augusta Leigh, who described herself as a lodging-
house keeper, of 18, Windsor-place, City-road, appeared
yesterday at the Clerkenwell Police-court, before Mr.
Mr. D'Eyncourt, charged with unlawfully and violently
assaulting Miss Harriet Trimmer.
Miss Harriet Trimmer, an elderly female, who gave her
evidence in a very precise way, said that she saw in a local
journal an advertisement headed, " Home, comfortable."
Ihe advertisement then went on to say that " a lady" gave
a furnished bed and sitting room, with attendance and
every comfort, for 6s. per week, but if with partial board it
would be 7s. In consequence of that she called on the de-
fendant, and after an interview with her engaged to lodge
with her. On the day appointed she went to the house with
her luggage, and then it was that she discovered that it was
a house of ill-fame, for she had not been there long before
improper words were made use of to her, and she was told
that she could not sleep in the room she had engaged ex-
cept with a companion. She locked herself in in the first
floor front room, and then the defendant broke the room
door open, assaulted her, and said that that room was re-
quired for a gentleman. The defendant made use of very bad
language, and as she (the complainant) found that she was
in a bad house, she went away, but the defendant detained
some of her goods for her rent, which was not owing. A
day or so afterwards she again went to the defendant's for
the goods whch she detained, but the defendant declined to
give them to her, and again assaulted her. The complain-
ant described the house kept by the defendant as one of the
most notorious brothels in the neighbourhood.

D'Eyncourt inquired of the complainant what ar-
ticles the defendant had kept from her.
The Complainant—There are two pairs of kid gloves, 2s;
a silk scarf, ls ; two sprays of French flowers, is 6d ; a cap
front, bid ; and ribbon velvet and black lace, Is. Why, sir,
you would hardly believe it, but the very flower that she
(pointing to the defendant) is wearing now in the front of
her bonnet are the very ones that she took away from me.
The Defendant, clasping her hands, and looking up to
the ceiling, exclaimed in a theatrical tone of voice, " Oh
you wicked old creature, how can you stand there and say
such false and malicious things of me , you ought to be
choked for doing so. As for my house, it is the only re-
spectable one in the neighbourhood, but the houses near
me are gay. lam disturbed all night and all day by per-
sons—some of them captains and real gentlemen—coming
to my house and asking for Kate and other ladies. All my
lodgers are highly respectable, and there is not one woman
there that would speak to any man but her husband, and as
for me doing so, I have done speaking to men, for I have a
supreme contempt for them."
Three Police-constables were called, and stated that the
house kept by the defendant, as well as two other houses
next her, were known and had the name of being brothels.
They had seen loose, dissipated girls, prostitutes that walked
the City-road to ply their unlawful avocation for a liveli-
hood, go into defendant's house; and even as late as
Saturday morning, between two and three o'clock, a man
and woman went in there the worse for liquor. During the
time of the Dog Show cabs with men with loose women,
who walked about Islington, were in the habit of going to
the defendant's house at all hours of the day and night.

The Defendant again denied that her house was " gay,"
or that she kept lady lodgers. She also denied striking the
complainant, and said that when she first came to the house
she was drunk. The complainant had not been there long
before she wanted her (defendant) to co with het to a for-
tune teller in Bath-street, City-road. She said that she was
a single woman, and had been living with a married man.
That the man had left her to go back to his wife, as the wife
was near her confinement. He had given her some flowers,
and as she perfectly well knew the language of flowers, she
could tell that her lover's wife would have a son—that she
would die in her confinement—that the child would also die,
and that her lover would be very disconsolate for a time,
and then return to her fond embraces; all would be for-
given and forgotten, and that she should then be married,
and all would go on happy and comfortable. She (defend-
ant) did not go to the fortune teller's with the complainant,
but one of the lady lodgers did, and when the complainant
came back she said she knew all about her and her house ;
that she was a " Capricorn," and that she was plotting
secretly against her, but that she would not so easily get
over her as she thought, and if she did her triumph would
not be long. Defendant said she could show that her house
was respectable, and called
Wm. Wilkes, whe said he was a watchmaker, and worked
at 13, Northampton-street, St. Luke's. He resided in the de-
fendant's house with his wife, but should not do so if it was
not respectable. He was married at a church, but he could
not exactly recollect when or where. He knew that there
was a young woman in the house of the name of James, but
he was not aware whether she was a Miss or a Mrd.
She sometimes had a gentleman call to see her, but he
could not say whether it was her husband or not,
and as for seeing anything wrong, that was not very
likely, as he did not think that they would be fools
enough to let him. The complainant when she came to the
house was perfectly sober. He was not aware that loose
women visited the defendant's house. He had heard the
evidence of the constables, and although he would not say
that they were not speaking the truth, yet he thought they
were alluding to the next house.
Mr. D'Eyncourt had the constables recalled, and asked
them if they might not be mistaken in the house, and
whether what they had stated might not apply to the houses
next to the defendant's.