The Sun.
London, England, 1862-03-04 00:00:00

POLICE INTELLIGENCE.—March 3.

LAMBETH.—TORTURE OF A: "CHlLD.—William
Fry, a jobbing carpenter, who had been taken on a
warrant, was placed at the bar before Mr. Elliott
on a charge of torturing a child.
Mr. Clifford, the relieving officer of Camberwell
parish, said that on Friday afternoon last a poor
little boy of eleven years of age, very thinly clad
for such a time of year, and in a state of great ex-
haustion, was brought to him to the workhouse, and
on examining him he was quite shocked at finding
an iron manacle weighing upwards of two pounds,
made fast to his right instep. It consisted of a thick
iron belt, secured at both ends with a strong bolt
and screws, and attached to this bolt was passed the
end of an S hook, of sufficient strength to control
an elephant. On questioning the boy he said that
for at least ten months he had been compelled to
wear this formidable shackle, and that it was by
the merest accident he was enabled to get at a
chopper, by which he had managed to release him-
self from the block to which it had been made fast,
and then escaped from the house of his father. So
secure was the manacle he (Mr. Clifford) had at-
tempted to describe, and which he produced for his
worship's inspection, that he had to go to a black-
smith's shop to get it off ; and after it was removed,
and the poor boy attempted to walk without it, he
could. scarcely do so. He bent backward and for-
ward several times before he could move from the
smith's anvil. On examining that part of the right
leg round which the iron belt had been placed, he
found it much wasted, and apparently bent, and
very different from the left leg. His whole frame
also appeared emaciated, so much so that it was per-
fectly apparent the poor little fellow had been
grossly neglected, and had not had sufficient food ;
and in proof of this, on placing him in the scale he
only weighed 361bs. The poor little fellow
seemed in the greatest terror of being taken
back to his father, and, crying piteously,
begged of him (Mr. Clifford) not to do so. On
Friday night the prisoner called on him, and he
then told him he must attend before a magis-
trate at this court to answer the charge of assault-
ing his son. The prisoner, however,• said he
should not attend unless compelled, and he (Mr.
Clifford), in consequence, applied for and obtained
a warrant for his apprehension.
Mr. Clifford here placed on the table in front of
the bench the manacle spoken of, and the block to
which it had been attached, the latter being found
in the washhouse from which the poor child had
made his escape, and both weighing nearly twelve
pounds. The exhibition of these extraordinary and
formidable implements of torture applied to a mere
child, created a perfect feeling of astonishment and
disgust.
John Purdy stated that on Friday afternoon last
he was at work in a nursery ground adjoining
Woodbine-cottage, the residence of the prisoner,
and saw the little boy come through the hedge with
the irons attached to his left leg. He told him
he had just released himself from a block, and he
(witness) took him to the next police-station.
Mr. Rogers, a retired mariner, residing next door
to the prisoner, said that for the last nine or ten
months he had frequently seen the boy in the yard
of his father's house dragging the log produced
about, and carrying pails of water into the house.
He was generally lightly clad, and did not appear
near the size now that he did 12 months ago.
Harriet Coggins, who also lives next door to the
prisoner, deposed to the same facts, and added that
she had frequently seen prisoner's children locked
up in, the washhouse, and had on many occasions
given them food, as they complained of not having
had enough to eat.
Edward Mark Fry, a poor emaciated little fellow,
who was clothed in the workhouse dress, was here
examined by Mr. Elliott respecting the nature of
an oath, and having answered with much intelli-
gence, he was sworn, and said he was 11 years old,
and that his father's family consisted of a sister
older than himself, a brother younger, and a step.
mother. He had been to school, but it was so long
since that he forgot the time. Towards the latter
end of the winter before last' it was that his father
first put the irons on his leg and made them fast to
the block, and the irons remained on from that
time until Friday last, when he by chance got hold
of a chopper and chopped away until the staple
came out, and he made his escape.
Mr. Elliott—What was the cause of the irons
being put on ?

Witness—Because my little brother and myself
spent a halfpenny I found under the grate in the
back parlour.
Mr. Elliott—l suppose the irons hurt your leg
very much ?
Witness—Yes, sir, it did at first very much, but
not so much when I got used to it; it used to hurt
me much to drag the kg after me.
Mr. Elliott—What was done at night; was the
log taken off?

Witness—At first I used to sleep on an old coat
and trousers in the washhouse, and at that time
father used to take the log and make the iron fast
by a lock to a staple in the floor, close to the place
where I lay. In the morning he unlocked it again,
and fastened an iron to the block again ; but for the
last 11 months I think it has not been off at all. I
had to carry it upstairs every night, and down in
the morning.
Mr. Elliott—What ! and always sleep with it on ?
Witness—Yes sir, it was always on.

This question and answer produced a perfect burst
of indignation from all parts of the court. The wit-
ness here repeated the manner of his escape, and
said a gentleman had just taken him to the station-
house, and he was sent from there to the workhouse.
In answer to further questions, the poor child
said that neither himself nor his little brother was
allowed to take meals with his father and mother-
in-law, but his sister was sometimes. They were
locked in the washhouse, and were allowed a small
quantity of meat on Sundays, but on other days
they had nothing but dry bread and a few potatoes,
but not enough.
Policeman 81 P said he apprehended the prisoner
on the day before on a warrant, and on telling him
the nature of the charge he replied, "Here's a pretty
mess I'm in for merely correcting a boy. Had I let
him run about the streets he would ha.ve been in a
reformatory." He also said that there were two
others as bad as this boy was, and that he could
not keep his tools from them.
The prisoner in reply to the charge, said that
before he began to " eorreet'A the boy, he was con-
nected with a gang of thieves who infested the
neighbourhood x but this the boy denied.
Mr. Elliott observed that he could not trust him-
NW to *94 of the conduct of the prisoner as he ,

felt, and should, therefore send him before another
tribunal to be punished as his serious offence de-
served.

The prisoner was then fully committed for trial
at the ensuing Surrey sessions.

THE LONDON FREIGHT MARKEL

(From the Circular of Seymour, Peacock., and Co.)
The position of the Freight Market is more favourable to
the shipping interest than at any period since the close of
the Russian war.

Throughout the long trades freights are very remune-
rative, and although fluctuations may be expected at the
Eastern ports, our shipowners entertain great faith in a
continuance of prosperity.
The improvement arises in some measure from the de-
crease in the competition of American shipping, but more
especially from the reaction which naturally succeeds a
long period of depression.

Daring the last few weeks the demand for shipping Pre'
pm ty has become unusually active, and in addition to the
purchase of a large number of second-hand ships, our ship'
building firms have received numerous orders, especially
for iron ships. The increased value of shipping property
affords the best evidence of the belief that the present ire'
provement in freights is likely to prove permanent.
But in considering the position of the Freight Markets
it is as well perhaps not to be over sanguine. The advance
in freights at Bombay may not continue after the pressure
to export cottcn before the close of the season is over. At
Calcutta the Freight Market 'has been influenced by the
anticipated rupture between this country and America, and
that market may also suffer from the altered aspect or
affairs ; again, it must be borne in mind that the timber
trade promises but little encouragement for our shipping
during the coming season, the stocks of timber being er
cessive, and the demand for fresh importations languid it/
the extreme.

The American cotton trade is a dead letter, and from Pre'
sent appearances there will be no employment for the larg°
amount of tonnage usually engaged in the service. We
may accordingly look for a large accession of shipping ill
the long trades as the spring advances, and hence the ne'
cessity for caution in speculating upon the maintenance of
high freights.

The most important feature in our market since the issue
of our last circular is the recommencement of chartering 013
account of the Peruvian Government for guano from a°
Chinches to the United Kingdom, The orders for procur
ing shipping have been placed exclusively in our hand
and we have already chartered a considerable portion of the
tonnage required.

COUNTRY MARKETS.

p..

COLCHESTER—MARCH 1.
To-day a small supply of wheat, and late prices made'
Fine barley maintains its price, but in scarce supPIYI
inferior sorts rather lower. Beans and peas were saleable
at last week's rates.
Wheat, white 54s 68s Beans,Mazagan..36s 408
red 46s 64s middle & small.4os *l°
Barley
Oats

CHELMSFORD—FEB. 28.
A very dull market to-day, and little business doing"'
even the best samples were rather lower; inferior is &Oil
in price. Spring corn slow, at late rates.
Wheat, old white...2Bs 598 Peas, Partridge.- ...37s 119
new ..47s 66s White 39s vt/
old red.... 27s 51s Boiling 4ls 470
new 52s 62s Dun 368 400
Barley 308 398 Ditto new -s4
Chevalier .......30s 42s Beans, Tick, old 3ss 410
Grinding .24s 32s new.. 35s 410
Malt. 6ls 67s Harrow Ticks ..378 4fr,
Chevalier . 64s 69s new..37s 4r
Oats 23s 30s Mazagan. ..... .. 328 354

:R-MARCH 1.

ish wheat, and sold readily at
:ed demand, and unaltered in
111. Rather more inquiry for