The Sun.
London, England, 1862-10-17 00:00:00

said—l am master of the Bethnal-green Workhouse.
On turning to my books I find that Sarah Anne Skin-

ner was admii ell to the house on the 19th. (The
l.
dates of her going out and being discharged, and
Gibbs leaving, were also deposed.) I have been mas-
ter here for thirteen years and a 'half, and was nine
years master of Hendon Workhouse, and three years
master of a house in Northamptonshire. During
the whole of that time no complaint has ever been
made against me. The average number of adult
females in the house during the last five years is
about 400. I remember that Sarah. Anne Skin-
ner was admitted on the 19th Marcn, and up to
the day of her discharge I never spoke to her
except on hiring her out, and on Balderston's com-
plaint of her Coll6lla. It is untrue that on any
Sunday morning there was any intimacy with her,
or that I called her into my room, bolted the door,
threw her on the bed, and either with or against
her will had intercourse with her. To my know-
ledge she was never in my bedroom, nor in my
presence, when my trousers were unfastened. She
never screamed in my room, nor did I say I would
take care of her. It was my practice to have the
hot water put outside my bed-room door. Sarah
Anne Smith attended to my room. She has never
been in my room whether I have been dressed or
undressed. I remember her leaving the house on
the 3d of May, but I have never asked her
since then to have intercourse with me either
frequently or otherwise. On the afternoon of
her leaving I did not call her in and
esk her to deny the report that was current
about us, nor did I ask her to deny it to every one
and that I would look after her, nor did I say I would
call Brown up so that she might deny it to her face.
(The witness then proceeded to deny seriatim the
allegations made in the statement of Sarah Ann
Skinner). I remember a person coming to me, and
telling me that Skinner said I was the father of the
child, and I have heard the statement made by Hick-
man, which is not true beyond the mere fact I have
told you. I never authorised any person to make
an offer of money to Skinner to compromise any
complaint she had against me. I remember the
affiliation summons being taken out against me, but
up to that time I never heard that she had any
witnesses against me. I went to the Mile-end
house once to see Macdonald as to the witnesses,
and I also went a second time. On that second
occasion I did not say to Mr. Macdonald that I
wanted the girl out of the way, and that I would
not mind giving from £2O to £5O for the purpose.
When I asked him what witnesses there were
he said, " The better thing would be to get the girl
out of the way, as it affected all masters ; and I
said, "The only thing I fear is perjury and expo-
sure, for I would not have my name brought before
the public for £50," I never suggested that I would
give £2O or £3O to get Skinner out of the way, nor
did Mr. Fleck, Mr. Dyer, or Mr. Moxey offer any-
thing of the kind to my knowledge. The name of
Hickman in the porter's book of Oct. 24 was not
altered to Bickman with my knowledge, privity,
or consent. I never met Mr. Fleck by appointment
at Mr. Ashford's, nor was anything done by the
person named Bridgman with my knowledge. I
never knew anything of the compromise, nor did I
receive any letter whatever from Skinner. If any
alteration in Mr. Howard's call-book was made it
was without my knowledge. I wrote a letter
to Mr. Angel on the 24th of May courting
inquiry into this matter, and have always
expressed a strong desire to meet the case. I
have never exercised any influence whatever to in-
duce any of the witnesses to state anything that
was not direct either for or against me.
In re-examination by Mr. Angel nothing mate-
rial 'was elicited, and the evidence having been
concluded,

Mr. Angel and Mr. Lewis severally addressed
the learned inspector at great length, after which
Mr. Cane said his report would be laid before the
poor law commissioners, and the result communi-
cated to the parties interested in due course.
The inquiry was not terminated until past nine
o'clock.