The Sun.
London, England, 1854-09-16 00:00:00

said to him, " You are a bad boy ; how could you ill-
use your father so ; and where is the half-sovereign ?"
to which the prisoner replied, "I don't know. I lost it
in the ashes ; it fell under the grate."
Mr. Ingham sentenced him to four days' hard labour,
and to be once privately whipped.
The father, who was deeply affected, asked whether
there was no place to which the child could be• sent, with
a view to accomplish some reformation in his manners.
Mr. Ingham could not just then point out any.
Father—l'll pay anything, if I can bring him back to
the paths of honesty.
A gentleman in the court suggested that the Home-
in-the-East (a reformatory school in Stepney-causeway,
supported by voluntary subscriptions) had effected a
great many moral cures.
The Father—l'll pay them anything, if they can save
this child of my old age from the course which he is
pursuing.
The gentleman said money payments were not, as far
as he understood received, but donations were thankfully
accepted.
Mr. Ingham told the father to call as soon as the term
of his son's imprisonment expired and he would see what
could be done in the case.

The poor man thanked him with tears, and withdrew.

CLERKENWELL. —Jane Bard, a middle-aged
woman, was charged with stealing two pails, value 2s.
Bd., from the shop of Mr. John Harper, cooper, 35,
Exmouth-street, C!erkenwell.
The prisoner was seen to take the pails, when she was
stopped with them in her possession.
Mr. D'Eyncourt (to the prisoner)—What have you to
say ? •
Prisoner—Why, that I stole them.
Mr. D'Eynconrt—How do you get your living ?
Prisoner—By thieving—l am poor.
Mr. D'Eyncourt—Why don't you apply to your
parish ?
Prisoner—l would rather starve than go to the work-
house. I won't beg, I prefer thieving. (Laughter.)
She was fully committed for trial.

THE STOCKTON CHARGE AGAINST A
ROMAN CATHOLIC PRIEST.

Miss Jane Beatrice Jones, the daughter of a clergy-
man of the Church of England, made application before
the Stockton magistrates, on Wednesday, for an affilia-
tion order against the Rev. Mr. Singleton, Roman Ca-
tholic priest, of that town. The introductory statement
of Mr. Trevor, applicant's counsel, in support of the
application, already reported in our columns, was fol-
lowed by the production in the witness-box of the com-
plainant herself. She deposed to the facts as stated by
her counsel with respect to matters antecedent to her
going to reside at Mr. Singleton's, and then continued :
—I resided in Mr. Singleton's house from the 19th
November till the sth sf December, in last year. Mr.
Singleton had criminal intercourse with me, I declare
before God, while I resided in his house. The first time
was on Monday, the 28th of November, and it was re-
peated three times in the course of the afternoon of that
day. The - first time was in Mr. Singleton's sitting-
room, the second and third times were in my bed-room.
Mr. Singleton left the house that afternoon, and re-
turned on the following Wednesday, on the evening of
which day he also had intercourse with me. He came
to my bed that night, and remained for a great part of
the night with me. On the Thursday the same thing
was repeated, and he said there would be something
the matter with me. He also made use of the expres-
sion, " I must control myself—this must be the last time."
He said to me, " in nine months you will have a child;"
to which I replied, "No, never—l will kill myself first."
He said, " Will you take something ?" and I said " Yes."
On that day Mr. Singleton left the house. He said lie
was going to confession. He said he was going to con-
fess his guilt with me before he said mass thenext morn-
ing. On the Saturday following a Catholic priest—
Mr. Marklaud, of Sedgefield—came to Mr. Singleton's
house. I said I must make a confession. Mr. Singleton
said I had to wait till I went to Leeds, and I might con-
fess there. He afterwards said I might confess to Mr.
Markland, of Sedgefield, and I did make such confession.
In the confession I did not mention Mr. Singleton's
name, because it is forbidden on such occasions to men-
tion the name of a third person. I said he was a priest.
Mr. Markland asked me how lately, and I said during the
course of that week. I loft Mr. Singleton's house on
the sth of December for Leads. Mr. Singleton went
with me. He was not dressed as a priest that morning,
but had on a rough Esquimaux coat: He paid my fare
to Leeds. We travelled both together in the third class.
When we arrived at Leeds he placed me in a second
class carriage, and paid my fare to Derby, and then left
me. The witness went on to say that she had written
various letters from Mr. Acton's house to Mr. Singleton.
One of these was put in and read. (It referred princi-
pally to a receipt given to the witness by Mr. Singleton
for the purpose of procuring abortion, and which she
stated Mr. S. might get made up for her by some chemist
in Darlington, as she had no opportunity of doing so
without being suspected.) She had confessed to Mr.
McCann, another priest, all that had occurred between
Mr. Singleton and herself. Mr. McCann advisedher to go
to Stockton, to Mr. Singleton, and she did go in
January. Before going she wrote a letter to defend-
ant, stating that her condition could not be any longer
concealed, and she was told to write to the bishop,
and that he should have considered the circum-
stances before he hail placed her in such a condition,
and that if lie persisted in silence she would come
to Stockton, for she could not endure the shame. A
few days after she wrote the letter she came to Dar.
lington, and saw Dr. Hogarth. She left Mr. Acton's
house about the 13th or 14th of January, and after
havino. seen Dr. Hogarth she went home to her father
in the sle of Man. On the 12th or 13th May she came
to Stockton, and went to Mr. Singleton on Tuesday after,
and he said to her, "My dear, what do you want with
me ?" She said, " Why do you speak to me in this man-
ner, when you recollect the past ?" She said, " Will
you speak to me kindly—you know you are the father
of my child," and he never denied it. She went into
lodgings, and had lived there ever since, and had given
birth to a child. It was a boy, and was now living, and
she was not able to maintain it. (She here became very
much excited, and wanted to fetch the child into court.)
She said turningjto Mr. Singleton, "It is your child, you
know it is, and it is just like you. odo let me fetch it
in," and rose, hysterically, to go for it,ibut was restrained
by her solicitor. No other man had ever had inter-
course with her but Mr. Singleton. She had never said
on any occasion that any other man was the father of
the child.

The witness was then subjected to a severe cross-exa-
mination, extending over several hours. She could not
tell where the receipt was, but thought she had destroyed
it. She had accused Mr. Singleton in a letter with de-
coying her to his house for the purpose of seduction.
She had never told her father that she was in the family
way, but had told her sister that she had committed
moral sin, but the fault was more his than hers.

Mr. Dearsley (defendant's counsel), handing a letter
to the witness—ls this your sister's handwriting ?
Witness—Yes.

Mr. Trevor—l object to that letter being read.
Mr. Dearsley—l am not going to read it, but I have
a right to ask any questions upon it. (To witness)—lf
your sister says she cannot degrade herself by calling
you sister, is that wrong ?
Witness—Yes.

Mr. Dearsley—lf your sister says your conduct has
been so bad, and that your family has been so degraded
by your conduct that they have ceased having any con-
nexion with you, is it true ?
Witness—No, it is false.
Mr. Dearsley—ls it true or false if your sister has
said that you were always importuning your father for
money, and that the last time you were at home your
circumstances were so straitened that you begged your
father to raise 201., and did you get 20/. ?
Witness—l did.

Mr. Dearsley—lf your sister says she could fill sheets
with detailing your distressing conduct, is that true or
false

Witness—Oh ! it must be false.

Mr. Waldy—We cannot take the evidence of her
sister. We know that differences do occur in families.
Mr. Dearsley then proceeded to read another letter—
Marked No. 6—from witness to Mr. Singleton, which
commenced, " Oh, Mr. Singleton, your child is born ; it
is the model of you."
Witness, with great excitement, here exclaimed,
"Oh ! will you let me fetch my child in ; it is here,
and you will then judge for yourselves."
Mr. Dearsloy continued to read—" It is a beautiful
boy, your son—your own son. Could I see you bend
over hirn and give him a kiss I could forgive you all."
Witness—Yes, I could forgive him now (turning to
Mr. Singleton) ; he knows he is the father of my child."
Mr. Dearsley was about to read another letter, when
Mr. Waldy remarked he did not see the use of reading
all the letters, as they only appeared to confirm what
the witness swore to.

The cross-examination being resumed, witness stated
she was wretched at Mr. Eyre's, not being treated as a
woman of education and not having enough to eat. Her
object in going to Mr. Singleton was because she wished
to confide in the priest. She asked him to write to Mrs
Acton to see if she could go back to her, and she told
Mr. Singleton that, as he had offered her shelter, she
would avail herself of his hospitality until an answer
came from Mrs. Acton. The witness was then examined
as to the various situations she had held in early Iffy, but
nothing of importance was elicited prejudicial to her cha-
racter.

Re-examined by Mr. Trevor—Mr. Singleton once told
me he had committed the crime of bestiality. He told
me he heard such dreadful things at confession.
The witness was requested by the bench to state what
Mr. Singleton• had told her respecting the confession,
which she did after some hesitation. The evidence, how-
ever, was totally unfit for publication.
Mr. Trevor—ln one of your letters you make some
allusion to the decision of the so-called Bishop of Hex-
ham on a complaint you made to him. Did you com-
plain to bins ?—I did, and received two letters from him.
One of the letters was put in and read. It was dated
the 15th of April, 1854, and signed "for the Bishop of
Ilexham, 3. Brown, secretary." The letter ran as fol-
lows :

"To Miss Jones.--I am commanded by the Bishop,
who is just recoverim r from illness, to say that, in Ca 40,1
like yours, no investigation can take place until the child
is horn. If, after that, you should think of proceeding
against Mr. Singleton, I shall feel it my duty to make a
full investigation, and examine into the whole circum-
stances of the case. Any publication of Mr. Singleton's
guilt would only render you liable to an action for de-
famation."

Pie-examination continued—l have hal some unhappy
diffor,-.nees with my Ester. I have an aunt named "qrs.
Major. She is the wife of Dr. Major, head master of
ring's College, London, I do net know that Mrs,