The Sun.
London, England, 1853-09-26 00:00:00

TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN.

SlB,—The Times of to-day winds up a long article
against hotelkeepers with this paragraph—"lf it were
possible to obtain in English towns as comfortable ac-
commodation, and at as moderate charges, as in the
hotels of the United States, we should be content.
What stops the way ? Why, I will enliven his dull in-
tellect (correspondent and leading article writer though
he be to the Times). This stops the way. In England,
I am happy to! say, we have three classes, viz.—the
upper class, commonly known as the aristocracy
and gentlemen of the land ; secondly, the middle
class ; and, thirdly, the lower class ; and above each of
these we have royalty. In America, or rather the States,
it is altogether different—all, no matter who, sit down
together and are for the time " hail fellow, well met."
This is the slight obstacle that stops the way—(not Mrs.
Fergusson's carriage.) I will just ask you, sir, of all the
people who are writing and abusing the hotelkeepers,
how many out of each fifty would not turn up his nose,
and think he was all but poisoned, if a man known to be
a mechanic or working man were to take his place at a
table d'hote (supposing one was established in this coun-
try on the United States plan) at this said individual's
elbow ? I will'guarantee to say, from what I know of
the pride of our English middle classes, and the way in
which they most want to be thought as belonging to the
upper class, that I am striking a fair average when
I say that out of each fifty, forty-five would say
"Mow disgusting ; what a nuisance. I hope Mr. or
Mrs. will not see me in this company," and other
similar expressions. But, put these people down amongst
their betters, and---" Oh! yes, it's just the thing, and every
thing so nice, and so very good, &c."—with, "I should so
like Mr. and Mrs. So-and-So to drop in and see ine in
such good company. How envious they would feel to
think I have the means to live in this society." But,
when the paying department arrives, they forget all at
once they have been out of their element, and find the
charge more than they like, and it ends in their writing
to the Times, with a please to show the public how I
was imposed on.
Now, Sir, let each of such individuals remember this.
There are houses for each class—one class for the aris-
tocracy, of course the most expensive—another for the
middle classes, which is lower (if their pride will suffer
them to keep to their own class of hotel, instead of
thrusting themselves on the first class) ; and another
for the poorer classes. From what I know
of gentlemen (not half bred), they do not want
such people to use the first hotels, or what is the use of
establishing them for the aristocracy? And as to the
comfort of our best London hotels, which the Times
writer treats so lightly, there is more attention and more
comfort three times over than in all the United States
put together. Let me ask this genius, "How are the
English hotel keepers to charge the same prices as the
States, looking at the difference in price of corn alone,
which they put into this country cheaper than we can
grow it ourselves ? There is another mistake made, in
classing London and provincial hotels together. Sir, I
keep a large hotel in London, and my rent is two-thirds
more than it would be in the country, while I have no
farm handy to grow my things, and keep my live stock,
which would save me quite another 100 per cent. The
London hotel keeper gives a good article at less than
some of the provincials charge for a bad one, and they
pay more rent and much higher for provisions, to say
nothing of bad debts.—l am, sir,

AN HOTEL KEEPER OF LONDON,
September 21, 1853.

A PAINFUL CASE.—A most distressing scene was pre-
sented in this city on Thursday, in the removal of three
orphan children from a boarding school to a union !
Three little girls, of the respective ages of seven, nine,
and eleven, having lost their mother, were consigned to
the care of a lady in St. Dunstan's, who has educated
and maintained them, without a halfpenny assistance
from their unnatural father. He is now in the Indies,
but was two or three years ago an officer in the Maid-
stone, and afterwards in the Canterbury, garrison. All
persuasion or threat failed to extract from him any pecu-
niary support, the "foster mother"--than whom none
could have behaved more kindly to her infantile, help-
less charge—was compelled to resign them to (what is
usually ironically termed, though they were real in the
present instance) the " tender mercies" of a poor-law
official ; and the little innocents were conveyed by him,
in the miserable weather of Thursday morning, to
Blean Union. Their sobs and crying were most har-
rowing ; but to the credit of the poor-law official (Mr.
Mount, the relieving officer, whose name we are
glad to record) he did everything he could to soothe
the helpless babes ; and to the commendation of the
guardians, be it said, they deliberated while yet the
children were in the cart at the union, and saved them
from the misery and prostration of being consigned to
its gloomy walls, granting at once an order for their
maintenance out of the house. This, with the sympa-
thising, Christian interference of the Rev. F. Holland,
who has also interested the commander-in-chief in their
behalf, will, it is hoped and believed, save the children
from the extreme sacrifice of a transit from a boarding-
school to the last refuge of the friendless, destitute, and
helpless. But it is a matter of regret that the inhuman
father cannot be reached and compelled to maintain
them. Being a soldier his pay cannot be attached for
this purpose, while to send the children out to him
would be a poor prospect. The commander-in-chief has
remitted a fit. note for present exigencies, which example
we doubt not will be followed by other charitable indi-
viduals, till some means can be devised for duly pro-
viding for the children.—Kentish Observer.

EXTRAORDINARY OCCURRENCE AND MIRACULOUS
PRESERVATION OF LIFE.--An occurrence of a most sin-
gular character, which was well nigh attended with a
fearful loss of life, took place a few days since, and is at
present the subject of conversation in Norwich. It ap-
pears that in St. Giles's-wood, near the Norwich city
prison, resides a master plumber of the name of Bunting,
and whilst his wife and daughter were sitting in one of
the apartments, the flooring opened, and both mother
and daughter fell into a cavern below, 27 feet deep.
Their screams brought a man living next door to the
spot, and he having procured the services of some of the
neighbours, a rope was obtained and a man was lowered,
when he found Mrs. Bunting in a state of insensibility
at the bottom, and embedded in mud. lie made a rope
fast to her waist, and she was drawn up almost dead.
The rope was sent down again and tied round the waist
of the daughter, but as the man was stepping on one
side, he sank a depth of 5 feet in the mud, which covered
his shoulders. The daughter having been pulled out,
the rope was again lowered, ifnd the man was at last
pulled out in an insensible state. The cause of the oc-
currenceis enveloped in mystery ; it is, however, well
known that there are in the neighbourhood some exten-
-1 sive caverns and pits of unknown origin and purpose, at
i a great depth from the surface, and it is supposed that
\the earth at the top had given way, and hence the
accident.
1 INCREASED FEES FOR INTERMENT OF THE POOR AT
1 1 KENSAL GREEN CEMETERY. - A circumstance has taken
place in reference to the interment of the poorer classes
eirosThso.ne;
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has noev:f
at Kensal Green Cemetery, which has created consider.
able dissatisfaction amongst the humbler classes of the
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by the House of Lords last Session. Prior to the
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interments
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the Marylebone
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deceased relatives ,
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PROPERTY.---00
Brennan, the useful officer of the G
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Saturday Inspector Brenn .
te information, to search
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the Kingsland-
the premises of a greengrocer f stolen
red a vast quantity o .
division, was induced, fronipri
road, and in so doing discovered
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fied by Mr. Wilde, of Worship-street,
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property, a great portion of which
comprises
ss since
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watches.compr
Mr. Brennan is of
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fied
of plate, jewellery, and
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ken thereof having been
opinion that each of the watches has been forcibly taken
from the person, the pendants
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off. Mr Brennan
prisonerrennan has been retains
uporsesmaessinodned.of the various

SWINDLING IN TWO HEMISPHERES.

(From the Manchester Guardian.)

On the 11th of May last a letter, a coloured envelope,
bearing the Baltimore, United States, postmark of May
3d, reached Rochdale. It was addressed, " William
Chadwick, Esq., Rochdale, Lancashire, England ;" but,
as that gentleman died on the sth of February last, it
was delivered from the Rochdale Post-office to his
brother, Mr. John Chadwick, of Broadfield, Rochdale,
who, having opened and read it, found that it pur-
ported to be a letter from a prisoner, dated " Jail Hos-
pital, April 28, 1853," but without manning the town
or place, and the only signature " E." It commenced,
" Dear and Honoured Benefactor,—lt is some time since
I last wrote ; nor should I do so now had I not been
sick and in great distress." The writer continues that
he had been ill for four months, says his affliction had
changed him, and, like the repentant prodigal, he would
gladly return to his " noble, beloved parents ;" who,
however, were never to know of his crime and shame.
He asks for " all the news at home," and then comes
to the real object of his letter—" Do not be offended,
generous benefactor, if I again beseech you to send
me a small sum more. What you last sent is all ex-
pended. 51. or 101. will do. . . Be assured, my
dearest friend, I would not have written again, had
you not insisted I should do so the very moment,
I had further need of your assistance." He asks
for a Bank of England note, "for they pass cur-
rent here. And direct as below. The doctor is the
physician of the institution, and has been very kind to
me indeed, kindly consenting that your answer to me
may be addressed to him. Therefore please address,
post-paid, 'Dr. Miles H. Ellis, Easton, Northampton
County, Pennsylvania, U.S.'" He adds, that as he

cannot send that letter as his former ones, he signs
" only with the initial, in ease of accident ;" and con-
cludes by stating that he has still " one year longer to
remain in this awful place." The late Mr. William
Chadwick left a son, of whom and of other members of
the family Mr. John Chadwick made inquiries, besides
examining his deceased brother's papers, &c., and, find-
ing no trace of any previous correspondence (as the
above letter would imply had been the case), and that
no one had ever heard of any prisoner in America being
relieved by their deceased relative, he wrote on the 17th
of May to Dr. Ellis, describing the purport of " E.'s "
letter, and requesting the Doctor to inform "E." of
Mr. W. Chadwick's decease ; that none of his surviving
relatives had any clue to the writer, and that, however he

might be inclined to send relief, no satisfactory reply
could be made unless the applicant would write direct
to him, giving his proper name. To this, in due
course, a reply was received from Dr. Ellis June 13,
enclosing a second letter from the prisoner, who still
adhered to his anonymous "E. ;" revealing nothing,
but containing " Blue Pits" written in one corner,

as if to point to that locality and show his know-
ledge of it. Mr. John Chadwick wrote again to Dr.
Ellis, giving various reasons why his late brother could
hardly have corresponded with "E," and have sent him
money without the knowledge of his son. Still Mr.
Chadwick was inclined to send a 51. note, provided the
prisoner (who seemed determined to preserve his incog-
nito) would write some description of the family of Mr.
Chadwick, his benefaetor, so that it might be clear that
it was his deceased brother, and not some other Mr.
William Chadwick, that was "E.'s" generous friend.
In due course Mr. Chadwick received a reply from Dr.
Ellis, dated "Easton, August 12," and stating that,
having handed Mr. Chadwick's letter to his poor pa-
tient, he seemed much hurt by the contents. The
Doctor adds :—" I requested him to write to you again,
but his reply to me was, that he had no object for so
doing ; at the same time informing me that he feels
the most respectful regard and esteem for you and all
the family of his late friend. He says be wishes for
the present all you know relating to him to be forgotten
—that one of these days the mystery shall be cleared
up. In talking with him I extracted thus much, that
his letters were personally delivered by some one re-
siding in Liverpool or vicinity,—by whom, or his rea-
son for not forwarding his letter this last time
through some source, I could not discover." Mr. John
Chadwick found himself no nearer the discovery of the
mystery on the receipt of this letter. But we need
hardly say that his doubts and suspicions led him to
write on the 18th of July (three days after posting his
letter to Dr. Ellis) to the postmaster of Easton, en-
closing the letters of "E." and of "Dr. Ellis," and stating
that, as the deceased Mr. Cbadwiok was a county ma-
gistrate for many years, well known, and as his death
was published in the Manchester papers, it was possible
the obituary notice might have been seen by the writer,
who, from local knowledge, might have seized the op-
portunity to practise mysteriously on the feelings of the
family while that death was recent for a pecuniary con-
tribution. Though Easton is far in the interior, the
first letter of "E." dated " Jail Hospital," without
name of place, was posted at Baltimore, and the next
letter of "E." was enclosed from Easton, in Dr. Ellis's
answer. Then, no prisoner in the hospital of an
American gaol would be allowed even to need any in-
dulgence requisite in his state of health and position,
and consequently there could not be the great need of
money set forth in "E.'s" letters. Mr. Chadwick asked
the postmaster of Easton to tell him whether there was
a "gaol hospital" at Easton, attended by a "Dr. Miles
H. Ellis," a physician residing in that place. The original
letters were forwarded to the postmaster, so that he
might the better aid in " immasking what is either a
great and refined attempt to swindle, or an unaccountable
mystery." That mystery is one no longer. The answer
of the postmaster of Easton, dated August 16, and re-
ceived the other day, furnishes both revelation and clue
to the whole thing. It states,—lst, that there never has
been a physician named "Miles H. Ellis" resident in
Easton ; 2d, there is no prisoner confined in Easton Gaol

having a year to stay, and now or lately in the hospital.
under the circumstances described ; but about the 28th
of May last the postmaster received a letter from " Dr.
Miles H. Ellis," dated Baltimore, requesting that all
letters reaching the Easton post-office addressed to him
might be forwarded to Baltimore, as he expected several.
In compliance with this request, the postmaster subse-
sequently forwarded to Ellis, at Baltimore, eight or ten
letters from Europe, most of them apparently from the
same person. On comparing the Doctor's letter to Mr.
John Chadwick with the one directing his letters to be
forwarded to Baltimore, the postmaster saw at once that
the style and handwriting were the same. Even this
information would suffice to show the fraud practised,
but what follows will show that it is systematic, and
doubtless it has, in some cases, been successful. On the
13th or 14th of June last a etter reached the Easton
post-office from England, addressed "To the Physician
of the Jail Hospital, Easton, Pennsylvania." It was ac-
cordinglydelivered to Dr. Sandt, the physician of the East-
on prison. On receiving Mr. John Chadwick's letter of
inquiry it occurred to the postmaster (who seems through.
out to have acted with great sagacity and zeal) that that
letter might be another similar affair, and he accordingly
called on Dr. Sandt, and, being allowed to see the letter,
found that inside it was addressed to Dr. Miles H. Ellis.
The following is a copy :—" New Court, Middle Temple,
London, May 28.—Dr. Miles H. Ellis.—Sir,—ln con-
sequence of the death of my late brother, Dr. Manson,
of 33, Park-street, Grosvenor-square, London, and of
my appointment as his executor, I opened, among other
letters, one (of which I subjoin a copy), by whom writ-
ten neither myself, Dr. Manson's widow, nor any of his
relatives can conjecture • nor any of the circumstances
referred to within their knowledge. I thought it best to
write respecting it, for reasons which a perusal of the
subjoined will make apparent. —W. T. MANsox."
The copy of the letter to the late Dr. Manson is word
for word the same in terms with that to the late Mr.
William Chadwick ; the anonymous writer requesting
Dr. Manson to address •` Dr. Miles H. Ellis, Easton
Northampton County, Pennsylvania." Nothing fur-
ther is added, save that the Dr. Ellis who figures so
prominently in the correspondence is stated to be now
in Baltimore. It would seem, then, so far as the cir-
cumstances have been elucidated, that a person calling
himself "Dr. Miles H. Ellis," and living at Baltimore,
is carrying on a very artful begging-letter business
with England, by writing to persons of respect.
ability, who, he learns by the latest English papers, have
recently died in this country. He writes as a prisoner
who has before received benevolent aid from the de-
ceased, and his terms of grateful veneration for his bene-
factor are well adapted to move surviving kindred to
carry out what they may regard as the secret benevolence
of him of whom they have just been bereaved. The ela-
boration of the plan, the dexterous hints that the pri-
soner himself had fallen from a position of high respec-
tability, the reference to the physician of the prison,
and especially the contrivance that letters directed to
Dr. Ellis, at Easton, should be forwarded to him at
Baltimore,—all these things show such craft, blended
with a shrewd knowledge of human nature, that we
have thought it right to put our readers, and (through
republication in other papers) the public generally in
this country, on their guard against this very clever and
refined attempt to obtain money by some accomplished
swindler on the other side of the Atlantic. As it is very
likely that other persons in England have been favoured
with similar epistles from "E." and "Dr. Miles H.
Ellis," we may add that any person having received such,
or knowing of any case of the sort, would confer au ob-
ligation on Mr. John Chadwick, Broadfield, Rochdale,
by communicating with him on the subject.

PLYMOUTH.—During the recent visit of the Lords of
the Admiralty their Lordships were presented by Com-
modore Seymour with two petitions from the riggers
and labourers employed at this porte. The riggers
complained that they have to serve at sea ten years be-
fore they are entitled to enter the yards, and have in all
to serve 35 years before they are entitled to a penotion,
whereas if they serve afloat as riggers 21 years they
are enabled to claim a pension. Their present rate of
wages is 18s. per week, and in asking for an increase of
6d. per day, they allude to the recent favourable altera-
tions and inducements for efficiently manning the Royal
navy ; their chief ground of complaint, however, arises
not so much from their inability to claim a pension as
the present high price of the common necessaries of life.
Commodore Seymour added his signature to the peti-
tions, which were favourably received ; and it was inti-
mated that their Lordships would give an answer on
their return to London.
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beg to acquaint you that your pills have effected
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