The Sun.
London, England, 1836-09-16 00:00:00

LAMBETH-STREET.

Yesterday, J. Nott, a man about sixty years of age, with a
Bard°lph-like countenance, who it is said not only enjoys a
handsome pension from the East India Company, but holds a
lucrative situation in their docks, was brought before BOYCE
COMBES, Esq., and two county magistrates, by Lea the officer,
on a warrant, charging him with assaulting and Musing his wife.
Mrs. Nett, who had formerly been the widow of Captain
Strange, and who was obliged, from the effects of the brutal
treatment which she had experienced, to be brought to the
office in a coach, and was accommodated with a chair while
giving her evidence, entered into a somewhat lengthy state-
ment of the ill usage of her husband since the time she had
been married to him-. It was evident, she said, that the de-
fendant had married her merely for the sake of her property,
and after dissipating that he treated her most brutally. On
Friday last she, being in fear from the threats he had made
use of in the course of that day, had herself locked up in her
bed-chamber to avoid his ven2-eance, but he bur: the door
open, and having heated the bowls of two tobacco-pipes by the
candle until they were quite red, applied them to her face,
bands, arms, and different parts of her body, producing in
each place a large wound. While engaged in this mode of
torture, he stuffed a portion of her shawl into her mouth, to
prevent her crying out, and subsequently dragged her out of
bed, and beat her violently with a stick.
The defendant, 'who conducted himself in a very strange
manner, and who described himself as a banker, a scholar, and
a gentleman, said, in reply to the charge, that about ten months
ago he had been regularly crimped into a marriage with the
cormlainant, whom he wished to God he had never seen.
Mr. CONILES—Do you deny having burned your wife in the
manner she has described? Defendant—Certainly I do.
Mr. ComnEs—Then how do you account for the severe in-
juries she has received ? Defendant—She must have done it
herself. She gets drunk, and smokes a short pipe, commonly
called a doodeen. _ _

Mr. COMBES (to the complainant)—How long have you
been married to this person? About ten months.
Mr. COMBES—You say he married you for your money.
What has he done with the money ? Complainant—l do not
know, Sir; I dare not ask him. . _ .

MAGISTRATE—You have said that you were crimped into
a marriage with this poor woman? Defendant—Yes; and I
think I was perfectly justified in saying so. I was seduced
into it by her putting on an assumed appearance and showing
me a handful of sovereigns.—( Laughter.)
Mr. COMBES here read the following letter, addressed by the
defendant to the complainant, previous to their marriage,
which excited a good deal of laughter:—

" October 9, 1835.

" My dear Strange—To come to the finale of our intimacy
I propose the following resolution, which is only an echo of
your own :—I will take thee for better or worse ; though I
did not intend to marry again ; but your domestic behaviour
induces me to conclude you will make a desirable wife. I
consider I am equal to you in many respects, having a provi-
sion for life, and as to encumbrances, I have many to get rid
of, and many already gone ; to meet you on your own terms,
if you will, for a few weeks, advance me 151. to make me
comfortable, and see you as a gentleman, and be enabled to
introduce you, with myself in decent apparel. You know too
much of me to think I mean deception. No, it is not in my
nature to be fraudulent. Let me have the loan for a few
weeks, and I will repay you. Publish the banns of marriage
on Monday, where you please. I will endeavour to become a
fond, a domestic companion. Take me on my present propo-
sal, or discharge me for ever. I shall expect every secresy
on both parts, and the world shall not know for a long time to
come. If you agree bring with you my request, that you may
dine with my son-in-law, or I dine with you on Sunday, and
we will arrange under the Divine blessing our future plans.
I will see you at four o'clock till five, at the Mulberry Tree,
Stepney-green, when I shall expect you; and on the present
decision rests, whether I tihall lead a single life or live to
bless you. I conclude,
" Your very affectionate friend and lover,
J. NOTT."
Addressed to Mrs. Strange, No. 1, Ocean-street, Stepney.
Mr. COMBES (to the complainant)—Did you lend hire the
fifteen pounds ? Complainant—Yes, Sir.
Mr. Commis—And has he ever paid it back ? Defendant
—Yes ; I paid ten pounds of it back.
Complainant—Not a single farthing, Sit.
A respectable witness deposed to the cruelty of the defen-
dant towards his wife.
Mr. CoMnEs should order him to enter into security to keep
the peace towards his wife for twelve months.
The defendant not being prepared with the necessary secu-
rities, was locked up, and the wife being assisted into a coach,
was driven home. _

Wednesday :14;zria Smith, a very good-looking and smartly
dressed young woman, Was brought before JOHN HARDINICK,
Esq., and a county Magistrate, on a charge ,of having
pawned various articles from her furnished apartments.
Mr. Ward, a tradesman residing in Wellington-street, Step-
ney, stated that about eight weeks ago the prisoner came to
live in a ready-furnished apartment in his house, and not the
slightest suspicion was entertained of her honesty until Sun-

day morning last, when it was discovered that during the pre-
ceding night she had absconded from the house, and that va-
rious articles of property were missing from her apartments.
Though she was to have been married to a young man who
paid her his addresses on the Sunday, nothing was heard of
her on that day or the next, but on Tuesday afternoon a po-
liceman succeeded in apprehending her, and she at once ac-
knowledged to have pawned the property.
The prisoner, in defence, said that she had been compelled
to pledge the things to maintain the young man to whom she had
been about to have been married, he being out of employ-
ment, and being unable to redeem them before the fact of
her having pawned them must have been discovered, she
thought it best to leave the place at once.
The manner in which the prisoner had delivered her defence
was such as to lead every person present to believe that her
statement was true, and the Magistrates consented to her
being discharged, provided she could make up a sum sufficient
to take the goods out of pawn, and its being ascertained that
she had spoken the truth. At a later period of the day she
was again plain placed within the bar, before the Magistrates ;
and from the statements then made, her case appeared in a
very different light, and her conduct most heartless and profli-
gate. It appeared that a young man of very good character,
named James Peate, who had been a sailor, had for some time
past paid his addresses to her, and had not only been in the
habit of taking his meals with her, but handing over to her
safe keeping nearly the whole of his wages. Peate, with the
consent of the prisoner, ultimately put up the banns at Hack-
ney Church, and Sunday last was appointed for their union.
The intended husband, whose kindness and attention were
most remarkable, had purchased a handsome wedding dress, a
costly ring, and everything necessary for the occasion, and
had been with her the whole of Saturday evening, making
preparations for the following day, and when ho had parted
with her, handed her half a sovereign. On the follow.
ing morning he came to the house with a few friends
of his own, as well as of the prisoner's, for the pur-
pose of proceeding to Hackney Church, there to be mar-
ried, but the prisoner was nowhere to be found ; and on
inquiry it appeared that she bad left the house shortly after
twelve o'clock on the preceding night, and did not re-
turn again. Information of the circumstance was communi-
cated a policeman; and, after much trouble, he succeeded in
apprehending the prisoner in a common brothel in Vinegar-
lane, St. George's in the East. From inquiries made it seems
that she came there on Saturday night, and brought with her
two ducks and other things, which had been provided by her
intended husband for the wedding dinner. Those she had
cooked on Sunday, and had an omnibus driver, whom it ap-
peared she preferred to the sailor, and other persons to dine
with her and enjoy themselves, while poor Peate was almost
in a distracted state for her loss. It further appeared that she
had pledged every article of wearing apparel belonging to her
lover, and had also disposed of the wedding ring as well as
the wedding-suit.
The MAGISTRA'rES on hearing these facts, convicted her in
the penalty of 21. 10s., the amount for which the things pawned
were pledged for, together with 10s. additional, or one month's
imprisonment in the House of Correction.