The Sun.
London, England, 1831-01-06 00:00:00

held an infant in her arms. The constable stated,
that he was on duty, in Monmouth-street, about
half an hour before, when he heard a violent noise
in the house No. 40, around which a great crowd
had assembled, and feeling it his duty to ascertain
the cause, he entered the house, and found two of
the women in loud altercation, the one claiming a
right to the infant which the other did not seem
disposed to admit, but as violently insisted that the
child belonged to her. Under these circumstances,
and fearing that the innocent cause of the contention
might be injured by the violence of the claimants,
the constable felt himself called upon to bring all
the parties whom he found in the room before the
Magistrate, to account for their conduct.
Mr. MINsLIULL appeared somewhat surprised,
and asked if both, or which of the women, claimed
to be the mother of the infant.

A miserable-looking young woman here came
forward, and announced herself as the mother of the

child, and told the Magistrate that Mrs. Green, one
of the women present, had taken her infant from her
immediately after its birth, which occurred about
three weeks before. The young woman then went
on to state, that her name was Ruth Jones, that
she was very poor, and had been obliged to sup-
port herself by selling matches in the streets. In
the month of September last, while following this
miserable calling on the New-road, Mrs. Green, the
lady who was now present, and who told her that
her name was Wilkinson, came up to her and said,
" I perceive, young woman, you are in the family
way; how soon do you expect to be confined ?"
She answered that she did not think it would occur
for three months to come. The lady was then very
particular in her inquiries, and asked her how she
meant to provide for the infant when it should come
into the world. She replied, that she did not know,
that slae was unmarried, had formed an unfortunate
acquaintance with a young man, and was quite de-
stitute of the means to provide either for herself or
the infant which she carried.
.The lady then, with

great apparent kindness, took down her address
(Dudley-court, St. Giles's), gave her a shilling and
promised to call upon her, and finally to provide her
with a nurse, and other requisites fitting for her ex-
pected situation. Early in the month of December
the lady, who then called herself Mrs. Wilkinson,
called at her lodgings, and asked her if she did not ex-
pect very shortly to be confined ? She answered, yes.
The lady then said, she would take care she should
be comfortably provided for ; and asked her if, when
the infant was born, she would have any objection
to come and live in her house, and sickle the baby
there ? She expressed her acknowledgments for
such unexpected kindness, and the lady then pro-
mised to allow her a shilling a day until she should
be confined, and this promise she certainly fulfilled.
On the very day of her confinement the lady came
to her lodgings and remained with her nearly the
whole of the day. She was accompanied by Mrs.
Watts, one of the females who now appeared before
his worship, and whom the lady introduced as the
nurse she had provided for the infant. As soon as
she was delivered, this Mrs. Watts took the infant
away from her, wrapped it up in some flannel, and
immediately left the room accompanied by the lady.
She heard nothing either of the lady or the nurse
for a fortnight after, when, feeling great anxiety for
the fate of her infant, she went to the address of the
lady in Queen Anne-street, but she could find no-
thing of her there. She learned, however, that the
lady lived at N 0.40, Monmouth-street, and on going
to the house thst evening she found her in a white
bed-gown, and having all the appearances about her
of having recently lain in. Her infant was in the
room in the arms of the nurse, and upon claiming
it us her's, the lady refused to give it up. This re-
fusal had given rise to the altercation which had
caused the.interference of the police constable.
Mrs. Green, the person who claimed the child, a
young and respectably dressed woman, was then
called forward, and said that the mother of the in.
fant had disposed of it to her, and had willingly
consented to forego all right to the baby as soon as
it came into the world. She then gave an account
of her having met the young woman in a state of
great seeming distress, selling matches in the New-
road, and feeling pity for her apparent destitution,
particularly under the circumstances in which she
then appeared, she proffered her assistance, and
offered to provide her with a midwife, nurse, and
every requisite befitting her situation, so soon as she
should be confined. She then asked the young wo-
man if she had the means of providing for the in-
fant which she bore. She answered that she did
not know what would become of it, and perhaps
her distress was so great she should be obliged either
to abandon or destroy it. Having a great attach-
ment for children, she proposed to the young wo-
man to take charge of the infant, and adopt it as
her own, to which a willing consent was given, and
with that understanding she provided a midwife and
everything necessary for the young woman who ap-
peared very grateful that so great a burden should
be taken off her hands.

Mr. NIINSHULL observed that the conduct both
of the mother and Mrs. Green appeared to be most
extraordinary, and asked the latter if she was a
married woman?

Mia. Green replied that she was a widow, having
lost her husband about 18 months ago. She had,
however, ample means of providing for the infant.
A violent altercation here took place, each party
endeavouring by force of arms to obtain possession
of the child. The young woman who appeared to
have the best claim to the infant was considerably
excited, while the mother by adoption appeared
equally determined to regain the object to which she
seemed to attach so much value. The struggle was
so violent, that the Magistrate was obliged to call
for the assistance of the gaolers to separate the
parties, and protect from injury the unconscious cause
of the contest. After a long and fruitless endeavour
to affect an amicable arrangement,

Mr. MlNsttuu, decided that it would be impro-
per to trust the infant to either of the claimants,
while they both appeared to be so far excited. The
Magistrate then directed that the mother of the
child should be sent to St. Giles's workhouse, that
the nurse and child should be provided for in the
same manner, for the night, and that all the parties
should appear before him again in the morning.
Mrs. Green pressed hard to be included in the order
for admission to the workhouse, but the Magistrate
refused to accede to her request.

In the course of yesterday the parties were again
brought forward, and after a lengthened investi-
gation,
Mr. MINSHULL decided that the mother should
have her child. Mrs. Green appeared to offer no
objection, but claimed some article of clothing which
was round the infant, and the cost of which the
Magistrate humanely paid out of his own pocket,
observing, that he hoped the poor infant would be
properly provided for.
The mother appeared greatly delighted in having
obtained possession of the child, and thanked the
Magistrate for his decision. The parties then retired.