The Sun.
London, England, 1822-11-27 00:00:00

BRUTAL CO N D

CT OF A

BOW-STREET.—Yesterday Ann Francis was
brought before the Sitting Magistrates, (THonas lIALLs and
'WILLIAM BECKETT, Esqrs.) charged with having cruelly
treated three of her children of the ages of 3,4, and fi
whose appearance in the Office bespoke the total neglect of their
unnatural parent; they appeared in a deplorable state of filthi-
ness and starvation.
The following depositions were taken :—Cornelius Bower,
Beadle of Saint Giles's, stated, that in consequence of informa-
tion he received from a man named Clipperton. who lodged in
the adjoining room to that occupied by the prisoner, he endea-
voured to gain admittance into her apartment (the back garret
of a house situate 40, Great St. Andrew's-street) at about one
o'clock yesterday, but he found the door fastened by a pad-
lock ; and on looking through a hole in the door, saw three
young children lying upon some shavings in a corner of the
room ; they were naked, and the only covering they had was a
small piece of dirty canvass ; being unwilling to break open
the door, he went away, and returned again' at about half-past
3, when the door was fastened on the inside ; he then knocked,
and was answered by the prisoner, who told him he could have
no business there ; but he eventually succeeded in persuading
her to let him in ; the children were still naked, and were cry-
ing very much; he told the woman to give them some victuals;
she fetched some bread from the cupboard, which witness gave
to the poor children, and the voracious manner in which they
devoured it, convinced him that the information he had re-
ceived of the cruel conduct of the mother, in starving her chil-
dren; was not exaggerated : the second time witness went to
the prisoner, she was drinking her tea, but she did not offer to
give the children any of it: she had a fourth child at her breast,
about five months old : the third child, a boy three years of
age, is so ill from actual starvation, that it is the opinion of a
medical gentleman, who saw him this morning, that he cannot
recover.
John Clipperton, an army accoutrement maker, said that he
had resided in the front garret adjoining the prisoner's room
since the Ist of March : the prisoner was then living in the
house ; a man lived with her, who was not her husband ;
both of them frequently beat the poor children in an unmerci-
ful manner; they used to go out between eight and nine
o'clock in the morning, and return sometimes at three, and
frequently at seven, and even ten o'clock at night; during
this time the children were left alone in the room, generally
without either victuals or fire; their cries were often dread-
ful ; the key of the padlock which fastened the door was put in
a cupboard on the landing-place ;he and his wife frequently
opened the door, and gave the children something to eat, but
they were themselves very poor, and could spare but little;
the woman's brother, a servant out of place, used often to
bring them some bread and cheese, but he had not been to the
house for many months : the prisoner and her male companion
would sometimes have a hot supper, but the children had cried
themselves to sleep with empty stomachs, and they never par-
ticipated in the food of the inhuman and unfeeling wretch
who gave them an existence, which she appeared desirous of
bringing to an untimely and horrid close. The witness related
many interesting but disgusting circumstances, which proved
utter depravity and heartlessness of this exception to humanity
and maternal affection. The children were fat and healthy
when the witness first took the lodgings, but for several weeks
they have gradually declined in health, and have now more
the appearance of moving skeletons than human beings ; wit-
ness was fearful of being deemed an oflicious neighbour, or he
should have given his information some time since ; he had
been in search of work yesterday morning, and on his return
home his wife told him that the children had been crying for
hours together for food; he went to the door and peeped through
the key-hole ; the boy, six years old, said to his sister, four
years of age, as they were lying on the ground, " Do'nt cry,
Sally, we shall have something to eat by and by," which so
affected the witness, that he went immediately in search of the
Beadle, to whom he related the whole of the particulars.
The woman has for some months received parochial assist-
ance from three different parishes.
Mr. HALLS, after expressing himself warmly in deprecation
of the unnatural mother, and in praise of the conduct of Clip-
perton and his wife, said that he would sign an order for the re-
moval of the woman to her parish, and also for that of the dill-
siren, and particular directions should be given to the parish
officers, in order that proper care should be taken of the poor
children, who would require more than ordinary attention in
the restoration of their health, if the neglect they had expe-
rienced had not been continued to a fatal length.
Mr. BECKETT fully coincided in the opinion of his worthy
brother Magistrate, and the necessary directions were then given
to the Clerk, and the woman - and children left the office in the
custody of the Beadle of St. Giles's.

SCHOOL FOR BLASPHE:

The three individuals who were taken into custody, in the
Cordiner's Hall, in the Potterrow, on Sunday afternoon,
charged with endeavouring to propagate doctrines subversive
of religion, were detained in charge of the Sheriff's officers,
with whom they resided until the close of the precognition, on
Wednesday night, when they were admitted to bail.—(Edin-
burgh Paper. )
On this subject we find the following remarks in the Scots-
man We need not say that we regret to find that legal pro-
ceedings have been commenced in Edinburgh against some So-
ciety, considered irreligious or blasphemous, but of which the
existence was known to very few, and certainly not to us, until
notoriety was given to it through the dispersion of all its
Members, and the apprehension of some-of them by the She-
riff-Depute and a posse of police-officers. It is unquestion-
ably matter of very serious regret that individuals should be
so misled as to meet for the purpose, as we fear, of teaching
infidelity : but we look upon their embracing such opinions
—which affect their own happiness—more in the light of a
misfortune than a crime ; and .we are quite satisfied that
proceedings at law against them will give additional im-
portance to their views, and disseminate their opinions still
further. We have received a letter from a Mr. A. Gray,
avowing himself one of the Society, which, lie says, has gone
on for more than a year, and which he joined because they
excluded no one on account of his sentiments. He declares
his belief that the universe is the work of one great, un-
changeable, incomprehensible power; that the morality of
the Gospel is excellent; that sensuality is injurious to happi-
ness, and that the greatest pleasure is to be derived from pro-
moting the welfare of others. He complains that the library
was seized, the ,pockets' of the members searched, and their
papers taken from them ; but, in other respects, he speaks
highly of the conduct of Mr. Sheriff Duff, who was mild, can-
did, and even kind to the three members who were made pri-
soners from Sunday to Wednesday night. We cannot insert
this letter; ,but lie says that he believes the Society would have
given up holding meetings if they had been told from any re-
spectable quarter, that they were illegal. What the law of
Scotland is, on subjects of this kind, we can hardly venture to
say ; but we observe, that in the case of IVaddington, Mr.
Justice Bayley said, that " the law allowed men temperately
and fairly to discuss the evidences on which our faith rested."

Bow-ST REET.—NEGOCIATIONS WITH TIIIEVES.—Upon
this subject, which since the -Ipswich mail affair has been much
talked of, Mr. HALLS, the Magistrate, took occasion yesterday
to make some strong observations. A Mrs. Seale, in whose
house in Rosemary-lane about 1,0001. worth of property,
which had been stolen by burglars from the warehouse of a
Mr. Emerson, in Watling-street, was found yesterday se'n-
night, was brought up for re-examination, when Mr. AN-
nnEws, as Counsel for the prosecution, begged that she might
he again remanded to give time to procure further evidence.—
Mr. HALLS said, he should not object to delay in a case of so
much importance as this. Now, however, that the solicitors
on both sides were present (Mr. Isaacs attended for the pri-
soner), as well as all the parties concerned, he felt de-
sirous of snaking a remark or two upon another subject.—
It had come to his knowledge that of late, where exten-
sive, and indeed enormous, robberies had been committed,
negociations regularly conducted had been entered into" with
the robbers for the restoration of the stolen property upon the
payment of stipulated sums, and other conditions ; and he was
very sorry to add, that men in the profession of the law, or at
least practising as such, had lent themselves to these nego-
ciations, and had been, indeed, the go-between in disgraceful
transactions of this kind. There were men who had often
been professionally employed in that very office, and been ad-
mitted as a matter of courtesy to the bench, who had been
negotiators between the robbers and the robbed. What was
to become of the justice of the country if its course was to be
thus obstructed by men whose duty it was most peculiarly to
aid in its operations ? But let these individuals take care ; for
they should not be suffered, as had been the case, to carry about
stolen property in their blue bags, and stipulate for the price of
its restoration to the lawful owner. Such persons might shelter
themselves within the limits of the city, but let them, or any of
their clerks or agents, take wire how they did any thing of that
sort within his jurisdiction ; for if it came to his knowledge, they
might rely upon his pursuing the very severest measures which
the law would authorize. He was not to be understsood as ap-
plying these remarks personally to any individual then present ;
they were thrown out generally, and he hoped would be attend-
ed to. Mrs. Seale must be remanded.
To-morrow the prisoners who stand committed on charges of
felony will be removed from the several gaols in the city of on-
don and county of Middlesex to Newgate, preparatory toei
taking their trials at ithe next Sessions at Justice-hall, Old
Bailey, which will commence on Wednesday next, the 4th of
December. The Sessions of the Peace for the county of Mid-
dlesex will begin at the Sessions' House, on Clerkenwell-green,
on Monday next, the 2d December, when the trials of traverses,
and others out on bail on matters of assault, nuisance, and mis-
demeanour, will be proceeded on.