The Sun.
London, England, 1841-04-26 00:00:00

MR. MeiLLAN, THE DENTISTT

As ,;cveral applice.tions have b.en made for informa,ion
as to the manner in which the chsrge made by Mrs. Fol..
kard against Mr. Mallnn, the dentist, of Ludgate-hill, for
having possessed himself of 1001. under a promiso to sup-
ply her with a first-rate set of teeth, was ultimately dis-
posed of, we give the following summary of the In:-
ccedirgs and the results :
The complainant attended on several different occasions,
in expectation ef meeting Nlr. Malian, before Sir Peter
Laurie, but that individual never made his appearance.
His solicitor wrote a letter to Sir Peter Laurie, apologising
for his (the solicitor's) absence, and stating that as his
client wa3 willing to do everything that was necessary for
the lady, he saw no further necessity for attending to give
legal assistance:

-Mrs. Folkard. who was accompanied by Mr. Hob
jun., states to Sir Peter Laurie that she bad, after the
matter was exposed in the newspapers, received from Mr.
Malian two boxes, containing each a set of teeth, which
if they were ever made for mouths et all, were made for
mouths very different indeed from hers, one of them being
as much to small as the other was tio large for her mouth.
They were, besides, of the very roughest and vulgar
construction, and she could ❑ever think of allowing such
things to be placed in her mouth at all.
Sir Peter Laurie said that it was evident Mr. Malian
was afraid to meet the charge, and that the fraud was an
exceedingly gross one. He then advised the ►ady to put
the two sets of teeth she had lately received into the hands
of some dentist who understood his businese, and request
him to say what they might he worth, and he should issue
another summons to Mr. Malian to attend and give an ac-
count of the transaction.

Mrs. Folkard, at her next visit at the Mansion-house,
stated that she had obtained the opinion of a dentist of
character as to the value of the two sets of teeth, and was
assured by him that they were not worth 51. Several other
persons had, she said, lean treated in a similar manner by
Mr. Malian' but she had been given to understand that he
had gone to America to try his chance with the natives there.
Mr. Nobler, jun., said that he had received a letter
from a gentleman who was connected with the press,
giving an account of what took place between him and
Mr. Malian, is illustration of the practice of the dentist.
He delivered the letter into the hands of Sir Peter
Laurie. The following are extracts from it :
" If the statement I now give you will at all aid Mrs.
Folkard's case, or if my personal testimony will serve you,
should it again become the subject of judicial notice, it
is entirely at your service. In the month of May last I
was induced, by the specious advertisments of Mons.
Malian, of Ludgate-hill, to apply to him to restore two
teeth of which I had been deprived by accident. He
examined my mouth, assured me of his unrivalled art
not only to supply the deficiency occasioned by the ac-
cident, but that if I would consent to have the de-
fects in the back parts of my mouth filled up the
entire artificial arrangement should be so complete
that I should not know that either time or accident had
caused me an injury. I was, as I thought, very cunning.
I told him that I doubted his powers, and that although
willing to have my losses supplied, I had no faith in such
promises—that if for the sum specified (10/. lOs.) he
would engage to make a complete set, gibing me a
month's trial of them, I would consent, but that I would
pay no deposit, nor enter into any engagement on any
other terms. I gave him my address that he might
ascertain my respectability, and having seen the order and
the amount entered in his book, I added my name and
address. He was to inform me whether he would com-
plete the order on the terms I have stated, and I
heard nothing from him, although I called two or
three times, and left my card. I concluded that he did not
choose to risk the result. Three months afterwards, a
box, sealed, was left at my office, accompanied by a letter
from an attorney, stating that he was instructed to deliver a
set of teeth, which I had ordered of Mr. Malian, and had
not called for ; and that if the amount was not paid im-
mediately, he had also instructions to proceed, &c. This
was followed in a few days by a writ ; • and as I was in-
structed that such a delivery of a piece of mechanism,
which was useless except fitted to the part in which it was
to act, was not a delivery in law, I defended the action.
The Secondary and Jury were, however, of a contrary opi-
nion; bat, as a kind of salvo, cut down the demand to Si.
" On my return home, I, for the first time, looked at
the article, and on examining the part intended for the
upper part of the mouth, discovered that it was not possi-
ble it could be intended for mine, there being several front
teeth supplied, while mine were sound and pet feet, I ob-
tained the company of a friend as a witness, and waited on
Monsieur Malian, pointed out to him this damning proof
of his rascality, and threatened him with exposure. He
appeared confounded, and said it was all a mistake from
the beginning, that the action was prosecuted without-his
knowledge, and the teeth sent without his inspection. He
took away in a hurried manner the imperfectly supplied
part, and engaged to supply another, for which he took a
new model, with ti gold palate, wire, &c., which should be
worth at least 30 guineas. At the expiration of a few
days the new specimen of his art was fitted into my mouth,
and soon after I became seriously affected in health ; my
mouth became corroded, and I was unable to eat any thing
but the softest food. I called on the artist ; he assured
me that all was right so far as the teeth were concerned
but matters became worse, and at length I had the metal
palate tested, and was assured that it was of the basest des-
cription, and that had I continued to persevere in allow_
ing it to remain in my mouth, I should have found out my
mistake in permanent, if not fatal injury to my constitution.
I recovered my health from the hour I removed the
machinery."

Sir F. Laurie said he believed that he had obliged
Monsieur Malian to take a trip to America, and the Eng-
lish public we re thus released from the probability of further
imposition from that quarter; be, however, could not help
expressing his regret that the departure of the dentist took
place before an interview had occurred between them.
It was his opinion that if the case in the Secondary's office
had c.)tne on after the exposure at the Mansior-house, the
verdict would have been different, and he advised Mrs.
Folkard to proceed by indictment against Malian if he
should return to this country. Mrs. Folkard declared that
she should strictly follow the advice of Sir Peter Laurie
on the subject, and consult him from time to time as she
might receive intelligence with respect to the tooth manu-
facturer.

EDINBURGH.—At an adjourned meeting of the
Commissioners of' Police, held last week, a Report of a
Committee on Vagrancy was read. This Report states
that drunkenness is not only the fruitful source of poverty,
but of crime. During the last three months there have
been committed to the police prison for drunkenness 956
persons, of whom 543 were males, and 413 females. Be-
tween Saturday at four o'clock P.M., and Sunday at four
P.m., the number of committals for drunkenness during that
period was 285, while only 112 were taken into custody
between Friday at four and Saturday at four. The num-
ber of committals for the last three months, for various
offences, exclusive of drunkenness, was 1,368, whereof
06 were males, and 712 females. From Saturday at
four o'clock to Sunday et four o'clock, the number of
committals was 242, while only 150 were apprehended
between Friday at four and Saturday at four. Since the
Ist April, 106 have been committed charged with beg-
ging. Comparing these tables with those furnished for
the same period last year, the number of persona commit-
ted for drunkenness between Saturday and Sunday has in-
creased from 221 to 285. The total number of persons
committed during last year was 9,161, or about one
out of every sixteen. The Report expressed a hope
that the Judges in the Police Court would give effect
to the law when vagrants brought before them were
committed ; it also recommended that the giving of
certificates to low public houses should be restricted,
and, as far as practicable, that all shops or premises
should be shut the whole of the Sabbath. Report ap-
proved of,—Mr. Richardson brought forward his motion,
" That the Board recommend to the Justices of the county
and the Magistrates of the city, to annex the following to
the ale license certificates :—' I hereby agree to shut my
shop, tavern, &c., for the whole of Sabbath—viz., from
twelve o'clock on Saturday night till Monday morning at
flva o'clock." He supported this resolution at some
length, and maintained that there would be no great diffi-
culty in getting retailers to agree to it. After some re-
marks by Mr. Horne and Mr. Weroyss, the motion was
agreed to.
LORD PONSONBY'S VISIT TO ENGLAND.—
We feel bound to declare that nothing political whatever
is in any way mixed up with the very natural desire which
Lord Ponsonby must now feel, after nine years' absence,
to return to England to attend for a short space of time to
some private affairs that require his personal supervision.
His Lordship has repeatedly expressed his anxious wish
for leave of absence ; the importance of the affairs then in
agitation rendered it, however, inexpedient that our Am-
bassador should for a moment abandon his post in the
Turkish capital. Now that matters are on the point of
adjustment, leave of absence has been granted to Lord
Ponsonby; but, to show how utterly groundless are the
reports of his Lordship's recal, we ought to mention that
the period of his departure from Constantinople is left en-
tirely to his Lordship's own discretion. He will leave
Constantinople when in his own sound judgment the state
of affairs admits of his absence without injury to her Ma-
jesty:a service. It is understood that Lord Ponsonby'a
stay in England still not exceed two or three months.
Observer.

DINNER TO MR. CLARKE.—Last week the
medical practitioners and heads of families resident in the
northern division of the parish of St. Pancras gave a
public dinner at the Bedford Arms tavern, Camden-town,
to Mr. Joseph Clarke, the surgeon, of Park-street, who,
it will be remembered, lately figured at Marylebone
Police Coart, and subsequently at the Old Bailey, under
a charge, made by a female named Mary Anne Hall, re-
siding at No. 9, Upper Albany-street, of having committed
a rape upon her, whilst attending her at the above house
professionally. The dinner had been got up as a
public testimony to the character and reputation of
Mr. Clarke by a few of his friends, and, as a proof of the
estimation in which he is held, upwards of one bun-
dren of the most influential gentlemen of the neigh-
bourhood were present. Joseph Ivimey, Esq., occupied
the chair ; and in proposing the health of Mr. Clarke
proceeded at great length to detail the circumstances
connected with the case, from which it appeared that
the prosecutrix was of most questionable character.
That Mr. Clarke was innocent, and had been the victim of
a foul conspiracy, was proved by the fact of his accuser hay.
ing absconded. An impression had gone forth in the public
mind that the traducers had been bought off. This he, as
R man who valued his reputation, declared was not the
fact. He had sworn to it on oath. Mr. Clarke had sworn to
it on oath, and the inspector of police had also sworn that
he had used every exertion to find the parties, but without
avail. Mr. Clarke returned thanks, and declared his en-
tire innocence of the crime imputed to him, and his readi-
ness to meet the charge at any time. Colonel Babbing-
ton, Captain Dowling, the Rev. Dr. Morley, Professor
Key, and other gentlemen having spoken in eulogistic
terms of the character and conduct of Mr. Clarke, a reso-
lution was determined on expressive of the opinion of the
assembly that he had been the victim of a most foul con-
spiracy, and that, the charge made against him was without
the slightest foundation.

MORNING EDITION.