The Sun.
London, England, 1840-12-08 00:00:00

CROYDON PETTY SESSIONS.

(Berore Mr. JOSEPH REID, Mr. ELYARD, and other
Justices.)

A middle-aged woman, named Ann Jenkins, was
placed at the bar upon a charge of cruelly ill-treating
and neglecting to provide proper necessaries for Tho-
mas Jenkins, a child, five years of age.
Inspector Collier, of the P Division, stated, that,
from information he received, he went, on Thursday
morning, to the house of a relative of the prisoner's
husband, where he took charge of the child in question.
It was in a most deplorable condition ; its bones were
nearly through the skin, and there, were also marks of
severe ill-treatment about its person ; and, in conse-
quence of further information he received, he took the
prisoner into custody, and conveyed her before Mr.
Sutherland, who immediately ordered the child to be
taken to the workhouse, and remanded the prisoner.
Toe Inspector further stated that the child was taken,
in the first instance, to a medical gentleman at Brixton,
and he handed in the following certificate :
" I hereby certify that I have examined Thomas Jen-
kins, and beg to say that during the whole of my expe-
rience I never witnessed so distresing a case of star-
vation. (Signed) " GEORGE ORD,
" Surgeon, Brixton-hill."

By direction of the Bench the child was then brought
into the Court to be shown to the Magistrates. Al-
though it was stated that it had been thoroughly cleaned,
and well taken careof for several days, and had consi-
derably improved in appearance, in consequence, it still
exhibited a most wretched and deplorable aspect. The
body was a mere skeleton, the eyes sunk in the sockets,
anti it appeared to be scarcely conscious. There were
also marks of severe bruises on the back and loins.

The MAGISTRATES,WhO appeared to be quite shocked
at the sight of the child, said that this was a case which,
in their opinion, the parish ought to prosecute, and they
were surprised that none of the parish officers were

present.
Mr. George Penfold remarked, that so far as tl.e
charge of starving the child was concerned, the
pri-
soner was not, as mother-in-law, legally bound to pro-
vide for it.

The BENCH said that she would, at all events, be
liable for an indictment for assaulting it, and it was
not a case they should dispose of summarily. The
child had evidently been most cruelly treated.
Some further inquiries were then made by the Ma-
gistrates, and it appeared that the prisoner's husband
worked at Merstham, and he only came to Croydon
on Saturday night, when he gave the prisoner his
wages, but it appeared that, instead of expending the
money in providing necessaries for the poor children,
she spent the money in drink.
Collier, the Inspector, told the Bench that he was
informal by the neighbours that the poor little child
had iiNuently been turned into the street at night by
its mother-in-law, and the other children also said that
the prisoner would shut him up stairs in a room with-
out any thing to eat, and when he cried from hunger
she used to beat him.
Mr. Smith, the Relieving Officer to the Union, and
Mr. Bottomley, the surgeon, soon afterwards entered
the Court, and the latter informed the Bench that the
child had only been under his care for a few days, and
although he was satisfied that it- had suffered greatly
from want of food, yet be bad not had an opportunity
of giving the Magistrates any decisive information re-
specting the case, except that the life of the child was
not now in any danger.
The MAGISTRATES then consulted together for a
short time, when the Chairman, addressing the pri-
soner, said there was no doubt that she had most
cruelly ill-treated and neglected her step-child, but as
there were technical difficulties that prevented the
Magistrates from interfering in the matter, they should
discharge her, but the Magistrates hoped that the
n3ri.h would prefor an indictment against her at the
Sessions.
The child was ordered to be taken back to the work-
and it was understood that the pirish would
prefer en indictment Against the prisoner for assaulting
the child.

THE LAMENTABLE. DEATH 0;A CHIMNEY
SWEEP IN Tag FM'S
ed at Manchester. From the
nesday the inquiry was revs ° STEANI-ENGINE.—On Wed-
4Sratlwrrnon, who examined the body
evidence of Mr. Dyson, a
other
of the flue being
eases, it was apparent that
toif,
ot Ipleoodre cleaadsehda,dadnide
died
ed a verdict that
fill,:d with hot air. The Jury
manslaughter
t.io think that the
6' The deceased died of suffocat3:ionretfmo
against the prisoner, James Teale, for putting the deceased
but they did not seem the ehirarcY ."
up .. . ,
owners or occupiers of the property were free from blame,
and we I:rlieve it was ultimately determined that they
i
should meet again, to consider whether they should or
should not impose a deodand upon them.