The Sun.
London, England, 1841-01-04 00:00:00

Q UEEN- S Q UA RE.

Oa Saturday afternoon a respectably attirod middle-
aged man, presented hitt self before Mr. Burrell, the
sitting Magistrate, and claimed that gentleman's pro-
tection from his wife and relations.

Mr. BURRELL wished to know the applicant's reason
for desiring his protection.
Applicant said that his wife and his brother-in-law
had conspired tozethrr to throw him into Bedlam ; and
he at that moment did not dare to go home, lest they
should take him off at once.

Mr. BuiutELL—What's your name, where do you
reside ? Applicant—My name is Richard Fortescue.
I am a broker, and live at No. `?5, High street, Knights-
bridge ; and my solicitor, Mr. Kemp, of Trevor-square,
Knightsbridge, advised me to come here.
Mr. BuaaELL—Why do your relations wish to send
you to a lunatic asylum ? Mr. Fortescue—Why, they
say I squander all my money in building houses, but
I'm sure I don't. I've worked twenty hours a day for
nearly twenty years.
Mr. BUREIELL-Well, really I don't see what I can
do for you. I don't think your relatives wish to con-
fine you. Leave your address, and I'll see that you
are not molested. Mr. Fortescue—But, your Worship,
the keepers are waiting at home for me now. Besides,
I've something else to tell you. My wife and her re-
lations robbed me of 20/. worth of goods yesterday, and
you must send an nil-leer with me to search them. The
applicant, who bad hitherto spoken pretty collectively,
now commenced a long ranililing story. in which he
said he bad been repeatedly shut out of his own hi,use,
deprived of his meals—that his wile pocketed the
proceeds of the shop, and had enlisted a number of
apple and orange women to go about and tell the
tradesmen in the neighbourhood that he was insane ;
and that he had also found out that she was unfaithful
to him.

Mr. BURRELL expressed himsolf satisfied of the ap-
plicant's insanity, and, after wasting a considerable
further portion of his time, persuaded him to withdraw.
Mr. Fortescue had scarcely left the presence of the
Magistrate before another person claimed his attention,
and said that the man who had just left him was really
mad.

Mr. BuitaELL—Who are you, Sir ?—Applicant—l
I'm the brother of the person who has just made a
complaint to you. He escaped from our custody about
an hour since, and imagining he would apply to some
Magistrate, I came here after him.
The MAGISTRATE desired the brother to explain the
whole affair.—The brother then went into a long
statement, the substance of which was that some time
back Mr. Fortescue began to act in a very strange
manner. He spent his money in the most lavish
manner, neglected his business, and drove coaches
about the streets, carried whoever liked to ride in them,
and treated them. He would come in at all hours of
the night, and would sometimes assert that his wife
robbed him. Then he would not let her serve in the
shop, but locked her up for days together in the draw-
ing-room, or parlour. She was at present in confine-
ment, and had bean so for the last four days.

Mr. Fortescue here re-entered the office, accompa-
nied by his son, a fine little boy. Upon perceiving his
brother, he said, " That's one of the conspirators. He
wants to rob me of my business."
Webster, one of the ushers of the court, informed
the Magistrate that the brother-in-law of Mr. Fortescue
was a highly respectable man ; he had two large bak, r's
shops in Marylebone.
Mr. Fortescue—" Yes, he's very respectabie ; but he
wants to get my business."
Mr. BUSUtELL said he believed that Mr. Fortescue'
brother cnly interfered to save his sister and family from
ruin ; and desired that gentleman to state what measure
had been taken in respect to Mr. Fortescue.r

Toe brother-in-law said that two medical men, Dr

M'Grath, of Cranbourne•alley, and Mr. Jones, of
Charles-street, Middlesex Hospital, had seen Mr. For-
tescue, pronounced him insane, and given the necessary
document to enable them to put him into Bethlehem.
Mr. BURRELL asked why the relatives had not pro-
cured the attendance of two neighbouring meeical mea,
who might have had an opportunity of seeing Mr. For
tescue occasionally instead of fetching them from a dis-
tance. The brother-in-law said Dr. M'Grath was a
most intimate friend of Mr. Fortescue's.
Mr. BuaßELL—When do you propose taking your
brother to Bethlehem ? Brother-in-law—To-night, Sir,
if the bond is signed, it requires the signature of two
clergymen. One has signed, and we are waiting for
the other.
Mr. Edwards, the chief clerk, explained to the Ma-
gistrates that the Governors of Bethlehem would receive
no p itients unless their relatives gave a bond, that they
would at the expiration of a twelvemonth fetch away
thc person they were desirous of confining.
The son of Mr. Fortescue was put into the witness-
box ; and in reply to the Magistrate, said it was true
his mother was confined, and that he was afraid of his

father.
Mr. BURRELL desired Mr. Fotteseue's brother-in-
law to take him with him, and put a keeper over him
until he was removed to Bethlehem.
Mr. Fortescue, who at first positisely refused to leave
the Court, was at length persuaded to accompany his
brother home.
William Horton, the proprietor of an omnibus, tra-
velling from Kentish-town to the Elephant and Castle,
attended before the Magistrate to receive judgment on
an offsncrs alleged to have been committed by him, and
the particul irs of which appeared about a fortnight
since. The prosecution was at the suit of Byers, the
offence being that of delaying for nine minutes on his
journey facing the Silver Cross. It may be remem-
bered that it was set up in defence that the omnibus
proprie • tors had threatened to leave Mr. Jarvis's office
(the Silver Cross) if he suffered Horton to book
there", in consequence of which the latter was denied
the privilege of plying for hire facing the office, and
summoned for doing so ; but the Magistrate, on hear-
ing the case pro and con., expressed a great disinclina-
tion to convict, and adjourned it till this day.
Mr. BURRELL inquired whether any arrangement had
been come to.
Mr. Humphries, on the part of Horton, said there
had not, although his client was very desirous of having
the thing adjusted. He wanted what he had a right
to—the power of earning his living as well as other,
proprietors, and he was willing to pay as others did,
and be subject to the same regulations ; but it appeared
that he was not to have it, and was by these prosecu-
tions debarred of the power of running his vehicle upon
the road, which was common and open to all.
Byers said he had nothing at all to do with his
leave to be at the Silver Cross. All he knew was, that
defendant came in at the same time as another omnibus,
and a continual disturbance was the result. Hu (de-
fendant) might go to another booking-office within a
few yards, where he would interfere with nobody.
Mr. Humphries observed that was a very good rea-
son why he should not go there. It was defendant's
object to ply at the Silver Cross, the great mart for om-
nibus passengers.
After some further observations of a similar charac-
ter, Mr. Barrel regretted that this could not be ar-
ranged, and said as lie was bound in law to cor.vict, he
must impose the penalty of lOs.
Mr. Humphries tht n said his client had a complaint
against the driver of one of the opposition omnibuses,
for having driven across him, and damaged his property.
The conductor to the person charged said he was not
in attendance. Mr. Fisher, the person complained of,
wished for time.
Mr. Humphries objected to this, unless they paid the
expenses of the witnesses' attsndaner.
This they, by the advice of Byers, refused to do, and
the conductor was about making his exit, which would
at once have put an end to the case, when
Mr. Humphries observed," Stop that man and swear
him." The conductor came back, and the oath was
administered. " Now, on your oath, where did you get the
summons from that you brought here to-day ?" inquired
Mr. Humphries.—" From Mr. Fisher," replied the
conductor.
Mr. Humphries—Then that's a good proof of service,
and I submit that I can go on with the case in defend-
ant's absence.
The Magistrate was of the same opinion, and the
charge was gone into, from which it appeared that de-
'