The Sun.
London, England, 1848-01-26 00:00:00

remanded for the consideration of Mr. Combe on the
above point.

SOUTHWARK.

Yesterday seven healthy-looking young women,
named Catherine Lennard, Elizabeth Sullivan, Mary
Gould, Emma Reid, Caroline Wood, Sarah Foster,
and Catherine Cronan, inmates of Bermondsey
Workhouse, were brought before Mr. Cottingham,
charged with creating a riot, and threatening to mur-
der the master.
One of the porters of the workhouse stated that
the prisoners had been brought up from their infancy
in that place. They had been placed in different
situations, but, so violent was their conduct, that no
person would keep them. They were, in fact, a com-
plete terror to all the inmates, and everything has
been done by the guardians to reform them. On
Sunday morning they refused to attend divine ser-
vice, and during its performance they sang obscene
songs
old
infirm paupersandusedsuch horrible
in h
te nextlangu ward.ag A
eas to frighten
the the
service, the chaplain conversed with them, but they
treated him in a disgusting manner, which led the
officers to place them under restraint. That morning
[they were released, and in passing the lobby they
bloke 250 panes of glass. I'r hen remonstrated with,
three of them took from under their garments open
knives, and, flourishing them over their heads,
threatened to rip up the master's belly or murder any
person who dared to attack them. Fortunately a
police constable was on the spot, and with his assist-
ance they were all secured, and the knives taken from
the three ringleaders.
The prisoners here exclaimed, in a riotous manner,
" Yes, we will rip the master's belly open, if we
get hung for it—he is a tyrant, and ought to be mur-
dered."
Mr. COTTINGIIAM asked the porter whether any
meeting of the guardians had been held since the dis-
graceful conduct on Sunday ? The porter replied in
the negative.
Mr. COTTINGIUM remarked that it was useless for
them to bring such incorrigible characters before him
for punishment. Nothing that he could inflict would
be of any service to them.
Prisoners—We would sooner be in prison than in a
workhouse.
Police-constable 210 M was called, and informed
the magistrate that, when he entered the workhouse
he found the prisoners in a menacing attitude, and
that three of them had knives in their hands, with
which they threatened to stab the master or any other
person who interfered. It was with great difficulty
that he wrested the weapons from their grasp and
secured them.
Mr. CorrnsanAat informed the porter of the work-
house that it was a case of too serious a nature for
him to dispose of. He was in possession of no power
sufficient to restrain their violence, and, if something
was not done, he really believed they would in their
furious frenzy commit a serious act. It was abso-
lutely necessary that they should be severely dealt
with, as what could be more shocking than to see
strong, hearty-looking young girls like these, living
on the bounty of the public, and arming themselves
with knives to attack their protectors? It was
consequently necessary that they should be sent to
a higher tribunal, where they would receive such
punishment as would render them sensible of their
disgraceful behaviour. He (the worthy magistrate)
directed the porter to inform the guardians of his
determination, and request them to attend before him
to-morrow, as he should remand the prisoners for such
attendance.