The Sun.
London, England, 1846-08-13 00:00:00

"Poor Man's Guardian Society," which society had
humanely taken up the case, stated the particulars of
the murderous assault, and called the following witnesses
to prove it.
Maria Dennis deposed that in the month of February
last, she was an inmate of Marlborough• house, Peckham,
and also a nurse of the casual ward. Early in the
morning of a day, the date of which she could not re-
collect, she heard violent screams of " murder" proceed
from the ward, and upon going to see what was the
matter she saw the prisoner violently ill-using another
woman. The prisoner had her hands entangled in the
hair of the young woman, and pulling it different
ways. She also knocked her head against a wall, and
pulled a handful of hair out of her head, so that there
was a large place bare, and she bled profusely. The
prisoner threatened to do for the young woman, and the
latter appeared anxious to get out of the place so as to be
out of her reach.
Mr. Humphreys—Now look at this young woman,
and tell me whether she is the person who was ill.used
in the violent manner you have described by the pri-
soner.

Witness—l cannot say she is the same person; if it
is, she is very much altered, but I have some recollec-
tion of having seen that person before. The witness
further stated that many trifling robberies had been
committed on the paupers about the time of the assault,
and that she understood that the cause of the prisoner's
attack on the young woman was her being detected
in stealing some money.
John Dennis, the husband of the last witness, de-
posed that he had much difficulty in disengaging the
hands of the prisoner from the hair of the other woman,
Mr. Humphreys—Look at this woman, and tell me
whether she is the person who was ill-useCe
Witness—l cannot swear she is the same person.
Clerk—You did so when a warrant to apprehend the
prisoner had been applied for.
Mr. ELLIOTT—Is she the same person to the best of
your belief ? Witness—To the best of my belief she is.
The witness proceeded to say that the young woman
was very much injured, and so violent were the threats
of the prisoner, and the terror of the other woman was
so great, that he was glad to get rid of her, so he gave
her some dry bread, and let her out at the gate.
Mr. Humphreys—And kept the prisoner in. Wit-
ness—Yes, sir.
Mr. Humphreys—So that the person who was treated
in this savage manner you turned out, and kept the
assaulting party in.
Mr. ELLIOTT—Did you send for the police? Witness
—No, sir.
Mr. ELLIOTT—WeII, I mast say, that it was a very
odd and extraordinary proceeding. Were there no per-
sons in charge of this place at the time ? Witness—
Yes, sir; Mr. Richards was in the house at the time,.
but not present, and I did not consult him or any body
else before I let the young woman out.
Mary Ann Perkins, the complainant, was next called
and sworn.—The unfortunate woman presented a truly
wretch( d appearance. She had a large bald patch on
the front part of her head, and it is very doubtful
whether she will ever recover the effects of the pri-
soner's brutality. She deposed that she was the wife of
Thomas Perkins, who had deserted her. She was in the
habit of going to Marlborough house occasionally to
sleep, and was there in the beginning of February. She
(witness), prisoner, and a third woman slept in the same
bed one night,tend on the following morning when they
were getting up, the prisoner accused her of stealing lid.
from another pauper in the ward, and instantly com-
menced an attack upon her. She seized her by the
hair of the front part of her head, and knocked
the back of her head repeatedly against the
wall. She also drew a quantity of hair from the front
part of her head, so as to occasion the bald places then
perceptible. While the prisoner was ill-using her Mrs.
Dennis came into the ward and called out to her to let
her (witness) go, and not kill her outright. The pri-
soner was so furious that it was with much difficulty she
could be released from her grasp, but as soon as she was
she was anxious to avoid her fury, and asked the man
Dennis to let her out of the place, which she did. She
might have been to Marlborough-house as many as three
or four times in five years, and had always to the time
she spoke of received all necessary protection. Upon
leaving Marlborough-house she was bleeding very much,
and very faint and ill, but she made the best of her way
to Guy's Hospital, where she remained about five weeks.
She left before she was at all recovered, andsubsequently
went into the Westminster Hospital, where she re-
mained for some time. She did not give her real name
at either of those hospitals, nor did she tell the real
cause of her injuries to the rne,lical men who attended
her. There was nothing whatever the matter with her
up to the time when she was ill-used by the prisoner ;
but since then she had suffered much from her head.
and was not well yet. In conclusion, the witness said
she did not wish to do anything to hurt the prisoner ill
as she had behaved to her.
Evidence was here given of the apprehension of the
prisoner, and the discovery of the complainant, who was
for a long time supposed to be dead. It appeared that
the "Poor Man's Guardian Society" had oTered two
guineas for her production, and Mr. Richards two
guineas more ; and this circumstance being made known
to the complainant herself, she went to Marlborough-
house and gave herself up to Mr. Richards.
Mr. Humphreys, after a few remarks, said he would
leave the case in his Worship's hands, to deal with it as
he might deem proper. If it was his Worship's opinion
that it should go to the sessions, the respectable
society he had the honour to represent would do its
duty and prosecute ; or if it should be the wish of Mr.
Games, on behalf of Mr. Richards, to prosecute the pri-
soner, then the society would withdraw from the case
altogether.

Mi.. Games said he had received no instructions in the
matter, and being there merely to watch the case he
would not think of undertaking a prosecution.
Mr. Humphreys observed that this being the case, he
wished to say that, if necessary, the society would pro-
secute, but the ease was altogether in the hands of his
Worship.
Mr. ELLIOTT observed, that if the case was sent for
trial, there were one or two other witnesses who would
be required to complete it, and be should therefore re-
mand the prisoner for another week.
Mr. Humphreys thought it necessary that the attend-
ance of the surgeon at the hospital, who had first seen
her, should be procured, as it would be desirable that
the extent of the poor woman's injuries should be known.
Mr. ELLIOTT did not think it necessary that a medical
witness should be bound over in the case, and here the
matter dropped.
The unfortunate complainant, who had been accommo.
dated with a chair wt3ile giving her evidence, was so
weak as to require to be assisted out of court.