The Sun.
London, England, 1846-11-28 00:00:00

LAMBETH.

Mary Rose Cook, whose extraordinary adventures
and efforts to accompany her lover, a private in
the 37th Regiment, to the island of Ceylon, hare
already appeared in our columns, was again placed at the
bar before Mr. Norton, on a charge of having attempted
to destroy herself. Since the prisoner's former exami-
nation some benevolent lady, who had read the par-
ticulars of the case in the papers, forwarded to Mr.
Norton half sovereign for her use, and this having
been sent to her to Horsemonger-lane gaol, she was
,
enabled to purchase a cheap gown-piece (which she
made into a dress), a shawl
and bonnet, and being sup-
plied with under dress at the prison, she was enabled
to make a decent appearance, and one forming a very
striking contrast to that which she bore when last at this
Court.
John Constable, 43 L, the officer who took the pri-
soner at a coffee-shop in the Waterloo-road, after she had
swallowed a large dose of laudanum, and who had acted
with much decision and promptness in removing her to
Guy's Hospital, where the stomach-pump was used, said
he had forwarded a letter to the prisoner's father, to the
direction she had given him, but had heard nothing in
reply. The prisoner had, however, received a letter
II QM a cousin Qf hers, as Well as one from her lover,

both of which she had given up to him, and which he
I (constable) bugged to hand to his Wer.-Lip.
The 11 1,,L1 ,11 I,T ton,
which the worthy magistrate read. The fuLowing is a
copy of the letter frem her lover :
" Brompton-barracks, Cheltenham, Nov. 17.
"My dear Mary,—l have this moment received your
letter, and no one but God knows what uneasiness it has
caused me. I scarcely know what I say or do, and am
very uneasy for what has occurred ; but as for me I
cannot get my discharge, as the regiment is all gone ex-
cept two companies, and we embark to-morrow (Wed
nesday) morning, at nine o'clock, and it is—and I am
sorry for it—too late to get my discharge. My dear
Mary, think nothing of what has happened, for as soon
as I can get to Ceylon I will write to you, and let you
know what time I will be with you, for I will put in for
my discharge as soon as I get there, and I hope soon to
be with you. I also hope you will write to me in about
14 days' time, and then I shall receive the letter in a few
days after we get there. Believe me, my dearest Mary,
my intentions towards you are the same as I told you
before. I have not time to write much ; but I beg of
you to write in 14 days, and let me know all particulars,
how you are getting on, and I hope to God I'll soon be
with you again. When you write to me send me your
direction, as I shall not know where to write to, and
believe me, my dearest Mary, it is not my fault things
occurred as they have.—l am yours, ever dear, -
' THOMAS GARNER.
"Addressed to Mary Rose Cook,
Horsemonger-lane gaol."
Mr. NORTON said he considered this a very proper
letter, and asked the prisoner if she knew what the
writer of the letter (the one given above) had been
brought up to ?—The prisoner replied she did not, and
said that all she knew of his friends was, that they re-
sided in some part of Cheshire, and he was himself a
private soldier in the 37th Regiment.
Constable, the officer, said that since the prisoner's
examination, the matron of Guy's Hospital had been to
the station-house to say that the gentlemen belonging
to the institutian were anxious to assist in doing some-
thing for the prisoner, so as to prevent her going
upon the streets. They were acquainted with the
ladies of an institution which Mrs. Fry had founded or
belonged to, and where, it was thought, the prisoner
might be placed.
Mr. NORTON remarked that the prisoner had acted
with great indiscretion, but still he thought there was
nothing like profligacy in her conduct; for, even in the
extremely awkward situation she had placed herself, she
' did not appear to forget all the decencies and proprieties
of her sex, and he (Mr. Norton) hoped that though her
attachment to the soldier had led to her disgrace, it
might yet end well, and be the restoration of character.
In reply to the questions of the magistrate, the pri-
soner said she was truly and heartily sorry for the rash
act she had attempted, and most grateful to the Almighty
for her preservation from death.
Mr. NORTON said he had before him a letter from a
gentleman who kindly offered to assist, to the amount of
a sovereign, to place the prisoner in some situation by
which she could make a respectable living, and other
humane individuals would, he had no doubt, contribute
to the same object. With respect to the soldier, she
must for the present at least give up all hope of getting
married to him, and he did not think it at all likely that
the Government would go to the expense of sending her
out to Ceylon if they had any idea of discharging him.
The worthy MAGISTRATE here directed one of the
ushers of the Court to take a lodging for the prisoner at
some place where she could be taken care of for a week,
and by that time some communication, no doubt, would
be received from her mother or friends. In the interim
he would consider what was best to be done with her.
The prisoner, who evidently felt for the awkward
situation her indiscretion had placed her in, and also
for the humanity and kindness with which she had
been treated, expressed her gratitude to the benevolent
magistrate, and was then removed from the bar.
During the examination the Court was densely
crowded.