The Sun.
London, England, 1848-09-20 00:00:00

CLERKENIVELL.

Joseph Worrall and Cecilia Warton Chandler were
placed at the bar before Mr. Combo, charged with
cruelty to four children belonging to the former pri-
soner.

The parish authorities of St. Luke's attended to
conduct the prosecution, and the case excited the
most intense interest in a crowded court.
The poor children, who were attired in the work-
house costume, were mere living skeletons covered
with marks of violence, some of which were actually
festered; their heads were shaved, and exhibited a
mass of scabs and sores ; their bones were literally
protruding through their skin, and they were scarcely
able to stand on their legs. They were allowed to
sit on the floor during the investigation. The
wretched exhibition of the unfortunate children
caused a great sensation in court.
Police-constable 297 P deposed that on Monday
evening, about six o'clock, he was passing by City-
garden-row, City-road, St. Luke's, when he saw a
crowd of between 300 and 400 persons, and he was
informed that a woman was ill-using and strangling
some children; he knocked at the door several times,
but could not gain admittance. A ladder was pro-
cured, by which witness got up to the first-floor win-
dow, when the male prisoner, who had a piece of
wood like a staff, threatened to kill Any one who dared
to enter his place. The prisoner also threatened
to blow out his brains with a pistol. The
children and the prisoners were in the room; their
appearance was most awful, and he thought one of
them was dead. Another constable arrived, when
they entered the place and took the four children to
the workhouse, where they were received, and the
prisoners were taken into custody. One of the chil-
dren, Henrietta, nine years of age, had a pair of
dreadful black eyes, and she said they were caused by
her father beating her. The other children also com-
plained of having been ill-used by the prisoners.
Henrietta said her father beat her for stealing half-
pence. She said the children on that day had rice
and sugar, bread and potatoes. They said they were
sometimes very hungry. There was a bed and bed-
stead, &c., on which the prisoner slept ; but the
children lay upon the bare boards without anything
to cover them; and they were evidently in a state of
starvation.
Sergeant Cotter, 15 N, confirmed this testimony,
and added, that he considered the children's state so
shocking that he instantly procured a surgeon.
Bridget Walter, a nurse in the workhouse, proved
having undressed the children and finding them
covered all over with bruises and sores.
Richard Tyler, the prisoner's former landlord, said
that he had frequently seen the male prisoner beat
the children, and their cries alarmed the whole neigh-
bourhood, and on his (witness's) remonstrating with
him he threatened to blow out his brains for interfer-
ing. On Monday he was again attracted by the loud
screams of the eldest child, Henrietta, and gave her
some bread and butter. He had frequently seen her
leave the prisoner's house with a bottle to fetch gin
for them. He had seen the children devour their
own excrement. He had seen the prisoners lying
comfortably in bed while their children were without
food or anything to lie upon. He took the children,
with as3istance, to Mr. Riggs, one of the board of
guardians of St. Luke's.

Mr. Allberry, clerk to the vestry-clerk of St.
Luke's, here said, ahat from information he had
received in reference to this case, by all accounts the
children had been most shamefully treated. The
male prisoner was living on the prostitution of the
female prisoner, who was the sister of his late de-
ceased wife. They were in the habit of living well
themselves, whilst they starved the children. The
male prisoner was in the habit every night of regaling
himself over his pipe and gin and water at the
Macclesfield Arms in the City-road.
Henrietta Maria Celia Worrall, the daughter, aged
nine years, whose appearance excited great sympathy,
being an intelligent little creature, said artlessly that
her father beat her for lying and thieving. Mrs.
Chandler beat her sometimes. Her father beat her
severely over the thighs and legs with a thick stick or
cane which broke while he was beating her.
Mr. Frederick Wright, surgeon, Whitecross-street,
said he found the children in a state of filth and ex-
haustion from want of food and neglect; there were
marks of violence on the children.
The male prisoner asked Henrietta whether he did
not make her say her prayers after lying and thieving ?
The child—l think so.

Prisoner—Have I not sent you into the streets
with a paper on your back with " Thief" and " Liar"
written upon it, in order to shame you ? I own I did
beat her very severely with a cane, which broke the
last time. Her flesh is in the habit of festering, and
when I found I had injured her I shed tears.
Sergeant Cotter said, in a drawer in the same room
that the children lived there was a package of arsenic,
which they could easily get at as the drawer was kept
open. . .

The prisoner said he kept it to kill vermin. The
words, " Arsenic poison," upon it were in his own
handwriting.
The auditory here became so incensed that they
gave strong expression to their feelings, and applied
the term " IVretches," hissed and groaned, arid
called out, " Shame," until they were checked by
the Binch.

Mr. COMBE inquired if the prisoners wished to say
anything to the charge ?
The male prisoner said, he was an accountant, 31
years of age, and had formerly held office in the
parish of St. Pancras for seven years. He had been in
America, and returned two years ago to Liverpool,
where he held a situation as clerk. His wife died ; he
lost his situation, and his wife's sister (the prisoner)
undertook the care of his family, and they even-
tually lived together. Tyler, he said, was prejudiced
because he (prisoner) prosecuted at this court his
daughter for stealing while she was his servant. He
was driven to distress, and would not degrade him-
self by applying for parish relief, and he had fre-
quently lain in bed for days together without food in
order to give it to his children.
Mr. COMBE ordered that the children should be
taken care of in the workhouse, and bound over the
prisoners to appear again at this court to answer the
charge on Tuesday next.
The prisoners were then taken from the bar, and
the feeling was so strong against them that they
were hooted and groaned out of court and spat at,
and the people were so infuriated that had it not
been for the protection afforded by the police they
would inevitably have been torn piecemeal, and
they were obliged to take refuge for a considerable
time in the waiting-room, evidently afraid for their
lives. The children were conveyed to the workhouse.

LAMBETH.
Yesterday Adolph Von Zuel, alias the Rev. A. C.
Liebviel, who has been in custody for several days on
charges of obtaining goods by false representations,
was placed at the bar before Mr. Norton for final ex-
amination.

He was fully committed to Newgate for trial.

FROM THE LONDON GAZETTE

CROWN-OOEFFTICUEE,SSDEAPYr: 13, 1848.

MEMBER RETURNED TO SERVE IN THIS PRESENT PAR-

LIAMENT.

gtr 4.t,edpeheeenasle3lda.ir, Esq., in the room
t of Horse Guards—Brevet Major the
R-OFFICE, SEPT. 19.
ofHon.BßWilliam
Rhr
geßoge fioemißlleVeiocnnAli l Weld Forester to be Major, by pur-
chase, with the rank of Lieutenant-Colonel in the Army,
vice Smith, who retires; Lieutenant Horace Dormer
Trelawny, to be Captain, by purchase, vice Forester;
Cornet Joseph Brunt (Riding-master), to be Lieutenant,
by purchase, vice Trelawny; John Wyndham 13illington,
Gent., to be Cornet, by purchase, vice Brunt, Sept. 19.
15th Light Dragoons—John Puget, Gent., to be
Cornet, by purchase, vice Clarkson, appointed Quarter-
master, Sept. 12.
2d Regiment of Foot--Lieutenant Charles Edmund
Thornton to be Captain, by purchase, vice Pryce, who
retires; Ensign Cecil Squire to be Lieutenant, by pur-
chase, vice Thornton; John Tolcher, Gent., to be En-'
sign, by purchase, vice Squire, Sept. 19.
9th Foot--Brevet Major Arthur Borton to be Major,
by purchase, vice Thomas, who retires ; Lieutenant
George Harrington Hawes to be Captain, by purchase,
vice Borton ; Ensign Henry Ralph Browne to be Lieu-
tenant, by purchase, vice Ilawes ; James Legh
Thursby, Gent., to be Ensign, by purchase, vice Browne,
Sept. 19.

28th Foot—Edward Thomas Stehelin, Gent., to be
Ensign, without purchase, vice Lennox, who resigns,
Sept. 10.

38th Foot—Lieutenant Thomas Anderson to be Cap-
tain, without purchase, vice Carr, deceased; Ensign
Fiennes il!thur Quartley to be Lieutenant, vice Ander-
son; Aug. 22 ; James Thomas Craster, Gent., to be
Ensign, vice Quartley, Sept. 19.
4Gth Foot—Captain Alexa....4er Maxi '
14
vell to be.eutimant Major,
by purchase, vice Campbell. who Atires
• -• .,..