The Sun.
London, England, 1834-10-02 00:00:00

G UILDHALL.

Yesterday Henry Barnes, a person of respectable ap-
pearance, was brought before Mr. Alderman HARMER,
charged with assaultiug Mr. Bazil Wall, of Little Prescott-
street., merchant, in the Royal Exchange, yesterday forenoon.
A solicitor on the part of the complainant stated that
there had been some dealings in sham stock between the
parties, and the assault arose out of the complainant asking
payment of a debt due on account of these transactions.

Mr. Alderman HARMER said the public peace must not
be disturbed by these paltry quarrels about gambling tran-
sactions. He should require each party to enter into sure-
ties to keep the peace.

They entered into the required recognizance.

MARLBOROUGH-STREET.

PRIVATE BROTHEL EXPOSED.—Yesterday, two young
women were placed at the bar, before Mr. CHAMBERS,
charged by a well-dressed female, who gave her name Mar-
tha Conway, with having come to her house, No. 16,
Lisle-street, Leicester-square, the over-night, and created a
disturbance. One of the prisoners, Elizabeth Shields, was
also charged with having attempted to steal a brooch dur-
ing the scuffle.
Mr. CHAMBERS having been informed that the prosecu.
trix had been the keeper of what is termed a private
brothel, for a great number of years, gave the charge parti-
cular attention.
The prosecutrix said that Shields came to her house
and demanded money. She refused to give her any ; upon
which the prisoner made a snatch at her brooch, and tore
it from her neck. A gold chain was also broken, but it
was not removed in the same manner as the brooch. Pro-
secutor called for a light, and for assistance, and when a
candle was brought, she found the brooch lying on the
mat, close to the feet of Shields. Both prisoners were
taken to the station house, and one was locked up on
the charge of felony, and the other because she was in-
toxicated.

In defence, the girl said that about ten years ago, when
one was between the ages of twelve and thirteen, and the
other just turned fifteen, they had been taken to the house
of Mrs. Conway by a female, who received half-a-sovereign
each for introducing them. They were provided with fine
clothes, for which they were to pay the price charged by
Mrs. Conway ; and they were required to pay a sum of
3/. 10s. weekly for their board and lodging. All the money
they received from gentlemen was paid over to Mrs. Con-
way, who accounted to them for the sums weekly, but who
always took care not to let them have any money. Having
continued in the house some short time, they were turned
out to make way for fresh faces.
Mrs. Conway, in answer to this statement, declared that
it was totally false. She kept a lodging-house of the most
respectable description, and she had lived in Lisle-street for
the last thirty years.
One of the prisoners immediately pointed to a smartly

dressed young female, who had accompanied Mrs. Conway
into the office, and declared to the Magistrates that she
was one of the sort of lodgers living in the house.
Mr. CHAMBERS immediately made the girl come for-
ward, and, on questioning her, elicited that she was the
daughter of a tradesman, and had been in the house about
a month. She confirmed what the other girls had said
respecting the manner in which Mrs. Conway conducted her
house.

In this stage of the proceedings Mr. Chambers dis-
patched a messenger to Mr. Allen, the vestry-clerk of St.
Ann's, requesting his attendance at the office.
Mrs. Conway, finding the turn affairs was about to take,
declared that she had no wish to press the charge agains.:
Shields, as she did not think the girl's intention Iva,
rob her.

Mr. CHAMBERS asked the prisoners why they went to
Mrs. Conway's house ?—They replied that they went there
for the purpose of asking her for a few shillings now they
were destitute, thinking they had a right to expect a trifle
in consideration of the sums of money they had procured
her whilst their youth and attractions lasted.

Mr. CHAMBERS then directed that the girls should be dis-
charged and brought round into the office for the purpose
of giving evidence against Mrs. Conway, at the same time
sending Inspector Abrahams to the house in Lisle-street,
to bring away the rest of the young females who formed
the inmates of this vile establishment.

Mr. Allen having made his appearance, Mr. CHAMBERS
informed him of the nature of the case, and pointed out the
opportunity which presented itself for the parish to get rid
of the nuisance.

Mr. Allen said it was necessary that two housekeepers
should come forward and lay a complaint.
Mr. CHAMBERS : Well, I am sure you will find no diffi-
culty in getting them. Why, I have been waited upon
lately by eight or ten housekeepers, from the parish of St.
Ann's, who have expressed to me their wish to get rid of
every house of this description, and I cannot think they
will make any exceptions.

Mr. Allen.—As far as I am concerned, I will readily as-
sist in the prosecution of the case ; and I have no doubt
the parish will also interfere.

Mr. CHAMBERS.—I certainly think they ought; for a
house of this description is far more dangerous than brothels
of the common kind.

Inspector Abrahams having returned with three other
females, they were brought forward. Their appearance ex-
cited general sympathy ; not only on account of their ex-
treme youth and inexperience, but from a certain propriety
of manners, which indicated genteel breeding. They were
all of them like daughters of tradesmen of respectable sta-
tion in society.

The first Called forward was a very pretty little girl, of
exceeding infantine stature and look.
Mr. CHAMBERS questioned her as to her age, and she
replied she was turned seventeen, although looking certainly
not more than thirteen.

She said her name was Mary Anne Thomas, and that
she was the daughter of a tradesman of the same name, who
kept a china shop in Greenwich. She had been enticed
into a house of ill fame named the Brunswick, by a gentle-
man who met her in the Strand about five weeks ago, and
having stopped away from home, her father, as she said, re-
fused to receive her. Having been told by a girl whom she
met in the street to go to Mrs. Conway's, she went and
was received as a lodger. She was to pay 3/. 10s. for her
board and lodging, and to give Mrs. Conway 10s. out of
every two sovereigns she received, or a larger sum if the vi-
siter proved more liberal. She had been a month in the
house, and had never been outside of it, as none of the
" ladies " were allowed to go out without they had some
body with them. Mrs. Conway sold clothes, and, as all
the money received was put into her hands, after board and
lodging and perquisites were deducted, the remainder went
to pay for some article of wearing apparel.
Mr. CHAMBERS questioned this girl very closely as to
her reason for leaving her home, and expressed his belief
that all she had stated was not true ; for his opinion was
that she had run away from her friends.
Ellen Berkeley said she was nearly nineteen. Her father,
when living, was a butcher in Chesterfield, and her mother
still lived there. She said she ran away from home about
three months ago, at the porsuasion of a person named
Williams, who carried on the business of a music-master, in
the same town, and who had previously promised her mar-
riage. He took lodgings for her in a street in Knights-
bridge, and after remaining with her about a week, he left
her totally destitute. Being afraid to return home, she
went into the streets, and a girl recommended her to apply
to Mrs. Conway to receive her. She did so, and had been
engaged about a month. She had been allowed to go out
to take a walk twice during that period. The girl con-
firmed what the other had said respecting the appropriation
of the money received from visitors. She said her friends
were unacquainted with her present situation.
Sarah Williams, a fresh coloured genteel country girl said
she was nineteen years of age, and by Saturday next would
have completed a month at Mrs. Conway's. Her father
was a farmer at Wood-side in Cheshire, and her friends
were very respectable. None of whom, however, were ac-
quainted with her degraded situation. She had, she said,
been seduced from her home by a gentleman, who brought
her to his house in London. After a short time he told
to provide herself with lodgings, as he was about to be mar-
ried. She did so, and he never came near her, or gave her
a sixpence in money. She was recommended by another
gentleman to go to Mrs. Conway's. She had been out only
once, and that was in Mrs. Conway's company. None of
the lodgers were allowed to go out alone.

Mr. CHAMBERS remarked that the house was made a
complete prison of.
Mr. Allen said it was for the purpose of preventing the
girls getting any money which did not come into the hands
of their mistress.

Mary Ann Maxwell, aged eighteen, had been ten weeks
with Mrs. Conway. Her father was a builder at Deptford,
and she had left his house about four months since. Her
friends did not know where she was. She had not been out
alone during the ten weeks, because it was not allowed.
She had also been recommended to Mrs. Conway by a girl
whom she accidentally met with in the street.
Ann Perry and Elizabeth Shields, who had lived there
about ten years back, said they had been brought to Mrs.
Conway's house by a woman who told them she had been
paid half-a-sovereign each for bringing them.
Mr. CHAMBERS said it was clear that the defendant,
Conway, had emissaries in all quarters of the town, and
that she procured a fresh supply of young creatures about
every one or two months. They were brought like cattle,
and after they had earned all the money they could for this
woman, they were turned out to starve in the street.

Mr. Allen remarked, that after what had transpired he
had no doubt the parish would take the matter up.
Mr. CHAMBERS : They ought, I am sure. Such a house
as this is more infamous and dangerous than the common
houses of ill-fame. I shall make her find good bail.
Defendant : Find bail ; what for? I'm sure I conducted
my business in the-most respectable way ; I have none bu
gentlemen come to my house, and, as to the girls, I am
mother to them. I never allow a prudent girl to come to
my house, and Mr. Allen can speak to my respectability, for
he knows I pay my taxes regularly, and that I subscribe to
every charity in the parish.
Mr. Allen could say this far, that the defendant, whose
real name was Francis, conducted the house externally with
great decency, but he knew nothing further.
Mr. CHAMBERS then called upon her to put in good bail,
and ordered the six girls-to be detained, but well treated,
in order that they should not be tampered with.
Mr. Allen promised to write to the friends of five of them,
to see if they could not be received back.