The Sun.
London, England, 1833-09-25 00:00:00

POLICE INTELLIGENCE.

WORSHIP-STREET.
PARENTAL CRUELTY.—An anonymous letter was
on Monday evening last sent to Mr. BROUGHTON,
stating that a child, only eight years of age, had
been, for some time past, beaten so cruelly, and de-
prived of the common necessaries of life, that, unless
the parents were taken into custody, the child could

not survive their cruelty many days longer. The
Worthy Magistrates immediately sent Hanley, one
of the officers, to their residence in an obscure court

in Bethnal-green, who, yesterday morning, brought
the father and mother of the boy to the office.
The latter, on being placed at the bar before Mr.
T%VYFORD, gave their names William and Catherine
Bray, and stated that they were willow-workers.
Hanley, the officer, on going to make inquiries
that morning in Reform-place, Bethnal-green, where
the prisoners lived, was informed by one of the
neighbours that the child had been cruelly ill-used.

" Hark," said she, " don't you now hear the screams
of the child ? His father is beating him again."
Witness immediately ran over to the prisoner's
house, and, bursting open the house door, saw him
throw the child from off a chair, which he had been
beating him on, to the ground. Witness told him
the nature of his errand, and expressed his surprise
that he should be then beating the child. '" The
boy had then," said Hanley, a bruise over his
temple, and a shocking black eye.
Prisoner (impudently)—Which he got by a fall
while he was fighting. I merely beat him with a
strap.
The poor boy, by the desire of the Magistrate,
was partially stripped, when a sight presented it-
self that drew forth an exclamation of " horrid"
from every one present. The boy's breastbone was
all but protruding through the skin.
Mr. TWYFORD—Dreadful ! (to the male priso-
ner)—Are you married to that woman ? Prisoner
—Yes; but the boy before you is by a former wife.
Have you any other child ? Yes ; but she is
only four years old. She is in the office.
Let me see her.
This child was also stripped, but a very different
scene presented itself. This child had been well
fed and taken care of. It was fat and healthy.
Prisoner—The other child was always a thin
child, and always ill.
Mrs. Sarah l)oud, a neighbour, deposed to having
every day heard the boy screaming. On one oc-
casion she looked through the curtain, and saw his
father knock him off a chair like a bullock. On
mentioning the circumstances to the mother, she
said she would Ike to see the little —in the
workhouse.
A Mrs. Saunders, another neighbour, said she
had heard the child beaten eight times a day and
the poor thing screaming for assistance.
Mr. TWYFORD—Did you never remonstrate with
him on his cruelty ? Witness—Repeatedly. The
only answer I got was that I might kiss --,
and that he would beat the boy still more.
Several other witnesses corroborated the account
given by the last witness.
Hanky, the officer—On my taking the prisoner
into custody, the poor boy shuddered at the sight
of his father, and ran away from him.
Mr. TWYFORD (to the father)—Have you any
thing to say for yourself ? Prisoner—He spoils my
work, and therefore I am obliged to beat him.
What ! do you employ that child to work ?
Yes. Preparing willow. As to his being starved,
'tis false. He is naturally thin and skinny.
Mr. TWYFORD asked the boy what he had to eat
when with his parents?
lle said two thin slices of bread and butter in
the morning, and two in the evening, and got up
to work every morning at five o'clock.
rs.aGnoddfsraerd, asrhioethheard ‘ivieiatrridesst e heree s e
on
ft e rt
the
de
boythe office,A 1
(froml
his being beaten) every day. After site
heard him knocked down, and, on his crying from
pain, she heard the parents say, " Hush, you —;
hold your noise, or we will kill you.''
Mr. TWYFORD said he had heard quite enough of
the brutality of the prisoners to send them to
prison, in order that the parish authorities might pro-
secute them.
The prisoners were committed to prison. The
child was sent to the workhouse.
MARY LER ONE.

THE ANNOYANCE JURY.—Yesterday several gen-
tlemen belonging to the Annoyance Jury attended
at this office, accompanied by Mr. Flood, chief clerk
at the Marylebone Court-house, and stated to Mr.
RA WLINSON that in the discharge of their duties
they had visited, in addition to the shops of trades-
men, the workhouse of Nlarvlebone, and there found,
in the kitchen, several weights which were deficient.
Mr. Thillery, the steward of the house, who was