The Sun.
London, England, 1834-01-24 00:00:00

QUEEN-SQUARE.

GROSS INSULT TO THE DUCHESS OF KENT AND
THE PRINCESS VlCTORlA.—Yesterday Maria Chap-
man, of No. 21, Pearl-row, Blackfriars-road, was
brought before Mr. GREGORIE, charged with creat-
ing a disturbance at the Victoria theatre, obstruct-
ing the way, and using disrespectful language to the
Duchess of Kent and the Princess Victoria, at the
Victoria theatre, in the New Cut, Lambeth. The
prisoner is the wife of a man who was last week
fined at Union-Hall for selling spurious playbills,
without a printer's name affixed, announcing the
performance at the Victoria theatre.

Nathaniel Greaves was one of the constables at
the Victoria theatre. On the previous evening
the prisoner obstructed the way, which she had con-
stantly been in the habit of doing, by importuning
visiters to purchase bills. The Duchess of Kent
and the Princess Victoria came to the theatre about
half past eight o'clock incog., and drove to the stage
door of the theatre; the prisoner followed the car-
riage and thrust in a hill, and when their Royal
Highnesses, who were attended by Sir John Con-
roy, alighted from the carriage, they were followed
into the hall of the box entrance by the prisoner,
who exclaimed in a most insulting manner, " What,
is this the Queen of England that is to be ?" The
Duchess and the Princess complained of the insult
to which they had been subjected, and the prisoner
(who had been repeatedly warned of her conduct
previous to this transaction) was immediately taken
into custody.
Police constable Noble, of the L division, No.
39, proved the obstruction, and the taking the pri-
soner into custody.

Greaves said that it was not the wish of Messrs.
Abbott and Egerton, the lessees of the Victoria
theatre, to behave harshly to the prisoner. Her
husband had been fined at Union-hull for selling
bills without the printer's name.
Mr. GREGORIE—I can scarcely understand this.
Do you mean to withdraw your charge of insolence
to their Royal Highnes,es ? Greaves—Certainly
not ; it was noticed by the Duchess of Kent, who
observed, " What does she mean by that ?"
Mathias Sodbury, of the Cornwall-road, heard
the words spoken by the prisoner. In his opinion
they were uttered in an insulting tone. The Royal
party complained of it. The witness added that it
was more the manner in which the words were
spoken than the words themselves.
Mr. GREGORIE supposed that the proprietors
would not have noticed her if she had not rendered
herself obnoxious ? Greaves—They would not, Sir.
The prisoner, on being called upon for her de-
fence, said that her husband was out of wo►k. She
had no occupation but that of selling playbills. She
was willing to admit that she had made use of the
words, but merely as an observation to a bystander,
and in the most respectful manner; and she wished
that she might never leave that bar alive if such
were not the fact.

Maria Taylor, the mother of the prisoner, de-
posed to the same effect.
Mr. GREGORIE was certain the proprietors of the
Victoria theatre would not have brought forward
the charge without good reason for it. An offence
like this could not be passed over unnoticed, and
he ordered the prisoner to find bail to answer the
charge at the Surrey Sessions, and give 24 hours'
notice of bail. The prisoner was then removed.

A number of parishioners of St. Margaret's, re-
siding in what are called the optional streets, being
the streets not included in a Paving and Lighting
Act of George 111., were summoned to show cause
why they refused to psy the rates. Some of the
defendants were in arrears for years, and thay com-
plained of the inequality of the rate. After a very
lengthy argument the defendants were all ordered
to pay in a certain time.
H-4T T ON- GARDEN.
IMPORTANT TO PARISHES.—Susan Barker, a
young woman, was brought before Mr. ROGERS,
in the custody of Cover, the beadle, charged by the
overseers of the Lower Liberty of Saffron hill with
having illegally returned to that parish, after having
been legally passed by an order of removal to her
settlement in the parish of St. Giles-in-the-Fields.
Mr. Sharpe, the Vestry Clerk of the Lower Liberty
of Saffron hill, attended.

The prisoner cohabited with a man in Saffron-
court, Saffron-hill, by whom she had one child, and
was pregnant with another. On the 21st of De-
cember she applied to the overseers for relief, when
her examination► was taken, and it was ascertained
that her legal settlement was St. Giles•in-the-Fields,
to which she was passed in the usual way by an
order of removal. The following day it was disco.
vered that she had returned again to the parish of
the Lower Liberty of Saffron-hill, and was living
with the same man, although she was aware that
the overseers had circulated a caution against per-
sons harbouring pregnant women until their delivery
and bringing a burden upon the parish. She had

been previously brought before the Magistrates and
cautioned not to return from her legal parish, but,
notwithstanding this, she persisted in doing so and
putting the parish officers at defiance. Cover was
at length directed to apprehend her, and on Wed-
nesday afternoon last he proceeded to her residence
in Saffron-hill•court, where he found her with the
man with whom she was cohabiting, who behaved in
a violent manner, and swore that she should remain,
in that parish as long as he thought proper to pay
rent for her. He attempted to take her into custody
when he was violently resisted by them, and he
was ultimately necessitated to call in the aid of a
policeman, when the prisoner seized a quart pot
and fought with it desperately, by which the officers
were severely wounded, and it was with great diffi-
culty that they were brought to the office.
Cover had once taken her to the pa'rish of St.
Giles, but they refused to take her in, and only
granted her temporary relief.
Mr. Sharpe contended that it was a very hard
thing upon their parish. The woman's settlement
had been clearly proved. She had only two months
to go, and if delivered in the parish that would ne-
cessarily be the child's settlement, which would be
a burden upon them.
Mr. ROGERS asked the prisoner when her cc-
couchement was likely to take place? Prisoner—ln
a month or two, I cannot say which.

Mr. ROGERS told her that she had rendered her-
self liable to severe putnshrnent, and asked what
could induce her to return to another parish when
she had been regulassed by an order of re-
moval ? Prisonerhat was I to do ? They
would not take me in at St. Giles's, arid as my bu-
siness lies in the neighbourhood of Saffron-hill I
thought I might as well live there.
Mr. Sharpe said that it was strongly suspected
she was much nearer her time, as she seemed to be
very far advanced in pregnancy. He suggested the
prisoner's committal to prison under the Act of Par-
liament, as, if the child was born in the prison, the
child would then become chargeable t o the parish of
its mother.

Mr. Hill, the overseer, then proved the prisoner's
settlement, and Mr. ROGERS, after admonishing
her, committed her to the House of Correction for
three weeks.

James Wren, a ruffianly-looking fellow, without
coat, shoes, or hat, was charged by police constable
Beet, 82 E, with having created a riot and disturb-
ance, and indecently assaulted several ladies.
The constable, on Wednesday night last, about
nine o'clock, was on duty near Theobald's-road,
Red Lion-square, when he saw the prisoner and
another man, nearly in a state of nudity, following
several ladies, to whom they would speak, and then
lay hold of their persons in a most indecent man-
ner. He seized the prisoner, and called for assist-
ance to apprehend his companion, but he took to his
heels and made his escape.
Mr. Sergeant SELLON inquired whether the pri-
soner was known to the officers ? Beet replied that
the prisoner and the ruffian who was with him at
the time belonged to a notorious gang of cadgers
who lived in a place called the Rookery, in St.
Giles's, and were a most hardened and profligate set,
consisting of men, women, and children of various
ages. After carousing themselves, and laughing at
the credulity of humane and charitable persons who
relieved them on the previous night, they would
dress themselves in the meanest style, some being
almost naked, while others assumed the garb of
sailors or distressed mechanics, while many took the
character of " wounded tars" with crutches, which
they would throw aside in the evening, and "join
the dance." Others were blind who could see, and
the old solicitation of " Remember poor Jack, yer
Honour ; may you never know the vont of an eye or a
limb," was a bit of a trade with them which they called
" gammon." They were not nice as to their means
of getting a living, so they coupled plunder with
their vagrancy, and while following a lady or gentle-
man asking alms it was no uncommon thing for
them to keep an eye upon their pockets and steal
whatever they could lay hold of, and many of the
fraternity had been considerately sent out of the
country at the expense of Government. The pri-
soner's companion was the celebrated " Jack the
Screwerman, ' who had often been in custody, and
when he was with the prisoner he wore trousers
with the leg off, no jacket or shirt, no hat or shoes,
and his forbidding aspect was sufficient to frighten
ladies.

Mr. Sergeant SELLON asked the prisoner what
he had to say ? Prisoner—That I didn't salt any
ladies ; I only axed for charity.

Mr. Sergeant SELLON—\Vhere do you come
from ? Prisoner—From the Rookery.
Mr. Sergeant SELLON—J shall order you to find
bail ; you are an incorrigible ruffian.
He was committed to prison in default of bail.
UNION-HALL.

Elizabeth Potter, the woman charged with strip-
ping young children of their clothes, and leaving
them in a state of nudity almost exposed to the
weather, was brought up for final examination, and
fully committed.