The Sun.
London, England, 1856-08-26 00:00:00

.4„
_ esterday Mr. R. B. Cane, one of the Poor-law In
specters, opened an hiquiry at the workhouse, in Marys.
lebone, into a charge made against Mr. Ryan, the
master of that establishment, and Charles-Brown and
Matthew Green, two of the porters, of having assaulted
and beaten with a cane and Whip three yonng women,
named Mary Ann Sullivan, Elizabeth Edmonds, and
Sophia Howard, pauper inmates there, The investiga-
tion was made in the boardroom, in the presence of the
Hon. and Rev. J. T. Pelham, the rector of the parish,
and a considerable- number of the guardians, by whom
inquiry had been previously made into the truth of the
allegation. The parties accused were also in attendance,
and so far they have not denied the charge, but plead a
justification or extenuation in the great provocation they
received in tie 3 recusant and contumelious conduct and
the grossly abusive and indecent language of the women
on whom the violence was inflicted. 'Some of the lan-
guage, as imputed by Green to the witnesses under ex-
amination, but denied by them, was at one time so
utterly shocking as to induce an appeal from the rector
to the inspector to Save the ears of the audience from
pollution.
Mary Ann Sullivan, the first witness called, said she
was 19 years of ale, and had been in the workhouse
about three months. She was employed in the mash-
house and laundry, and classed with the girls sleeping
in Mrs. Dawson's ward. About three weeks ago, on a
Tuesday, about 1 o'clock in the day, she was employed
in the workhouse yard cleaning round a box. The mas•
ter asked her to remove the box, and she said she could
not without assistance. The master replied, "You
won't I suppoie," and went away. Shortly afterwards, •
on the same day she was standing at the door of the
chapel, when the master came and took her and another
girl named Reynolds over to the men's Bide, and locked
them up in separate refractory cells. This was about
1 o'clock. At 8 o'clock in the evening he came
and took Reynolds out, and put witness into the
cell she had occupied. About half-past 10 the same •
evening the master returned alone, and opening her
cell asked her gruffly to come out instantly. She replied
all she wanted was a jug of water, as she was famish-
ing. Ile said, " You won't come out, then ?" She re-
plied, "No, as I have stem d here all this time without
anything to eat, I may as well stay all night." He then
turned his head round and whittled, when Greets and
Brown, the two porters, came, and Brown put his band
in her hair, saying at the same time, Come out !" and
dragged her along a yard, lentil he came to a dark core
ner, when he began beating her with a cane in the pre-
sence of the master and Green. She caught hold of
the cane with which Brown was beating her and refused
to give it up, when the master, who had a whip in his
hand, also began to beat her, He likewise called for
Green's assistance, and he too beat her meet shamefully.
She was on the ground above a quarter of an hour, and
Brawn held her down by the hair of her head. Green
then left to go to another girl, and witness was alone
with the master and Brown. They took her to a watch-
box, and Brown again beat her cruelly. She cried for
mercy, and asked him to leave go of her hair ; but the
more she cried the more he pulled her hair. The master
then ordered Brown to take her to her bedroom, and as
she was-going there Brown beat her again, and the next
stemming she went before the magistrate in the csmpany
of a policeman, the magistrate having sent for her and
two of the other girls in the house. The master struck
her with a whip, but she could not say how many times.
He struck her across the back and arms, and once across
the face, where he brought blood, and it was very sore.
She ought to have said that before that Green and Brown
kicked her severely when she was on the ground, and there
was a large bruise on her shoulder, and several other less
ones over the back. She had all her-clothes on during
the time. No blows were given her below the waist. The
master never interfered to prevent either Green or Brown
from striking her, nor did Green or Brown interfere
when the roaster struck her. The skin was broken on her -
back where she had been struck, and the place bled.
Emma Barchell, another inmate, wiped the blood et her
back with her (witness's) apron, and there was also blood
on her chemise. Next• morning she showed the house
surgeon her back. Before this happened she had not
been at all well, though she was still at work.
Mr. Ryan, the master, and Green, the porter, declined
to ask the witness any questions, and she withdraw.
Brown, Irons his own fault, was not present during her
examination.
Elizabeth Edmonds, another inmate in the workhouse,
aged 19, depose] to having been beaten by Brown some
five weeks ago, about 9 o'clock one Tuesday evening,
in the women's yard. The master came and ordered her
and tho rest of the girls to go to bed, but .they didsnot
go when first asked to do so. She had sonwobread and a
tin in *slate!, -and she asked liii7a•sto wait until she
tool 'them into the ward. She and -another gir), Bur-
chellf gbt up and were going t 6 the ward, when the mas-
ter ran after them and whietied,,and Green and Brown
came •
came directly. She had heatd.great screaming, ande'ran
to see what was the matter. Green had hold of alittle
girl named English behind a dooneand was shaliirig her.
lie had a cane in his hand, which he held .urr, but did
not strike her. Frown then se* witness, "and caught
hold of her, saying, " Now, you I have caught you,
and I'll let you have it." He took hold of her by the •
jacket, and, after a struggle, threw her down and beat
her several times with a cane across the back. She bad
all her clothes on when Brown struck her. Ho struck
~her as low 43 her waist, but not lower. Her skin was
not broken, but it was waled in several places, one of
which on her shoulders she could see herself. Aheehowed
her back next morniag to the house surgeon, who said
tie would iyeak to the master about it. The master was
in the yr.rd outside the door when Brown struck her,
but she could not say he was present. Grecn was inside
he door all the time, but said or did nothing to prevent
Brown heating her,
By the Master—Emma Burchell washed her (wit-
ness's back with vinegar before the surgeon saw it. She
did so because it was painful, and the had to go to her
work next morning.
By Brown —She did not say to the master on the night
in question Ehe would see him before she would go to
bed. She was not one of the girlewho some time ago was
refused admission into the chapel by Mr. Moody, the
chaplain, for disgraceful behaviour. She never went
near the chapel. (A laugh.) She had been three times in
prison,. twice for inieceeduct in this house, and once for
an assault on the matron, about 18 months ago. She
denied laving struck him (Brown) on the night in ques-
tion, alleging that she never bad the chance, as he had
her down, and was thrashing her with the cane.
Sophie Howard, also an inmate of the workhouse,
aged 18, spoke to Mr. Ily-an, her roaster, throwing her
down and shaking her on the same night, aed afterwards
giving Green or Brown (she could not say which) a .;hill=
to Etch a cave, with which Green, at a later period
of the evening, on her refusing to leave the refractory
cell, where she had been a short time confined, "slashed"
her several times across the face and back, Mrs. Parker,
the assistant matron, holding her round the neck while
he did so. She admitted giving Mr. Ryan a kick on
that occasion, but not before Le threw her down. In
cross•examination by Green, she emphatically denied
using certain opprobrious and grossly indecent language
which he imputed to her, on his going to the cell and ask-
ing her to come out and give him no further trouble.
Charlotte Garrol, a female searcher at the Maryle-
bone police•office, deposed that at the request of the ma-
gistrete there she examined the persons of the three
women, Sullivan, Edmonds, and Howard. Howard was
marked very much about the Lack and face as from a
cane, but the akin was not broken. Sullivan was cut
across the loins, and had also marks upon her chin,
which she said were caused by blows. There was,, no
blood upon her clothes, but the marks were very red.
Edmonds had also been beaten across .the shoulders and
down the back in much the saute way. There was a
serious bruise on.the shoulders of one of the girls, but
she did not know which of them it was. Ednionde ap-
peared to have been beaten more than the other two.
Seine of the marks must have been caused by heavy
blows.

Emma Burchell and Mary Ann Lynch, two young
women, inmates of tho house, corroborated much ►►f tho
evidence of Sullivan, EdmondP, and Howard. On cross-
examination they admitted having been in pri on, Lynch
once and Burchell several times, for breaches of diici-
pike in the house.
The inquiry was at this point adjourned.

TILE Bartisrr ARCHAJOLOGICAL

ASSOCIATION.

BRIDGE WATER, AUG. 25.
The 12th annual meeting of the members and friends
of this learned society commenced to-day. Four days will
be devoted to the examination and exposition of the vari-
ous antiquities which abound in this locality, and the
company will then proceed to Bath and there fix their
headquarters for two days. Various papers on antiqua-
rian and historical subjects will be read and discussed
during the week.

- - .
The Town-hall has been placed at the service of the
association during their stay at Bridgewater, and every
facility has been afforded by the local authorities to ad-
vance the objects of the society.
The town is of course unusually busy,-the attendance
of ladies and gentlemen from various parts being
ex-
tremely numerous ; many indeed arrived at the Clarence
Hotel, the head-quarters irr Bridgewater,
as early as
Saturday morning.
A preliminary meeting was held this afternoon at
hall past 1 o'clock, in the Council Chamber of the Town-
hall, where the members and visitors entered their names
and temporary places of abode. The company included
some of the most distinguished members of the society,
and the principal gentry and ladies of the county.
At three o'clock a general meeting took place in the
hall, where
Mr. T. J. PETTIGREW, F.R.S., vice-president and tree,
surer to the association, opened the business of the con-
gress with a few introductory observations ; and then pro-
ceeded to give a sketch of the antiquities of Somerset-
shire.
Town-hall the members and friends visited
various n theobj ectofinterest in Bridgewater. Among the
most prominent are the church, a large and handsome
edifice, the tower and spire of which measure 174 feet
in height ; Admiral Blake's house, the old house on the
quay, and the castle water-gate—any interesting obser-
vations with respect to which will be noticed.
The company dined together at the Royal Clarence at
half-past six o'clock. There will be a meeting at half-
past eight this evening for the reading and discussion of
papers, and the exhibition of antiquities, when a very
full attendance is expected.

THE SLAVE TBADE.—Two large blue books (A and 13),
issued on Saturday, contain a voluminous correspond.
ence with the British Commissioners at Sierra Leone,
Havannah, the Cape, and Loanda, with reports from the
British Vice-Admiralty Courts and from naval officers
relating to the slave trade. The dates extend from
Aprils 100, to Mara, NM