The Sun.
London, England, 1856-08-27 00:00:00

THE 1T70,/tIEN FLOGGING IN MARY LE-
BONE Jr.oßKooriSE.

ADJOURN-El) POOR-LAW INVE-ITTG A TTON.
Yesterday 111 r. R. P,. Cane, the luseectar appoite,ed
by the Poor-hew Board to investigate the circumstances
connected with the recent flogging of pauper females in
Mary lebone Workhouse, resumed his inquiry in the
board-room of that establishment.
The directors and guardians, Mr. Ryan (the master),
and Brown and Green, the two porters, against whom
the charges of flogging had been prefared, were present
during the inquiry.
Emma Burchell, one of the witnesses examined on the
previous day, being recalled, said—l saw the marks on
the girl Edmonds's back. They were the weals made by
the cane, and she asked me to wash her back with some
vinegar, it smarted so. I saw the marks on Sophia Ho-
ward's back on the Wednesday morning. She was so bad
she was unable to wash herself, and I fetched some water
and washed her. She went to bed for about two hours,
when the magistrate sent for her. When she came back
she again went to bed, and was there for a day or two.
By Mr. Chichester (a memberof the Guardians Board)
—I cannot say if she dressed herself to go before the
magistrate. I was net present.
By Brown (the porter)—l accompanied Froward beck
from the magistrate's court to the workhouse. I don't
know whether she did any work after she came back.
I and Howard were about the yard as usual till bed-
time, and we went to bed on that night (Wednesday)
about 9 o'clock.
Margaret Jones—l am an inmate of Marylebone
Workhouse, and sleep in Cook's ward. I heard Mary
Sullivan say she had been beaten by Brown, I saw her
back, and observed marks like those of a cane. The
skin on her arm was broken—that was apparently a
graze. It had been bleeding, and there had been also
a little bleeding from one of the shoulders.
By Mr. Chichester—lf a statement has been made
that there was blood running down Sullivan's back to
the waist, it is not true.
By Brown—l had been in bed about an hour when
Sullivan came up. She laid on the bed opposite my bed
crying, and I got up and looked at her back. This was
within about five minutes after. I think it would have
been impossible for her back to have been bleeding
within that five minutes without my observing the blood.
She said Mr. Brown had beaten her. Since that Tues-
day night I have heard Sullivan say how she served you
while beating her. She said she got you by the neck and
thumped you.
Joseph Redfern, 23 years old, said—l am an inmate
of St. Marylebone Workhouse. I have been there 18
years-. I know Sophia Howard, and remember seeing
her in the store room with the master on the 21 July.
She was in the yard abusing and kicking at him, and he
took her by the arm into the store room. I went to his
assistance, and Howard bit me in the hand. I left the
yard with a message for the schoolmaster, but the mas-
ter did not send me. I saw Green and Brown in the
passage leading to the chapel yard. I did not see them
in the store room. I did not see Sophia Howard on the
ground, nor did I see the master shake Sophia Howard
or throw her on the ground. I heard the master tell
Howard he would lock her up. I never heard Howard
swear at the master.
By Mr. Chichester—Howard was very violent, and
the master did not use more than necessary violence to
get her to the board room.
By Mr. Ryan—l came to your assistance because I
saw Howard kick you. I did not see you attempt to
punish her after that.
By Brown, the porter—Mr. Ryan did not give me
any money that night to buy canes. If Howard has
stated on oath that Mr. Ryan sent me for any canes,
that statement is false. He did not at any time do so,
or to procure canes. I did not see any canes used on
that occasion.
Elizabeth English— I am 18 years of age, and have
this morning come out of gaol. I have been in the West-
minster House of Correction 14 days for an assaellt on
Green, the portcr. I know Elizabeth Edmonds. She was
an inmate of the workhouse when I was there. I recol-
lect her being beaten by Mr. Brown, the porter, ale tit a
fortnight before I went to gaol. It was about 9 o'clock.
I saw Brown beat Edmonds with a cane, because while
Green was beating me also with a thick cane Edmonds
came and took my part. Green struck me two or three
times, but I was rot much marked. Mr. Ryan had just
before this come and told me and the other girls to go to
bed. I was the first who refused to go to bed. The girls
ran through the passage and Green caught me just by
Nurse French's ward and cut into use with the cane.
Green left me and west and helped Brown to beat Ed-
munds.
By Mr. Chichester—The girls were all quiet and sit-
ting down when the master told us to go to bed. I
used one bad word to Green while he was beating me,
but I do not remember that I did so before thae.
The witness was here cross-examined by Brown, the
porter, who was requested to modify his tone by the
Commissioner, as it bore the appearance of intimidation.
—She said I have been in the house twelve years. Mr.
Ryan was in the yard while I was being beaten. If I
have said he was not there it is untrue.
Eliza Parker, examined—l am assistant matron of St.
Marylebone Workhouse. I know Sophia Howard and
Mary Ann Sullivan. On the Tuesday I complained to
the master of their conduct as they were disturbing the
old women by their noise and bad language and knock-
. ing about the idiots. Sullivan was locked up about two
o'clock. About eight o'clock in the evening Sullivan
broke open the cell door, and the master cent for me to
search her, to see what she had done it with. She used
foul language all the time. The master told her to come
out and go to bed. As soon as she came out she
assaulted the master in a violent manner, using foul
expressions, and she at the same time knocked Brown,
the porter's, hat off. They then put Sullivan back into
the cell. Tire girls hearing that Sullivan was put back
into the cell, came to the master in a threatening man-
ner, and using vile language. Howard headed them,
and they demanded when Sullivan was to be let
out. I did not hear what the master replied, but I Paw
Howard lift her foot and kick the master. The
master seized her by the hand, and as the women were
swearing he sent for Brown and Green, and they went
into the yard. I said to the master, " After the girls
swearing what they will do to you, I would not go
among them without something in my band." I then
went and fetched him a small riding whip, but he said he
did not want it, and I put it on the table in the st,re.
room. About a quarter-past 10 I went into the women's
yard te get a woman named Hewett to bed away from
the girls, as they bad been ill-using her, and she was
screaming. She is partially weak-minded. I then heard
a great noise in the other yard, and I ran to see what
was the matter. I saw Spike. Howarl sitting on a
box and Green holding her. When she sem sue she
screamed to me to come and save her. I went, and
Green struck at her with something in his band, and the
blows fell on me once or twice, but I did not see him
strike Howard. If he had struck her with the cane it
was before I got there. At this time Sullivan was on
the ground behind Howard, and Brown was pulling her
up. She was making a great noise, screaming, and
using foul language, and I beard Brown call out " You
are biting me." The master came up to release the
porter from her biting, but I saw no blows struck either
by Mr. Ryan or the porter. The master ordered Sulli
van and Howard to be placed in separate wards, and I
took them to bed. Green followed Howard, but did not
strike her. The girls might have been beaten on the
Tuesday night without my seeing it.
In answer to questions put by the Hon. and Rev. Mr.
Pelham, the rector, Dr. Gourley, and Mr. Chichester,
the witness reiterated her statement that she did not see
the girls beaten, or hold Howard whilst Green beat her.
She heard the girls make oaths that they would do the
master personal injury, and that was why she cautioned
him net to go amongst thetie without something to de-
fend himself.
The Commissioner, in consequence of the board room
being required by a committee of the guardians at two
o'clock, adjourned the inquiry till this day, when the de-
' fence will be gone into.

QUARANTINE AT NEW YORK.—On the 9th inst. there
was great excitement at quarantine in New York and
the regions round about, arising out of the fact that
there were then lying in the bay some 120 sail of vessels,
most of which were from parts where the yellow fever
existed at the time of their sailing. All persons engag-d
in these vessels are obliged to land at the health officer's
wharf, and from thence they pass out of the gates into
the village, or come up to the city, as they may wish.
In consequence of this loose arrangement one or two
fatal cases of yellow feverhad occurred outside the walls,
and the inhabitants of the village had held a meeting
and formed a vigilance committee, whose duty it will be
to prevent all persons from passing out of the gates into
the village, and obliging all those employed inside to re.
main inside or out. They were resolved that, if neces-
sary, they would barricade the gates.
MURDER, IN FRANCE.—The Court of Assizes of the
Eure-et-Loir tried three days back a woman named
Coutier, for the murder of her child. On the Eth April
last the dead body of a child was found floating on a
pond, called the Mare Rouge, at St. Germain-la Gastine,
and on examination it ap peered that death had been caused
by drowning. Suspicion fell on two ragged and dirty
women who had passed through the village, and on in-
quiry it was ascertained that they were the woman
Coutier, who bad just been discharged from prison at
Chartres, and a female named Darde, who had been did-
missed from the hospital at the same place. They were
sought after but could not be discovered until the mouth
of June, when they were found in a low house of
ill-fame at Versailles. Oa being questioned, the girl
Darde said that it was her companion who had
murdered the child, and the woman Coutier after-
wards confessed her guilt. From the joint state-
ments it appeared that the latter had had with her
two children, one an infant in arms, the other a boy five
years of age. After walking some distance the infant
cried a good deal, and Darde said that the little creature
was a terrible embarrassment. " I believe you," said the
mother, " and if he would only die I would throw him
into the river. " Nay," she added, " I am half disposed
to do so now." Darde said that, instead of killing the
child, she might deposit him in a foundling hospital. Tue
woman Coutier continued to talk of the burden the child
was to her, and at last on arriving near the Marc Rouge
she cried, " I will now give him the breast, and then I
will throw him into the water." She sat down on a heap
of stones, took off the greater part of the child's dress,
which she made into a bindle, and then, after a pau,e,
requested Darde to walk on a little with the boy. Dude
went on, but bad not taken many steps before she heard
the noise of something falling heavily in the water. She
saw the child struggling in the pond, and turned back,
but made no attempt to save it. Finding the child did
not sink, the inhuman mother than threw large stones at
him, and at last went into the pond, and plunged him to
the bottom. When she was convinced that the child must
be dead, she and Darde proceeded on her way. The jury
declared her guilty, with extenuating circumstances, and
the Court sentenced her to 20 years' hard labour.