The Sun.
London, England, 1860-05-26 00:00:00

POLICE INTELLIGENCE.—May 25.

GUILDHALL.—Miss Fray, a young lady who
has figured repeatedly before the public in actions
against Lord and Lady Zetland, in whose employ
she formerly was, as well as against her counsel
and attorneys for negligence in the conduct of her
affairs in the different actions in which she has been
engaged, applied on Wednesday to Alderman Salo-
mons for a summons against the matron of White-
cross-street Prison for cruel treatment and threats
against her life while a prisoner for debt under her
control.

Alderman Salomons inquired the nature of the
cruelty and threats complained of.
Miss Fray said she was incarcerated in White-
cross-street Prison on the 2d of December last, and
on the following day she was taken very ill, and in
that state locked up for a whole day and a night
with not even a glass of cold water, although she
was at the time suffering from inflammation of the
lungs. Indeed, such was the neglect she experi-
enced that she was kept for weeks together with-
out butter, tea, sugar, and, in fact, proper food ;
and she was even denied the use of warm water,
which the state of her health required. With a
cancer in her mouth, which she was compelled to
lance herself, the only food she could take was
withheld, and having no money she was unable to
procure what she required beyond the county allow-
ance.

Alderman Salomons asked her why she had not
applied to Colonel Hicks, the governor.
Miss Fray said she had repeatedly done so, and
Colonel Hicks assured her that it was his wish that
she should be properly treated, but nothing was
done, and she was eventually compelled to apply
to friends outside for assistance to obtain the means
of existence. This state of things continued until
the 25th of February last, when the matron shook
her fist in,her face, and made use of the most mur
derous threats towards her, saying that she (Miss
Fray) had lost her character, and that she would
tear her to pieces, limb from limb, tear her eyes
out of the sockets, and intimated she would soon
he in a much worse place than that—meaning
Newgate. For nine days she was very ill, during
which time she had nothing but the county allow-
ance, and when she refused the doctor's medicine,
the matron did all in her power to prevent her
having the medicine she purchased with money
furnished by her friends.

Alderman- Salomons asked her if any inquiry
had taken place.
Miss Fray said that a slanderous letter was
written by a friend of the matron, and the Lord
Mayor and Alderman Hale attended and investi-
gated the charges made in that letter against her
Fray), which proved to have no foundation,
since which the matron had altered her conduct
towards her.
Alderman Salomons wished to know if she had
complained to the prison inspectors.
Miss Fray said she had written to the Secretary
of State, and Mr. Perry, one of the inspectors, had
visited the prison, but no steps had been taken in
the matter. She had also seen the Lord Mayor,
who requested her to send him the details of her
complaints in writing, and she had done so ; but
fearing that the time limited by law for making
her complaint would expire, and so deprive her of
the ordinary remedy in the event of no other in-
quiry taking place, she applied for a summons to
have the matter investigated here.
Alderman Salomons said he did not like to grant
a summons in such a case without making inquiry,
and he would therefore decide on Friday what
course he would adopt.
After the above application was made the de-
puty-governor of Whitecross-street Prison attended
at the court, and was closeted with the chief clerk
for nearly an hour, and on the opening of the court
he had a private interview with the alderman and
the chief clerk, and at the expiration of a quarter
of an hour the parties came into court, when
Alderman Salomons, addressing Miss Fray, said
that, Col. Hicks being out of town, Mr. Watts, the
deputy-governor, was present to hear her complaint
against the matron and to answer it.
Miss Fray, having reiterated her cause of com-
plaint against the matron, said she also had to
make complaint against the governor and doctor
of the prison, but at present she only asked for a
summons against the matron. When she wrote
to the Secretary of State, Mr. Sheriff Phillips and
Mr. Perry, the prison inspector, came, and the
latter told her that it was a case for the magistrates.
Alderman Salomons could not understand why
the matrons should have any antipathy towards
any prisoner under her care.
Miss Fray said it arose from the fact of her
catching her in the act of opening a letter which
she (Miss Fray) wrote to the governor, asking him
to procure her a habeas, in order that she might
attend before a judge at chambers in an action for
which she received notice on the 18th of February.
She got no answer to that letter, and she therefore
wrote a second time, representing that unless she
' obtained the habeas she would lose her case ; but
she received no answer until it was too late, and
judgment was given against her by default. This
was on a Saturday, and on the Sunday she saw
Col. Hicks, and he told her she could lid have a
habeas, not having applied for it in the manner
prescribed for prisoners in the county side. She
said she did not intend to apply for anything at the
prison expense after she had been starved for so
many weeks, and having money sufficient of her
own she was prepared to pay for a habeas ; but
not obtaining it, she lost her action.
Mr. Watts said he was not present when Mr.
Perry and the visiting magistrates saw Miss Fray,
and knew nothing therefore of what took place at
either interview. Mr. Perry did not mention any
complaint, nor did he report any ; but the governor
had seen Miss Fray on several occasions in the pre-
sence of the matron.

Miss Fray said she reported everything she com-
plained of to Col. Hicks, but not obtaining pro-
tection from him, she was obliged to have recourse
to other means.

Alderman Salomons said he presumed that the
governor made it a rule to see all the prisoners daily.
Mr. Watts said that was not the case, but any
person could see the governor upon applying either
personally or in writing. He was, however, fre-
quently among them.
Miss Fray said it was not so.
Mr. Watts said if any application were made to
him personally at the office, he should not require
any written notice.
Miss F. ay said she believed. Mr. Watts, as he
was the only gentleman from whom she had re-
ceived any humane treatment.
Alderman Salomous said if he granted the sum-
mons against the matron he could not see how it
could serve the applicant.
Miss Fray said she locked her up, while other
prisoners were allowed greater liberty ; and she
had been informed that the law of the land did not
allow any one to remain a single night under threats
against the life without a remedy.
Mr. Watts raid that all the prisoners were locked
up at nif,ht.
Miss Fray said she could not state the whole of
her complaint, unless the case was thoroughly in-
vestigated, as it would occupy too much time. She
would, however, mention that the part of the prison
she was confined in was infested with body vermin,
introduced by a favourite of the matron ; and al-
though the bedding, clothing, and even the food
were tainted with the presence of such vermin, the
matron would not permit any report to be made, in
order that it might be cleansed.
Mr. Watts said the prison had been thoroughly
cleansed.