The Sun.
London, England, 1856-08-28 00:00:00

[PRICE 4D. STAMPED bD-

THE WO :111W FLOGGING IN MARY LE
BONE WORKHOUSE.

CONCL.

'SION OF VIE INQITIRY.

Yesterday the poor law invfstigation as to the alleged
flogging of ti.e females in Marylebone Workhouse was
iesulued before REr. R. B. Cane, the ins?eetor.
A lar!.e number of the directors and guardians, and
the accuie,l parties, were again pre-ea.
Chas. Wetherington was fiat morn. He said, lam

19 years of age, and an inmate of Nl,rylebone Work

house. I nON Mary Ann Sullivan. On the 22d July,
about one in the afternoon, I heard a scream, and on go-
lug into the yard to see what it was, I saw Mr. Ryan and
Green Licking up two girl Sullivan and Reynolds, in
the cells. Their shoes were taken from them. Mr. Ryan
went to the carpenter, and spoke to him, and the car-
perit-ar then went and nailed sr me wood over the grating
whin`► lets Vie air into the cell in which Reynolds was
placed. ALoot 8 o'clock that night I was in the yard
again, and saw Ryan and Brown go and unlock the cells.
Sullivan came out into the yard, and just as Reynolds
came out o! the cell-door Brown struck her with his hand

on the shoulder. Sullivan then ran back to Brown, and
he caught ho'd of her by the hair of her head, and
dragged her by itinto the cell, which Reynolds had just
le t. A little while after I saw Ryan and Green bring
another girl, na-ne I Howard, take her shoes off, and
lock her up. AbOut a quarter-past 10 the same night I
was in my ward 4nd heard some one unlocking a gate.
I went out and saw Ryan go to the cells and tell Howard
and Sullivan to Come out. They asked for water, and
said as they had been there all day without anything,
they migl.t at well be there all night. Ou this Ruth
went to tl,e middle of the i and and whistled, and then
Brown and Green came to the cells and pulled them
oat. Brown Lad hold of Sullivan and Green of froward.
They went up the yard, and I then saw Brown lift Sul-
livan comple;elyloff the ground by the hair of her head
with both hands, and carry her in that way for some
yards. They then took the girls into the passage, and I
afterwards heard great screaming.
By members of the Board—l considered the conduct
of the porters v,ry cruel, but I did not give evidence
before the board of guardians because I was not called.
By Brown--I twill swear I saw you lift Sullivan off
the ground by . the hair of her head with both your
hands. I did not see anyone strike Sullivan. She was
taken to the passage, and I then heard a lashing of
canes, and screams. I know they were canes, because
I saw them in the hands of Brown and Green. Mr.
Ryan, I think, had a whip in his hands. I have been
in Maidstone Gaol for three months. I have been in
prison three times—once for assaulting Mr. Tubbs, the
relieving officer, and twice for felony.
Michael Hickey and John Butler, two other inmates
of the same ward, gave similar testimony. Hickey ad-
mitted that he had been in gaol for bad conduct.
Mr. William Boyd Musket examined—l am house-
surgeon of Mars lebone Workhouse, and know Mary Ann
Sullivan, an inmate. On Wednesday, the 23d July, she
aske I use to look at her back. I found she had weals
on her back and 'shoulders. She had also a mark down
her right jaw, frdm which there was oozing of blood. I
made memorand4 of the cases at the time. I have them
in my band. There was also some extravasation of
blood, about the sirs of a crown piece, on the left
shoulder, and a bruise with suffused discolouration on
the inside of the right arm. She attributed these marks
to her having been flogged about 1f or 16 hours previ-
ously. The marks on her back and shoulders were con-
sistent with that statement. I did not observe that the
marks on her back had been bleeding. My opinion as
to the blows, judging the marks is that they must have
been of a severe character. I cannot say that such
blows were inflicted with the stays on. I know Eliza-
beth Edmonds. I saw her on the same morning.
ri
Her back. was n much the same condition as Sul-
livan's. I saw her back again on the 28th, and the
marks bad the nearly disappeared. I know Sophia
Howard. I was sent to see her on the same Wed-
nesday morning. She was in bed, and said she was ill,
when Sullivan and Edmonds told me she had been also ,
flogged. She was shy in allowing me to examine her, bat
I looked at her back and found marks similar to those
on Sullivan and Edmonds. I examined her again on the
2Sth, and found the marks presented a greenish dis-
colouration. Howard had also some severe marks over
the forehead and nose, having the appearance of burns.
They were such marks as would be inflicted with a cane
or whip. I think they may have been produced with
the same instrument as the marks on the back. The
blows producing such marks as were on Howard's back
must have been of a severe character. She complained
of pain over the stomach from having been knelt on,
and as she had some amount of constitutional disturb-
ance I prescribed medicine for her. That might have
been produced independently of the flogging. She was
under my care two or three days, but I cannot say if
she kept her bed all that time.
By Dr. Gourley— I should think the marks more
likely to be male by a cane than anything else.
The witness having been cross-examined by the por-
ters, Brown and Green,
The Inspector said he would now hear any witnesses
Mr. Ryan or Brown or Green thought proper to produce.
Henry Balch, who was called by the muter, was then
sworn. He said—l am superintendent of the kitchen.
On the 22d of July I heard Burchall, Edmonds, and the
girls making use of gross and violent language against
the master, wholly unfit to repeat. They were conspiring
to lay violent hands on the master, and do him injury,
and I felt it my duty to report it to him.
The Rev. Peter Moody, the chaplain, was also called
by the master to prove the character of the girls. Ed-
monds he knew as a girl of very bad character, but she
had conducted herself well under proper restraint. Her
general character is as bad as it could possibly be. He
was not particularly acquaicted with Sullivan's charac-
ter, and of Howard he knew nothing. Had been obliged
to stop the service in chapel to send Edmonds out.
Burchal.'s character was equally bad.
Wm. Henry Collins was called by Brown. He said--
lam an inmate. I had charge of the gate leading to the
yard. About half-past 9on the night of the 22d July
I let the master and Mr. Brown and Mr. Green through
the gate. I saw Sullivan taken out of the first cell.
When she got out she laid hold of Mr. Brown. I never
saw Mr. Brown lift her up by the hair of the head, and
carry her any distance. Had he done so while they
were in the inner yard I must have seen it.
Green declined calling any witnesses.
Tile Poor-law Inspector said if either Mr. Ryan or
Mr. Green or Brown wished to make any voluntary
statements, either on oath or otherwise, they could now
do so. Tine master wished to make his statements on
oath, and Green and Brown were requested to withdraw
while he did so.

Mr. Richard Ryan was then sworn. He said—l am
master of Marylobono Workhouse. It is quite clear
from the evidenee that Sullivan, Edmonds, and Howard,
have been caned under circumstances of great provoca-
tion, but I gave no orders to the parties to use a cane,
and I never attempted to use a cane or whip myself.
That is ail I have to say.

Char es fir own made his statement also upon oath.
He Laid—l was late nigot porter in Marylebone Work-
house. For several days previous to the 22d July there
had been an unusual amount of riotous and disorderly
conduct going on between the girls who had been exa-
mined and several others. In order to suppress this
conduct Mr. Ryan, on the 13th July, sent me notice
that it was necessary for me to do duty in the women's
yard from 2in the afternoon till 6. This was extra to
my 12 hours' duty at night. While I was on this duty
as many as 16 or 26 punishments by confinement in the
cells took p 1 ice. On the evening of the 22d July I was
called upon by the master four times to render him as-
sistance. On the third time I told him I thought it was
necessary to have the assistance of Green, as the girls
:,eemed to be getting ma=ters over us, and that it was
necessary to have something with us for our protection,
as the way in which I had been beaten and kicked
she wed that some prompt measures were required to
put a stop to it. The blows given to Edmonds were
given during the time she was assaulting me. Sullivan
was not struck by me at all. That is all I have to say.
Matthew Green was also sworn. He said—l sin day
porter at Marylebone Workhouse. On Tuesday, the
22nd July, about a quarter past 9, Mr. Ryan came to
my room and stated he wished me to come and get 10
entlotewwitohmhetiills
andor 12Bgirlse ina
ntdh ea
tyoaerdd tino
tghoe te
passagebed. I
nearw
hall. I heard Mr. Ryan request the girls many times
to go to bed, and three or four voices reply that they
would not. In about 10 minutes they all jumped up,
some running one way and some the other. Mr. Ryan
then called me and Brown. They went after Edmonds
and Burchall, and I across the yard to the passage
where were English, Lynch and some other girls. I
caught hold of English quietly and told her to go to bed.
She crouched down in the corner, and Brown and Ed-
monds came into the passage. Brown said, "Now,
Echnondt,, go to bed," when she squared like a man and
struck him three or four times in the breast. After a
scuffle she went to bed, and I took English upstairs.
After half-past ten, Mr. Ryan again came and asked me
to go with him to let Sullivan and Howard out of the
black-hole. Mr. Ryan called on Sullivan and Howard
to come out of the cells several times. They refused,
and swore and made use of filthy language. Air. Ryan
then called me and Brown. I took Burchall by the
wrist to the Passage leading from the men's yard to the
chapel-yard. She screamed " Murder," and threw her-
self down, and used fiithy words. She kicked me so vio-
lently that I had three distinct scars on my left leg.
Mrs. Parker came up and took her away. I may say
that for several days previously the house bad been iu
continuous uproar, caused up the girls, and I believe
Burchall and Edmonds were the ringleaders of the whole
affair. I have nothing more to say, but in consequence
of the terrible and disagreeable duty which has occurred
here, and is likely to arise hereafter, I have resigned my
situation.
Mr. Cane here said, so far as he was concerned, the
proceedings were now concluded, and he had to thank
the directors and guardians for the use of the Board-
room, and for the facility they had afforded in ascertain-
ing the truth.
This protracted inquiry then terminated.

M. Vallette has appealed against the judgment sen•
tencing him to restore to the Princes of Orleans three
volumes of autograph and unprinted manuscripts be-
onging to the late Xing Louis Philippe,