The Sun.
London, England, 1858-09-25 00:00:00

nu with Mr. West. I have removed them since.

lour of them are at Folly-hill, and the other is at
service. Folly-hill is a parish school. There
was a lady, named Carden, paying for one of
my children at the Boyne-hill School. I paid for
the other two myself. Mrs. Carden had never a
word of conversation with me about Mr. West. I
don't remember her mentioning Mr. West's name,
nor did I mention his name to her. I did not talk
about Mr. West by name to her, nor as the curate
or parson. I never spoke of him, good or bad. I
did not say to Mrs. Carden towards the end of
March that the new curate had been to see me, and
that he was just the right person to visit sick per-
sons. That I swear. I saw Mrs. Carden about that
time. She used to come sometimes to ask me how
I did, and when she could not come herself she sent
her servant. She is a lady living in the parish
who has been a little kind to me, but not very kind.
She used to send me a bit of dinner and give me a
bit of money sometimes, but that is all. (A laugh.)
I believe she did come to me about the end of
March. I did not tell her that Mr. West had gone
through the commandments with me. I did not
tell any of the lidies except Sister Ellen, belonging
to Mr. Gressley's party. I never told Mrs. Carden
that Mr. West asked me which of the command-
ments I had broken. I did not tell Mrs. Carden
that when I had done anything wrong the least I
could do was to tell it, and I had always told my
children so. I never said anything of the sort.
Nor did she tell me that she thought I was quite
right. Nothing of the kind passed. I did not tell
her that I had great comfort from Mr. West's visits,
nor anything of the sort. After my confinement
Mrs. Carden went away for some time. I have seen
her since she came back, but not to speak to her.
I did not speak to her at the end of June. I hadno
talk with her then about Mrs. Ellen. • Mrs. Smith

••
lives next door to me. She is the wife of a labourer
who works upon the smile farm as my husband.
Mrs. Smith was in my bed-room on the same day
that Mr. West came, and Mrs. Folley and Mrs.
Ellen were there also. I did not go into Mrs.
Smith's room on the day Mr. West called upon
me. I might have called afterwards. Mrs. Smith
was in the room and heard me tell Mrs. Ellen as to
the conversation with Mr. West. I never had a
conversation with Mrs. Smith alone about what
Mr. West had •said. Afterwards, when the
matter was talked. about in the papers, I
might have spoken to Mrs. Smith about it. She
and others have come in and said, " I have heard
—so and so ;" but I always said, "I don't care
what they say." Upon my solemn oath, I had
no conversation alone with Mrs. Smith upon the
subject before my confinement. Mrs. Smith was
present during the whole time I was talking to
Mrs. Ellen about Mr. West. She must have heard
all I said.
Mr. Coleridge—Did you, on your solemn oath,
when Mrs. Smith was present with Mrs. Ellen,
say one word about confessing or confession ?
Yes.
Did you say a syllable about Mr. West having
told you not to tell your husband, while Mrs. Smith
was m the room 9—She was not in the room then,
she was not there at the finishing off; her child
cried and she went away, but she was there when
I told Mrs. Ellen all that Mr. West said about
the commandments. Mrs. Polley was not in the
room when I told Mrs. Ellen what Mr. West had
said, but she was present at the beginning, she was
called away as soon as I began to tell Mrs. Ellen
what Mr. West had said about fornication. She
went away just before I began to tell Mrs. Ellen
about not telling my husband. Mrs. Smith went
first,- and then 'Mrs. Folley left. I know a Mrs.
Winch. I saw her at the end of July, as she was
going leasing, in Mr. Gillett's field. She asked me
if it was true about what Mr. West had been sav-
ing to me, and I said it was. I will swear that *I
did not say that it was all Mrs. Ellen's doing. I
did not tell her that Mrs. Ellen was at the bottom
of the stairs listening while Mr. West was there.
I did not tell her that Mr. West had given me half-
a-crown. I told her not to tell my husband. I told
her what Mr. West had said to me, and asked her
if she would have liked to have such questions put
to her, and she said "No' " and if they had been she
would have slapped Mr. West's face. (A demon-
stration of applause was here made, which the
Chancellor stopped by threatening to clear the
room.) I said nothing about half-a-crown, for no
half-crown was given me. I know a man named
Miles. I met him at Bruce's, where he lives. I
have known him a Feat many years. I talked to
him about this inquiry. I told him what had been
said by Mr. West, and asked him if he would like
it said to his wife ? He said, " No." I did not say
that Mrs. Ellen had been saying something about
her, but that it was all a
he would tell Mr. Gressley so. Mr. Clark came to
me and took down my statatement. He adminis-
tered an oath to me. He put down in that state-
ment something about Mr. West having told me
not to tell my husband.
Mr. Coleridge—Did you tell Mr. Clark that it
was not true that you had said, that Mr. West
had told you not to tell your husband ?
Witness—My head is so confused I cannot answer.
On the question being repeated she said—l told
Mr. Clark that Mr. Wegthad told me not to tell my
husband.
The Chancellor—Where was this statement
given ?
Witness—At Mrs. Ellen's house—l was sent for
to meet Mr. Clark at Mrs. Ellen's. I don't know
whether it was before or after I heard of it's all
being in the papers. (Mr. Cripps—lt was the Gth
July). I knew Mr. Shaw. Ido not know he is
paying my butcher's bill. Ido not know who is
paying it. I have a bit of meat sent from Mr.
Cooper's, and somebody pays for it. I believe Mr.
Shaw pays for it. I have never spoken to Mr.
Shaw. I know a man named Martin. I don't
know Elizabeth Jones. I have had eight children.
I have been married. I left r:v husband three
years after I was married. I went and lived with
a man named Stubbs. I don't know that I had a
child by Stubbs. I don't know whose child it was.
Question—Did you have connection with any
other man, then, besides your husband and Stubbs
about that time ?—I will not answer that question.
Examination continued—When I lived with
Stubbs my husband came to Stubbs's and lived,
there. You lived with Stubbs and your hush: ad
at the same time 9—Yes. And other men ?—No,
with no other men. My husband had not struck
me before my confinement. I know a person named
'Woolfer. I talked to her in the leasing field about
this matter of Mr. .West's. She asked me what
had passed, and I told her. Ido not know that I
told her all, but I told her the questions Mr. West
asked me. I did not tell her about being told not
to tell my husband. I did tell it was not true that I
had been told not to tell him. I told her the ques-
tions he asked me about lusting after men, and she
said if lie had gone to her with such questions she
would have thrown a bucket of water sver him. I
did not say to her that it was untrue that Mr. West
had talked improperly to me, and that it was all a
lie.
Reexamined by Mr. Cripps—l have lived con-
tinuously with my. husband for the last nine or ten -
years. I have during that tithe had four children
by him. We live on good terms together now.
lie is a very good husband to me. The paper
handed in is the paper which contains my examina-
tion before Mr. Clark. He did not swear me
when I made the statement. He asked me if I
said I would. I signed the statement produced.
Mr. Cripps proposed to put in the statement.
Mr. Coleridge objected.
After some discussion as to the extent to which
the witness might be questioned on the document,
the commissioners retired to consider the point, and
on their return,
The Chancellor said the commissioners were of
opinion that the document might be read, and that
the counsel might ask questions as to its contents,
which would go for what they were worth ; but
the paper could not be received in evidence, except
so far as it was proved.
The document was read over by the registrar, as
follows :
" Lady—What is the matter ? Why are you
crying so much ? Are you worse ?
" Woman—No, ma'am ; but the gentleman, Mr.
Gressley's curate, has been here, and has asked me
such questions.
" Lady—Well, what did he say 9
" Woman—lle asked me about the First Com-
mandment, and explained it ; 2d, also ; 3d, I told
him I had broken that. 4th, Yes, I had, many
times. sth, Yes, Thad broken that with my father,
but my mother died when I was very young, and
perhaps I should never have done as I have, only I
had no one to tell me. 6th, No, that I am syre I
never murdered anybody. ith, Did you ever com-
mit adultery ? No, sir, I was married too young
for that.
" Curate—Yes, but recollect; did you not before
or after you were married, look on a man, and lust
after him or for him ?
" Woman—And this upset me, ma'am, for he said,