The Sun.
London, England, 1859-09-28 00:00:00

ADMONITION TO THE MASTER.

Yesterday the Board of Directors and Guardians
of the Poor of St. Pancras, sat at the Vestry-hall,
Camden-town, and were occupied several hours in
investigating a charge of cruelty preferred against
Mr. AVinlo, the master of the workhouse, towards
an inmate named Kate Sullivan, or. the morning of
Sunday last.

Mr. Churchwarden Cameron having been called
to the chair,

Mr. Sheffield inquired whether any complaint had
been made before the magistrates in petty session
on the previous day, in reference to the ill treatment
of an inmate by the master. The reason he had asked
the question was, that he had received a letter
signed "A Sick Inmate," stating that a female had
on Sunday been brutally assaulted by the master,
and that the party ill-used had made a statement to
the local magistrates on Monday.
Mr. Flaw, the clerk, said he did not hear any
such statement.

Mr. Howlett said he knew nothing of Mr. Shef-
field's correspondence, but he had heard of the mat-
ter in question, and considered an investigation
should at once take place ; and he called upon the
board to hear the evidence of Miss Barnes, the mis-
tre4s of the infant school. (Hear, hear, and cries
of " What for?")
After some discussion, it was resolved to hear the
statement of Miss Barnes, and that the moment she
said anything affecting any other officer, that the
party should be palled in and hear what she had to
say, or any other evidence that might be taken.
Miss Barnes said, as mistress of the infant school,
she had the assistance of Kate Sullivan, an inmate,
as nurse. About 12 o'clock on Sunday she sent Sul-
livan to the kitchen for the children's dinners. She
returned with one tray of meat, and then went back
for potatoes. Shortly after she was astonished and
alarmed at hearing the cries and screams of a woman
lout in the yard, and was more astonished when she
went out and kr,..w the master (Mr. Winlo) and her
nurse struggling fearfitll7. The master had hold of
her by both wrists, which he was twisting and
wrenching round, and exclaiming " You shall come,
you shall coma," The nurse got hold of the railings,
and he then called Wool, a gate porter, and Neville,
one of the paid nurses, and they set to work drag-
ging her away, and the nurse fell down and Wool
on the top of her. The proceedings so frightened
the school children, 50 in number, that they all set
up screaming, and she (Miss Barnes) went out and
said, " Oh, what a disgraceful scene on a Sunday,"
and complained of the violent treatment of the mas-
ter, and exclaimed, "What has the woman done
that she should be so treated ?" Neville called oat,
" Leave her alone to us ; the woman is mad ;" and
she (Miss Barnes) repied, " She is no more mad
than you are. What has she done ?" The master
said, " She has grossly insulted me, and she shall be
taken away."
At this stage the board considered the master
should be present, and Mr. Winlo was called in,
and Miss Barnes repeated her statement in his pre-
sence. She added, when the others arrived she said
(alluding to the master), " That man ought to be
ashamed of himself to behave as he has to that
woman." Sullivan's wrists were scratched very se-
verely with his finger nails, and one of her wrists
so fearfully wrenched that she was in great pain,
and had to keep it in hot water for three or four
hours. Understood that the whole cause of the pro-
ceeding was the way in which Sullivan was wear-
ing her hair. The witness added, that on the previ-
ous day (Monday) the master had them all " car-
peted" before him in the workhouse board-room,
and he examined Wool and Neville, and others,
with a view to get up some charge against her
(Miss Barnes) and make her out a liar.
Mr. Winlo, on being called upon to answer this
statement, said he was in the kitchen on Sunday,
when the woman Sullivan came in there with her
hair in flowing curls. He told her, while an inmate
of that workhouse she must conform to the rules
and wear her hair like other women, and added,
"Go to your ward, and do it at once." She turned
round and abused him, and said it was not his busi-
ness, and that he was mixed up with that villain
Kingston (alluding to the Settlement Club, which
was taking steps to remove her to Ireland). She
left and went towards the infant school, and stopped
again and said something, and he then seized her
and said she should go to the separation ward. She
began to screech and put her arms round the iron
railings, and hurt her wrists. He then called to
Wool, and he and Mrs. Neville came and laid hold
of her. Miss Barnes came out most excited, and
behaved in such a manner as to be the cause of fur-
ther uproar. Tb.is woman Sullivan was at all times
violent when not permitted to do ;iv she liked. lie
wished the board to call Wool, Davy, Mrs. Samson,
and Mrs. Neville.
In answer to questions,

The Master stated that he had never spoken to
the woman before about her ringlets. Had never
noticed her before. When he told her to go-to her
ward she left the kitchen and proceeded in the
direction of the infant school, and he followed her,
and when she hesitated he thought she did ndt in-
tend to go, and then he laid hold of her and said
she should go to the separation ward.
Kate Sullivan, the inmate referred to, was then
called in. She is a tall, lady-like woman, about
35 years of age, with very dark hair, full black
eves, and bears evidences of having been very hand-
some. She said she was an inmate of the house,
with her three children, who were in the infant
school, where through the kindness of the matron
she had been placed. She then said—On Sunday
I went into the kitchen for the children's potatoes.
The master was there, and on seeing me he said,
" How dare you wear your hair in curls ? Go back
instantly to your ward, and alter it, or I will send
you to the separation ward." I replied, " The
matron has never said anything about it,
and has been very kind to me, and I will
do it." I then left the kitchen, and proceeded
across the yard to the infant school. The master
followed me. When I got towards the gate he
seized hold of me and said, " You shall go to the
separation ward," and then commenced dragging
me. I caught hold of the iron railings. He said
" Let go—l'll break your arm if you don't let go."
He then called to Mr. Wool and others to come and
help him. Miss Barnes called out " Let the woman
alone, what has she done ?" They, said " She is
mad," and a stout man came and tore me from the
railings, and I fell down and he over me. Ido not
remember any more.
By the Board—The master had seen me in what
they call curls before. Mr. Belletti is the father of
my three children. He is in the insane ward, but
has £lO a-month, and yet they want to conspire to
get rid of me to Ireland. Had been three weeks in
the house.

The Master said he told her to go to her ward
kindly. He had never seen her to his knowledge
before. She moved a little and then stopped, and
he thought she did not intend to go—that was why
he laid hold of her. Did not threaten to send her
to the separation ward. When he first told her to
alter her curls she made no answer.

Nurse Neville, Mrs. Sampson, and Wool, were
examined on the part of the master. The first said
she thought Sullivan was mad by the way she
screamed and raved, and Mrs. Sampson only spoke
to the struggle, and Mr. Wool said Sullivan's con-
duit was very violent, and Miss Barnes wag not re-
spectful to the master. The master had them before
him to investigate the matter on the Monday.
Mr. Winlo, in answer to Mr. Turner, said he had
made no report in his book of this affair to the board.

'Thomas Cole, the cook, was examined at the request
of Miss Barnes. He said he remembered Sullivan
coming into the kitchen, and the master telling her
to go and put up her curls. She replied, at first,
" I am going to leave in a few days, and I don't think
it worth while to alter them." Some other remarks
were made which I did not catch, but I heard the
master say Silence, madam; or I'll send you to the
separation ward." She then left, and shortly after,
on crossing the yard, I heard dreadful screams, and,
looking, I saw the master dragging the woman by
the arms. As I looked I thought the master saw
me looking at him, and he left go his hold, and
then called out to Wool and others, and I went on
my business.

A discussion here took place as to the character
of the curls, and while the master, Wool, and Samp-
son said they were ringlets, the woman Sullivan
showed the board that her hair was only one roll
curled round on each side of the face.
This was corroborated by Barnes and by Cole.
The witnesses being ordered to withdraw, the
board entered into a discussion, and Mr. Howlett
hoped they considered him justified in bringing the
case forward. (Hear.)
Mr. Turner said he considered the conduct of the
master was harsh in the extreme. It was said the
woman was excited, and he did not wonde: at it.
A most suspicious thing was that the master int&
not reported this disgraceful affray taking place in
the house o,t a Sunday. He moved the following
resolution :—" That the conduct of Mr. Winlo on
Sunday last towards Kate Sullivan was extremely
harsh and uncalled for, and the board admonish
him to use kindness and forbearance to the inmates
invariably."
Mr. J. A. Fisher seconded the motion.
Mr. Austin thought the motion too strong; a
master must have some discretion allowed him,
He thought the justice of the case would be met by
the following, which he would move 'as an amend-
ment :—" That in the opinion of the directors, Kate
Sullivan ought to have obeyed the master's orders,

and regret that the master, in the spirit of the
moment, should have acted as he did on that occa-
sion."

Mr. Furnis, churchwarden, seconded the amend-
ment.

The Chairman considered the observation proved
by Cole, the cook,•that she was going to leave the
house, and did not think it worth while to alter her
curls ; this proved that she did npt obey the mas-
ter's orders.

On the question being put, the amendment was
negatived, and the original motion carried by a
majority of two to one.
The master was called in, and the resolution was
read over to him, but he made no remark.
The proceedings then terminated.

POLICE INTELLIGENCE.—..Sept. 27.

GUILDHALL—Thomas Stowell, the informer,
was summoned before Sir 1 W. Carden to answer
the charge of conspiring with others not in custody
to cheat and defraud Messrs. Lockhart and Sons,
manufacturers, of Kirkaldy, in Scotland, of goods
alleged to have been obtained under false pretences.
When the case was called on Stowell applied for
an adjournment, as he had only received the sum-
mons late on the previous night, and was not pre-
pared with counsel to defend him.

Mr. Lewis, jun., for the prosecution, objected,
inasmuch as he feared that any adjournment would
only be hiving Stowell and his accomplices time to
get out of the way, and so frustrate the ends of
justice.

Sir It. W. Carden said the application was a very
reasonable one.

Mr. Lewis said .he was prepared to go into the
case at once. If Stowell had been in custody his
application could not have been entertained with-
out the case being heard. His client would solve
the difficulty at once by giving Stowell into cus-
tody.

Stowell was then taken to the police-station,
where the charge was entered in the regular form,
and when he returned he found his counsel, Mr.
Tindal Atkinson, had arrived, and asked for per-
mission to sit near his counsel, instead of being
placed in the felons' dock, and his request was ac-
ceded to.

Mr. Lewis having stated the facts of the case,
Louisa Dodgson deposed to the prisoner having
taken an office at No. 4, Angel-m urt, Throgmor-
ton-street, about the 20th of July last, in the name
of " Thomas James Stevens," and to his having
the name of " T. J. Stevens.and Co." painted up on
the door-post. He occupied the room about five
weeks, and then went away without paying the
rent, and witness never saw him after. She never
knew him in any other name than Stevens.
Mr. Moses Gregory, a Manchester warehouseman,
at 34, Minories, said—About two days before the
13th of August last a person called on me, but not
with sampls, and the next day the prisoner, I
think, came by himself. • He said his name was
Stevens, that his office-was at 4, Angel-court, Throg-
morton-street, where he carried on business as a
general merchant, and that he had a parcel of
sacks or bags which he wished to dispose of. The
person, who appeared to be Stevens's clerk, showed
me a sample, but I do not think the prisoner did.
There were three different sorts of sacks, and I said
I would look at them in bulk, and if we came to
terms would buy them. On the following day he
brought the sacks, and left them with me to exa-
mine, and when he came again on the 13th I agreed
to buy the whole parcel, 600 in all. The price I
offered was 200 at sd. each, 200 at 7d. each, and
200 at 9d. each, which he accepted. The price of
the 600 sacks amounted to £l7 10s., which I paid
to the prisoner, and he made out the invoice pro-
duced and signed the receipt at the gape time in
my presence, in the name of "T. J. Stevens." I

had only known the prisoner about six weeks or
two months, but I certainly never knew his name
was Stowell. He has brought me other goods of a
similar description.

Cross-examined—As far as my memory serves
me I bought the goods in bulk without seeing a
sample first, and according to my judgment I gave
a price for them, one that would leave me a fair
profit. I got a very small profit on some of them.
I bought them believing I was dealing with re-
spectable parties, or r should not have bought them
at all. I think I gave the current market price for
such goods. I should think £34, the price charged
by the manufacturer to Stevens, a very stiff price.
By Sir R. W. Carden—l have had only one
other transaction with Stowell besides this. The
goods I bought on this occasion consisted of sacks.
Stowell was introduced to me by an agent, but
whose name Ido not recollect. The bales did not
appear to have been opened. They were in the
same state in which they had been sent dut by the
manufacturer.

Sir R. W. Carden—And does it not strike you
that the difference between £34, the manufactu-
rer's wholesale price, and £l7, the price you
bought them for, is very extraordinary ?
Witness—l do not think I got t4em remarkably
cheap. Those I bought at sd. each I sold for 7d. ;
those at 7d, for 9d. ; and those at 9d. for 11d.
Mr. Jas. Birrell, agent to Messss. Lockhart and
Sons, of Kirkaldy ssid—On the sth of August last
I called at the office, 4, Angel-court, Throgmorton-
street, in consequence of a communication from my
principals, with samples of sacks of three different
prices. I saw a person there (not the prisoner
Stowell) who represented himself as Mr. Stevens.
I had left the patterns for them to look at on the
day previous, and when I called again Stevens
handed me a written order for 600 bags, which he
said were required for potatoes to be imported from
Hamburg, and that if they suited they would give
a much larger order next time. I forwarded the
order to Messrs. Lockhart and Sons and on the
12th of August the goods arrived at ;he Irongate-
wharf. The terms agreed upon were cash in a
month with 2 discount. On the 17th of the same
month I went to the office in Angel-court, and
found the door locked and the office to let. I
then went to Irongate-wharf, and found the goods
were gone. I then went to No. 16, Bear-lane, an
office kept in the name of Richardson and Co., and
the clerk informed me that Stevens and Richard-
son had gone out together. I went to a house in
the neighbourhood, where I found Stevens, and
asked him for the money or the goods. He said
the goods were in his warehouse in Thames-street,
and on my desiring to see if they had been sent
right, he said it was too late, as the warehouse was
closed for the day and the man had gone home with
the key. He then appointed to meet me the next
day. He produced a bill .for £4O 125., which he
said they had received from a country customer,
and said he would give it to me if I would give him
the difference in cash between that amount and the
price of the goods, but I said I had not enough
money to do so. Up to that time I had never seen
anything of Stowell. I proposed to Stevens to go
out and have a glass of ale, so that I might intro-
duce Moss, the detective officer, to him ; after which
we went back to Angel-court, where Moss told
Stevens he must either pay the money or give up
the goods. Stevens said they could have the goods
immediately. Moss then told Stevens that he had
know him for years, and also knew that he was not
Stevens, as his right name was Joseph Clarkson.
He at first denied it, but afterwards admitted the
fact, and then appealed to a foreigner who was in
the room to give up the goods, but he refused to do
so until Stevens came. Moss then left with Clark-
son, and returned shortly after with Stowell, who
said the goods were shipped or about to be shipped,
and that he could not pay the whole of the money.
After some discussion he gave me £5 in cash, and a
promissory note for £29 12s. at 21 days, which on
falling due I presented, and it was dishonoured. I
had not the slightest knowledge at the time that the
goods had been sold in London at 50 per cent. below
cost price. The bill was drawn by m. eon Thomas
Stowell, and made payable' at his residence, 24, St.
George's-road, New Kent-road, Southwark. I have
seen him several times since at his private house
and elsewhere, and he has promised to pay me, but
he has not done %o. Stevens and Co. still occupy
the office in Angel-court, although it is to let.
They have also another office in the-same name at
No. 12, Circus, Minories. Stowell gave me that
address. £34 12s. 6d. is a reasonable charge for
the goods in question, and it is the regular trade
price for such goods all over the country.
Sir R. W. Carden—Did you make any inquiry
about Stevens and Co. ?

—Witness—Yes; but not until after they got the
goods.
Sir R. W. Carden—That is not the usual way of
doing business.

- Witness—No, sir ; but my suspicions were not
aroused till afterwards.

John Mos ;, city detective, was the next witness
examined. •He had had to make a great many in-
quiries in connexion with the parties charged, and
ip.ld a warrant for the apprehension of one of them.
They are all connected. Stowell said he expected
£l,OOO worth of ° Tapes from Hamburg, and that
as soon as he got them he, would pay Mr. Birrell in
There was a foreigner in the office, and it
was believed that these parties were connected with
others carrying- on the same system at 40, Broad-
t reet-buildin gs, under the name of Palmer and Co.,
Wallis and Co., and a host of other commercial
aliases. 'lf the prisoner were remanded he had no
doubt but that there would be other charges against

After some discussion Sir It. W. Carden decided
upon accepting two sureties in £25 each, and
Stowell's own recognisances in £lOO, to appear on
Monday next.
Stowell, not being prepared with hail, was then
removel, and ultimately conveyed in the prison van
to Newgate.