The Sun.
London, England, 1861-10-26 00:00:00

THAMES.

STRANGE APPLICATION.--A middle aged woman came
before Mr. Selfe and said she wanted a summons against
an artist named Niblett, of Charles-street, St. George-in-
the-East, for unlawfully and against her will taking a model
of her arm.

Mr. Selre—How did he do that, my good woman ?
The applicant baring her right arm, a plump and round
one, said, " You see that arm;?"
Mr. Selfe—Yes, what is the matter with it ?

The applicant—Well, sir, that arm was resting on my
pillow on Tuesday night last, and tho f artist came into my
bedroom and took a model of it. He brought a light with
him, and he could not have finished it until the morning.
He says it is worth £5 to him, and he has been abusing me
ever since.

Mr. Selfe—You must have slept very soundly to enable
an artist to have taken a model of your arm.
The applicant—Well, sir, I went to bed between eight
and nine o'clock, and the artist began to take a model of my
arm. To prevent him doing so, I got up at ten o'clock
and worked at my needle until twelve o'clock. I laid down
again, and he went on with his modelling. I felt I could
not move, and when he finished
it,
islhewdanthteedm.,,ode3,llhyehsuaisdb,an"dNwowas,
and you can't help yourself.
I
lying‘ni sgrl
was
.e
alongside e
Selfe—That
einfe—g
only
T ohf beauty,me,a yourt
elbow
and I could not wake him.
will do. I will send an officer to
make inquiries about this.
The applicant, who was evidently labouring under some
delusion, though as calm as possible, left the court.
A BATCH :OF BAD HUSBANDS.—James Hayes, a
mechanic, was brought before Mr. Selfe, charged under the
Vagrant Act, with
_leaving his wife and four young chil-
dren, and leaving them chargeable to the parish of St.
George-in-the-Bast. Mr. Ralston, one of the relieving
officers of the parish, produced a printed list of bad
husbands who had deserted their wives and families. A
reward of 1;1 was offered for the apprehension of each. Mr.
Ralston said the maintenance of deserted wives and chil-
dren were a great burthen. Upwards of 100 women and
children abandoned by those who were legally and morally
bound to maintain them were supported out of the parish
rates. The prisoner deserted his wife and family four
months ago, and they had been maintained ever since
at the expense of the parish. On a former
occasion the prisoner deserted his wife and children and
was brought before the Magistrate, and committed to
prison for a month.

The prisoner said he had been in the country looking
after work.

Mr. Selfe—What, for five months ? How did you live
all that time ?

The prisoner—ln the best way I could.
Mr. Ralston said the prisoner was a dissipated, lazy
fellow, who periodically left his family and cared nothing
for them.

Mr. Solfe said that ratepayers struggling for an existence
complained, and not without reason, of the abandonment of
families by those who were able but not willing to maintain
them. A list similar to the present was produced by Mr.
Gifford, relieving officer of Mile-end Old-town, last Satur-
day. Such a frightful state of things was not to be tole-
rated. He convicted the prisoner as a rogue and vagabond
and sentenced him to two months' imprisonment and hard
labour.