The Sun.
London, England, 1861-11-04 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON, MONDAY 'EVENING, NOVEMBER 4, 1861.

EXTRAORDINARY CHARGE OF MIS-
APPROPRIATION OF WORKROUSE STORES.

An important inquiry has recently taken place,
instituted by the Poor-law Board, into certain trans-
actions which are alleged to have been carried on in
connexion with the workhouse of the Poole Union.

For some time past rumours of a very extraordi-
nary character have been circulated throughout the
town and neighbourhood, touching the conduct of
the master of the workhouse, and several of the
guardians of the union, and an official investigation
has taken place at the union-house before Mr. W.
H. T. Hawley, one of the inspectors of the Poor-
law Board. The room was densely crowded through-
out the day. Amongst those present were—W. J.
Patterson, Esq., the union auditor of the Wilts and
Dorset audit district ; the Rev. M. Patey, chaplain
of the union-house ; the Rev. S. 11. Austen, Messrs.
H. Hamilton (chairman), J. Wood, S. M. Bloomfield,
C. Kite, G. Foot, J. Gould, T. Arnold, H. W. House,
T. Abbott, J. Rawlins, guardians ; W. Parr, Esq.,
clerk to the board, several of the borough magis-
trates, and other influential inhabitants.
The following is an abridgment of the report of
the proceedings which appeared in the Bourne-
mouth Visitors' Directory. The inspector, in open-
ing the investigation, expressed his regret that it
was his duty to make such an inquiry as the present,
inasmuch as it affected the character of the master,
whom he knew to be a good and efficient officer, and
also the conduct of some of the guardians, who were
amongst the most highly respectable members of the
board. He then explained the reasons which had led
the Poor-law Board to institute that inquiry. It was
owing to the Rev. M. Patey having recommended
the porter and others connected with the union to
communicate with the magistrates' clerk, Mr. M.
Kemp Welch, who very courteously furnished the
clerk to the Poole Union with a copy of the
statements. The guardians forwarded those state-
ments to the Poor-law Board. Mr. Dennett also sent
a memorial, very numerously signed by the rate-
payers, directing the attention of the Poor-law
Board to the subject. An anonymous letter was also
sent to the Poor-law Board, and the board was thus
led to order the present investigation.
Mr. Bloomfield said he wished previous to the in-
quiry to make a few observations which might cur-
tail the inspector's labours. His name was promi-
nently mentioned in the statements that had been
made as having received certain vegetables from
the union. He was then present, not to deny the
fact, but to admit it, and to state that he had been
in the habit of receiving vegetables during the late
and present master's time. It was proverbial, he
believed, that the master of the house had the right
of growing vegetables for his own private use. He
had not, however, received anything in the shape
of rations.

The Rev. M. Patey, chaplain of the union, was
first examined by the inspector. He said—About
the 21st of August the porter, John Pennington,
communicated with me on behalf of himself and
some paupers in the house, who made certain com-
plaints to him that they had been for some time
past made the unwilling conveyers of ratepayers'
property from the union to certain guardians. The
paupers told me, as their spiritual overseer, they
were made thieves against their will, and that they
were determined to make a stand against it. They
also mentioned to me that the articles sent away
were in the shape of hams, sirloins or joints of
pork, bladders of lard, sacks of potatoes, and other
vegetables, but that the potatoes were sent by a peck
at a time.

The rev, gentleman was subjected to a severe
cross-examination, to show an animus on his part.
Mr. Bloomfield—ln a note you say a stick of
celery was placed in your carriage at the work-
house without your knowledge, and that some
plants were also dropped at your house, but you
do not know how they came there ? Will you
swear that you did not have more than one stick
of celery ?
Witness—l will. It was about a year ago. I found
it when I got home. The celery that was put in
my carriage rotted. (Laughter.) I had a tender
conscience, and did not touch it. At that time I did
not know but that the master had a right to give
away anything from the garden. He told me he
had the right. He had often asked me to take
things, and said, " You are quite welcome to take
anything. lam permitted to give it away."
As the chaplain of the workhouse did you con-
sider that the vegetables would be useful to the sick
if they were not given away from the garden ? Yes
certainly.
The next witness called was John Pennington,
who said, lam the porter at the workhouse. Pigs
have been kept at the house, and killed for the use
of the house ever since I have been porter. Ten
pigs have been slaughtered during the present
master's period of office. Four pigs were
slaughtered a few weeks after Mr. Frampton be-
came master. On an average there are quite five
pigs killed a year. I generally assist in killing the
pigs, and also in dressing and cutting them up.
The master always sees the pigs weighed in the
hulk and afterwards they are cut up and salted.
I have taken meat five times to Mr. Hamilton, the
chairman. The first time was on a Friday in the
_ _ _

beginning of March, 1860, and by the order of the
master, who told me to come into the pantry and
bring a book bag with me. He took out a griskin
of pork and told me to take it to Mr. Hamilton, the
chairman. It weighed quite twelve pounds. The
master also gave me a piece of griskin, weighing
quite eight pounds, to take to Mr. Kite, another
guardian. I carried the meat to Mr. Hamilton,
whom I saw myself, and spoke to him about the
weather. Mr. Hamilton did not say any-
thing about the meat. I delivered it to his
servant, and Mr. Kite's daughter received the other
piece. lam sure that meat was killed on the union
premises. About six or seven days after the above
date another pig was killed, and I assisted when it
was cut up, and took part of it to Mr. Hamilton.
It consisted of a griskin of pork. The master
gave me orders to take the pork to Mr. Hamilton,
and also to carry him a pan of lard weighing quite
ten pounds. I did not see Mr. Hamilton on that
occasion ; the servant received the articles. About
the first week in this year I took some winter greens
and a griskin of pork to Mr. Hamilton's weighing
about ten pounds, and a bladder of lard weighing
quite ten pounds, The master told me to ask Mr.
or Mrs. Hamilton if they would take a dry ham or
a green one. I saw Mrs. Hamilton, and she told
me she would have a green ham. The next night I
was sent with a green ham to Mr. Hamilton's. The
master gave it to me about seven o'clock in the
evening. It was placed in a rush basket, and
weighed forty pounds. The ham was taken out of
pickle, and was not a smoked ham. The four pigs
would weigh eleven score each pig. On a Satur-
day evening, in June, 1860, I carried a large dry
chop to Mr. Hamilton's weighing at least six
reen peas, cabbage, carrots, night. They generally
pounds. I have also carried vegetables to him re-
gularly
consisted
o f every
potatoes Saturdayg
and all the vegetables of ;the season. I carried
about a gallon of potatoes each week during the
first month of diggings and about a peck a time
afterwards, and kept on doing so till the frost set
in. I have also taken to Mr. Hamilton's red
currants, raspberries, and gooseberries. I have
also taken meat to other parties. I took a
very large ham, weighing more than forty pounds,
to the master of the Wimborne Union. The master
ordered me to take it there: I have also taken a
shoulder of perk weighing sixteen or seventeen
pounds to Mr. Whi▪ te, seedsman, of this town.
Mr. Dickinson—Was not it unusual for a piece
of griskin from a pig ▪
of eleven score to weigh twelve
pounds ?
Witness—No. The master held up the piece of
pork in his hand and said, " I must send this to Mr.
Hamilton or he will call me a bad master."

Mr. Hamilton—Did I not charge you with allow-
ing your admission book to be kept by one of the
inmatcs of the house ?—Yes.

Did you not tell the board, on being questioned
by the guardians, that Mr. Patsy had influenced yea
to give evidence ?—No, I didn't particularly.
Mr. Hamilton—No impertinence, sir, in your
looks. Did you not say Mr. Patey induced you to
give evidence ?
Witness—l asked Mr. Patsy myself.
Mr. Hamilton—Have you not endeavoured to get
others in the house to speak against the master ?
No, that I have not.
Mr. Hamilton—Did you not say to the man
Hayter, "Why don't you join us against Jack
Frampton ? Who is Jack Frampton ?"
Witness—Hayter has spoken to me about the
clothes, and told me the clothes had not been
brought.
Mr. Hamilton—You trumpery fellow, why don't
you answer the question ? Did you ever say to him,
"Why don't you join our party ?"—1 have talked
to Hayter about the clothes.
Mr. Hamilton—On the 14th October did you not
send Lance to the George Inn for a can of beer ?
Lance went for the beer, but I did not send him. I
gave Hooper, Lance, and Long some of the beer.
Did you not take some tobacco into the ward and
say, "This is what the magistrates have sent you;
when it is gone you can have some more? "—No, it
is no such thing. The master sent for six penny-
worth of tobacco. I parted it between them.
The Inspector—Yon have previously denied
giving it to them ?—I denied sending for it.
Mr. Hamilton—Do you not know it is irregular
to give the able-bodied men tobacco and beer ?
The late master used to allow it.
Mr. Hamilton—Did you see me when you brought
the first piece of pork ?—You were present.
Mr. Hamilton—l deny seeing him. I will not
take up the time of the court in asking him any
further questions.
The Key. J. H. Austen—Did your master pot a,
.piece of celery in Mr. Patsy's carriage ?—Yes.