The Sun.
London, England, 1850-03-14 00:00:00

POLICE INTELLIGENCE-
fI'ORSHIP-S7'REE7'.
TilE HANGMAN AND HIS MOTHER.—This being
the day appointed for the adjourned hearing of a
summons against 'William Ca?craft, the public exe-
cu.ioner, issued at the instance of the parish officers
of the Witham Union, in E=sex, for refusing to sup-
port his aged mother, who has been for some time
past an inmate of that workhouse, a considerable de-
gree of interest was excited, and the court was incon-
veniently crowded by persons, amongst whom were
a number of well-dressed women, anxious to obtain
a sight of the defend :ant and his parent.
At the hour appointed for the examination the de-
fendant did not make his appearance, and the magis-
trate having determined to hear the evidence in his
absence, M. Cope, the governor of Newgate, was
called, and proved that the defendant was in the re-
ceipt of a guinea per week for his public services
from the funds of the Corporation, which the witness
was in the habit of paying him, on their behalf, every
Sat urday.
Mr. HAMMILL directed a warrant to be issued for
the apprehension of the defendant, but he shortly after
entered the court, and his mother.
Sarah Calcraft, who was compelled, by her infirmi-
ties, to be seated during the examination, was then
called, and stated that she was 74 years f age, and
had been for the last three weeks an inmate of the
w khouse at Hatfield Peveril, in the IVitham union ,
having become totally destitute, and constrained in
consequence to throw herself upon the parish. Pre-
vious to that she had been sheltered for two years by
her married daughter, at Hatfield, with whom, upon
entering the workhouse, she had left the few trifling
art'c'es that had not already been sold to supply her
immediate wants ; and before that had addressed
three letters to the defendant, whom she had not seen
for nearly three years, requesting assistance, but she
had not received anything from him ; and he had not
even answered one of her communications. She had
only one other child, a son, but he had been brought
up to no regular employment, was sometimes in ser-
vice, end jobbed about the country, earning a shilling
in any manner he could. The defendant, she be-
lieved, was in circumstances to support her ; a', in
addition to the salary he received from the corpora-
tion, he had another business, and carried on the trade
of a bout and shoe meker.
Mr. HAMMILL asked the defendant if he had any
reasonable grounds to assign for refusing to contri-
bute to his mother's maintenance ? Defendant—
Well, I should he very happy to support her if it
was in my power, but it is nut, and as to what she
says about the profits I derive from my shoemaking
business, I can assure 3ou that I have not earned a
penny at that for a great number of weeks. I have
sustained a very severe personal injury ; in lac., you
never saw such a arm as I have got. I can nei-
ther get my coat on or off without assistance, and,
after being confined to my bed with it for more than
two months, had a doctor's bill sent in to me fcr
101. 3s. G which lam totally incapable of paying at
present, and he must wait for it. I admit that I re-
ceive a guinea a week from the City, but that is all
we have to live upon ; and when you deduct out of
that 4.e GI. for rent and the cost of a Sunday's dinner,
you will find that there is not much left. It is not
from want of feeling that I do not support my mc-
ther. She was in much better circumstances than I
am. She had a large quantity ef good furniture and
a number of silver spoons ; and I cannot see why she
applied to the workhouse people at all.
Mr. HAMMILL—Have you got any children to
support ? Defendant—Yes, I have got three of them.
Mr. Heatsfien—How old are they ? Defendant
(roughly)—As old as you are.
Mr. Hemenee—Then if that is the case, they
cannot be much of a burden to you ? Defendant—
No, but they come sometimes, and of course put me
to some expense extra.
Mr. HAMMILL—WeII, you are clearly liable for
the support of your mother, which is rendered impe-
rative by an Act as old as Elizabeth, and I feel it
my duty to make an order upon you for the sum of
3s. per week.
Defendant—Ah, but you will never get it from
me. I cannot pay it, and if you do, I must run in
debt, I suppose.
Mr. Hemetree continued—l shall make an order
upon you for the sum of 3s. per week for your
mother's support, as long as she continues chargeable
to the union workhouse, together with the costs at-
tendant upon the present proceedings against you.
Defendant—Oh, very well, you may make your
order if you like, but it's out of my power.
Mr. Shee, the relieving-officer of the Witham
union, said that the parish officers had no wish to
press hardly upon the defendant ; and previous to
their being compelled to take this course against him,
he (the witness) bad written a note to him requesting
him to come to some arrangement and avoid a
epublic
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taemni n aTt i
ho
en , butcost
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mother up to town, and other expenses, amounted to
11. 9s. Gi.; and he hoped that amount would be in-
cluded in the order.
Mr. HAMMILL expressed his assent, and the order
was about to be made, when
The defendant turned 'round • sharply upon the re-
lieving officer and said, " Well, now, suppose I took
my mother to keep myself, what would you allow
me for her ? Come, that's the point. Certainly, if
you allow me something for her, I may be able to
get on, perhaps."
The officer expressed his intention to adhere to
the order, as he believed the mother
,would prefer
being in the union.
The mother—Oh dear, yes aliveslsehloduldheneoetfebeinthe
I
a week in London ; whereas he
country, if they even left me upon the common.
COM-
pforretfeebriebetihnegrei.n the workhouse, for lam very
The defendant thereupon leaned over his mother,
with apparent feeling, told herflingnessto thaekew
aCsa
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toeshxopureldssinhgavehihsadwi
mdienfge for-
warddefendant
pushed him aside, and gently raising her, with his
to raise her out of her chair,
come there • and upon the order
made, and one of the officers
theco
d her waist, carefully supported her out of
arm round being
the court.