The Sun.
London, England, 1850-03-26 00:00:00

TVESTMIIVSTER.

LAMENTABLE CASE.—Martha Wright, an intelli•
gent-looking girl, apparently not more than sixteen
years of age, whose appearance denoted the ravages
of disease, was charged with attempting to commit
suicide. _

Henry Govers, a journeyman smith, stated that he
was crossing Westminster- bridge at about eleven on
Friday night, when observing somebody at the bot-
tom of the steps moving towards the water he went
to the spot, and found defendant in the act of taking
her shoes off. He told her that he hoped she was not
going to commit suicide, when she replied, "That sbe
had enough to make her do it." He then remarked
that whatever her circumstances were here they would
be worse if she committed self-destruction, and re-
quested her to 'come up the steps with him, which she
said she would if he would go first. Observing a
police inspector at that moment passing witness left
her for a moment to call him, and as he returned the
defendant threw herself into the water. He jumped

i❑ after her and brought her to the shore immediately,
but had considerable difficulty in doing so owing to
the depth of the mud. He then assisted the police
inspector in conveying her to the Westminster Hos-
pital, where she remained until brought before the
magistrate.
Mr. BRODERIP inquired of the defendant, whose
pallid countenance indicated the deepest sorrow,
whether she wished to say anything ?
De..fwndant replied in a low tone of voice, that about
seven months ago she went to nurse her sister, who
was lying dangerously ill with the cholera, and being
herself attacked with it, became an inmate of Beth-
nal-green workhouse. On leaving there she was
told to go to her own parish, which she did, but they
refused to receive her, and told her to go back to
where t•he came from. She was met by a young man
and decoyed away, and having disgraced herself, she
was ashamed to return home, and thought if she
jumped into the water, her departure from the path
of virtue would be unknown.

Mr. BRoDERIr asked her if she heartily repented
of her wicked attempt to destroy herself?
The girl replied that she did most truly.
Mr. BRODERIP inquired whether any of her friends
were in attendance, and her mother having stood
forward, he inquired whether she would take charge
of her daughter ?
The mother, a very creditable-looking middle-
aged woman, burst into a flood of tears, and said
thlt she could not, in the girl's present shocking
condition.

It having been intimated that the girl was in a most
deplorable state of disease'
Mr. BRODER'? expressed himself at a loss what to
do with her.

The Chief Usher suggested that there was no
doubt Mr. Burryll, who is a subsdriber to the Lock
Hospital, would, at his next sitting, on Thursday, give
her as order for admission into that institution.
Mr. BRoDERIP asked the mother whether she could
provide for the girl until then? The poor woman
replied that she could not. She had been left with
eight children, and had married again, but her hus-
band was out of work ; and even had she the means
of conveying the girl, who was too ill to walk, to her
home, mar Bow, she did not think her daughter's
stepfather would receive her.
Mr. BRODERIP, hiving been told that it was doubt-

ful whether she would be received by the parish, de-
termined upon remanding her until Thursday, as it
was impossible in hergstate to turn her into the streets ;
but the matter having been mentioned to Mr. Collies,
one of the relieving officerF, who came to the court
in the course of the afternoon, he immediately gave
an order fur her admission into S. MargareCs work -
house, whither she was conveyed.

At the conclusion of the case,
Mr. BRODERIP observed that the conduct of the
witness Govers had been most praiseworthy, and
directed that 10s. reward should be given him out of
his (the magistrate's) private fund.
C'LERKENWELL.

Yesterday Harriet Brian, a well-dressed_ young
woman, who was described on the police-sheet as
being 19 years of age, needle •woman, was placed at
the bar before Mr. Combe, charged with stealing 30
yards of silk, value 41. Bs., the property of Mr. James
Leonard Wilson, linen•draper, &c., of 53, St. John's-
street, Clerkenwell..
It appeared from the evidence of Wm. House, a
shopman in the employ of the prosecutor, that yester-
day morning, between eight and nine o clock, the
prisoner entered the shop and requested to be shown
some silks for drawn bonnets. lie produced several,
which she examined, and she selected four or five
pieces, and purchased two, for which she paid
ss. 1021., and she requested that the others might
be sent to No. 21, West Smithfield. She then
requested witness to show her a third piece of silk,
and, whilst he was engaged in fetching it, the pri-
soner was seen to conceal the 30 yards of silk under
her mantle and leave the shop. Witness followed
her, and requested her to walk back with him. On
their return, he asked her for the piece of silk which
she had under her cloak ; and, un his putting the
cloak on ene side, she dropped the silk on the floor,
and said, " Oh ! please let me go ; I do not know how
I came by it," or words to that effect. He instantly
called in a policeman, and gave her into custody.
Henry Williamson, another shopman, confirmed
this evidence.

Cornelius Farrell, 31 G, said he received the pri
sons into his custody when at the station-house; she
rtfused to say where she lived. On searching her, a
duplicate for two gold rings, pawned for Bs. at a
pawnbroker's in Farringdon-street, yesterday morn-
ing, in the name of A. Smith, Blackfriars•road, and
103., were found in her possession.
Mr. CoMis asked her where she lived ?

Prisoner—l live in Chelsea near the Spread Eagle.
She did not know the name of the street—there was
no number to the honse. She had no friends in Lon-
don. The rings had been given to her by her sister,
who lived in Northampton.
Sergeant Gann, G, said he had reason to suspect
that the prisoner had been formerly convicted ; that
her real name was Hawkins, and she was connected
with a gang of shoplifters and swindlers. Oct inqui-
ries at West Smithfield, no such person as the
prisoner was known there.
The prisoner denied that her name was Hawkins
and the statements made by the officer.
Mr. coltun said he should commit her to take her
trial, and, after the usual caution, asked if she wished
to say anything in her defence ?
She reserved what she had to say, and she was
fully committed for trial.

WORSIII P-STREET.
A woman, about 30 years of age, dressed in de-
cayed mourning, but of ladylike dress and deport-
ment, and who gave her name as Caroline
applied to Mr. Arnold for assistance under the follow.:
ing circumstances :
The applicant stated that she was the daughter of
an officer in the army, and upon
her father's death
was courted by the son of a captain in one of the in-
fantry regiments, to whom she was ultimately mar-
ried, but her husband some time afterwards became
involved in such reduced circumstances that he wes
compelled to enlist as a gunner in the East India
Company's service. She accompanied her husband to
India, and remained with him there for two years,
when the climate bad such a destructive effect upon
his health that he was invalided and sent home, but
declined so rapidly during the passage that on reach-
ing the Cape he expired, leaving her with an infant,
and entirely destitute. Her infant died shortly at er
reaching this country, and she (the applicant) had
been since charitably sheltered by a poor woman
named Collins, in ilelybush-gardens, Bethnal-green,
land she had endeavoured to relieve her as much as she
could of part of the burden of her support, by work-
ing at slopwork for tailors ; but that doscription of
labour was so badly remunerated and precarious,
that she had been obliged, to save herself from
starving, to part with all her apparel, till she
had nothing left but what she then had on
her. She was anxious, if she could, to procure
an engagement as attendant upon a lady going out to
India, to which country she was desirous of return-
ing, and where she had made several friends, who