The Sun.
London, England, 1844-05-20 00:00:00

HORRIBLE CASE.

On Saturday, after the disposal of the night cases,
at Queen-square Police-office, Mr. Ryder, chairman to
the Board of Guardians of St. Luke's Chelsea, re,
quested the advice and assistance of the magistrate
under the following very extraordinary circumstances:
—Mr. Charles Morris a person who had lately come
to reside in Chelsea, had his attention called to groans
which proceeded, night after night, from No. 4,
Princes-street. He accordingly brought the matter
before the Rev. R. Burgess, rector of the parish, who
having frequently received intimation that other par-
ties heard the same sounds, had written him (Mr.
Ryder) to take some steps to see whether the groans
and cries did not proceed from some human being
being confined in a room of the house. He instituted
inquiries, and found that the information given to the
Rev. Mr. Burgess in the letter, and confirmed by his
own, was too correct. Some dark and horrifying
scene was being acted in that house ; and the groans
and cries of a human being, chained as it was sup-
pose d to a wall or bed, for he was never seen near the
window, appalled the ears of the neighbours almost
nightly.
Mr. Burrell inquired whether the neighbours had
ever heard any articulate sounds ? Mr. Ryder re-
plied they had not. Mr. North and Mr. Hall, two
immediate neighbours, could confirm this account ;
and whoever this poor suffering creature in human
form was, he had been immured in that room for
ele!en or twelve years.
Mr. Burrell expressed his astonishment that it
could have existed for so long a period without the
interference of the neighbours.

Mr. Ryder said that door of the house, as they
could best learn, had not been opened for years, and,
unable as they were to obtain any evidence on the
subject, and fearful of getting into some difficulty, it
had been suffered to go on until the present moment.
Mr. Burrell asked if they had ascertained who
were the inmates ?

Mr. Ryder replied, that as far as they could learn,
it was occupied by a woman named Pelham, who had
been the kept mistress of some noble lord, and who
had had two natural children by him, for which
she received an allowance. It had been rumoured
that one of these children, a son, was of unsound
mind.

It was then agreed that an entrance should he
made into the house without any previous intimation
being given, lest that should frustrate their object in
learning the real state of matters. Mr. Forbes, in-
spector of the B division, was accordingly desired to
take a party of police with him and proceed to the
house in question. Mr. Ryder, and the chief usher
of the court, accompanied the police. On the return
of the latter, at about half-past four, he communi-
cated to Mr. Burrell the result of their visit to the
house. He said, that they had effected an entrance
by getting over a side wall, and in at the back door,
and, after much hesitation, the back room on the first
floor was opened by a female, when the most revolting
scene that had ever come within his view during a
very lengthened experience burst upon them. On a
small straw bed lay a poor human creature of the
male sex, without one morsel of clothing more than
an old and filthy rag, which might be termed a shirt,
and a small piece of flannel or blanket. Beneath him
was a hole rotted through the filthy straw of the
bed, evidently by his own excrements, and maggots and
loathsome vermin of every description were crawling on
his frame which was so obscured by filth, that it was al-
most difficult to discern in him a human being. his
beard reached nearly blown to his middle, and his nails
protruded some inches beyond his toes. In a few
minutes afterwards the police returned to the office,
bringing with them a fashionably-dressed female,
from 50 to GO years of age, and a heavy working
man about thirty. On being placed at the bar, the
female gave her name as Harriet Eleanor Pelham,
and the man was described as her son, Wilson
Pelham. Mr. Ryder, who was deeply affected, said
that such a spectacle as that they had just witnessed
had very rarely been seen. He proceeded to describe
it in substantially the same terms as those already
given. He added, that after their admission, the
poor creature, who was evidently a lunatic, was
dressed, a portmanteau full of clean wearing apparel
being brought from some other part of the house, and
he was then put in a cab and conveyed to the work-
house. The female at the bar said that the unfor-
tunate man was her son, and that he and his brother
(Wilson Pelham) were natural children of General
Spencer. In concluding his statement, Mr. Ryder
expressed his surprise that the filth in the room had
not engendered some fatal disease.
Inspector Forbes stated that the female defendant
had said that her sons were the natural children of
Sir Brent Spencer (some years deceased), and that
she had some allowance for the one deranged.
Mr. Burrell asked the female what she had to
say ? She replied that, with respect to the clothes,
his always had been kept separate, and his brother
never was allowed to wear them. Although he had
been for many years a lunatic, everything was done
for him that could be ; but he was very filthy, and if
anybody interfered with him he became very violent,
and beat himself. He was not perhaps quite so clean
as he ought to be, but he was sometimes cleaner a
great deal than at the moment the police entered the
house. She was sure his shirt was not ragged, be-
cause it had only been washed twice, and it could not
be dirty, because it had not been on him three days.
There was a convenience in the room, but he would
not use it, and it was his own fault that the bed was
in such a state. There was a mattress in the
passage, but he would not have it, and his nails were
long, which was in consequence of his not letting her
cut them. He had got fat lately, and was as happy
as any man could be ; and to prove that she used him
well, he would not get into the cab without her.
The policeman denied this, and said that the poor
man seemed quite pleasedatguoieitn,gainndto twhaeitceadb,soamnde
m
thatiAn fur
t. Burrell he
s whileewa s
siexceedinglynheluwirwas
sdwhy she had not put him in
dressing.
quiet,
some asylum ? The male defendant said it was no
use ; he was incurable. Dr. Sutherland and another
medical gentleman had said so.
Mr. Burrell said that this was a most horrible and
deplorable case. The treatment o the mother and son
who controlled the unfortunate man, had gone on until
they were callous to all feeling. Thepoor creature was
now rescued and placed where every attention would
be paid him. Defendants must stand committed in de-
fault of finding heavy bail until Thursday, when they
might produce any evidence they thought fit.
The prisoners, who appeared surprised, said there
was nobody to look after their house.
Mr. Burrell said he could not help that.

INQUESTS.CORONERS'
On Saturday forenoon Mr. Baker, the Coroner for
East Middlesex, held a lengthened investigation at
the Lord Nelson, John's-row, St. Luke's, touching
the death of Mrs. Caroline Crump, aged 31, the wife
of the painter and decorator of the Grecian Saloon in
the City-road, who was supposed to have committed
suicide, owing to the extreme suddenness of her disso-
lution, and having once before attempted her life, as
also frequently threatening to do so.
of 20, Ratcliffe-grove, St.
Mary Ann Cooper,
Luke's, stated that she resided in the same house as
the deceased, who had left four young children, and
generally lived very comfortable with her husband.
She had latterly, however, been frequently addicted
to acts of intemperance, which caused them to quarrel
at times. On Thursday evening, about 11 o'clock,
witness last saw her alive ; she had been during the
day very lively, and appeared to retire to rest in very
good spirits. On the following morning, about seven
o'clock, she was alarmed by deceased's husband
knocking at her bed-room wall, as if for assistance.
She immediately proceeded, and found the unfortu-
nate woman lying on a bed dressed, with her eyes half
closed, and her face becoming black. To all appear-
ance she was quite dead.
James Crump, the husband of the deceased, said
that she went to bed on Thursday night in good
health, and shortly before seven o'clock he got up and
began to dress himself. Whilst so employed she sud-
denly caught hold of one of his legs and violently
shook it. He instantly looked up and saw her point-
ing to her throat, and thinking that she wished him
to introduce one of his fingers into her throat, so as
to make her vomit, he did so accordingly. Scarcely
a few seconds, however, had elapsed before she ran
down stairs to the water-butt, and having procured a
cup, she attempted to swallow some water. All this
time she appoared suffocating, and witness was slap-
ping her back in the hope of restoring her. She at
last fell into his arms, and he removed her to the bed,
when he found her to have perished.
CORONER—Had you any idea that she had de-
stroyed herself by taking poison ? Witness—l had,
from the circumstance of her having attempted once
to commit suicide, and threatening to do the same se-
veral times since. For some time past, unfortu-
nately for him, she drank very freely, and when he
used to complain of her conduct and attempt to rea-
son with her about her folly, she would reply, "Well,
take care of the children, and I will take care of my-
self. You shall not have long to complain." She
would go on a stroll for a week at a stretch, then con-
duct herself very properly for the next fortnight or
so, when she would break out again. On the day
previous to her death she was sober, but on Wednes-
day she was in liquor.
Mr. Henry Paul Ree, a surgeon of the City-road,
deposed that he was called to the deceased on Friday
morning, about seven o'clock, whom he found lying
on a bed, black in the face, and life appeared to have
fled several minutes. On making a post mortem exa-
mination of the body, he found a large scar across the
throat or windpipe, which induced him to make some
inquiries about it, and he ascertained that about t..m
years ago she attempted to destroy herself by cutting
her throat, through some ill treatment she received
from her parents. The wound was, however, healed,
but it materially affected her speech, so much so, that
she could only give vent to a mere whisper. On
opening the throat he took out the larynx, and on

examining it he discovered a corresponding indenta-
tion to the scar, and it was so narrowed at this part
that a small sized probe could not be passed through
it. Between the opening there was a quantity of
mucous, which so choked up the air vessels as to
cause death, and an examination of the lungs also
showed that death had been occasioned by suffocation.
Could not discover any trace of poisonous matter in
the stomach.

The CORONER having addressed the jury on the ex-
traordinary nature of the case, a discussion arose as
to the propriety of returning a verdict that the de-
ceased had died from an attempt upon her own life.
The Coroner thought they could not consistently do
so, and after some time they recorded the following
special verdict,:—" That the deceased bad died from
suffocation, produced by a congregation of mucous
in her larynx, and which was caused by a wound she
made in her throat in attempting to destroy herself
ten years ago."
FATAL CART ACCIDENT.—An inquest was held by
Mr. Higgs, at the Black Horse, Bedfordbury, on the
body of Dennis Dwyer, aged 47. Deceased was a
vender of oranges, and on the afternoon of Saturday,
the 27th ult., he was standing in Little Newport-
street, with a basket full of that fruit slung before
him, when a cart belonging to Messrs. Parker, rail-
way carriers, New Inn, Old Bailey, came along.
The driver called to the deceased to get out of the
way, when he moved on to the pavement, but some
persons at that moment passineby, pushed against him,
and in trying to save his oranges he slipped and fell
under the cart, the wheel of which went over and
broke his left leg. He was conveyed by the driver in
his cart to Charing-cross Hospital, where he remained
till Saturday last, when erysipelas, induced by intem-
perate habits, came on, and he died on Thursday.—
Verdict, " Accidental death.

POLICE INTELLIGENCE.
(SATURDAY.)
BOW-STREET.

Henry Griss, a sergeant of the F division, appeared
before Mr. Twyford, by the directions of the Police
Commissioners, to answer a complaint preferred against
him by Thomas Dell, a cabman, for using abusive lan-
guage to him.
Mr. Lewis appeared on behalf of the complainant,
and demanded to see the written order that had been
sent from Scotland-yard on Wednesday last, when the
case was partly heard, and adjourned to give the Magis-
trate time, as he then said, to look over the depositions
before he would come to a decision.

Inspector Logan replied that the document alluded to
was in the possession of Sandrock, the superintendent.
Mr. TWYFORD ordered him to be sent for, as he had
not seen him for many days.—(A laugh.)
Sandrock having shortly after made his appearance,
handed in a paper to the Court.
Mr. Lewis said it was the duty of -the superin-
tendent to put the complaint against the defendant in a
proper form on a police-sheet, which having been done,
by order of the Court,

The complainant stated that on the 24th ultimo, being
with his cab in York-street, Covent-garden, about half
past ten o'clock at night, the defendant came to him
and told him if he took any more jobs from Smith's
public-house (the White Hurt) he would mix a pill up
for him if he could ; to which he replied, he would take
any jobs that came to him, that he did not wish to abuse
him or to receive any abuse, upon which he called him
a d---d vagabond and a thief, and that he was robbing
the rank in the Strand. On the 25th, being at the head
of his horse in Wellington-street, about a quarter before
five o'clock in the morning, the defendant came up and
said he would take the number of his badge, and after
much abusive language he concluded by saying, " If I
can't do it for you, the waterman can." Witness touched
him on the arm and told him he had never given him any
offence ; to which he said, " Go away, you d-d vaga-
bond, go away." The next day he caused the letter pro-
duced to be written to the Police Commissioners, com-
plaining of the circumstance.

- Frederick Collins, an accountant, was present on the
25th with another man, and heard the language made
use of by the defendant.
William Charlock, a hairdresser, corroborated the ac-
count given by the last witness.
Sandrock said the complainant was perfectly sober
when he came off duty.
In answer to the charge, Sandrock proved that the
defendant was in the force since April, 1831, and he
never knew him to be guilty of using abusive language.
Mr. Lewis—Have you not had complaints five or six
times made against him for such conduct ? Sandrock—
None in writing, to my recollection.
Mr. Lewis—None for dragging a cabman from his
box and using violence? Sandrock—Don't recollect.
Sandrock said he wished to correct an error that he
had fallen into at the former examination, for, after he
had looked into the books produced, he discovered the
defendant had been fined 20s. in 1838, for using abusive
language to a female, and being suspended, he was,
shortly afterwards reinstated in consequence of a recom-
mendation from the magistrate.
The defendant had preferred two complaints against
Dell for obstruction, both of which were dismissed.

The Court was occupied some hours in hearing the
discussions of the solicitors, after which,

Mr. TWYFORD said he was inclined to believe the
evidence of the complainant, and, therefore, he would
convict the defendant fir using the language imputed to
him, and order him to pay a fine of 20s.
The fine was immediately paid, and the parties left
the Court.