The Sun.
London, England, 1844-10-01 00:00:00

LAMBETH-STREET.

Yesterday, amongst the charges brought before Mr.
Henry was ono against a middle-aged female named
Margaret Healey, for stealing a piece of ham of the value
of fourteenpence, from the shop window of Mr. James
Jenkins, a cheesemonger, in the Mile-end-road.
The complainant, Mr. Jenkins, stated that about half-
past ten o'clock on Saturday night, the prisoner came
up to his shop-window and deliberately took a piece of
ham which was exhibited for sale, and walked leisurely
away with it. Witness followed, and, upon coming up
with her, asked her for the piece of ham she had taken,
but she refused to give it up, and requested she might
be given into custody • in fact, she insisted upon being
given into custody, and a policeman coming up at the
time, he gave her in charge. At the station-house she
persisted in keeping the ham, and being detained on the
charge.
The accused, who, from her address and manner, it
was evident had seen better days, declared she had com-
mitted the act in order to ensure a shelter for the night.
She had, she said, been turned out of the workhouse of
the parish of St. George's, Hanover-square, about one
o'clock on the Saturday, without a single farthing in her
possession ; and after wandering about she scarcely knew
where, and being without the means of procuring a
morsel of bread, or a shelter for the night, she had, in
a moment of despair, determined to commit some act
for which she might be taken into custody. The manner
in which she had taken the ham, would, she hoped, prove
that her intention was not to steal or deprive the owner
of it. On the contrary, her motive was that which she
had before stated.
Mr. Jenkins here said he was perfectly convinced the
article had not been taken with a felonious intention,
and it was not, as he had before stated, his intention to
give the accused into custody, had she not requested
him to do so, and kept theham. lie begged at once to
withdraw the charge, and requested that the piece of
ham might be given to the poor woman for her use.
Mr. lIENnv, from what he had heard, was of opinion
that the taking was not felonious, and desired ,the ac-
cused to come out of the felon's bar.

She did so, and in reply to questions from the magis-
trate, stated, that when a girl, she had been taken to
Rome by a lady named Foster, who sent her to school
there, and also apprenticed her to the dress-making.
While there, besides learning her trade, she had ac-
quired a knowledge of the French as well as the Italian
language, and also perfected herself in all those matters
to qualify her for the situation of lady's maid. She
subsequently returned to England, and by advertise-
ments procured the appointment of companion to fami-
lies going abroad. Amongst those whom she had lived
with and attended, were Mrs. Hume and Mrs. Chaloner,
Irish ladies, closely connected with the Fitz william fa-
mily. She subsequently lived in the family of Lady
Pulteney, in Piccadilly, for five years, and also in the
service of Miss Baker, in Park-lane, for two years, both
these places being in the parish of St. George, Hanover-
square. Nearly three weeks ago she went four days and
four nights without a morsel of food of any kind, and dur-
ing the time had frequently entreated the police to take
her up, but all refused, saying that she was neither riot-
ous nor drunk, and told her she must make application to
the workhouse. She at length dropped in the street from
weakness and exhaustion, and was then carried from the
place where she lay, in Mount-street, Grosvenor-square,
to the workhouse of St. George's. There she was con-
fined for a fortnight in the sick ward. On Friday last
the parish doctor pronounced her to be sufficiently reco-
vered to leave the sick ward, and on the same day a
young lady, whom she understood to be the doughter of
the matron, came to her, and said she might go to the
needle-room or leave the house altogether ; and she re-
plied that she would go to the needle-room, as she cer-
tainly:had not sufficient strength to leave the house, and
another thing, that she was without the slightest means
of supporting herself. She accordingly went to the
needle-room, as it was called, and, on the following day,
was sent for to appear before the matron. and on enter-
ing her apartment the matron asked if she was the per-
son who had been brought into the house in such a dis-
tressed state ? She replied she was the same, upon
which the matron observed that she had been discharged
by the doctor, and therefore she must go out of the
house. She replied that she really was not in a fit state
to be discharged, for that she was still very weak, and
that she had not a place to go to, or the means of pro-
curing food or lodging, and she therefore hoped she
might be allowed to remain in the house a few days
longer. The matron replied that she must not, and the
wardswoman at this time moved her on to the porter's
hall. She complained to the porter of the state she was
in, and he took her to the office of the overseer, next
door. She informed the officer of the circumstances of
ir her case, and begged he would either permit her to re-
main in the workhouse, or pass her to the settlement of
her late husband, in Rutlandshire. His reply was that he
thought the parish had done very well for her in keeping
and supporting her for a fortnight. " I cried bittlerly,
said the poor woman, " and begged he would take
my distressing case into his kind consideration, upon
which he told me to sit down, and on my doing so he
sent for the porter, and reprimanded him for bringing
such a case before him. The porter then took me out,
and I left the house about one o'clock. I was then re-
commended to go before a magistrate, and made my way
to Marlborough-street Police-court, but was told there
that the magistrate was investigating a case which was
likely to last for some time, and that I had better go to
the parish officers. I left the place, and walked about in
a state of bewilderment, I scarcely knew where, until
about half-past ten at night, when I formed the resolu-
tion of getting out of the streets, and to the shelter of
the station-house, and with that object solely I took the
piece of ham, as has been described."
Mr. HENRY remarked that it was hardly credible that
in ithe wealthy and influential parish of St. George's,
Hanover-square, and where the applicant for its bounty
had been a resident as a servant for seven years, the
persons in the charge of its poor could act in the manner
described.

The poor woman assured his Worship that every sen-
tence she had uttered was perfectly true.
Mr. HENRY asked if she could refer to those families
whose names she had mentioned, for a character ?—She
replied she could with the most perfect confidence to
every one of them, and particularly to Mrs. Hume and
Mrs. Chaloner, who knew her by her maiden name,
M‘Gill.

Mr. HENRY next inquired what she would wish done
for her ?—She replied she would most gladly accept a
situation of the most humble kind, until she could get
herself a little about.

Mr. HENRY observed that she was evidently a person
of superior manners, and it was not at all likely that she
could get such a situation at that part of the metropolis
as would answer.—She replied that she would feel thank-
ful for any situation in a tradesman's family. She de-
clared that she had never written to any of those dis-
tinguished persons she had lived with for a single penny;
on the contrary, her sole wish was to live upon the fruits
of her labour.

Mr. HENRY said he should feel happy to bo the me-
dium of procuring her a situation or the means of sup-
port, if her character up to the present was found to bear
out her statement. He certainly should communicate
with some of the parties she had named, and in the
in-
terim should take care that she had what was necessary
for her maintenance. The magistrate then directed
Cooke, one of the officers, to procure her a decent lodg-
ing in the neighbourhood and see that she was provided
with what was necessary.
In expressing her gratitude to the magistrate for his
kindness, and humanity her feelings overpowered her, and
the poor creature wept bitterly.
CLERKEIV WELL,
On the 16th inst., John Gray, a police-constable,
157 E, was charged at this court with aiding and
abetting: William Campbell, an apprentice, to run
away from his master, and with other misconduct.
The complainant on the occasion was the Rev. T.
Kelly, a clergyman of the Established Church, Rector
of Stitongan, in the county of Dublin, at present re-
siding at 18, Regent-square, in this city. The po-
liceman, who had been previously considered a good
officer, -was convicted and fined in the penalty of one
pound; he has been since dismissed from the force.
To sustain the complaint, the apprentice, a boy about
fifteen, was called into the witness-box. He deposed
that he lad been apprenticed to the rev. complainant
as servcat two years before by the Dublin Protestant
and Orph an Society. Having been cross-examined
by Mr. li.umphreys, who appeared for the defence,
he admitted that his master had beaten him several
times; once whilst naked with a horsewhip, and
on se yeral other occasions cuffed and kicked
him. To disprove his evidence the complainant

called two servants, who swore the treatment of the
boy had been kind and considerate. Mr. Kelly
admitted, however, having beaten him once with a
birch-rod on the naked person. In the early part of
last week the boy came to this court, stating that he
had been again beaten by his master, and with the
marks of stripes on his body. He was refused the war-
rant because he had not the money to pay for it ; he
subsequently, however, obtained the money, and got
the summons against Mr. Kelly on Wednesday last,
which was to have been heard at this court yesterday
(Monday), at two o'clock. About that time the
parties were in attendance. The reverend com-
plainant, after a private communication with the
clerk, went into the Clerk's-office, the clerk then
privately communicated with the magistrate, and
dry, too, went into the Clerk's -office, where the boy
also was. The matter was disposed of in private, and
nothing transpired regarding it in open court.
A number of little boys were brought before the Ma-
gistrate, charged by an officer under the Commissioners
of Woods and Forest, with throwing stones, and so en-
dangering the lives of passengers.