The Sun.
London, England, 1844-01-08 00:00:00

CLERKENWELL,

Mary Thomas was charged with stealing 141. 105., the
money of Michael M'Laren.
The prosecutor stated that on Friday morning he landed in
the London Docks, from Corfu, having been serving as a sol-
dier there, and in other British settlements, for upwards of
seventeen years. He immediately proceeded to Greenwood
and Cox's, the army agents, and received a sum of 151. on
account of a gratuity which the Government had awarded
him, and then walked about until he had become so tired, that
he was led, being a stranger to the metropolis, to ask a man to
whom lie was unknown, to act for him as a guide to a place
where he could in comfort and security test himself. This was
at one o'clock in the day, and before ball an hour after that
time witness was conducted into a house, situate, as he had
been given to understand, in West-street, Smithfield, where he
went to bed by himself, and did not awake until between eight
and nine on the same night, when he found the prisoner with
a light in her hand emptying the money out of his pockets.
He endeavoured to seize her, but she was too quick for him,
and escaped from the premises, and the next time he saw her
she was in custody of the police.
Mr. BROUGHTON asked the complainant the reason he had
come over to England ? He said he had been discharged
from his regiment, and produced documentary evidence of that
fAct.

Mr. BROUGHTON, having examined the evidence, said, " I
perceive that you leave with a good character, and as an able-
bodied man, and that your grant is only one year's pay. Why,
if you had served three years longer, you would have been en-
titled to a pension for life. Don't you think that you acted very
foolishly, then." Prosecutor—l now begin to think that I did.
Mr. 13aouonTon—Have you any more money to receive.
Prosecutor—Yes. Three or four pounds, which are in the hands
of the officer of the vessel in which I arrived in London.
Mr. BROUGHTON—What did you first do, after you had
missed your money ? Prosecutor—l went into the street and told
a constable.
Mr. Bitoucrron—lt seems to me very odd that you should
have gone with a strange man, into a strange house for a bed,
with so much money in your pocket, when you could have got
back to your ship, and received the best advice from the com-
manding officer. Prosecutor—l was regularly knocked up.
Mr. BROUGHTON—I suppose you told him that you had been
discharged from your regiment ? Prosecutor—Yes, sir.
Mr. BROUGHTON—And that you had gat plenty of money,
and wante3 to be robbed ? Prosecutor made no reply.
Police-constable, 144 G, stated that he met the prosecutor in
West-street, and heard from him that he had been robbed by a
woman at No. 2(a brothel), which he pointed out. Witness
searched the house, but, the prisoner not being there, he ob-
tained a description of her person, and afterwards, at the
earnest request of the prosecutor, who complained to him of
being extremely fatigued, he took him to a respectable
lodging-house. In the course of the night witness had dis-
covered the prisoner in the neighbourhood, and took her into
custody, and the prosecutor, on seeing her, instantly recognised
her as the woman who had plundered him. Only a few half-
pence was found upon her.
Mr. BROUGHTON observed, if she had had the money, she
would have found no difficulty in putting it into other hands in
that neighbourhood. The conduct of the prosecutor, from the
time he left his bread in Corfu to the present, seemed to be that
of a lunatic, as now very likely he would be reduced to a work-
house.—The prisoner was remanded.
The attention of Mr. Broughton, the magistrate, was four
times called in the investigation of a case of the utmost import-
ance to the public.
A young man named Magnis, a butcher, hurriedly entered
the Court about two o'clock in the afternoon, and stated to
the bench that he had just passed the premises of Mr. Lans-
downe, a sausage-maker, in Cow-cross-street, and seen three
calves carried therein, and feeling satisfied they were unfit for
human food, and being afraid they were to be cut up for
sausage-meat, he felt it to be his duty to direct the attention
of the magistrate to the matter.
Baylis and Waddington, officers of this Court, remarked that
they knew Mr. Lansdowne to be a very respectable man, and,
in their opinion, incapable of injuring any one.
Mr. BROUGHTON asked the applicant if he knew anything
of Mr. Lansdowne ? He said no ; they were entire strangers
to each other.
Mr. BROUGHTON—What attracted your attention to the
calves ? Applicant—My knowledge of the trade. The men,
while taking the calves out of the cart, made a noise as if to
rouse up a live one, and being suspicious I looked into the cart
and saw that they were dead, and had not been killed ; they
seemed to have been not more than two days old when they
died.

Mr. BROU cHroN—What use is made of calves' flesh under
such circumstances? Applicant—lt is often chopped for pork-
sausages, which are packed in baskets in London, and sent to
meet the Epsom, Dorking, and other couniry carts, and then
brought into the London markets, and sold as lia:ving been sent
from those places.
Mr. Benno-from—But would not a judge of saUsages be
able to di,tinguish between a pork and a veal sau.age? Ap-
plicant—No ; I have tasted each of them, and could not ratako
a distinction, in consequence of the seasoning.
Mr. BROUGHTON— Have you any motive in making this'
statement beyond one for the protection of the public ? Appli-
cant—N6t in the least, Sir.
_ _

Mr. Baotitosrox—You say you are a butcher ; where,
pray ? Applicant -I left my situation a week ago. I have
been in the trade seven years. and my father is chief manager
of the Excise Dining-romns, Eislaopsgate-street.
Mr. 13aolicsurox. having observed that he had no doubt
of the applicant's respectability and disinterestedness, ordered
two officers (Coles and Boyson) to proceed to Mr. Lans-
downe's premises with the applicant, and make a survey.
In the course of an hour the officers returned, and reported
that not only were three calves, which had died in calving, or
some other " natural death," there, but that two quarters of
beef, which the defendant had told them was for use, appeared
to them in a very shocking state, and unfit in any way for
human consumption. The only sausages they understood that
were made on the premises were German ones, saveloys, and
black puddings.
Mr. Baylis, as well as Mr. Waddington. the gaoler, said
they were certain Mr. Lansdowne ma.le nothing else.
The applicant said that he saw the beef alluded to by the
officers, and he never saw worse—it was only fit for dogs.
Shortly afterwards, in pursuance of a request of an officer,
Mr. Lansdowne appeared in the Court, and was addresed by
the worthy Magistrate, who stated all that had transpired to
lead to the examination. He said Mr. Lansdowne had been
represented to him as a very respectable man, and he did not
wish to disturb his good reputation, but he might depend upon
it that it would be disturbed if he allowed a similar exhibition
to the one of today. To say the least of it, it was a matter
full of suspicion.
Mr. Lansdowne admitted that it looked suspicious, and as-
sured the Court that his only object in having the calves on his
premises was to skin them, and then send the carcase to a
knacker's premises adjoining. He contracted with Mr.
Johnson, a cattle jobber, Highgate, for cattle unfit for the
market, and he had the three calves, as well as a live disabled
cow, from him on that day.
BitotiornoN—How do you suppose the calves died?
Mr. Lansdowne—They were stifled in being conveyed to town
in carts.
Mr. BROUGHTON—WeII, you make sausages, do you not?
Mr. Lansdowne—Yes, but neither beef or pork, and I have
not done so for thirty years. I make large and small Germans,
and black puddings.
Mr. BaonassioN—You said the beef which has been de-
scribed as unfit for human consumption was for use. Do you
not use meat in the making of German sausages? Mr. Lans-
downe—Yes' and that which is said to be bad is good. The
inspector of Newgate-market would say so.
Mr. BROUGHTON—WiII you abide by the decision of com-
petent persons in this neighbourhood, and burn it, or give it
to the knacker's, if I order you? Mr. Lansdowne said he would,
and he fetched it in his cart to the Court yard. It looked very
offensive, but it was decided that it had been killed, and was
fresh.
One of the butchers who examined it said if he co:lid get no
better, he might eat it, but heaved at the thought of it.
Mr. BROUGHTON having also looked at it, said to the de-
fendant, " My decision is, that it is unfit for the consurm.stion
of man, and I order the officer, Cole, to see it conveyed to the
knacker's."

On Friday a poor famished-looking girl, 18 years of age, was
brought before the magistrate by Baylis, the messenger of the
Court. On being introduced to the bench, the unfortunate
creature burst into tears ; she seemed quite abashed at the
stare of the spectators, and sobbed bitterly throughout.
Mr. COMBE asked her what she applied for ? Applicant—
Indeed, Sir, I am starving, and I know not what to do.
Mr. COMBE—What parish do you belong to ? Applicant—
My father and mother belonged to Clerkenwell.
Mr. COMZE—And why did you not apply there? Applicant
—And so I did, Sir, but they refused either to relieve or to
receive me.

Mr. COMBS—Where did you sleep last night? Applicant
—ln Clerkenwell. _ _ •

Mr. Co3lBE—Where ? Applicant—ln a passage ; I had no
money to get a lodging.
The Clerk said that the Master of the Clerkenwell work-
house was then in Court, and would probably receive her into
into the workhouse at once.

Mr. Harriett (the master)—Oh! really I cannot say that
she will be received. I suppose the overseers examined her
case before they refused her.
Mr. COMBE—Then let the overseers come here, and state
why they did not receive her.

The poor girl, in answer to further questions by the magis-
trate, stated that she was employed at slop• work in the Com-
mercial-road, by which she did not earn as much as supported
her even with the coarsest food. The season for making these
articles was now over, and a great many girls were discharged,
who had no means of subsistence. She declared she had not
tasted a morsel of food from the previous morning.
Mr. COMBE, with prompt humanity, ordered her an imme-
diate supply of nutritious food.
The overseers, probably not wishing to encounter the inter-
rogations of the Magistrate, sent a messenger for her, and she
was received into the workhouse.