The Sun.
London, England, 1826-01-07 00:00:00

MYSTERIOUS AFFAIR.

A CHILD MOST INFAMOUSLY DESERTED.
Among the great variety of disgraceful and
unnatural frauds and impositions which it has fallen to our lot
to record, we seareelyremember one, reflecting more complete
dishonour upon the wicked parties concerned, than the fol-
lowing, which has already more than once appeared in our co-
lumns;: and we again advert to the cruel circumstances, in the
anxious hope that this article may meet the eyes of the unhappy
parents, or of others who may feel interested in the fate of this
unfortunate child.
About two years and a half ago, a tine male infant, about
four or five months old, was placed at nurse by.a Lady and
Gentleman of apparently great respectability. The Gentleman
first called to view the situation, and after making many in-
quiries, said he was satisfied. This assurance he ;afterwards
repeated by a letter to the nurse, mentioning the day on which
the child might be expected.
A day or two afterwards, a well-dressed female brought,the
child, which she said was the child the Gentleman had previ-
ously called about, and that it was four months old, remark-
ing at the same time, that the child was not her own, but that
of'a friend who was ill, and then at Brighton. She then in.
quired whether the nurse had received a letter from the gentle-
man who called ? and whether the postage had been paid ? ob-
eerving that it was a frequent practice among servants, after
receiving money for the purpose of paying postage, to pocket
it, and let the letter go unpaid. The nurse said she certainly
had received the letter, of which, however, the postage had
not been paid. She thereupon gave thei letter into the
hands of the Lady, who immediately rut it in her pocket,
for the supposed purpose of charging the servants with the
fraud.
After presenting the nurse with a sovereign, and a card of
address (where the nurse might apply, should any thing he
wanting), she took her leave, assuring the nurse that she should
frequently call and see the child.
The very respectable appearance of the parties banished all
suspicion from the mind of the nurse ; but, no one having
called,eand the child being in want of necessaries, sbe ap-
plied according to the direction on the card, when she disco-
vered, to her utter astonishment, that the card was a decep-
tion ; in consequence of which, being a woman -in humble
life, and who could not afford to maintain the child, she was
proceeding with it to .a workhouse, when most fortunately for
the infant, the circumstance came under the observation of '
Mrs Bishop, the principal Officer of his Majesty's Gaol of
Newgate ; who, with that huManity to which the public elle no
strangers, immediately took the deserted infant under his pru.
tection, and has ever since brought it up and maintained it as a
child of his own, at his private cost.
The child is a remarkably lovely, active, and promising boy ;
has beautiful blue eyes, with a very fair complexion, and Is
still an inmate of hie Majesty's Gaol of Newgate.
It gives us great pleasure to record this feeling and honour-
- able conduct on the part of 'Mr. Bishop, to whose humanity in
the discharge of hie arduous, and frequently painful tit:ties, for
the last tit*teen years, every prisoner who has been in Newgate i
could bear most ample testimony. : anti we have no small de-
gree of satisfaction in doing this further act of justice to a
character so rare in the present degenerate age, by adding, that
the respectable gentleman now alluded to is the genie Mr.
Bishop, who, some years since, was honoured by his Majesty's
personal thanks, for his active and prompt attention to him,
when Prince of Wales, on occasion of his Royal Iligness's
' carriage breaking down in South A udley-street.

tW LONDON BRiDGE.—The first stoat. of
the land abutment on the Southwark side, was laid on Saturday
lest, on which occasion the ComMittee gave 101. to the work.
men, which wait joyously spent, at Mr. Clifford's, the Plough
and Harrow, Cham.gate. The bridge itself is in u state of
great forwardness, the masonry on that side, to the centre arch,
4ing nearly level with high watermark, and will ere long as.
some an imposing appearance.

• iti a morneet of public' excitement, every thing
which tends to increase the alarm" is greedily swallowed. A
,report has been industriously circulated, that 4 sail of the line,
and some smaller vessels, are to be sent immediately to the
Alediterrantan,,Tto,guard against the supposed warlike project,i
Coatitantine, the new Buiperor of Russia. Nothing has og.
ettrred here to warrant such a rumour. Both at our clock-yard
arid in The harbour. every thing pyoceeds in the usual course,
arid there doe, not appear the least mtitnation of any extra naval
armanient being about to be. equipped. At Portsmouth ..there
art 5 sail of the line, which might be fitted for active service at
a Isliort notice,' but in ti at pdrtifle'saine.trtnquilllty is obterv-
1, and no credence is attached to the report (pi Ittooh
ur),al.)