The Sun.
London, England, 1844-05-27 00:00:00

ENCOURAGEMENT TO FRAUD.

A man of the name of Walker wrote a begging
le ter to Mr. Charles Dickens, who was so touched
by the account of his distress as to send him a sove-
reign and a suit of clothes. Another application soon
followed, which succeeded likewise to the extent of
21. 12s. This was followed by a third,'to the effect
that, having done so much, Mr. Dickens must do
more, and a water-butt was wanted. Mr. Dickens
was unmoved by the want of the water-butt. Mrs.
Walker was then taken desperately ill, and succour was
wanted for a dying wife. This did not do. Nothing
could be made of the dying wife. What, then, was
the next expedient ? Why, if nothing could be made
of a dying wife, making her well again would not
make a better case ; but killing her outright might
perhaps do better, so this was tried—

5, Mitre-street, Webber-street, Lambeth,
Friday, May 17.
"Sir,—My !nor wife is dead. God rest her soul. She
is now in heaven, I trust, for she was a good mother and
a-good wife. In few words, cap you spare a few crumbs
that fall from your table fur my children ? I shall be
grateful.—Yours in the lowest depth of misery,
" To C. Dickens, Esq. " JOHN WALKER."
Mr Dickens, having made inquiries, found that the
woman was alive, and upon this proof of fraud, placed
the affair in the hands of the chief clerk of the Men-
dicity Society, who brought the case before Mr. Raw-
linson at the Marylebone Police-office.
Mr. Sturgeon, the officer of the Mendicity Society
stated—

" He went to 5, Mitre-street. The prisoner led him into
a back kitchen, and said he was in very great distress,
so much so as to be totally unable to procure even a scanty
meal. Witness told him lie theuo,lt it was a pity that
his wife did'nt take in needlework to help to support her
family, when he said she had been ill, but was now much
better, and that she would soon get into employ. Upon
the prisoner's admisSion that his wife was living, he (pri-
soner) was given into custody, and after he was locked
up witness went back to the house, where he saw the
wife and her four children, who were evidenly in very
great distress; and he gave the poor woman a trifle from
his •Jwn pocket, and afterwards n ent to the station-house.
and afforded relief to the prisoner ; he had previously
ascertained that the wife had really been very ill.
" Mr. Rawlinson (to Mr. Knyvett)—The prisoner has
no doubt done wrong, but here is a case of great dis-
tress, and that distress is proved out of the mouth of
your own officer; after that, do you really wish me to
commit this man?

" Mr. Knyvett—No, Sir, I do not.
" Mr. Rawlinson (to the prisoner)—What have you
to say? Prisoner (after some hesitation, and in a faint
tone of voice)—l wrote that last letter at the eleventh
hour, when we were so badly off that I knew not what
to do. I am sorry I overstepped the truth in saying that
my wife was dead, but my motive Was good, as we had
not a bit of bread to eat. I have been a clerk and ac-
countant, and from the period of my losing my last
situatioe, I have not been able to support myself or my
family. •
" Mr. Rawliwon—You are evidently a man of good
education; but it cannot be denied, and even you admit
it yourself, that you have put forth a falshoed in your
last letter to Mr. Dickens. Under all the circumstances
you are discharged, and r. am very sorry you have been
brought here. I, • ,
" The poor man burst into.tears.and before he quitted
the Court several persons relieved him, for which he was
truly grateful."
'Here is fraud rewarded. As for Mr. Dickens, he
is, after all his bounty, by implication, treated as a
very hard-hearted man, for having thought the false
pretences deserving of punishment. -
According to Mr. Rawlinson, all latitude of false-
hood is to be permitted to persons who have no other
means of subsistence thin the false pretences. It was
this man's trade to live on the representation of dis-
tresses, and when he exhaustel benevolence, or failed
in a falsehood,: he was, of course,' as destitute as he
had described himself; and then Mr. Rawlinson is
only sorry to see him at the bar of justice,—he was
perhaps more sorry still that Mr. Dickens had not
been his dupe.
If a famishing creature begs in the street, the
magistrate enforces the law against him, and the
truth of his tale of misery is no excuse..
If another drives a trade in begging letters, and re-
sorts to false pretences, the truth that he is in want is
accepted as discharging him from justice, and as a
complete set-off for the fraud by which he has at-
tempted to obtain charity,
. Why every trading mendicant, when his craft fails
him, must be in want.

To grant to the mendicant impunity for his fraud,
because of his distress upon the failure of his tricks,
is only tantamount to annulling the law making such
a mode of livelihood penal.
The conduct of the officer of the Mendicity Society
in relieving the man after he had detected his fraud,
may appear odd, but it is quite consistent with all
their proceedings.

We have more than once explained that the pro-
tection of impostors against- interlopers whose ap-
peals to charity are void of fraud, is the effect of the
labours of the Mendicity Society, whatever may be
the object of its supporters. Indeed, it would more
aptly bear the title of the Mendacity Society, seeing,
how favourably it works for falsehood in all its guises
of imposture.
If a poor famishing wretch begs for bread, the
officers of the Mendicity Society pounce upon him
and punish him; but with tho 'veteran cheats, and
gangs of cheats, the psalm-singing sailors in white
trowsers, who never were at sea,—the distressed
families, the fathers of which, " though unaccus-
tomed to sue for charity," have for years past made
long theatrical operations in sonorous voices—the
women with three or four children lying in their
laps, who never get any older, thanks to the succes-
sion crops,—these nuisances are never meddled with,
and the whole labour of the Mendicity's servants
seems to be to guard them against the competition of
any real objects of charity not regnlarly of the trade.
Consistently with this system, the moment the
clerk of the Mendicity Society found that the man
Walker resorted to fraud to swindle the charities, he
saw in him an object for the Society's succour and
enzouragement.

The man is no doubt now set up, thoroughly esta-
blished, and protected as one of the regular profes-
sional impostors.—Examiner.

We are informed that Messrs. Grote, Prescott, and
Co. the bankers, have put down their names for Ioot to-
wards the national fund which the Chartists are about to
raise for the purpose of purchasing an estate for Mr.
Thomas Duncombe, as a testimonial of their sense of his
services to their cause, both in and out of Parliament.

g popuar
THE NEW SPORTING NOVEL.—We are requested
to state that Mr. Colburn, of Great Marlborough-street,
has this day published " Hyde Marston ; or, A Sports-
man's Lift," by " Craven," in 3 vols., post Bvo., which
flollaliTyin Lorrequer, illustrated by
can now be had at all the libraries.
Mr.
l neCwolnbouvrenlsh:_as
also jl.ruthsturpoubl
jelishaeryd.tbh)e,
George Cruikshank, .3 vols.-2. The Wilfulness of
Woman, by the authoress of " The History of a Flirt,"
&e., 3 vols.-3. Chatsworth ; or, The Romance of a
Week, edited by the author of " Tremaine,"'&c.,-second
edition, 3 vols.-4. Whitefdars ; or, The Days of
Charles the Second, ari historical romance, third edition,
3 vols.
WAYSIDE SlGHTS.—Within a few yards of our
encampment we had a specimen of Eastern barbarity, in
an individual who was hanging by the heels to a tree,
and who had apparently been left to die in that dreadful
situation. He seemed to have been a man advanced in
years, as his beard and hair were grizzled; but as he
had been suspended about a month, his features were
not distinct, and rendered less so thro-igh being muti-
lated by birds of prey. The bystanders told us he had
been thus punished for murdering a child and stealing
the silver ornaments which encircled its ankles and
wrists: if so, he deserved his death, but the method em-
ployed to effect it could only emanate from a most un-
civilised nation. March from Delhi to Coubul.
ATHAN ASIAN CREED.—Patson Paten was so averse
to the Athanasian Creed, that he never would read it.
Archbishop Seeker having been informed of his recu.
sancy, sent the Archdeacon to know the reason :—" I
do not believe it,' said the priest. " Bot your metropo-
litan does," replied the Archdeacon. "It may be so,"
replied Mr. Paten, " and he can well afford it ; he be-
lieves at the rate of seven thousand pounds a year, and I
only at fifty."
BENEVOLENT TREAT.—Some time since Mr. Baily,
the Governor of the Shiffnal Union Workhouse, whose
kindness in relieving poor travellers is well known, gene-
rously treated all the poor in the house, who were will-
ing, to see the American equestrians, at his own expense.
The neatness of the paupers, ho went to the circus in
procession, was noticed by the whole spectators.—
Wolverhampton Chronicle.
MDLLE. TAGLIONL—The Director of the Acade-
mie Royale at Paris has obtained permission from the Mi-
nistry to give extra performances on Tuesdays, Thursdays,
and Saturdays, during the engagement of the celebrated
danseuse. M. Vete], the impresario of Les Italiens, has left
Paris for Loiulon, after which he intends repairing to Vienna
and Italy, to make arrangements for next season.