The Sun.
London, England, 1829-09-29 00:00:00

GUILDHALL.

EXTRAORDINARY IMPOSTOR.—Etizabelblor,
a woman about 35 years of age, was placed at the
bar on the following most extraordinary charge of
imposture :
The prisoner had two children with her, one
about five, the other about seven years of age, which
she held by their hands with great appearance of
affection, while the witnesses were examined, pro-
bably to excite compassion.
Joseph Horton, patrol of Cripplegate Ward,
stated that about three o'clock on Saturday after-
noon his attention was attracted to a crowd col-
lected in Whitecross-street. lie immediately went
to the spot, where he found the prisoner sitting on
a step, apparently in great agony, and all the
women in the crowd exclaiming against the parish
officers for allowing a poor woman to walk the
streets till she was taken in labour. He instantly
ran for a coach, and put the prisoner into it, and
one of the women in the crowd with her, and had
her taken to the workhouse, where he helped her
out, and left her in the care of the nurse.

The next witness examined was Mrs. Elizabeth
Crowder, who stated that she is a midwife, and
that a little after three o'clock on Saturday, she was
sent for in great haste to attend a woman in labour
in Cripplegate workhouse. She went instantly, and
found Dr. Langstaff there before her. The prisoner
was the woman they were both brought to attend;
and she brought forth a sheep's liver which was
then in Court.

This statement was followed by one universal
burst of laughter.
Mr. Alderman BIRCH, who endeavoured to main-
tain his gravity amidst the pealing laughter by which
he was surrounded, as soon as it had subsided, ad-
dressed Mrs. Crowder, and observed, that notwith-
standing the merriment her statement had excited,
the matter under consideration was of a very grave
and serious nature; as if the woman at the bar had
practised such deceit, she must be severely punished.
He must therefore require the witness to state on
her oath, whether from her professional knowledge
she was enabled to state that the prisoner had prac-
tised deceit on the parish officers.
Mrs. Crowder replied, that she could positively
swear, that the prisoner had practised deceit. When
the witness first spoke to her, she said she had mis-
carried; but she (the witness) was now able posi-
tively to swear, that the prisoner had not miscar-
ried, that she was not in the family way, and what
she had pretended to have brought forth was a real
sheep's liver, as every person present must be con-
vinced when it was produced.
The Alderman endeavoured to preserve his gravity,
but we believe he was the only person present who
made the attempt—certainly he was the only one
who made any approach to success.
The nurse of the workhouse next came into the
witness-box, with a handkerchief, in which some-
thing was very carefully tied up, in her hand.

The ALDERMAN asked what she had in the hand-
kerchief ?—The sheep's liver, please your Worship,
responded the witness.
The effect was indescribable; the risibility of the
auditory cast off all restraint ; and even the worthy
Alderman found it impossible to resist the force of
the explosion.
The nurse proceeded to describe that after the
prisoner was put to bed on her arrival at the hospi-
tal, during which operation she moaned and groaned
most piteously, and before the arrival of Dr. Lang-
staff or the midwife, she said to witness, in a faint
voce, " Thank God it's all over, she had not come
to her time, it was a miscarriage." Witness, on
making proper examination, found the sheep's liver
she had in the handkerchief.—(The laughter was
renewed in all its force.)

The witness was proceeding to open the hand-
kerchief to satisfy the Alderman that what it con-
tained was really a sheep's liver; but the worthy
Alderman, who appeared very desirous that justice
should be gravely administered, said he was quite
satisfied with the testimony that had been given,
and would not allow the liver to be exhibited.

Elizabeth Balmer stated, that on Friday morning
she was at the house of the Mendicity Society, in
Red Lion-square, where a crowd of applicants were
assembled for bread and cheese distributed by the
Society. The prisoner and the two children with
her at the bar were amongst the crowd, and while
they were waiting for the delivery of the bread and
cheese to commence the prisoner appeared to go
into a fit ; she was immediately brought into a
room, and, after some delay, but before any one else
received any bread and cheese, the prisoner came
out with three allowances, and witness also under-
stead she had received some money. On Saturday,
about three o'clock, witness was in Whiteeross-
street, and heard a cry that a woman was taken in
labour in the street, 'he ran to the place, and saw the
prisoner sitting on a stone, and appearing to suffer
greatly. Several persons gave her silver money; a
coach was brought by an officer, and witness helped
the prisoner into it, and at the desire of the officer
went into it with her. The prisoner moaned very
much, and appeared to be in great pain, on her way
to the workhouse; on arriving there witness helped
to put her to bed, and was present when the sheep's
liver was brought forth.—(Renewed laughter.)
Mr. Simpkins, the Churchwarden, who attended
the prosecution, said Dr. Langstaff. considered the
whole affair so very ludicrous, that he thought his
presence could not be required, particularly as he had
Fro hand in bringing forth the sheep's liver, and was
only in the room when it was produced. The pri-
soner was so far from being in the weak state
she pretended, that after the imposture was dis-
covered, and an officer was sent with her from the
workhouse to the Compter, she showed fight in the
street, and endeavoured to excite the mob against
the officer, by telling them that she was taken up
only for asking charity in the street.
Thorn, the officer, corroborated this statement.

The prisoner said nothing in her defence.
Mr. Alderman BIRCH said, the prisoner's conduct
deserved the severest punishment it was in his power
to inflict, and sentenced her for three months to the
discipline of the tread-mill.