The Sun.
London, England, 1829-05-29 00:00:00

GUILDHALL.

In the course of Wednesday Mr. Alderman GAR-
RATT received the following subscriptions for the
distressed family of the hairdresser in Clerkenwell,
whose wife, despairing of seeing better times, at-
tempted to drown herself at Blackfriars-bridge on
Sunday night, as stated iu most of the newspapers
on Tuesday : Mr. Levy, 5/. ; a Sussex Baronet, 1/.
Anonymous, Mr. Clarke, of New Bridge-
street, 1/. Is.; Sir George Rose, 10s. The Alder-
man directed Herdsfield, the marshalman, to inquire
into the character and real circumstances of the
family, arid to require the husband to attend before
him this day.
Yesterday the poor woman attended before Mr.
Alderman GARRATT, as he requested.
The Alderman said he had received that morning
1/., with the initials " L. P." and it. from Mr. Wal-
ton, of the Norfolk Hotel, Brighton, making a total
in hands of 101., for the relief of this distressed
family; but before he parted with the money he had
thought it prudent to make some inquiry, to guard
against imposition, and he found the party before
him bore the character of a sober and industrious
woman. Of the husband, however, he had heard
that his distress arose not from want of trade, but a
habit of drinking, which led him to neglect his busi-
ness.. Four persons went away from his shop on
the previous evening because he was too drunk to
attend to them, and yesterday morning he was drunk
again. He had also heard that some humane person
had furnished, this family with a good bed, and others
had sent them money. He wished to know the
amount so received.
The woman had riot counted it, but she could pro-
duce the whole, not having given her husband any
part of it. She pulled out an old purse containing
a .5/. note which had been transmitted by Lord Ex-
mouth, and gold and silver to the amount of Si. more.
In reply to questions from the Magistrate, she
said her husband was addicted to drinking, and had
not contributed above 1/. to the maintenance of his
family during the last six years. She had supported
her children by' selling fruit. She was now deter-
mined to leave him. It was the knowledge that he
had 3s. which he refused to share with his family,
that drove her to attempt self-destruction. He had
always spent his earnings on himself, and if she con-
tinued to live with him, the money now collected
would soon be spent, and she should be as wretched
as before. Her husband was not right in his head
since he had been operated upon at Guy's Hospital.
The Alderman asked her if she thought it was
right to leave him to himself, now his head was
affected. She replied, that knowing the consequence
of continuing to live with him, she thought it bet-
ter to secure a provision for herself and family.
It was suggested that she might .set up, a mangle,
but she thought her husband could not be trusted
amongst the clothes ; but she liked the idea of
opening a huckster's shop in her native village near
Cork. The money subscribed was an ample capital
for that.
Mr. Alderman GARRATT thought that in the
event of a separation the husband was entitled to a
part of the money, but he advised her to take time
to weigh the matter in her mind, and in the mean
time to leave 201. in his hands. This she most
readily assented to, and she was dismissed. Soon
after the husband, arrived, in a state of intoxication,
at the office, but he did not venture to come in be-
private in the Coldstream
foreivtillileiniAnldperrmyr.: a
Guards, was committed for assaulting William
Smith, the beadle of Queenhithe Ward, about ten
days since. The prisoner was drunk, and had been
chasing a man through the streets with his drawn
bayonet, when. in his way to the watch-house he
gave Smith, who had not interfered in any way, a
dreadful kick in the groin. Smith said yesterday he
feared he should never recover from the effects o."
the kick.