The Sun.
London, England, 1827-03-31 00:00:00

LENT ASSIZES--(RECETVED TH! DAY)
HOME CIRCUIT-HORSHAM, FRIDAY, MARCH 30.
THE ICING V. FORREST, ALIAS FORBES, ALIAS ROSE,

ALIAS FOX, AND LANGSTON.

Mr. Astnaaws opened the case, and read the indict-
ment, which charged the defendants with keeping a brothel,
and with procuring women to prostitute themselves there-
in, for the sake of filthy lucre.
Mr. Sergeant TADDY observed, that the prosecutor was
a gentleman, practising as a solicitor, and residing in a
house which was his own freehold, at No. 25, on the New
Steyne, at Brighton, and being a fixed inhabitant of that
town, and having a permanent interest in the character of
the houses in the neighbourhood, he of course felt a more
lively concern in any circumstance which might operate to
their deterioration, than those persons would do who were
mere occasional visitors of that fashionable watering place.
Of the character or situation of the defendants, previous to
their arrival at Brighton, he should say nothing. He
should commence by stating, that on the 30th of July,
being the eve of the Brighton Races, the defendants arrived
at No. 24 on the New Steyne, in a carriage and four, and
attended by a footman and maid-servant, and there
took up their residence. He should observe, that the
hall doors of the houses, No. 24 and 25, were immediately
adjoining, and were ascended by a flight of steps, which
were common to both, and, as may be supposed, the
nuisance, from the bad conduct of the house occupied by
the defendants, became more intolerable. The conduct
of the defendants on the race course, loon attracted
attention, and excited suspicion as to their characters.
From the time that the occupancy of the house commenced
till they quitted it, on the 14th of September, repeated acts
of groE7 indecency will he proved to have occurred within
it.
,They seemed to have no idea that decency was neces•
nary, for on one occasion, they ,rere seen acting indelicately
a bed-room, the blinds of which were undrawn ; and
when remonstrated with on the subject, Mrs. Langston, in
the hearing of Mrs. Forbes, said to Mr. Barrow, " bless
me, how you must have been amused." Mr. Barrow was
a married man, and could not but feel indignant at the
annoyance to which his family were exposed. He bore it
as long as possible, but finding that all remonstrances
were vain, indeed so much so, that Mrs. Langston said
out of the window, " We shan't go yet, we shall stop
a little longer and annoy the neighbourhood," he placed
a placard in his window, with the words, " Beware of
the bad house, No. 24." This had the desired effect,
and the defendants quitted the house. A few days after-
wards, they returned, and Mrs. L. on that occasion came
and tapped at Mr. B.'s window, and said, " here we are
again, where is your d—d old wife." Other disgusting
language, in which most horrible propensities were impu-
ted to Mr. B. in the hearing of his wife, followed, but
which he should abstain from repeating. The defendants
finally left the town. But how came they to do so ? It
was because a summons had been served upon them to ap-
pear before the Magistrates, and it was not till the eve of
the day on which they were to appear that they took their
departure. The Learned Counsel then called

Air. Barrow, who stated that be was a solicitor, and
lived at No. 25, in the New Steyne, which was his own
freehold. In July last year No. 21 was to be let; it be-
longs to a gentleman living on the Grand Parade ; the
windows in front of the houses on the New Steyne are
how-windows. On Sunday, the 30th July, the defend-
ants took up their residence at No. 24 ; they came in a
carriage-and-four, and were attended by a male and a
female servant. The defendants had not been in

the house half an hour before they came out upon
the drawing room balcony, and waived their handkerchiefs
to some gentlemen who were walking on the Marine Pa-
rade. The gentlemen made a sign of recognition, and the
ladies went down and paraded with them. Dees not
know who those gentlemen were. A Mr. and Mrs. Nairne
were on a visit at his house at the time ; he had also a
young man in his house, to whom he was guardian ; he
sent him away, for fear he should be contaminated ; Mr.
and Mrs. Nairne quitted at the time they bad fixed ; they
were to hare returned, but did not. In consequence of the
conduct of the defendants becoming worse and worse every
day, he sat up to watch them of nights. He found that
generally, after a gentleman entered, a bell rang, which he
found, from observation, was a notice to the servant that
she was to get the bed chamber ready. He had seen, from
his garden, men and women go up into the bed rooms, and
in some instances, where the curtains were undrawn, and
the candle placed in a particular situation, so as to enable

him to see into the rooms, be had seen acts of
gross indelicacy on the parts of both the melt and
the women—(the witness particularised them.)—
The men,- shortly after thus retiring, used to leave the
house. Has repeatedly seen the defendants go after men,
and bring them into the house. On one occasion two
gentlemen came, and went down the area, and returned,
one carrying- on his arm one of the female servants. He
went in the direction of the parade; the other gentleman
followed arm is arm with another servant. The nuisance
was so great, that Mrs. B. was obliged to live in the back
of the house. Remembers on the evening of the 7th Sept.
seeing the defendant Forrest sitting at an open window,
in front of the Stepae. A gentleman passed by; eke
called to him, and asked hint to come in, observing
that she was all alone. He did go in. Heard
the Gentleman ask when she would quit the house, and
heard his reply ; she did not know ; she meant to stop to
annoy her neighbours. The nuisance still continuing, he,
on the 7th of September, put up a placard in his window
with the words .4 Beware of the Brothel, No. 24, New
Steyne." Repeatedly told Gentlemen, who he saw going
into the house, what sort of place it was. After the bill
was put up four gentlemen called on him, and in conse-
quence of what they promised on the part of the defend-
ants, he took it down. On the 10th of September, the
defendants, after being absent two days from their house,
returned, and Langston, who was accompanied by a gentle-
man, who witness believes to be an Officer in the Army,
said to witness, " Where is your d—d old wife. You see
we are not gone yet." Forrest, and another gentleman, were
within hearing. Forrest afterwards used the grossest
epithets towards him, calling him a woman-hater.—
He told her she had better pull the blinds down
in future, to which she replied, it must have been fine
amusement for you. Forrest then went away, and witness
after a time asked Mrs. Langston, where her companion,
Mrs. Forrest, alias Mrs.' Fauntleroy had gone. She did
not answer, but went in doors. On Tuesday the 12th of
September, he went before General Simeon and Mr. Mil-
ford, and preferred a complaint against the defendants,
for keeping a brothel. The Magistrates granted a sum-
mons, and fixed the hearing for Thursday, but on the even-
ing previous to that day, the defendants left the town in
the same style, and accompanied as they were on
entering it. After his interview with the Magistrates,
he took down the placard, but afterwards put it up
again, and was shortly after called upon by two gentle-
men, who abused him about the placard. One of them
t lem an threatenedhadtoa sheon his er
rsd
ewhispiviiimt to horsewhiphisbandatthe
him. The
etime.
He genhas-
seen, he believes, a hundred different gentlemen at the house.
Cross-examined by Mr. Amermus—The windows of
lo;esmut the
his house do not overlook the windows of No. 24, with
rpaolsefsemthaeleys
the exception of the bow window in front; has seen seve-
o
ral
were
rteh the e houseeran t o;c chuay: edn by
reason
atahnen defendantstnthtieek imlt;t
ld
g
n
ie
issreeobnlemmoenre,sthsoanns,twateniteya;sthtehehyad seen a wbne
enteroeoiet slrfdwaiho.
nyweno;:ii
ltoi
slsuniwasnotewito;thrsesiwiueheraeas swear positively
positivelyhs eoperoeesnicttoihavual hundred identify
had, :de
teiaffonneytr
theohnefi ti.
btye
would
0 his
he had seen sixty ;
out to aratloshoehsiehmeandas such; had seen a elergymar,
per-
son enter the house, who he believed to be a Nobleman ;
house, and also many gallant officers, also many persons
answering to the denomination of finished gentlemen.
Ha-s seen boys of 17 and men of 70 years of age enter the
house. Has seen a gentleman go in at night, and not
e reen pointedter the
leave till the following morning. None of the other resi-
dents on the New Steyne have concurred with him in this
prosecution. Had indicted Mrs. Forrest under as many
different aliases as he had heard she had passed by as many
different names. Had included one of the names in conse-
quence of an anonymous letter he had received.
Mr. Nairne, of Barnard's-place, East Grinstead, was on
a visit to Mr. Barrow when the defendants arrived. He
saw them within an hour afterwards walking on the
drawing-room balcony, and making signals to gentlemen.
Saw thm on Monday evening in front of the house, front
seven till nine o'clock, talking to some half-dozen gentle-
men. They acted with great levity. On another occa-
sion, two gentlemen came up, evidently with the view of
entering the house, but seeing witness, they retired. lie
saw the defendants almost every day ; their conduct was
the reverse of that of most women. He left en the
fifth day after their arrival, and did not return, as he did
not wish his wife to be next door to a house in which such
strange and curious conduct was going on. Did not see
any indecencies practised inside the house.
Jane Penfold, is servant to Mr. Barrow; had seen gen-
tlemen go to the house at all hours of the night and day;
the ladies acted very strangely.
Mr. Am:menus, on behalf of Mrs. Forrest, said, that
while he felt the most sincere compassion for his client, he
could feel no other sentiments than those of contempt for the
Pettifogger who had brought her there, metely for the pur-
pose of making his name resound through the kingdom.
Hie poor client was a mere girl—she was only 20 years
old, and he could not therefore but feel compassion for her