Star.
London, England, 1814-09-09 00:00:00

PR:ralf7UN, SEPTEMBER 6.'

•

A very extraordinary case came uncle the cogniz-
ance or our Bench of Kegiatrates at the Towii Hall
•...• •
yesterday morning. Theiocal officers of the parish
Preston, from motives or humanity' merely, brought
. thither .a young wofitan, just turned of 21 years of age,
from their wOrk-heritise, ' upon the singular charge of
refusing to take fooda'and so'obstinate, (twits stated,
had 'she been in tfiesea refutitis, 'that' she had been
bistro to lae withdtit • any noutishMent vehatever, ex-
ceptieg weterjor, ning•daYs and nights! The poor
who etas neatly dietsed, and did-not appear to
be SO old 14 tiro :or three years as stated, answered
the accusation with tars only, until
,questioned by
Mr. Serjeattit Rtifinington, in the 'Wildest nceeote,
which gave her conddence, and taught her rather to
regard him, as the h iend who could pity affff console,
than the Magistrate'whoovhuld condemn and punish
her in her misfortunes, when she faulteringly observed
lilt she ate as often as she could—that she was at
times very poorly, but . she could not tell what was
the matter with her—that she was very. unhappy,
but she did not know why. She admitted, that the
parish offices had been very kind to her—that they
h d offered her fo of the best quality, and aressed
her to eat, but that it had been out of her power—
that she hal bet n allewed to rake wit .tever exercise
she pleased.; but for which it aopeared, she had had
no more inclination th in for t':e food she refused ;
and teat the pariti °dicers had even offered to pro-
e'cle 1. .r her tout of the woik-house, and place her
. in any si•u •tion she c iuld wish for, where she might
enjoy comfort herself, and . be useful to others.—
..a-Her replies were simple and arlass ;it was impos-
sible to hear them And not feel an interest for her fate;
pity was the predjaininant sentiment in all present, and
she was ultimately dismissed with an earnest and corn-
pasiiionate entreaty from the worthy Serjeant, that she
would in future comply with the wishes of those who
had only her welfare in view, and with which, as the
tears trickled down her face, she said she would en-
deavour to comply. An aboinence of the length and
tamplexion abave stated, and dissolution avoided, is
scarcely to be credited; but those best acquainted with
the facts have no doubt upon the subject; and what
renders the affair more strange, is, that though pale
and-rather sickly in appearance, the condition of • the
poor girl certainly bore no indications of a starving
state. From her attachment to one family in the.
neighbourhood of Preston, and her hesitating manner
when the name of that family was mentioned to her,
it is supposed that a cherished and hopeless affection
for some object connected with it, has been the cause
of her conduct eand sufferings. Her behaviour and
character, however, are regarded as correct.
Another
..affair, but of a nature totally 'different
to the above, els° excited considerable interest at
the Town Hall yesterday, and which had one br
two previous hearings and investigations in the
same place. The case was as follows :—an Officer
of the 10th Royal Hussars, about a fortnight or
three weeks since, had the misfortune to lose his
purse, between this town and the cavalry barracks,
containing £33. 12s. 6d. viz. six bank bills, three
of the value of £lO each, and three of £1 each,
and 12s. Gd. in silver, and for which a reward of Jel 0
Was offered to 'whoever should find, and cause it to be
tutored to the owner. The purse was found by the
wife of a soldier of the 10th Hussars, of the name of
Webb, who exhibited its contents to two women of
her acquaintance, if.l3. 12s. 6d. which fact has been
COTArrued by the said woman on oath, and -subse-
quieitly gave it to her husband to restore to the loser.
1b• man did return the purse, but with one of the
aelo Banknotes taken from it; and on being denied
the Taw .rd, in consequence of that deficiency, he,
W hb, first applied to the Bench for summons against
the 0 tkar it possible, to el force the payment. In
this proceeding, the turpitude of Webb is considered
las •Appareir ; but, ai M. Serjeant Runnington
tto•re is no evidence but what the wife can
give if the husband be the purloiner of the 1610
which goes (needy to pfove that the said bill was in
the purse when he received it ; and no evidence but
whit slusthe derived febrn the husband, if the wife be
the thief, to prove that the contents of the purse had
been so diminished• berate she gave it to him t neither
of who h the law could take cognizance of, such evi-
dence being Illegal; he could not advise •a prosecution,
though he had no doubt of the guilt of one or both of
the plirties ; but, as considerable expenses wbuld arise
from the prosecution, and the offender oft offenders,
notwithstanding, though so truly meriting it, might
escape punishment, he rather ad v ised.that they should
be disinissed for the present, in the hope that some.
thine or other 'might yet be discovered, which, on
a trial, should give mote terrain assurance ef con-
Viction.

ELOPEMEHT.—About a fortnight since the wife of
a triderman in the neighbourhood•of Rumford clop-
edskeiring ber husband and "six small children behind
her, but takin4 with her about £5O in cash. She
was on Tuesday -traced to a lodging at Ken-
nington, where she was residing with a Serjeant of
the Waggon Train. -1:1:e easy husband requested she
',wild • return with him, and :promised all the past
sliouidbii forgotten : this however she refused to do,
bat reiptiad him ,C 25 of the cash she had taken, and
advised hith to go home and make himselfcomfort-
al,le with his children.
The qu ,ntity f Amon brought to London during
the last we. k so.greata. that the very finest qua-
lity 1145 brtil s ld. Uy retail at Billingsgate at the re-
• iittfed price of trointid.tolsi. per pound.

•••

•