Star.
London, England, 1826-08-07 00:00:00

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iksrsenAllinieed, she displayed her affec-
wak tions toeskthkfirr health became impaired
-"from thrOmati confinement. (Here, at
the request of the Learned Counsel, the Ladies, who
were very numerous in their attendance, retired trom
Ccpirt. while he detailed the condition of this poor idiot
George, with reference to his personal wants.) From
the.Lea!ned Gentleman's statement, it Appeared that
every thing was done to render his infirmities as in-
offensive as possible, when, on Wednesday, the 25th of
Jantwy lasts while therwobrothers and the sister Sarah
were engaged. as usual, in cleaning his bed-room, and
as Ire had. a very hal night's rest, the stater was much
fatigued, baring sat up with him tit% two o'clock in the
morning, two Gentlemen were observed to ride up to
the count-vard of the house.: one of them, Mr. Eta, was
known as an occasional visitor and acquaintance. The

change 4 linen for George's bed was at the moment be-
fore the kitchen fire for airing,and the servant girl having
no fire in the parinur, suddenly filing the sheets into it,
shoaed the Gen laamen into the kitchen, and went up to
tell the' family of the arrival of these two Gentlemen.
William immediately ran down stairs to see them, and
• .bt ing interrupted in assisting in the cleaning of George's
room.-left the idiot upon the chaff bed, the fealter one
being, abaut to be changed, which was generally done
Once or twice a %seek, and he flung over him an old coat
and 4 couple or the chaff bags, merely for the mornent,the
• ;vier/notion hasan,a, taken place just as the clean things
we, epre,iiiiing. lionn coming down stairs, he found
'Mr. E!d aid another Gontleman,who afterwards proved
to he the Rev. Mi. Brought n. The latter inquired
ho resided in that house; he was informed of the resi-
eent members of the family, and also of George. The
two Gentlemen instantly desired to see the latter; the
family naturally wished for a short delay to set things
right, as they had been interrupted in doing so by the
new arrival cf s rangers. Miss Sarah Smith came down
stairs during the conversation, without her gown, and
only dressed in a shawl, which she hastily threw over
her shel' 'ers. and morning habiliments, and joined in'
the solicitation for a moment's delay, when Mr. Brough-
ton behaved towards her in a manner which no allow-
ance for his nritisia, however laudable, could justify.
Ifis conduct on the occasion did him no credit, either
as a Clergyman, a Magistrate, or a man, for he d—d
th s tidy, and assailed her in rude and violent terms
of the most unbecoming description. 'I hese Gen-
tlemen refusing to permit the smallest delay, went
up stairs at once, accompanied by a person of the
name 4 Pnl'on. They opened the door of George's
bed-room, Which was not, nor had ever been, locked, the
fastenin eing nothing more than a common staple.
They ,n.,doubt, much shocked at what then struck
their eyes; for shocking at all times, in the best condi-
dition, send with the best treatment, was the humiliating
spect ele of a fellow-creature bereaved of reason, and
well calculated to appal, and make an indelible impres-
weinn on any reflecting mind. They found the room, of
'iternrse, dark, as it would naturally appear to Gentlemen
-iiho had jest entered it from the broad glare of day;
they removed some of the bricks from the window to
have a better view of the patient, and they took a full
view of him. They made no complaints upon this visit
—they uttered no reproach to the family ; but they
subsequently thought proper to cause the removal of
the sufferer from the house of his family to the Stafford
Ltitiat;c Asyl,m, where he had since remained. He
Weiliti Din met into the motives of these Gentlemen for
their interp. &lan, but he would feallessly assert their
t' Mutt ocon this occasion to have been indiscreet and
improper, for appearances might have deceived them—
their conjectarts mig!.t have been mistaken—indeed, as
it was, they-had propagated the most exaggerated ac-
count of what they had teen, and they had done so
without making the least explanatory inquiry from the
family, against which, nevertheless, they did not hesi-
ta'e to insinuate charges of harshness and cruelty, for
the treatment of a relative to whose care they had di-
tected for many years the most tender solicitude. The
plaintiff, upon hearing these calumnies, brought an
action against ti e Rev. Mr. Broughton for having pro.
pagated them, upon which the latter caused a prosecu-
tion to be instituted against the plaintiff and his family
fur cruelty to del, brother. Pending this prosecution
it was that these libels were published in a Newspaper of ,
eatensive circulation, called the . Birminghant Journal.
:There were two libels published in this Paper, one on
the II th and the other on the 25th of February. In
• the first, the names were suppressed, the circumstances
heir.g. according to the Elitor's own account, " under
legal investigation." Nevertheless, he dial not hesitate
to send forth a statement calculated to poison the minds
°Cabe Jury oho were about to inquire into the real facts
'of the case. The Learned Counsel then read the fol-
lowing articles from the Birmingham Newspapers of
the 111th -nd efith of Februat y, commenting urn them
a. he proceeded in terms of great severity :
FROM THE BIItItIINGIIANI CIittONICLE or FEB. 11.
" IfOURTD ATROCITY.
"..The Aimed gives the following outline of a ease of
untratinal cruelty almost unheard of. Toe names are suppressed,
rri tbir-crosop.rrances, are under legal iinteatigation. A brother and
.eisrer re:mink:leer ,elle northern binders of this county (Shropshire),
svhoise father died about 15 years ago, having seven children, four
tons and three dauglsters. One of the sons was unhappily an
idiot. The father by his will bequeathed to the brother and sister
the slam or 1„500/. in trust. the interest thereof to be applied to the
maintenance, in the frost comfortable manner his unfortunate situa-
tion would'adMit, cif his deranged child. Immediately after the
(wadi of his father (as alleged) the poor idiot was locked up in a
small dark room in the house, where he was daily fed like a swine,
through a small aperture in the wall, f. .r a series of years. About
elt yen ytnrs ajn, the brother and sister then spread a report that
their 21 •tr e was haunted, in order to deter persons from visiting, it.
Howevrr, a servant girl, w lin bad been with them 14 year.. left
them a kw days ago, and went into the service of a Magis-
trate in the neighbourhood, and communicated the above circum-
stance. Tug Magistrate took immediate steps, and with a
eniht able went to the house, and revested admittance. This being
relined, he burst open the dour, and found the unfortunate object
of their search in a place of tool darkness. They procured a light,
and discovered the miserable _victim of atrocious penury crouching
in a coiner of the room ; his Lair had grown all ova r hint to the
length of three or four inches; he was become quite deformed,
arid shrunk to little more than a yard in height. When his father
tied, he was in person a well-made and tall young man. Blankets
were recuied to place h.nr in, but when the constable went to
s,, rap them round him, he sprang at and bit hint in the cheek,
n.al.ing a horrible and unintelligilile noise. Ile was, however,
1.t,:,:,h; down stairs, and conveyed to the Staffordshire Lunatic
As:::tttr., where he at present remains."
The second libel was, con inued the Learned Counsel,
hear tl:e same Journal of the 'l,sth keh. and as 10110WS
" BA npAROUS ATROCITY.
" :-.oticed in a former number an instance of horrid atrocity
•tate4 to have been committed by a brother and sister upon their
7 h-sal.e elder brother. There was something so revolting to human
I.ICIII g in the account, that we trusted it was filse, and should have
discredited the facts altogether, had it not been posirfvely stated
that tLe sufferer was rescued and removed to the Staff.): dslt:re
I.sur.:stic Asylum. We extracted the particulars from the Saki fan
and the circumstances were said to have taken plate smear
the bider of that comity. A contradiction of the transacton has
Ett:re been m.. 111! time .7.'!fel:',sUry Chr,)!!laff : but we confess we
are in rearing that contradiction, any mare inclined to doubt