The Portland daily press., 1864-10-31
Refinement of Cruelty.


developed before one of the suburban police
courts of London. From the history given Of
the affair, it seems that on the 7lh of Septem-
Der, Mrs. Rebecca Hill, employed in a resi-
dence adjoining the place called Laurel Houses
= was starteled by loud cries accompanied by
sobs, which seemed like those of a woman and
she determined to ascertain their origin. Be-
hind window, strongly guarded by iron bars,
she perceived woman, who, on noticing her,
made signs and gestures as If DESTROYS of Sc
icret communication. Mrs. Hill produced a
long stick, and by means oft passed up slips
OF paper and a lead pencil. .l5a~
The paper was retained covered. with writ
ing,the import of which was communicated to
the police, and a constable was despatched to
look into the affair. He scaled the high iron
gate which protected the Enclosure, and gain
ed the presence Of Mr.. Edward Hammond, its
master. He requested permission to see his
wife, when Mr.. Hammond said she was sick,
but not being able to put the aficer off in this
way, at last accompanied him to her ROOM
Mrs. Hammond was found in small room,
the atmosphere Of which was rank. with moi,
some odors, bolstered up. In bed by two women
and protected by a coverlid torn and dirty
The police agent then produced his writ, and
the whole party, consisting of Mr.. Hammond,
his wife and the two women, were taken into
custody and removed from the place. b q .
In week Mrs. Hammond was able to, ap-
pear in court, and stated her case substantial
ly as follows: s& j Fa0N =
4 "She had been married to DR.. Hammond for
several years, bringing to him dowry OF 5000
year. Before her marriage her name was
Rosalind Buckley. White still a maiden she
i had been semitic a homeopathic establishment,
4 and while there was seduced by the proprietor,
a DIR. B., by whom she had child. These
4 facts, however, were known to her husband be
! fore their espousal. iesl19 ssas7ts@
lz5 On the 4th of March, 1862, she ascertained
i from the confession OF Elizabeth Wakeman
then servant in the family, that an Illicit in
Lercourse existed between that woman and her
husband. She at once wrote to the relatives
of Miss Wakeman, informed Mr.. Hammond OF
nor discovery, and refusing to. return home,
sought the protection OF her friends. r9a
/ Shortly alter, the entreaties of her husband,
her own loneliness and a reyulsion of feeling,
led her to join Mr.. Hammond again; and she
was induced by a coercion more or less strin-
Miss Wakeman, who still continued to reside
in the house, in which she denied all her pre-
vious assertions. This state ofsconstraineds 81
| lence, and an estrangement which the pres
ence OF suspected mistress under her own
roof rendered perpetual, eliminated, in the
month of September OF the same year, with
uer being confined, under lock and bolt, in La
! uark House, Peckham; Mrs Alien, her for
mer housekeeper, being her janitor. She re-
NAMED in this place some time, when the
whole family, SO singularly constituted, re-
moved to Laurel House, Lambeth, where the
confinement was still enforced, and if anything
rendered more rigorous. ~ s5 4 vlsesa
During this period she vas liable at any
| time to the entrance of Mrs. Allen and Miss
| Wakeman; and was the passive listener to
their abuse, and the victim OF their passionate
1 blows. Her dressing case, containing her jew
| els and many articles OF peculiar value, were
sent, without her consent, to pawn-brokers
Her room was keptill-ventilated, and the bed
clothing was of the. poorest and dirtiests de-
scription. From window in her room she
coud often and often see Miss w. standing
on the doorstep, clothed in her own silk dress
es, in her velvet jacket, in her Paisley shawl,
with her round velvet bonnet with feathers on
her head she could see her husbandaapproach
this woman thus attirsd, hand her into car
riage, and the two ride off together
1t appears that Mrs. Hammond remonstrat-
ed in very strong terms against the treatment
of her husband, which had the effect Of caus-
ing him to treat her with increased severity,
probably with the design of oyerthrowing her
reason. For two long years the poor woman
was locked up in her own room, and the sea-
sons rolled wearisomely on, the long days of
monotonons agony being broken only, by the
recurrence Of her meals and the unwelcome
visits of her prosecuting janitors. The Offend
ers were placed under heavy bonds to appear
for trial. 8~w CSC 8AEI