, 1864-10-30
Baltimore Market,
BALTIMORE. tuesday Eyenlng. oc:. Is.
RFtuArkn htA Case nf Neftna


The London Times has deeply rcstlng
report Of startling case which came bafore
the police court Of Lambeth, one Of the sub
urb5 of London, on the 23d of September,
From the history given Of the affair, It seems
that on the 7th Of September, Mrs. Rsbecca
Hi}l, employed In residence adjoining .the
place called Laurel House, situated in Ian
ark, was startled by loud cries. accompanied
BY sobs, which seemed like those Of wo-
man. As she had on former occasions heard
similar sounds, she now determined to ascer-
tain their origin. It was not long before her
efforts were rewarded. Behind window,
strongly guarded by iron bars, she perceived
ard gestures Us If deairous of secret commu-
nicatiou. Accordingly Mrs. Hill procured q
long stick, and by means Of 1t passed up slips
OF paper and lead pencil
" The paper was returned covered with writ
ing, the import of which was communicated
to the police, and q constable was dispatched
to look Into the affair. He scaled the high
iron gate which protected the inclosure. and
despite various obstacles thrown In his way
BY. the Inmates Of the place, succeeded In
gaining the presence OF Mr. Ed ward Ham
mond, its master. He requested permission
T. see his wife, when Mr.. Hammond said she
was sick, but not being able to put the OH
Ger off in this way, at ]asr accompanied him
to her room. Mrs. Hammond WAS found in
a email room, the atm osphere Of which was
rank with noisome odors, bo1stered up In
bed by two Women, and protected By cover
lid torn and dirty. The police agent then
produced his writ, and the whole Farty, con-
sisting Of Ar. Hammond, his wife and the
two women, were taken into custody and re.
moved from the place.
At the legal examination medical gentle.
man Of the Highest respectabilIty testified
that be had made professional examination
OF Mrs. Hammond, aud that he found "a the
result of Its inquiry, that her BODY
emacieted, her whole system r. c,sd,.;se ~
similar to tesss OF person WHO lad fEed sntfsred
..S.. q con.m lous fever, "her muscles
Bhoa ing out very distinctly" her mind was,
however, unaffected; she talked With clear
ness and precision, and With the indication
Of an intellect of high order. In week
Mrs. Hammond WIS able to appear In court,
and stated her case substantially as follows:
She had been married to Dr.. Hammond Tor ee7-
eral years, bringing to him doWFy Of .EG00 yeo7,
Before her marriage hcr name was RoBaIind Buck.
icy. While still maiden she had been sent to
III 6 9sd Fhe hre rs
- had child. There facts, however, Tsse n knoTa
to her husband before their eBpou.al.
the coae.:on of Eza5esh vi hsn o@ ron
want In the family, that an Illicit intercourse ex-
isted between that woman and hes huabsad. She
informed Nj. Hapmoud ol her discovery, and Re.
fusieg to return home, sought the protection Of
her friends.
Shortly after, the entreatiea Of her husband. her
own Loneliness and feyuIeion Of feeling led her
to Join Iii. Hammond again !; and she was lnduc-
cd by coercion more Of less stringent, to write
another letter to the parents Of Miss Wakeman,
(Who Sill continued 10 reside in the house.} tn
which she denied all her previous assertions. This
state o. constrained silence, and IN essrangement
which the presence Of suspected Mistress under
her own tocf perpetual, cutmtnsted In the
month o1 ssrtembeE Of the sage year, with her
being confined. Under lock and bolt, IN Lsnark
House, Pecknam Mrs. Allen, her former house,
place aome time; when tho whole famiiy, 80 sla-
eularly constituted, removed to Laurel House,
Lambeth, where the confinement WIS still eu.
forced, and II anything rendered e7en more z1g-
orous.
During this period sbe was liable at sny time to
the entrance OF Mrs. Alien and Miss -Waaeuan;
WAS the passive listener to their abuse, and the
robe was taken aTAy fran her. Her dressing
caee. containing her jewels and many articles Of
peculiar value. vas sent, without her consent, to
pawnb4oker,s-, Her room vas Kept discontinued,
at the bed clolhirg was Of the poorest and dirt-
est description. From WINDOW In her roolu she
could 'oiteu and often see Miss IT. standing on
the doorstep. cIothed In her own silk dresses. In
her velvet jacket, In her Paisley thawl, with her
sround velvet bonnet With feathers on her head
she could see her husband approach this woman
tbs @ att1sd band her into carriage, and tha two
It appears that Mrs. Hammond rsmon-
strated in very st1oEg terms against the
treatment ct her husband, which had the
effect of causing him to treat her with in.
creased severity, probably with the design
OF oveIthrowing her reason. For two long
years the poor woman was locked up in hes
own room, and the seasons rolled Weartsome-
y on, the long days Of monotonous agoly
being broken only by the recurrence Of her
meals and the UNIV elcome yiHit8 Of her per- :
scouting jaDitorB The offenders were placed
under very heavy bonds to appear for trial,