The Sun. — 1852-08-11 (London, England)

POLICE INTELLIGENCE. GUILDHALL.  John Thomas Parry, the printer who was charged at this court on Monday with attempting to commit suicide, was brought up yesterday before Alderman Cubitt, having been remanded for the attendance of the relieving officer and overseer of the West London Union to explain why they refused to relieve the family of the prisoner. _ _ _  Mr. Chamberlain, the relieving officer, appeared, and stated that the prisoner's wife called on him on Saturday afternoon, about four o'clock, but having visited No. 2, Holborn-buildings, the house in which she was living, on the Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday previous, and not seeing any signs of the destitution and distress complained of by the prisoner and his wife, nor of the eight young children, he was induced to doubt the truth of the wife's statement, and therefore told her to send her husband. Soon after she left the office he went to 2, Holborn-buildings, again, for the purpose of satisfying himself of their distressed state, and relieving them ; but he found no one in the rooms generally occupied by the prisoner's family, and on proceeding upstairs he only saw several of the other lodgers lying about in a beastly state of intoxication. If he had found the wife's circumstances in accordance with her statements, he would have taken the whole family into the union at once. The wife assured the Alderman that the statement was correct as to the destitute condition of the family, and added that she had lived five years in the same house, but was out when Mr. Chamberlain called. Alderman CUBITT asked the prisoner for whom he had worked ? The prisoner said he was workino. latterly for Messrs. Woodfall, but that he only earned 23. 6d. during the whole of last week. Alderman CUBITT regretted that the prisoner should have been placed in such a position ; however, some very humane individual, under the name of "Type," had forwarded 53. for his (the prisoner's) use. The money was then given to the wife, who ap.. peered very thankful for the trifling assistance, and the prisoner was then discharged. Mr. Chamberlain said he would immediately attend to the wants of the family. In the course of the afternoon Mr. Chamberlain again attended and said, that since he left the court in the morning, he had visited the prisoner's lodgings, and instead of eight children being at home and without bread, he found only four, besides two who were earning 33. per week each. He had also ascertained that the prisoner was an idle, drunken, profligate character, and able to earn 21. per week, but when he did so he never brought home more than about 123. per week to his wife, who, at the time she applied for relief, he (Mr. Chamberlain) thought was partially intoxicated, and who, he had since ascertained, had really been drinking. Jane Moriat, who had lived 11 years in the house adjoining, confirmed all that Mr. Chamberlain had stated, and also said that the prisoner had plenty of work if he would only attend to P. Alderman CUBITT said, he was convinced Mr. Chamberlain had done his duty, and his explanation had removed any reproach that might have been attached to him in the first instance through an erroneous statement. After the Alderman had left the bench, a letter was received containing a donation of 51., from " E. H.," to be applied for the benefit of the prisoner and his family ; and, if found not deserving, to be appropriated to any other charitable use the Alderman might think fit. Two young men, printers, called at the court to inquire if the prisoner was a deserving object, as they were getting up a subscription in their office for him ; but, on being informed of what had transpired, they expressed an intention to assist the wife and children, but not to allow any money to pass through the prisoner's hands. With regard to the 53. from " Type," an acknowledgment was requested in the papers.