Star. — 1825-09-07 (London, England)

SEDUCTION. A most affecting scene was. witnessed at Mary.labonne Odice, yesterday, which appalled all present. It is the custom, at stated periods, for, the Parish 01.cers to bring to the Officeol in -,order to make the necessary aCiavits, those unfortunate persons who have been seized with m'adnes's, in order to their being forwarded to the Lunatic Asios!, to which custody they cannot be consigaest oaloss the course described -be adopted. Tao female; aem by them yesterday brought. up, one of them an elderly woman, was raving mad; knd her frightful cries excited the deepest commisera. tion. The other was the opposite, depicting that almost incurable state of the disease, called " melancholy madness," and onteing brought before. the..Magistrale. she was recognised to be . the , unfortunate victim of !eduction, the beautiful Miss Maria Douglast but no mote like what she was when la:Cat:the Office then night is to day. Her eyes were sunkieh ind hollow, and the death-like p +letters of her face sheered the deep inroads of affliction upon her evidently tareeptihle mind. She was attired in the pauper .dremotad con, fined in the strait-waistcoat (like her -petal:TT cootpatii.in) having attempted suicide. in' tlfe worlthouse: Both Were tinier the evident controls' of seine nurses who accompanied them. • Miss Douglas is now about itineteen,years of age, and is the daughter of a highly respectable family; but who, from accidental causes, have been dashed from the highest stile of life to the very extreme of poverty. 11cr father died of a broken heart caused by his miss lintuneL:' His daughter, moving in a splendid sphere, and possessing, in addition to an extremely handsome. , person, accomplishments of the first order, received the attentions.of .a number of very respectable Gentlemen; and shortly hafore the general wreck of her father's fortune, she fell a victim to the arts of a most accom, plished seducer of rank, but whose name she will not divulge, although she admits be is of a noble house. She resided in a cottage in St. John's Wood 'with him tor some time; bat 'very soon was deserted, and then the dark clouds of adversity began to collect around her. -She, about four months since,-was ejected from the cottage, having disposed of almost isvery.thingt and abhorring the courses of profligacy, determined !Too committing suicide; and, in the night-time," was observed wandering near the canal in)*.the,Regetit's, park by a watchman, who, from-herhvident egonrof mind, followed her, and saw her pluage'into the %valet and sink. He quickly procuredassistaace,,.andjura as as she rose to the surface,,, succeeded in rescuing her by catching her hair.- She'vrat instriediatelYltalken in a state of insensibilitTffi.3ine of the Cadges, and the usual restoratives I;erifif 'plied, she was /*stoles' to ,ensibility, and of the morning brought to the office, when her attempted suicide was' detailed. She very unwillingly statedto the Magistrate the his pry of herself, and the, can „Oat led to a cleterniination to rid herself of if. and sorrow at the same time. Her misfortunes excited .pitya.zand the received-some relief; and the ,publicatitet. *Cease in the *newspapers led envy benivoleni pepions io lend money to the.office,for her .use. She. etas -then very elegantly dressed, and • extremely beautiful, but to-day presented anefilicting contrast and those appearances which_precede a pramtune death. 0 , the. occasion above alltirited to, an asylum was procured for her- in . Chapel-atieet, Lisson, ,grove; but she • had oot_loag been there, before the 'weight of her affliction brought on the...disease of the mind. She. was removed to -the Infirmary, _and very soon the complaint became evidently isettled. Mr. Honors asked 11r. Goodger, the parochial surgeon,his opt.. :lion of her state of mind? Mr. Goodger said she was insane. Miss Douglas mildly, and bursting intd. Wars, oi No, Bir, I beg leave to say that lam not deranged, indeed lam not. lam only will,soon be well again." Mr.„llosurti—;You then are not inliealth ? *, Miss Douglas;---Oh, dear, no, but 4 am but lead; I are "let a circumstance has occurred which aasets me. Mr. Ilositiris--AVill you describe that? Miss Douglas—Oh, Sir, 'Leann& bow, its' a long story and an affecting • bileVrbe .tircutustante tattereed some time ago, and has made very':unkkipf Wsolely of a private nature. lia IWs not mad. oh no, loins nut mad, I asit'only unhappy. I.lr. lloseists—abie your parents alive? Miss Douglas, tithing, ',pave Po friend [lying. .001111.1114 down almost exhausted, amt-tbe laosseedost dorligtojetWititideall gradually stealing °eke her. ••• t• s. t .. • The nifker,fut lan rensovalvesithenmshe out. The other woman arpelOveOotlektioderwand dieing, but swarelud"raveditrith'ibe wor-rrijibtlafiretteriscoew.a4 ywere removed lire:coach.  NA