The Sun. — 1858-05-26 (London, England)

MANSION-HOUSE.—Tbos..Lay, a dirty dissolute-looking fellow, was charged with neglecting his children, and leaving them chargeable to the parish of St. Botolph, Aldgate. It appeared from the evidence of Thos. Lay, an intelligent but delicate lad of 15, that the prisoner was his father, and that his mother had been dead some time. Besides himself his father bad three 3ther sons, aged 12, 8, and 4, respectively. Witness was apprenticed to a factor, bad for a long time kept himself upon his wagesof 4e. a week, and the next boy, who worked at a pewterer's, also earned 4s. weekly and kept himself—the other two children being depend ant upon their father, with whom they all lived together in Goodman's-yard. About a month ago, however, their father left home, giving them 55., and had never returned since, except one day when he looked in and left Is. 6i. on the chimney-piece, so that the younger children were nearly starved, and witness was compelled, as the only means of keeping them from actually starving, to bring them to the Lord Mayor, who first kindly relieved them and sent them to the workhouse, where they still remained, at the same time issuing his warrent for the prisoner's apprehension. The Assistant-relieving officer to the parish of St. Botolph, Aldgate, deposed that he had apprehended the prisoner that morning while doing some stable work. Prisoner said tie had done all be could for his children. He had had no regular work since Christwas, and all the money he had earned during the last month was the ls. Gd. be had left on the chimney-piece. The job he was that morning taken from was the first halt-day's work he had had since. , Prisoner's eldest son said his father, when he did live with them, was constantly coming home drunk, when he used the mist disgusting language betore the youngest children. The prisoner denied that he was of drunken habits, but . The Lord Mayor told him his appearance was quite decisive on that point without the aid of other evidence. The son said his father had been altogether regardless of the welfare of the little children: On •one occasion, on a Saturday night, ho went home with a sovereign, out of which he gave witness 51. for the week, keeping the rest for himself. The Lord Mayor—Only 53. for four children, and 15s. for yourself. What a heart you must have. Prisoner (sullenly)—Well, I had myself to keep.. The Lord Mayor—But who was to keep your children ? I'm sure, if this boy, of whom you ought ,o be proud, had not brought them to me, they must have-starved, and yet they looked so neat and tidy, I was really surprised. The witness modestly said he kept them as neat as he could, as he had no one to help him. The Lord Mayor encouragingly told him he would one day be rewarded for his conduct, as no doubt some one would be found to take charge of his younger brothers. Prisoner—Why, one day that boy told me not to go to his home, for if I did he wouldn't have me there. Witness—No, father. You came in one day and going to the cupboard you took some of our bread, which was little enough for us four, and I told you if you couldn't bring us any money you had better keep away. That was all. The Lord Mayor—And very proper too, when you wanted to live on his small earnings. You are one of the greatest brutes for a father that ever came before me. It is plainly proved that you have neglected your children, and I shall send you to hard labour for a month. If you ever come here for the same thing again I shall send you for three. Elizabeth Chambers, a resreeably dre s-ed m;d dle-aged female, was charted witu being drunk and disorderly, and wilfu'ly breaking a square of glass, value 255., and also with attempting to commit suicide in a cell at the police station. It appeared from the evidence that on Monday evening the prisoner and two other women went to the Robin Hood public-house, Skinner-street, Bishopsgate, where, after they had stayed drinkfor some considerable time, they got fighting in the parlour. They were, however, turned out of that room, but immediw ely afterwards "stripped," and turned to, for a second time, in the bar, to the great annoyance of the landlady and customers, until at last they were put into the street. Toey thou began cre sting an uproar outside, and the prisoner, walking up to the door, deliberately put her fist through a square of glass value 255. She was thin given into custody, being quite drunk and conveyed to the Bishopsgate-street police-station, from which she was removed shortly after to the Meor-lane station, where about nine o'clock, fills, police constable 150, on visiting her in her cell, founj her nearly strangled by a piece of tape, which was twisted and tied so tightly round her neck, that it was oily by the aid of his wife, whom he called to his assistance, he was able to cut it off, and only after some considerable trouble, and the Literal applic ttion of restoratives, they wt re able to I bring her te her senses. The prisoner said she lived in the Hackney-road, and went out on Mend ty,morning to receive 10e., when she met the two women referred to in the evidence, who asked her to treat them, and she took them into the Robin Hood for that purpose. They were c .mfor. ahle enough so long as her 108. lasted, but when her money was gone her companion., who she supposed thought she had g.t more, abused her and struck her, and that was how the row began. As for the window, she was leaning on the door and her elbow went through it accidentally.  The prisoner's haarand, who was in court, said his wife was an easy, good-natured creature, who was easily led astray by some bad ones, -vho threw themselves in her way, but she wasn't altogether a bad wife for au " honest, respectable working man'' like himself.  The Lord Mayor commenced to address the prisoner in his usutl admonitory strain when drunkenness is in question, particularly enlarging upon the disgrace brought by her conduct upon an " honest and respectable husband," when au officer in court said the prisoner and tier husbanA, until recently, kept a brothel in Montagu -court, Bishopsgate, and the husband, admitting that he had kept the b:othel referred to for six or seven year=, still protested that he was an "honest and respectable man"— is "he ha I been drawn into ic,—and all his Lordship's eloquence could not persuade him to the contrary. Ultimately the L3rd Mayor dismissed this "resrectab'e man" with indignant disgust, and fined his equally "respectable" 11,4'0253. tor the damage, and 20s. fur be:ng drunk, or one month's imprisonment.  In default of payment ebe was locked up.