Denton and Haughton Examiner, etc. — 1879-03-29 (Denton, Greater Manchester, England)

THE BAD STORY.  At Lambeth Police Court, on Monday, Mrs. Emily Collett, who was charged on Monday week with at-i temptmg to commit suicide by throwing herself into: the Thames, attended on her recognisance. She said' her husband was in India, where lie was connected: with the public press, and had been manager of the Punjaub Bank. Mr Chance told her that her case had elicited a good deal of sympathy, and a number of benevolent persons bad sent money for her assistance. lie had made inquiries, and had no doubt she was a person addicted to drinking habits. Mrs. Collett asked for the names of the persons, that she might contra bet their statements. Mr. Chance said every opportunity Should be given to her, and there was a gentleman. Mr. Turnbull, in court, connected' with the Benevolent Fund who would make a searching, inquiry before the money was given to her. Mrs. Collett, In an excited manner, complained of her husband and other persons, and denied that she was given to drink. Mr. Chance told her when he called last Friday on the landlady where she lived, she was in a different state, and the landlady said she took a. drop. A young wnman came forward, at the request: of Mrs. Collett, and said she occasionally took a drop when in trouble.—Mrs. Collett asked the magistrate. whether he would discharge the debt of the landlady, who was in court, as she did not intend to return to her house.—Mr. Chance said he should certainly not order the amount to be paid at present. The magistrate asked Mrs. Collett several questions as to her former residence. Site denied that she had ever lived' with any man but her husband, who had only sent: her .8100 for three years. She addressed the court an excited manner, and said, as a lady, she had an: peered on her recognisance, and asked to be diecharged, declaring that she would not return to Mrs.' Pike's house—Mr. Chance asked her whether ithe would go with Mr. Turnbull, who was present, and: would take charge of her, and institute a searching, Investigation, and every opportunity would be given to her to allow that she was not addicted to drinking habits.—Mrs. Collett said she would go, and that gentleman assured the magistrate that a thorough inquiry would he made into the ease—Mr. Chance intimated that no portion of the money sent to the court would be handed over until a searching inqniry had been made, and the public would be informed of, the result. Mrs Collett, who was discharged from her recognitance, left the court with Mr. Turnbull. Pending the inquiry the money sent by the public to the court, which has now reached' 1 a large snot, will remain in charge of the officials.' Under the heading, "An impostor," Mr. James! Barton, a member of the Marylebone Charity! Organisation Commtttee, writes in Tuesday's Standard story, prim 4 facie of the most distreating nature, was told before the sitting magistrate at Lambeth on the 18th inst., with reference to a; woman nettled Emily Collett. His remarks may not improbably result in a large influx of money for the, benefit of the case. Indeed, we find that sever* pounds have already reached her from sympathetic, : visitors. In the interest of the benevolent generally,' : and more particularly of those residents in Mary' lebone, to whom our first duty lies, may we ask yoni to give insertion to the following facts which have! , reached us from one of the Poor-law officers of this Union. who, we may mention, has visited the woman at the nddress given, and so placed the question of , identity beyond doubt. The case first became known to him some seven or eight years ago, when she. applied for admission to the Workhouse. Inquiry, made at that time showed that on arrival from Indiai she took up her residence at the Lanham Hotel, where she kept her carriage. She subsequently , pawned jewellery for over .8100, which was redeemed ! by her husband's velatives. and then drifted lower 1 and lower, till, when visited by the relieving officer she was found to be cohabiting with a young man and in the most miserable condition. Unhappily, ' , this is not a solitary instance of depravity in this direction.  Sonic few weeks ago she applied to the samisi relieving officer for admission to the casual ward, andi Is stated to have then been half stupid from effects of drink. When visited on Monday she wain found to be in a half drunken and maudlin state.; She has lived in the present neighbourhood for the past six years, and is well known as a drunkenii and dissipated character. A tradesman in the neighs, bourheed who bad for some time acted as the medium through which her letters from India reached her,, but who has refused any longer to do so, says of her. that a more depraved and worthless woman never existed. It is important to remark, as bearing 011 her pathetic statement that, remittances having failed, her, she had appealed to her husbands relations in vain, that an allowance still reaches her from India. It is not infrequently. though most unfairly, urged ago hist us that our action in relation to charity begins and ends with repression. What we deprecate in this ease is not the taking of any wise measures for the reclamation of this unhappy woman, but only that impulsive benevolence which, by placing money direetly in her hands, would serve simply to minister her fatal appetite for drink.  Lord °emery., in clistributing the prime on Saturday afternoon to the stnclonta at Newbury, delivered an add, e.:s on art atm:ly, which he warmly commended urgkg the increase of art and schwa culture. o I owe in complete without one of W. U ,