Star. — 1830-05-11 (London, England)

POLICE INTELLIGENCE. MANSIO _ _  Yesterday two examinations took place before the Loan BIAToa, which exhibited proofs, in different ways, of the effects of the gin system. Mary Palmer, a young woman of genteel appearance, and ex. trmely well.dressed, wu charged by an officer under the following  On Sunday morning the defendant and another young woman, accompanied by two men, began to sing a glee, in Coleman-street, to the utmost extent of their voices ; and as the inhabitants had often expressed their aversion to such serenading as four drunken people may be supposed capable of giving, one of the officers went up to the "chanters," and requested that they would not persevere in breaking the rest of the neighbourhood. As soon as the glee was finished, all departed except the defendant, who thought herself bound to make amends for the absence of the other performers, and screamed as loud as she could, so that several persons left their beds, and threw up the windows to ascertain the cause of such horrible noise. The officer's advice and threats were equally ineffectual, and he was obliged to take the girl into custody, and lodge her in the watch-house. So far the matter was comic enough, but in the strong room of the watch-house the unfortunate creature was very near putting a tragic termination to it and to herself. It was evident that she had been drinking Wait spirits, and the moment she was introduced to he prison she became exceedingly dejected, and looked broken-hearted. The watch-house-keeper, soon after she was locked up, heard an unusual noise issue from the room in which she was confined, and on entering found that the defendant had pulled her shawl tight round her neck, was stretched on the ground, and had that sort of rattling in the throat which, in cases of violence, often immediately precedes death. A few moments would have despatched her for ever, and it was with some difficulty she was restored. Upon recovering, she said she had drank so much gin that she could not resist the temptation to destroy herself, and that if more ready means had presented themselves she would have preferred them. The LORD MAYOR asked whether the defendant was In any bu. sinews"  The officer said he believed she lived by prostitution ; but though he frequently saw her in the streets at night, she was upon all former occasions very well behaved, and was evidently superior to the general run of women of the town. The Lord MAYOst believed, that the madness with which the unfortunate girl bad been seized, sprung from that beverage which is falsely considered a relief from trouble. In her case the gin had made her troubles too severe to be borne. _ .  It was stated, by an experienced person who attended on other business, that since the gin had become cheap, suicides had in. aeascd, and that several parts of the town presented scenes strongly resembling Hogarth's celebrated picture of " Gin.lane," which was by no means an exaggerated representation. The defendant expressed sorrow for having made the attempt upon her life, and said that the gin had made her such a wretch that she knew not what she did ; she really believed that it was made cheap to get rid of the poor. The Loan MAYOR advised her to abstain frotn such dreadful excesses, and having received a solemn assurance to that effect, dis. missed her. _ _  The ddendant was said to hare been once very beautiful, but gin had much bloated her fee,- and made her skin turgid and a few months more of the use of the beverage must, (if reform be quite out date gelation) alter her appearance to that of a perfect fright.