Year: 1868

At the Mansion House Police Court,
yesterday, before the Lord Mayor. Charles
Brown, sickly looking m2n, thirty-four
years of age, described "a a laborer. was
charged with feigning fits for the purpose of
obtaining aims. The circumstances were
of very extraordinary character. Davies,
an officer of the Mansion Police Court.
stated that the prisoner came to the court
on W ednesday afternoon, at half past two
O'Clock, and requested relief from the
poor-box. He walked with the aid of
crutehes, apparently with great difficulty,
and represented that he had that morning
been discharged from the City of London
Unien, where he had been lying for three
weeks, suffering from an injury to the
spine caused by fall from scafold. Mr..
Gore, the Assistant Clerk, deeming him in
an usht state to leave the Union, and like
wise Rith the view Of testing the accuracy
OF his statements, wrote an order for his
readhission to the Union, and gave him a
sixpenee to pay his fare and shilling to
get some food. Witness thereafter assisted
MIN down stairs, and took him into one of
the waiting-rooms by the front entrance,
and on the way a gentleman gave him
sixpence. On reaching the waiting
room he was asked what he would
have to eat. He complained of
his inside being cold, and said he would
like drop of brandy. This was brought
to him, and he drank part of it with cold
and the remainder with warm water. He
likewise asked for some bread and butter,
which was obtained for him, but he did
not eat any. Having waited for some time,
he was carried across the street to get to
The bus, when he turned bad" all at
once, and on Mr.. Gore being consulted
with, he instructed Constable to take him
to the hospital in a cab. VIM. Peet, SIS.
said: About 3;45 saw the prisoner lying
on the pavement outside the European
Public House, opposite the Mansion House,
with great many people standing around
him, and he was to all appearance dying.
hailed cab, put him into it, and told
the cabman to drive him to Bartholomew
Hospital. On the road the prisoner gave
three convulsive gulps, and stretched him
self ont as if he was dead. On reaching
the hospital he gave three more convulsiye
gulps, and again stretched himself out.
The house surgeon came to the cah-door
and asked what was the matter. | said. 81
think he is dead" The Surgeon said, ooh,
no, he is not" A stretcher was brought,
and he was taken inside. He then ap-
peared TO be little better, and they asked
him several times if he could talk. In
reply he made dumb motions to indicate
that he had fallen from a great height, and
he held up three fingers as if to signify that
he had broken three of his ribs. The ply
sician was sent for, and they then took off
his clothes and found large piece ofstick-
ing plaster on his aide, which they took off.
On being again asked if he could speak, he
gave three more "gulps," and lay still. as
II dead, The Doctors thereupon ordered
him to lie strapped to the stretcher, and got
out galvanic battery, which they applied
to him. On receiving the shock he began
to "holler" out, said he could talk now, and
begged them to desist. Laughter. They
said he could not, they would give him a
little more. He was then released and
said "If You had the pain l have got
in my back you would not serve me like
this" f5e pretended he conld not put on
his cie-k yes, wherenpon the Doctor gave
him aasv Ter shock of he kastery, which
had the sAiect of making him put on his
clothes rs two minutes and run of. Re
newed laughter. | caught him and took
him to The station. He told me that he
was at the Bow UniCn, and that the Doctor
gave him the crutches but he can walk as
we'll without them as with them. He also
stated that he had once been served in the
same way before. Brown was sentenced to
twenty-one days imprisonment az a rogue
and vagabond.-London Star, March Is.