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THE NfOItWOOD NUNNERY. Tina case <jf Gri...
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Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software. The text has not been manually corrected and should not be relied on to be an accurate representation of the item.
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"Von Beck"—Additional Evidence. Aooomiin...
m - arv are entries of _disappointments in payments of nev by the woman to the writer , and of actual _payments made ; while , in another part of the same docunt there is found a page of accounts , m which , on the _™ editor side , stands the following . — c _Memoies . May 20 th . lot Copymg • • J ° _^ _Qriqinat . _•••••• v . sat- _v _fOther credits are mentioned , amounting to ] 17 3 3 27 13 9 Paid . . 820
£ 19 11 9 ' " Thus the Diarist very properly charges , not only for his labour in writing the original of the pretended ' _Autobiography , ' but for the copying of the first manuscript . No doubt this was in the terms arranged in the three agreements ( March 1 and 9 , and April 12 ) already mentioned . " One public journal has vouched that the woman ' conducted herself with entire respectability upon English soil . ' Without polluting these pages with any of the disgusting
details which it would have been proper ior the defendants , in the case of Derra v . Dawson and others , to have proved , and which they . were prepared to prove had not the plaintiff broken ' down , it is quite sufficient to take , on this matter , the words of this Diary . Such entries as the following are conspicuous : — ' Beck is a real hag ; ' ' The lesson has been useful to Beck ; ' 'Quarrel with Beck ;' ' Beck grows daily tamer ; ' ' The Baroness furious on account of ! ' ' Beck a harpy ; ' e & c . e & c . "
The remaining evidence consists of three letters-One from General Kmety , stating that Von Beck mentions his name in her book " several times , always coupled with insipidly absurd -untruths . " Another from Baron Csesar Mednyansky , showing that there are only two ladies living who bear the name of Baroness Beck , hoth born Horeczky , the name Racidula gave as her maiden name ; and that tbere never were any other ladies of that name married to any gentleman of the Beck family of late years . Baron Mednyansky ' s statement is circumstantial ; he himself is a friend of the family . The third letter is from Captain Hahn , who states , from personal knowledge , that he found that Racidula had been a domestic servant at Vienna .
These are Mr . Smith's new allegations in proof of the imposture . But we think it right to reprint the following , in order that another opportunity may be given to those who ought to refute it if they are able : —
Statement of diaries de Soden . " , Sussex-street , UniverBity-street , Aug . 26 , 1851 . " In reply to thc inquiry contained in your kind note , I beg to inform you that the person styling herself ' Baroness de Beck' is the same who , accompanied by Dr . Heinemann , offered personally her services as a spy and informer to the recently established foreign branch of tho English police force . This I know from good authority , and I know likewise that for a fortnight or three weeks she has obtained for such services tho sum of 51 . 16 s . 8 d . per week . It is also no secret to me that tho soi-disant Baroness introduced herself to tho Commissioners of tho Police by forwarding a letter written by Dr . Heinemann ,
anel containing an enclosure , which consisted of some articles and regulations _adojited by an association of the Gorman Communists in London . With regard to Mihaloczy , he himself has admitted to mo that tho baroness insti gated him to the attack on your husband , and that she ; has defrayed all the expenses of the subsequent proceedings . Should it bo requisite , I will with much pleasure ; substantiate tho above statement by tho production of unexceptionable evidence . Trusting you will use your best endeavours in placing tho illiterate she-impostor before ; the pidilic in her true character , and in tearing tho mask from her unblashing eountonaneo , I beg to subscribe myself yours very respectfully , ( Signed ) " _CuaitiTi . _s he Soden . "
Ar00504
The Nfoitwood Nunnery. Tina Case <Jf Gri...
THE NfOItWOOD NUNNERY . Tina case < jf Griffiths v . De l'Espinasse , came on for trial at Guildibrd , on Thursday , and occupied thc court till _Saturday . Mr . Montague Chambers , Mr . Dawson , and Mr . Lush conducted the case for the plaintiff '; Mr . Sergeant Sliee , Mr . Bramwoll , and Mr . Willes appeared for tho defendant . The plaintiff , Henrietta Griffiths , was a girl of fifteen or sixteen years old . She had lost both her parents , und was dependent upon an aunt for subsistence . In the year _I _841 ) , she was pl : _itv ; d by Cardinal Wiseman at
the convent of Norwood , of which the defendants , Madame de FEHpinusso and Madamo Theodosie , wero the superiors . There wero two ohrsaes of inmates in the convent , one consisting of young ladies who paid AOl year Tor their board and education ; tho other culled the orphanage class , and consisting of poofc childre n , for whom only 15 _^ . a year was' received . The household work of the establishment seems to have been performed by the children of the orphanage class . hey usuall y mso at hall-past lour in tho morning , and went In bed ait nine .
fhe declaration ulloged that the defendants , having undertaken to provide proper food and nourishment •¦«> the pluintifi ; had neglected to do so ; that thoy hud worked her beyond her strength , and had improperly _confined , „ i 4 otherwise ill-treated her , to such _iui ex-
The Nfoitwood Nunnery. Tina Case <Jf Gri...
tent that she had been much injured in health , and had lost the sight of one eye . It seems that the girl was in a bad state of health when she entered the convent , and was generally of a very scrofulous habit . Mr . Montague Chambers opened the case with a detailed account of her grievances . He then called Griffiths herself as witness . After stating the circumstances of her entering the convent , she went on to describe their diet . Their breakfast
consisted of soup , made of peas and rice , which was also given to them for dinner sometime , with tbe addition—about three times a week—of meat , of which they had as much as they could eat . For supper , they had vegetables , such as cabbage . There was a punishment , which they called " the trial class . " They were made to sit on a low stool , facing a whitewashed wall close to them , and tbey were not allowed to look round or speak . They were kept thus from four o'clock in the morning till nine at night , and this was often continued for several days . Griffiths then told a strange story , about Cardinal Wiseman coming to visit the convent ,
and about a robe which she was to present to him as having been made by her class , although in fact she had never seen it before . According to her account , she displeased the superiors because she would not tell him that she had bad a hand in the making of it . For this offence , she stated that she had been placed in the kitchen for punishment . The damp and cold of the kitchen , together with the hard work which she was set to there , made her ill . When Dr . Chapman , the medical attendant of the convent , noticed tbat she had grown worse and worse , he was told that she had not taken her medicine . She told the doctor that she had
always taken what was given to her , and for saying this she had to _undei-go the punishment of prostration . This was lying on the face upon the floor . She was afterwards kept in a small , dark closet , being threatened with the " trial class" if she should attempt to go out . For three months she was kept there , from four in the morning till nine at night , without being allowed to go out for any purpose . There was neither chair nor table in the room , and she was obliged to lie on the floor . One day they forgot to bring her any food , and left her in the closet all night . At one time she was placed in the trial class for refusing to go to confession , her
eye being then very bad . Dr . Chapman then ordered her beer and meat twice a day , but no alteration was made in ber food . She had sometimes water , coloured with beer , to drink . She continued to get worse . At one time her aunt saw her , and was very much shocked at her appearance . In reply to some inquiry of the superior , the aunt was told that they did not allow any one to interfere in cases of illness . They would not allow her aunt to take her to an oculist , until the aunt threatened to apply to a magistrate . She was at length
taken to Dr . Alexander , who said that her life depended on the way in which she was treated . Her aunt offered to send her some stout , but the superior would not allow it . When she at last left the convent , and went to live with her aunt , she was told by the assistant superior , that if she said anything about what took place in the convent , she would be damned . On cross-examination , she admitted that the doctor had ordered her to be kept in tho shade , on account of the state of her eyes , and this might have been the reason of her confinement in a dark room .
Mr . Alexander , the oculist , said sho had been brought to him from Norwood ; the sight of her left eye was completely gone , and her right eye was in much danger . The second timo ho saw her she appeared no better , but a fortnight after she had been removed from the convent he found her considerably improved . A clerk to the plaintiff's attorney proved that , for a week before the trial , he had endeavoured to servo Cardinal Wiseman with a subpoena , but had been unable to get access to him . He had applied to the secretary of Cardinal Wiseman for his address , but the secretaiy hud refused to givo him any information . He had not served the aunt with a subpoena , as sho hud promised to bo present at tho trial .
Mr . Sergeant Slice , in his defence , urged the jury to consider the character of the defendants , who wen ; ladies of superior education , and , from benevolent motives , bad taken upon themselves the tusk of instructing poor persons , in order to give them a better chance of providing for themselves . He submitted that the case had been trumped up , to increase the prejudice against such institutions , and Urged that if the charge had been honestly made , the aunt herself would have been present . He then called witnesses , who contradicted almost every statement of tin ; plaintiff .
Madamo Dossville , who had been tbe superior when Griffiths first ciinie to the convent , and hud been succeeded by Mudaine Do _l'Espinasso , gavo some account of the inodo of life of the orphanage class . She said they hail meat four times a-week . The children wore
The Nfoitwood Nunnery. Tina Case <Jf Gri...
never kept in the " trial class" room for any length of time , but were always allowed to take exercise during the day . They were placed with their faces to the wall , to avoid the temptation of speaking . Griffiths appeared very weak and feeble when she came to the convent ; she was treated with every kindness and attention . A certain amount of food was allowed for the children , but she believed they always had more . Madame . De l'Espinasse , who succeeded Madame Dossville , did not think tbat she had ever punished Griffiths in any way , or ordered any punishment to be inflicted on her . She had never placed her in the trial
class or in the kitchen . The directions which Dr . Chapman had given as to her treatment had been carried out ic every pajticular . It was by his directions that she was placed in a dark room . She was placed in several rooms , one Of which was very small , being eight feet by five , but she was not kept long in this room . She had a seat in each room . She was kept apart from the others , at first , because she had an eruption on the skin . She could not have been forgotten for a day and a night when she was in the darkened room : the arrangements of the convent would render such a thing impossible . She was never
forced to go to confession , nor was any threat ever made use of to compel her to do so . She was never punished by prostration . Madame De l'Espinasse never refused to allow her to go with her aunt to see the oculist . Her aunt never made any complaint as to ber treatment , but , on tbe contrary , expressed great gratitude for the kindness shown to her _< Madame de l'Espinasse continued the system of diet which had been practised by Madame Dossville , with but little alteration . She provided meat for the children five times aweek . The meat given to them was of the same kind as that provided for the boarders , who paid 301 . a-year .
The weekly consumption of meat was from 350 to 370 pounds , and there were about 100 inmates in the house . The children were allowed to go out to walk for an hour after dinner , and , in summer , for half an hour after breakfast . There were generally about thirty children in delicate health in the establishment , and these were allowed more meat . [ It seems as if there must be some error in this statement , as there were but thirty-two in the orphanage class ; — _especially when compared with the subsequent statement of Mr . Chapman , that the health of these children was remarkably good . ] Fifteen , only , of the orphanage
class were paid for entirely , the rest being partly supported by the _establishment . Madame De l'Espinasse positively declared that Griffiths was never treated in any way differently from the others , except in accordance with the . medical directions . She was , in fact , treated rather more favourably than the otlfers , as they had an especial interest in her . On cross-examination , Madame De L'Espinasse said that one child wished to remain in the trial class room for an indefinite period , in order that she might correct herself . The chief
severity of this punishment was , that they were separated from the other children , and wero not allowed to speak to one another . They were never more than six hours during the day in that room , except in rainy weather , when they might have been there , twelve hours . It was not by the _desiz-e of the aunt that Griffiths left tho convent , but , when tbe aunt took her away the first timo , Madame Do l'Kspinasse wished to get rid of the girl altogether . She was never locked up in a dark room , but remained there voluntarily .
Mr . Chapman , the medical officer to the convent , said , that tho general health of the establishment was very good , and the health of the orphans in particular . Hi ; had seen Griffiths in January , 1850 , and had beeu struck with her scrofulous appearance . He hud no reason to suppose lhat she did not have proper food or that his recommendations had not been complied with . Ho hud no doubt that the complaint in her eye resulted from u scrofulous habit of body . He thought tho diet of tho establishment was quite sufficient for fhe children . The kitchen of the convent
was well ventilated , and he saw no damp about it . Mr . W . Street , a surgeon uf Norwood , culled at the request of the plaintiff ' s friends , confirmed Mr . Chapman ' s opinions as to the treatment of Griffiths . FrOm all that ho had seen , the convent appeared to be _e-onduefced with groat care anil kindness , particularly in cases of illness . He ; did not think that a child of the age of Griffiths was at all likely to bo injured by being kept in tho trial class-room at intervals during the day .
Miss Eliza Forbes Leith , one ; of the nuns at Norwood , was next called , and confirmed the former statements respecting the diet ut the establishment . " Meat _wus provided for the children live times n week , and tho quantity was ample . The breakfast soup , however , was made of dripping and broth . Six poor persons wore supported by what was left on the plates throughout the establishment . She hud the charge ot tho class iu which Griffiths was placed , and as far
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Citation
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Leader (1850-1860), Aug. 14, 1852, page 5, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse2.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/cld_14081852/page/5/
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