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September 30, 1854. THE LEADER. 917
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OFFICER AND GENTLEMAN AGAIN. "Per mare p...
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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Transcript
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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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War To The Ministry. The Demonstration A...
Well , there is the most abundant proof in these blue-books to that effect . Tfae Mayor , on . rising to put the motion to the vote , said they had heard the admirable speech of Mr . Wilson . A very able and convincing speech it was to his mind , and one in which he entirely agreed . There was much more in the address than was ever contemplated in the resolutions , and much more than was warranted by the Facts , as far as he could judge of public matters . It was for the meeting to decide whether they would join in a vote of non-confidence in the Ministers on the grounds stated . The motion in favour of the address wqs then adopted , amidst cheers , with but a small portion of dissentients . The business fbr which the meeting was convened being now concluded , tlie mayor vacated the chair , and a vote of thanks for presiding was given to him . Subsequently Mr . Attwood , chairman of the Northern Political Union , delivered a speech , after which
Mr . John 'la ^ lor proposed the following resolution : — " That this meeting expresses its gratification at seeing the respected and venerable champion of reform movement , Charles Attwood , Esq ., leaving his retirement and boldly asserting the right of the people to interfere directly in foreign affairs , and that a committee , consisting of Alderman Carr , Councillors Ibbitt , Elliott , Schofield , A . Booth , Saunders , Ironside , Wood , and Messrs . Glav « s , Bagshawe , Gilkspie , Eamsden , Pearson , J . S . Taylor , W . Eaton , W . Gill , and S . Biggen , jun ., be appointed to co-operate with the New-castle committee in furtherance of that object ; and that copies of this resolution be sent to the Turkish and French embassies , to the Duke of Norfolk , Lord JFitzwilliam , the Marquis of Glanricarde , and Lord Lyndlrarst . " _ Tliis resolution was seconded by Mr . T- Glaves , and carried without opposition . Tlie remnant of the meeting , which , had been rapidly waning for some time , brolce up at twenty minutes before eleven o ' clock .
p / ve have received a letter from a correspondent at Sheffield , winch throws a doubt on the accuracy of the statements that the meeting was a failure . He say 8 : — "We had a fierce , factious , toadying opposition . The Town Hall was crowded , and all the resolutions went with overwhelming majorities ; not thirty in the minority on any one , spite of the mayor "being dead against us , and the other opposition . " !
September 30, 1854. The Leader. 917
September 30 , 1854 . THE LEADER . 917
Officer And Gentleman Again. "Per Mare P...
OFFICER AND GENTLEMAN AGAIN . " Per mare per terrain" is the motto of the Royal Marines . Some members of that corps have been doLng their best to extend to the sea the feeling ¦ which prevails on shore against the social position which is occupied hy those who are popularly called " our gallant defenders . " A most fearful affair , ending in the death of a miserable woman , has come to light before a coroner ' s inquest at Portsmouth . The inquest was held to inquire into the manner in which Matilda Jane Lodge , a r oung woman , aged
22 , daughter of poor but honest parents , came by her death , the cause of which fatal calamity is considered to have been " mainly accelerated" by ill-treatment which site had received on the night of Sunday , the 17 th of September , in the wardroom of the hulk in - \ vludi were berthed the officers and crew of her iWfejesty ' s ship pauntless , lying in Portsmouth Harbour . The mother of the young woman stated that she left her residence sit Gosport on the evening of Sunday , the 17 th inst ., in company with one Emma White ; she was in good health . She proceeded to say : —
I went on Monday morning to the station-house at Portsea , where I siuy her next , about eleven o ' clock . I found her in the station-room , her clothes much disordered , the sleeve torn out of her gown , and her scarf very dirty . I fiald to her , " My dear girl , where have- you been to get served like this ? " She appeared to be very ill . I tried to lift her up . She said , " Don't , . mother ; I cannot move . Mather , 1 am dying ; I shan ' t live long . I havo received my deathblow . " I wild , " You must go home . " Slio said , "I can ' t . " With tlio assistance of Sophia Stevens , I took off the torn sleeve , and she was ultimately carried into a fly which stood at tho door , and I took her home , got her upstairs , and put her to bod , after which 1 went lorn medical man ( Mr . Grey ) , who , however , did not come at ouco , and I sent for Mr . Jiumby ( choinist ) , who came immediately . Mr . Uroy afterwards came . 1 then went buck to Purtsen , and on my return 1 found my daughter " worse and worse . " I
said , to her , " You have been cruell y ill . treated , " Shorejoined , "Yes , mother , 1 have ; I shall die . " She suid something to me besides concorning tho outrage , but I told her to Ho quiet , and whoa she got better wo would talk it over . I told , her , " I hear you wore on board of a ship . " Who said , " Yes , mothor , anri ' Kmmu , was there , too ; wo went together . " She Bald , " After Kinmu left I whs unconscious . " 1 said , 1 think you must havo been drugged . " ( She replied she did not recollect anything about it . Hoc arms wore black in places , one of her ( yen van bluukcnod , hur chunk was all up . lour 8 , and hUo had a brulao under bur cliiu . She wan senbimci irom the timo 1 finj t s « w her at tlio Htatlou-liouso until U 7 ° i . llor tlwitll » between twelve and one o ' clock on Wednesday l ( U » t . My daughter wus aibout twenty-two , a Biuglo woman . She had « chain on her nock when alto loft homo , but she hud not got it when 1 found hur .
Tho evidence of Emma White , tho girl ' s companion , la important . She suiu : 22 ? h ? decoded . I c « ucd for her on Sunday evening tat between Hix « nd seven o ' clock , and we went from her S . Y 7 ' ° w . a then well | n health . She hnd no nwrka ot violence upon her fnco at tlmt time . Wo went to Portsmouth by tho quarter pant eeven floating bridge , and
took a walk in the High-street until time to catch the nine o ' clock ( the last ) bridge back . We were before the time , and while we were waiting two gentlemen came , and asked us to go and take some brandy-and-water . They were in private clothes . We went to a house on the Parade , near the main guard , and had some—I and the deceased and the two gentlemen . We stopped only a few minutes , and then left . We parted , and went -with the deceased and one of the gentlemen to a house at Point , named the Fortitude , where we each had one glass of brandy-and-water , and on coming out he treated us to some pastry at a shop near . This was about ten o ' clock , when he accompanied us to the ferryboat . There was nobody else in the boat but the waterman , and the gentleman then said , " You had as well go on board the ship , and afterwards to Gosport . " ( He had before said he
belonged to her Majesty ' s ship Dauntless . ) We both refused to go . He said , " Do come , and have a glass of wine ; I'll not keep you long . " We then consented to go on board ( the deceased , myself , and the gentleman ) . The name of the waterman was Allen . I know now that the gentleman ' s name is Light or Knight , or some such name , a lieutenant of the Royal Marines . I and deceased were perfectly sober when we went on board . We went down into the gunroom . On entering or nearing the door I saw a gentleman wlom I knew , named Seymour , a lieutenant of Marines , and I ran back . 1 said "I won ' t go in ttare , for there's somebody I know . " I afterwards , however , went into the gunroom with deceased and the first-named gentleman . Lieutenant Knight came back , and said I need not be afraid—no one would see me , " Come into my cabin . " The cabin is in the
gunroom . I went in . The cabin is near the gunroom door . He shut the door , and said , " I'll fetch jou a light in a minute . " He-brought ; a' liglit and then , vent for something to drink . He brought some port wine , and some brandy afterwards . He gave deceased a decanter of port wine and a glass , with which she helped herself and then handed . the glass from-which she had drunk , to me . He afterwards poured out another and handed it to me , saying-, " Don ' t drink much , perhaps it may make you HI . " I tasted it , and threw the rest out of the cabin window . She drank hers . After that she had some brandv , and subsequently said , Til go out . She went into the gun-room and sat down there ' , ; where several gentlemen were present at that time . Lieutenant Seymour was one of them . When she went out , Lieutenant Knight came into me in . the cabin and out into the
I came gunroom and said to the deceased "Do you know what time it is ? Do come home . " She said , Never mind , " and was tinging at the time , and added , " This will cut our acquaintance . " I sat down in the gunroom , tried to jersuade her to come ^ but she did not . 1 saw her partake of nothing after she came out of the cabin . She ( deceased ) then fainted ,, and one of the gentlemen asked me if ever I had seen her like that before . 1 said , " I had , " and two gentlemen ( pincers ) , -whom I do not know , in the gunroom helped her into Lieutenant Knight ' s cabin . I went into her and shut the door . -We two were there alone . ' Deceased was lying on the bed . I said , " I must go , " and did go out of the cabin . I tried to persuade her to go , but she said , " Never mind-. " I came out of the cabin and said to the officers , " I must go . Let her stay there an hour , slie will be better . " Lieutenant Seymour said to me , " Yuu'd butter ho left with him
go me . " I , and he saw me off the gangway . This was after one o ' clock at night . Our waterman , whom we had told to wait , said It was after one o ' clock . YVIien I left the ship I left the deceased in tho cabin of Lieutenant Knight . I did not see deceased again until Tuesday morning , at her mother's . She was very ill , I had never been on board the said ship before . Deceased ' s face was very much bruised . She had the right eye blackened , and aaici to me , " I think this will be my deathblow . " I asked her wJio had do 3 io it . Her mother told me not to bother her , » n « l 1 did not any anything more to her then . I saw her again on tlio morning of the 20 th . She was then much worse , and said to me , " I am dying . Was not Liglit the gentleman ' s name we went on board with ? " I answered , " Yes , I think it was . " She then said , " Yes , that was liiy name , I saw it on his card lifter you wero gone . I thought there was a jealousy between Lieutenant Light and some of the other gentlemen . I think they fought . Ho ( Light ) was so much in liquor , lio did not caro whom he had Ilia revenge on , and
I ( deceased ) suppose that ho meant ino , and 1 became unconscious . " I did not see her again alive- When I left her on board the Dauntless 1 was perfectly sober , and h « r ( deceased's ) clothes and person were in the same stato as when wo wont on board . I think there were us many as six or seven officers drinking in tho gunroom of tho Dauntless . When I left Lieutenant Seymour was not drunk . I have seen him since . Last evening ( Thursday , 21 st ) two . gentlemen sent to my house for mo . Th ' qy wore waiting- « t the bottom of South-street , Oosport . It \ v « s between seven iind eight o ' clock . I went to tho placo nuincd , but there was no one there . I , however , afterwards haw them—tl > ey wore Lieutenants Seymour and Light . I apoko to Lieutenant Soyniour , arid lie s : iid , "Jt ' a a wry writ / us caso . ll « . vo you seen hoi ? " 1 implied , " Yea ; and shu ' s been used moat d rend fully . " Ho said , "Well , I don ' t know , but she was not used ill while I whs on board . I loft tho ahip about mi hour , oi : an hour and a linlt after you . " Lioutoimnt Knight turned round and mud , " She was not used ill on board tho whip , " u » d ho Uu'ii loft us . Lieutenant Seymour awkod mo if I knew how it-would bo brought in . I said I didn ' t know anything ubonit it . Wo tlicu i > arlcd .
Tho cant am of the forecastle of tho Dauntloss and two privatQS of marines , who were sentries at tho Joor of tho ward-room , auul who must lmvo received iinproBsions of tho olllcera not very calculated to promote their authority , deposed to tho woman ' s ' * screeching * ' nnd tumbling about till nearly four o ' clock , when they assisted in . removing her into n boat , in "« deadly Btute of intoxication—her clothes « ll rumpled and disordered , and hair loose . " The waterman who took lier on shore stated tlmt her clothea were disordered and tern , and , indeed , bo scanty , tlmt at first lio thought « he had ojily her
night-clothes on . She was conveyed to the stationhouse at Portsea . A woman who attended there stated that " She appeared to have been ill-used . She complained of great pain , and asked me to rub her chest , which I did . She complained of the lower part of her side , and tried to relieve herself as many as half-a-dozen times , but could not . She told me she should die , and that the treatment she bad received would be the death of her . She vomited something off h-er stomach , which was port wine , but in the vomit appeared something like a white powder , which did not apparently mix up with it . It was m > t preserved . Her arms were very much bruised indeed , apparently from great violence . I do not at all think that the state she was in was produced by the wine she had taken , but from something taken in the wine , as not more than about a glassful cams off the stomach .
T 3 ie governor of Portsmouth gaol interrogated her , and she said she had been ill-treated on board the Dauntless by Seymour and them— " Seymour is a Marine officer . " T 3 ie officers implicated in the rnatter having pressed that they should make a statement , were permitted to do so . Lieutenant Knight , of the Royal Marines , stated : — On the evening of last Sunday I went on shore , accompanied by a brother officer . We met two girls at the floatingbridge , both of whom were known to the gentleman I was with . We walked up the street from the bridge to the Parade , and thexe we went in and had some brandy-andwater . We remained'there about 1 . 0 minutes , and then left . The officer who vi'as with me ( named Buck * belonging to the
Colossus ) left ris . I then walked down to Pointy accompanied by the two girls , to go on board . On the way down , one of the girls , I don ' t know which , asked me to give her some pastry . We went into a pastrycook ' s shop , and they both had something to eat , and we then went towards the boat . One of the . girls asked me if the Colossus , was still alongside the -Victorious hu . llc , to whieh 1 was going . I said , " Yes . " She then said , " Is Lieutenant Seymour on board ? " I said , " Yes ; I left him in . the wardroom of the hulk not long ago . " She said , " Will you take me on . board to see Mm ? ' 1 said ,, Oh , yes . " I went on board with them , and went dowii into the wardroom alone . They came down below by themselves and went into my cabin , the door of which was opera . They shut the door and . fastened ' it . I told them that my cabin was in the wardroom , and was the centre one .
The door was open for some reason . They did not appear to wish to see Mr . Seymour—so we supposed . I asked , theni to take some port wine . They opened the door a sina . ll distance , and I passed the decanter through tlio space , out of wliich I had previously helped myself to a glass . Lieutenant Elphinstone was m command of the ship , and . in the wardroom at the time . After some time they passed out the decanter empty * There was perhaps a pint , or' a good part of a bottle of wino-wh . cn .-I handed it in . They asked for some brandy , nnd I jjaased them in . twothirds'of a bottle in the s .-une manner . ' They remained in there by themselves for some time— ! could not saj how lon « —when one of them came out , sat down in a -chair , and
commenced to sing . Shu Jmd nothing to drink , to the best of my knowledge , after she came out of my cabin . She then became in a state of intoxication , and slipped off her chair . The commanding officer ( Lieutenant Elphinstone , ) then came donrn and ordered tlicm out of tlio ship , I do not know tho e . \ a « t time ; about one o ' clock—it might have been after one . He then sent for a sergeant and a file of men , and ordered her to be carried out . I went to him and said , " Don't havo her curried out now , as she is not in a fit stato ; let her remain an hour , and she'll bo better 5 " which he did , and sent the men a \ yay . Tho medical officer saw her , and said there waa nothing the matter ; she was drunk . She was making a noise , some time after this , when the commanding officer again sent a sergeant and a lile of men to remove her . 1 did not see tlio men como into tho wardroom . It waa
about half past two o clods , and I was lying upon tho wardroom table . I af ( ain spoke to Lieut . Elphinstone , and aho was allowed to remain . Shortly ufti-r this 1 lay down on the tablu and went to sleep until I heard a noise , : ind went into my cabin with the steward , and saw the deceased lying on the iloor . 1 assisted tho steward to place her on the bed . I know nothing more that occurred , aa 1 lay duwn on the table and went to sloop again immediately , until the steward came to me , mid said , Here ' s a boat alongside , shall I send her ashore ? " I saLd " If you can £ « t . any purson to take charge of her , take her home , and I . will pay all tho exncnties . " I know nothing more , as I went to sleep again immediately- I heu , rd in tho morning that Lieutenant Jervis had sat up somo time after . I do not know tlmt they drunk all Uio wine and . brandy in th « decanters , I was not in the cabin . Tho nrat-liuutonuut would havo nothing to say to it . There wore \ n tlio wardroom Lieutenant Klphiiistonc , Lioutomint SuyrrAour , Lieutemunfc Grant , Mr . ltochc , Lieutenant Jorviu , Mr . Woodman ,
Had Mr . Heath . Tho captain was not there . I do not recollect going in tho cabin before thuy liandod out the decanters , 1 < lo not know what thoy throw out of tho window , nor do I know what they wihIkkI to avoid Lieutenant Scjinour Cor , but ho had known thorn for scverul yuan * . I did not hoo deceased tukon out of tlio ship . Her dit'HH wan opun i « " •• nut by order of tho doctor who examined her . I onw Uio two womon in tlio proaunco of LieuH'imnl Seymour . Pecotuwd sal , down ami < ioinmono « l HliiRinK In tli « i > ro « wH <» ™ ''" «; '" ¦ tlomon named . 1 winded n <> blow or iglitluK l »« «««' . ' y onicora , bul , 1 saw on .. « l them diuioln « duivii , one * i < Jo ^ IiIjo ship , mid iloooiutod ll . routomrd to tl ; r . m " " »« t ''' fi ' ' j } wiion tho tablo »« lcuj , wlion llio ducujaNod w , « « k j 0 . out ol tho tUiip . I took lior on buanJ . I did nut » vo J . ioi tui ml , S « vm " »\ r or « ny othor ollicw K" into my cubin . luring the iffiTKla woro tlit-ro . I »«« r oiiu of 1 U 11 Bii . oo ,. but have , 0 » l ok « to lior . 1 w «« with JLbuionimt buy . j . our wti « u « amit l \> t lim «» WliiU-, « ud wo met tlio girl » iO ) B «< iuomly bJSmilnlinc " noar tl . c VmrniokB , but I do not know what St . Kwur said to her . I saw no quarrelling on board tho
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Citation
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Leader (1850-1860), Sept. 30, 1854, page 5, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse2.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/cld_30091854/page/5/
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