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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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OUR CIVILISATION . Mart Mahttk , a dissipated-looking old woman , was accused at the Southwark Police-court with attempting to stab her husband , because he would not give her money to buy liquor . He had separated from her on account of hex intemperate habits , and made her an allowance . She was imprisoned for three months .
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At Lambeth Police-court a lad was accused of inflicting a dangerous wound on his mother , and assaulting his father . He was of violent temper , and was in . the habit of assaulting and beating children . His father remonstrated ; he attacked Mm fiercely , and struck his mother on the forehead with a sharp instrument . He was imprisoned for three months .
Mary Donovan , cohabited with Bridget Ward ' s husband , and , besides that , was constantly insulting and annoying the wife ; and one day last week , after using tie most disgusting language to Bridget , stabbed at her ¦ with a knife she took from her bosom , and cut her on the arm and face .
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A very " myHtorioua" caHO waa heard « t Unheard relative to tho death of Mr « . Emily Watt . * , wife of Mr . William Wattn , Hiirgerui , formerly of Nottingham , now rolling at , Now lSrlghton , near Liverpool , who was cliai-guil with having nuulo fiilno roturnH to th « rogiistrar us to tho ( iiiUNc of death of bin wit ' o , which occurred on Monday , tho -1 th ult . Mm . Watt * took mi injection of Utlmw . o wahir on thnfc morning , which produced death in tlm jiftoruoon ; and on the Woilnonday her hiinlmml made » roturn to tho roglut . rar that , nho had dit-d from ooiirtllimtioii uf iho howolnantl uffiiMion into tho iilxlomnn . On thu Saturday following an inqnQHt w iih liuld , when tho jury returned a verdict of " Died from an ovchIoho
of tobacco . " Informations were subsequently laid against Mr . Watts , at the instigation of the brother of the deceased , Mr . Barkworth , of Hull , for having made a false return to the registrar . Evidence was heard , but , although there appeared to be some suspicious circumstances attached to the case , nothing transpired to directly implicate Mr . Watts in having administered the tobacco water as an injection to his wife , or even that lie had been cognizant of the fact , until the Wednesday evening after the death , when he was informed by their servant . For the defence , medical evidence was adduced to show that death might have been occasioned by rupture of the abdomen , produced by long constipation , from which , it was admitted , the deceased suffered severely . The magistrates thought there was not sufficient evidence against Mr . Watts to send the caso for trial .
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THE DAUNTLESS AFFAIR , Lieutenants Knighfe and Seymour , of the Royal Marines , have been subjected to the ordeal of an investigation before the Magistrates of Portsmouth , on a charge of manslaughter , with reference to the death of tire girl Matilda Lodge . The evidence was again gone into at considerable length , bat nothing decidedly new was elicited . Mr . Knight was defended by Mr . Parry , the barrister , who made a very able speech ; apart from the mete . dealing ' with , the evidence , it contained this passage : —
How did Lieutenant Knight meet this girl ? Whyf in the most casual way in the world ; in the streets of Portsmouth—as many an officer had met many a girl before , and as officers would continue to meet girls as long as officers were men and as long as women remained in Portsmouth . He regretted that Lieutenant Knight had so far forgotten himself as to take this girl on board ; and this he regretted the more as it had given rise to insinuations regarding the Dauntless which were utterly baseless . The general assertion had been made that such orgies , as they were called , were common on board the Dauntless . Now , they had the evidence of Lieutenant Jervis that never since the ship had been commissioned had he seen anything of the sort—that not in
any single instance had loose women been taken on board , except in this unhappy instance , which had been the source of so much bitter regret to Lieutenant Knight , and for winch he must suffer , lie knew , from the naval authorities . He ( Mr . Parry ) had also to add that there had been a miserable amount of cant in reference to this taking of the girl on board the hulk . If Lieutenant Knight had been guilty of harsh or unkind conduct towards the deceased—if he had lifted his little finger against her in any way when he ought not to have done it—they might then have vituperated him as much aa
they pleased—they might have allowed him to suffer the blame which he deserved ; but , knowing as they did what was going on in society , knowing th at a very thin veil of conventionality concealed it , knowing that such matters were constantly going on , therq was , he said , a good deal of cant about the excitement and indignation which was displayed by our very moral public when this thin veil was torn off . Ho did not , ofcour . se , by any means , justify these matters , which were constantly occurring , but still ho fult that there was too much cant displayed by the public in reference to such conduct 03 that complained of by some people against his client .
The magistrates came to tho decision that there was no evidence to make out a caso of manslaughter against either Mr . Knight or Mr . Seymour , and the charge was dismissed . In his concluding observations , tho mayor observed : — No blow , as far as wo can see , has been struck by any one . On the other hand , it appears tlmt deceased did fall twice , and , according to the medical testimony , these fallH , or one of them , might have given such a shock , caused such a concussion to a diutunded bladder , as to cause it to burst ; and , therefore , unless Lieutenant Knight , however reprehensible his conduct may be , however wrongly ho may have acted—and ho did act exceedingly wrongly and improperly in plying her as
ho did with utimulating drinks — however wrong ho waa to take so littlo interest in tho unfortunate deceased , having her merely put into a boat and sending her out without weeing her , without displaying towards hor any of thorn common ftiulings of humanity which ho ought to have exhibited—lie boing tho pernon who brought hor , howovcr improperly , into tho Hhip—howovur re | irohonniblo Inn conduut may have boon—ami it . hn . i oertuinly boon very reprehensible—fhoro in no point on which w « can lay our hands ami trny tlmt t-horo i . t njmlnt where there in a nufliciunt amount , of oviilrmco to jiirttlfy
us in sending Lioutonnnt Knight , to talus lifn trial on a charge of inuiiNlauglitcr . WhiNt \ v < t Htroiigly coiuUiinn tho coiu-rii ) ho took—; unl thuru i . s no oxcimti for tliu uondiK't . purnuod l > y him— wn nlill ft-ol tlmt , in tlim-hargiii K our ( tutitiH , in fnllllliiig which n-o urn nnxloua to do what in jiirtt and right , iv » ritnnot , In Jiinlluu to uur .-wlvtirt uml this evidence ) ' [ inxliuMMl Ijcloni mm , mcih ! him to Lake hi * trialon thin chargo ! '"" I . thi'i-ufom , whllo wo ( sxproHH a < Uroiig < j |» Iiu \ mi <» i"f ciiiivh'tliii * n » to lii . i <; ftn < lu < : t ,, wo inimt . ill . tiuiurt ihu dun-go . Tho i-hargo again hL Lieutenants Knig ht and Huymour ia dlmuisHod . I would » dd ,
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REMARKABLE CASES . Theke have been one or two " causes celebres" before the tribunals . At the Exeter County Court an action was brought by Mr . J . Spencer , of Dawlish , against Mr . Charles Clifford , of Exeter , to recover 2-lZ ., for the maintenance , clothing , and care of a child . The evidence was of a most extraordinary character . The plaintiff ' s wife stated that in March , 1849 , a lady , whom she pointed out as Mrs . Charles Clifford ,
came to her , and asked her to take a child for three months ; the terms to be approved of by a Mr . Manley ; and his approval was conveyed in a letter signed " Amelia Clifford ; " and the same lady afterwards brought the child ; which she visited from time to time , until some time before Midsummer of last year , since which time she had not seen her ; and the money for the maintenance of the child had since become due . At that time she happened to see Mrs . Charles Clifford pass , recognised her as the lady , and applied to Mr . Charles Clifford for payment
. Mr . Charles Clifford said he knew about the birth of the child—that she was born before wedlock , and was placed in the country , and that the parties were now married . He then asked if she would pay her share of the expenses if he endeavoured to get her debt ? A Mrs . Welsford who was present said she had better consult her husband upon the matter . Mr . Clifford then went to his wife , and said— " They will say by-and-by that it is ours , my dear . " She saw Mr . Charles Clifford in the afternoon , and told him that she would be a share of the expenses . He said—" Very good , Mrs . Spencer : let ha bill
me ve your , and I will see you paid . " She asked how she was to make out the bill , and he said , " Just as you have been in the habit of doing . " That was , " Miss Clifford for Mr . Manley * " She sent the bill on the following day by post , and on . the Sunday after he wrote her , saying he wanted the two letters of Mr . Mauley . She sent them . After waiting" about three months , she called upon Mr . Charles Clifford , thinking she was to be paid- He took her to his brother William's , and they then said they would have nothing more to do with her . Mr . William Clifford still said he had a clue to the parties , but that as she was abusive , he would give it up .
Three other persons positively swore to Mrs . Charles Clifford ' s being the person who brought and used to visit the child . The defence was , that these persons were entirely mistaken in the identity of the person ; that Mrs . Clifford ' s name was " Matilda , " not " Amelia , " and no lady of the Clifford family bore that name ; that Mrs . Clifford was married in 1848 , and the child was two years old in 1849 ; while medical evidence , and that of persons intimately acquainted with her , was produced to show that there was no reason to suppose Mrs . Clifford had been in the family way before her marriage . Mrs . Clifford herself swore she had never loft a child with Mrs . Spencer . The judge , on 1 hi 9 conflict of evidence , non-suited the plaintiff , saying that the action
Had been brought against Mr . Charles Clifford for the keep of a child—the child having been left , as was supposed , by Mrs . Charles Cliiford under the care of Mrs . Spencer . Now , the only way in which Mr . Charles Clifford could be charged , was by considering that his wife was his direct agent in placing the child there , or that the child was the illegitimate child of Mrs . Clifford . " With regard to the first , it was beyond all doubt that Mrs . Clifford , supposing her to bo the person that placed the child there , was not his agent in « o doing , and , in the second place , it was beyond all doubt that , whether it was her illegitimate child or not , he had no proof of it;—on the contrary , he had every proof that could reasonably ho laid before him tliat it was not . She waa
known toy respectable peoplo , who had no knowledge of hor being in the family way . Therefore , so fur a , s the evidence wont , unquestionably there was no evidence boforo him to show that tho child was hers . Ah to tho idonrifcy of tho parson , ho must hore acknowledge thud when tho plaintiff ' s case was concluded , lie had not the slightest doubt Avhatcver that Mrs . Charles Clifford was the person who placed tho child there ; but when ho came to consider tho evidence for the defence , lie was ho utterly shaken , that ho now had no opinion upon tlio subject . Ho thought it likely that those five or six individuals who camo to swear to hor idontity wore mistaken , lie thought it more likely that they should bo mirttaken , than that Mr « . Cliarlea Clifford should be Iho portion .
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Sometimes , it appears , respectable persons are traduced by young women who believe themselves in danger of being led into evil ways . At Marylebone , Helena Le Grand told a story of her having been sent up to London by a Catholic priest at Leeds , with a recommendation to an institution for Catholic servants . She procured a situation as a servant in Arundel-street , Haymarket , but , believing the house t « be one of an improper character , she left , and applied to the magistrate for relief The secretary to the institution made inquiries , and showed that the house in question was entirely respectable ; and on the occasion when that was proved , Miss Le Grand did not appear .
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. ^ Patrick Mahoney had a grudge against a young married woman , Jane M'Ness , because she had been a witness against him for ill-using her niece . He met her , struck and kicked her , and knocked her child out of her arms ; for which he was imprisoned for four months by the magistrate at Worship-street .
. A waterman at Hull , named Joseph May , had been living apart from his wife , but one evening went to her lodgings , and proposed to sleep there . Early in the morning , he seized his wife and tried to cut her throat , inflicting fourteen wounds on her ; but she struggled successfully against him , though so injured as not to be likely to recover . He then sawed at his own throat , and will probably die from loss of blood .
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The wife of the governor of the Blind Asylum , Old Trafford , near Manchester , was in the chapel attached to the Deaf and Dumb School , and during the communion service a well-dressed young man knelt beside her , and attempted to pick her pocket ; he > vas detected , found to be a well-known Manchester thief , and committed to prison for three months .
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A girl of twelve years of age , named Esther Harrison , who lived in Bethnal-green , was out all day in search of a situation . She sat down exhausted on the steps of " Whitechapel Workhouse , and was accosted by John BI'Grath , an elderly man , who offered to take her into his service at once . She declined , but he forced her into a house ho said was his own , and where there was no one else but themselves ; locked the street-door , and subjected her to the grossest violence . Ho detained her in the house , and slept with hor every night from Friday to Tuesday , whon she was discovered by her friends . The « ulprit said that everything had been done with the girl ' s assent ; and tho magistrate at Worship-street remanded tho case for further evidence .
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Eliza Watson , a girl of 11 , put arsenic into tho dumplings of hor master , Mr . Walker , of Melton , near Hull , in order " to ouro him of hh bad temper . " Ho Ate , was very ill , but was able to free his alomaah from what he had eaten , and was saved . Tho girl haa boon committed for trial .
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Foroignora have appeared in our Courts of Law in n disadvantageous light this week . At the Middlesex sessions William Stoinfull , a Gorman , was indicted for having stolon Prussian and Austrian bank-notes , vnlno 50 J ., and a gold watch , from Adolo Rudgorkauski . Tluj young lady , who ia nald to bo pretty , id a Hungarian , and had beon a milliner at Ikmlog ' uo . She oamo to England in August , and was introduced to Steinfall by a friend , Madame Schultx . Ho became hor miitor ; but , on a certain day his wooing took tho form of violation ; after which aho lived
with him as hia wifo , iind gradually parted with herSO / . and hor watch , ho promising to marry hor . Ho was about to leave hor , whon who gave him into custody for thoft . Tho dofmico for tho prisoner woh that tho wholo utory was uutrua ; that h ! i « hud not , bcou violated , had no mich huiu of money In | , « r pon-808 Hion , and that she mia intoinling to «' , „„]<„ , „„ , „ . „ " in . conjunct .. ™ with « hor pretty cou . in Thorn ..,, " w | ,, 7 , n she 1 wiHhed to send for from abroad , but | m , l ' „« ,,. , m-£ 2 Hf TY' > 0 ori < 1 < Mlco f " " «« ««« f « n « o . 11 . 1 n ., t wtlBfy theJury , and tho prisoner waa found guilty and imprisoned for inuo months .
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October 7 , 1854 . ] THE LEADER . 941
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Leader (1850-1860), Oct. 7, 1854, page 941, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse2.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2059/page/5/
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