Current:

Leader (1850-1860), 14th February 1857, Edition 2 of 2, Page 7, OUR. .CIVILIZATION. ADULTEET. An action ...

Page 7
Page 7
7 of 24

On this page

  • Text (3)
  • Transcript

    • 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.

      Additionally, when viewing full transcripts, extracted text may not be in the same order as the original document.

      ^ Ebbua-Ry T&, 1857.] Tee Le1der. I5x

      ^ ebbuA-RY t & , 1857 . ] TEE LE 1 DER . I 5 X

      Our. .Civilization. Adulteet. An Action ...

      OUR . . CIVILIZATION . ADULTEET . An action for criminal conversation -which was brough-t in the Court of Common Pleas last Saturday caused considerable interest , not only on account of the main facts , but by reason of the defence which was set up . The plaintiff was Captain Ling-, of the 11 th Light Dragoons , no-w thirty-three years of age . In July , 1849 , he married , at Lahore , in India , a daughter of Sit John Littler , the distinguished Indian officer . The young lady was then only eighteen . As long as they remained in India , the couple continued on terms of great affection ; but a change seems to have arisen on th « passage home of Captain and Mrs . Ling in the course of the summer-of 1855 . One of the passengers in . the

      vessel was Captain ( afterwards Major ) Crokei , a gentle man . of fifty years of age , and the defendant in the present action , and it would seem that an intimacy sprang up 'between " him and Mrs . Ling , though the lady was near her confinement , and was actually delivered of a -child during the voyage . After their arrival in England , Captain Ling obtained a commission in the corps of Bashi-Bazouks , and left , in December , 1855 , for the Crimea , where he remained till the latter part of last year . His wife and children stayed at the seat of the wife ' s parents , Sir John and Lady Littler , at Bigadon , near Totness , Devonshire . Here it was presently discovered by Lady Littler that her daughter , Mrs . Ling ,

      < jarxied on an active correspondence with Major Croker . Iiady Littler then requested her daughter to laave Bigadon , which she did , and took up her residence at Cotsand , near Plymouth . Shortly after she left Bigadon , a letter for her came from Major Croker . This was opened by Lady Littler , and was found to confirm the suspicions already entertained . At Corsand , and afterwards at London , the criminal familiarity between Mr 3 . Ling and Captain Croker continued , the lady sending to iier mother ' s her infant child ; and , in the course of last December , the couple were discovered , after great exertions by the friends of Captain Ling , living as man and wife , under an assumed name , at Allsopp-terrace , Newroad .

      The defence was that Captain Ling permitted , and even encouraged the intimacy of Major Croker with his wHe on their passage to England ; that he afterwards directed hi 3 wife to keep up a correspondence with tlie Major ; that he corrupted her mind by letteis full of the most licentious suggestions and language ; and that finally he offered to allow her to live with whom she pleased upon condition that -she and her lover should pay him 5501 . Some of the Captain's letters were read in nonrfc ; portions of them , however , -were too indecent for publication ' . " Tro reply-to this defence was that the letters were forged ; b ut no proof with respect to them

      was offered , either to prove their authenticity or the a-everse . Mr . Justice Willes said that , if the jury a-egarded them as authentic , the verdict must be for the defendant , as the letters amounted to leave and license . The jury , lowever , found for the plaintiff ; damages , 10 GOJ . A question with respect to giving up the letters to- the plaintiff was left for the Judge ' s ulterior decision . Sir Frederick Thesiger , counsel for the plaintiff , and Mr . Edwin . James , counsel for the defendant , both alluded to the disgraceful state of the English law , which allows of actions for money compensation for adultery to be brought .

      Aiitjsaed Embezzlement.—William Holtaway...

      AiitJsaED Embezzlement . —William Holtaway , an elderly man who had been brought up once or twice at Guildhall on a charge of embezzling 1100 £ . from his employers , Messrs . Hyde and Co ., stationers in Fleetstreet , was . discharged last Saturday by Alderman Cubitt , who remarked that the accused ' s firdt deficiencies had been regarded as a debt by the Messrs . Hyde , and the same rule must bo applied to the whole affair . — I > avid Tliomaa Sadler , a commercial traveller in the employ of Messrs . Crowder and ( iarrod , lias also been discharged at the same office from an accusation of embezzling 4 O 0 L belonging to his employers . The evidence against him was . not auQicient to warrant hia detention . CjnsrrRAL . Ckimunat .. Court . —Joshua Gordon , a man who gets bis living by singing at public-houses , has beoix tried on a charge of endeavouring to prevent a hoy from giving evidence at the Middlesex Sessions in a

      case ot robbery . Gordon made the boy drunk , and endeavoured to detain him . until after the trial ; but he escaped , ga » ve evideace at the trial , and procured the conviction of tha accused . The jury found Gordon Guilty , and he waa sentenced to two months' imprisonment . —Georgo Stoptoe , Thomas Hanks , and Charles Geary , wero found Guilty of stealing cows , and were condemned to four years' penal servitude . —William Sayor , a respectable-looking lad , fifteen years old , pleaded Guilty to four indictments of forgery , lie had fallen in with bad charactera , and was induced by tliem to fi ^ jge obuequea on Smith , Payne , nnd ( Jo ., in tho n-aino of . hid employer . Tho proceed * ho devoted to purchasing expensive articles . He was sentenced to four yeara ' penal . servitude . —James Barber , who pleaded ( iuilty to an mdictntcnt for forging a deoil , and other charges , Waa sentenced to four years' penal sorvitudo . —D ^ ivid Augolo Liuford , who waa convicted of stealing a

      quantity of plate belonging to his master , waa sentenced to twelve months' hard labour . Outraoe by Soldiers at the Chatham Postoffice . — -A singularly audacious outrage was committed early on Saturday morning at Chatham ; post-office . Near one o ' clock , a . m ., Mr . Dadd , the postmaster , was attending to his duties consequent on the arrival of the mail hags from Sheerness and Sittingbonrne , when he heard a great uproar in the office lobby . Going out , lie found several soldiers attacking a sailor . Mr . Dadd pulled the man into the office ; but the next moment tlie latter fell lifeless to the floor . The soldiera then aimed a blow with some heavy instrument at the head of Mir . Dadd ; and this , passing through the glass door leading into the lobby , inflicted serious injuries on the postmaster . The offi-ce was speedily burst into by the soldiers , wiho

      prepared for a formidable attack ; but Mr . Dadd took up a sword , and kept them , at bay for some time , though he was continually pelted with stones . The driver of the mail cart , who was outside , came up to assist Mr . Dadd , but very soon had his head cut open by a blowfrom the brass end of one of the soldiers' waist-belts . Some of Mr . Dadd ' s relations and other persons , on running up to the rescue , were also attacked by the military , who fought their way out of the office , and , after committing some further depredations , made off . The postmaster , although suffering severely from his wounds , went at once to the residence of Colonel Eden , the commandant of the garri 3 on , and gave information . Active measures were immediately taken to arrest the offenders , and a court- maTtial has since been held , the res flit of which as not yet known .

      LEG . At , Oppressiox ax Torquay . —Great indignation is felt at Toi-quay at the condemnation to imprisonment for ten days of a boy , nine years old , for throwing stones in the streets . The boy ' s father , who is a working cabinet ma . ker , could not pay the fine of five shillings , and so the boy was sent to the county gaol , and the father was condemned to pay another two shillings . The Governor of the . prison , touched by the hardness of the punishment ( for the boy seems to be a very inoffensive and respectable child ) , has taken peculiar care of the juvenile culprit . Further Respite of Mansei ^ . — . The Governor of Maidstone Gaol has received from the Home-office a further respite for the convict Mansell until the 11 th of May .

      The Case of John Markham .. —The jury who tried the poor man Markham , who . "was wrongfully * convicted of fovgery some time since , have addressed a memorial to the presiding Judge of the next session of the Central Criminal Court , setting forth their soitotv for tho misr take tliey committed , which , however , tliey think was unavoidable on . the evidence adduced ; ' expressing their hope that . ' his innocence will be proclaimed in open court ; and begging that his Lordship will us ' o his influence to get him a permanent situation . —A sum of upwards of 150 Z . has been collected for Markham .

      The Alleukd Poisonixg at Stamford . —The body of Mrs . Ann Bacon , mother of the man Bacon who is now in custody on a charge of killing his children , was exhumed on Friday week from the churchyard at Great Stamford , in order that the body might be examined in pursuance of the inquiry now being made into the cause of her death . The abdomen and viscera , with their -contents , having been removed , tlie body was again committed to the earth , and the inquest wa 3 held . Mrs . Bacon died in the May of 1853 , being seized with , a mortal sickness shortly after eating of some broth into which it is suspected Kacon , her son , put arsenic . It appeared from the evidence that Bacon had previously purchased arsenic of a druggist , saying he wanted to kill

      rats , lie hud sent a boy , a day or two before , to another chemist ' s for arsenic , on pretence of wanting it to harden iron , but it was refused ; on which Bacon suid to the messenger , "Oh , never mind ! I'll get it myself . " One of the witnesses gave the subjoined particulars of ^ vhat happened ' on the day of the death : —" Thomas ( the prisoner ) was continually in tho house during tlie Tuesday , and was present when his mother < lied . Her son William Bacon , his wife , and Mrs . Seholes , were also present . There was a little dispute between the two brothers about deceased's rent-book . This took jiluce while tho mother was dying . Mrs . Scholcs ' hushed them , and suid their mother could hear if she could not speak . Thomas had taken the rent-book out of the house . I hoard William Bacou ' H wife tell Thomas fhat

      Ins mother had made a will . Thomas told mo that bin brothers had had their forLuno . lie did nut know Unit his mother had made a widow ' s will , and seemed < aiite surprised that she had done so . lie told me ho expected ho should got the property at- hi . s inothor'a death . " The inquest waa adjourned to next Wednesday . KiiVNAvriNO liriACK . Skamicn . —Thomas IIiuIhod , an unlicensed shipping master , who . shipped a number of black sailors on board of the American sliip . 1 . L . Bogart , for Mobile , . saying that she wiw the Robin 1 food , for China , has boon pro . seem ted by the Liverpool solicitor for tho Board of Trmlft , and fined by the magistrates 20 / ., or in default to be imprisoned , with , hard labour , for threo months .

      l ' li'iTv AVokkiiou . sk Tyranny . —The lessee of the Bath theatre kindly offered to admit the children of the workhouse gratuitously to a day porformanco of the

      pantomime . The offer was accepted by the chairman of the Union , subject to the approval of the board . It would seem that the children were sent on their way to the theatre before that approval was obtained ; whereupon , the guardians met in hot liaste , and resolved ( by a baTe majority of one ) not to sanction tlie chairman's permission . A messenger was then sent after the children , and they were actually brought "back when on the very threshold of fairyland . Some lines referring to this shabby and heartless piece of tyranny , and strongly condemning it , have since been introduced into the pantomime , and are received every night -with loud applause .

      A Lamentable Taxe . —A widow , named Allsopp , has made an application to Mr . Bioughton , theMarylebone magistrate , for assistance . She is ill and unable to earn a living . Three of her sons , who were in the army , were killed in India ; two more in the Crimea . In her letter she adds : — - "I am now a poor , destitute widow , the granddaughter of a general , and the daughter of a captain , all slain for England ' s glory . My husband -was an officer , but he had to sell his commission 1 to pay his debts , which deprived him of a pension at his death .

      Since the death of my husband and the loss of my poor children , I never received a shilling from Government . Worthy Sir , that is the thanks I received for bringing up five beautiful young men to be slain . Indeed , Mr . Broughton , I received more relief at your hands than I have received of any , unless -what little the workhouse allows me to pay for my lodgings . " An application for assistance which she made to Prince Albert failed of success . Mr . Broughton expressed his great commiseration , and gave the poor woman seven shillings from the poorbox . Subscriptions have since been sent in for her .

      Manslaughter . —Edwin Hammond , a well-dressed man , is in custody , and under remand at Clerkenwell , on a charge of causing the death of Richard CottereH by striking him in the course of a drunken quarrel . Another man , who was charged with participation , has been set at liberty , there being no case against him . Ckuelty to a Gihl . —A Hrs . Martia , the -wife of a farmer iu Lincolnshire , her man servant , and a farm lad , have been charged with gross cruelty to Eliza Tait , a female servant . On one or two occasions , she was "beaten very indecently , and last Saturday week the man held her while naked , on to a grindstone , while the boy turned the handle , so that a great deal of the sMn was torn off . Mrs . Martin was standing by at the time , and she laughed at the poor girl ' s shrieks . The latter ran home as soon as she could get away , and was immediately put under

      the hands of a doctor . The Bench fined the woman 51 . the man servant 31 , 15 a . Gd ., and the boy 1 / . 5 s . Gd ., including costs . The indignation , of the persons in and around the court was so great , that Mrs . Martia was escorted to the lock-up by the police , the people yelling and hooting after her , and threatening to duck her in the river . —Mr . John Walker , a haberdasher in Shaftesbury-strcet , New ltond , is under remand at AVorshipstreet , charged , at the instance of the parish , with cruelly ill-treating his niece , an orphan child , eight years of age . According to the evidence already brought forward , the child was repeatedly and unmercifully beaten , half-starved , kept with insufficient clothing , and confined ih an underground wash-house . Bail was accepted for the man ' s future appearance . Ho has been receiving parish relief , though it appears that ho ia possessed of property .

      fins Frauds on the Cit y Banks . —The final examination of Anderson and Saward took place on AVednesday , when the Lord Mayor committed them for trial . The convict Salt Ilardvvicke , in giving liia evidenijp , aaseited that lie was innocent of the robbery for which he was transported . He added : — " It was always part of my scheme to represent myself as a respectable man . I represented myself as a colonial trader , and 1 was one . I li ; id land in Australiu . I was not iu England when Markham was tried . When 1 heard that ho had been , innocently convicted , Anderson , Saward , Attwell , a man named Thomas Smith , and myself , mot and subscribed a sovereign each for hi . s wife . The 5 / . was given to Attwc'll to le / ive for her at a public-house , tho landlord of

      wliiuh has since told me that lie gave her the money . I reasoned with Anderson for not trying to get Markham acquitted , upon which Saward said that ' that wouldn ' t , do , as he ( Anderson ) might draw himself into it . ' ( b'vnmiriou . ') 1 knew lid ward Agar ( the approver in the late bullion robbery case ) through Saward , with whom 1 first became acquainted about twenty-five or twenty-Mix yeara ago . Ho was ulway t * known as ' Jem , thu penmun . ' I do not want to make myself appear butter than 1 am , but , Saward wan known , for years after I first became acquainted with him , to bo carrying skeleton koys through the eity for a gang of burglara when they wanted them for a night . 1 cannot say that I corrupted Saward . " ( LauijHte , )' . ')

      MiddIjIcskx Shhhionh . —The February general sessions commenced on Monday , when the lirat persona tried were . 7 ohu Murphy and Georgo Porter , two very youjig mon , who wore indicted for stealing a cash-box from , tho bar of a public-houso in AVapping , in the midat of some confusion caused by one of them preLonding to bo in a fit . They wore found Guilty , nnd , being known bad characters , wore sentenced each to four years' penal

  • Citation
    • Leader (1850-1860), Feb. 14, 1857, page 7, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse-os.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/cld_14021857/page/7/