event, it would be for them to say what amount of
damages they considered him entitled to. The jury
retired, and after a short absence returned into court,
and gave a verdict for the plaintiif—Damages, £10.

An extraordinary charge of Domestic Cruelty was
investigated at Guildhall police court on the 7th. Mr.
George Sloane, a special pleader in the Temple, was
accused of having starved and maltreated Jane Wilbred,
a young girl in his service, as maid of all work. The
girl's weak and emaciated condition had been observed
by the neighbours, and they had learned from herself that
she was nearly dead from starvation and ill usage. Two
gentlemen, who had chambers adjoining, called on Mr.
Sloane, and insisted on obtaining the custody of the
girl, and with some demur he gave her up. She was
found to be in a dangerous condition, and conveyed to
the Royal Free Hospital. On the above day she was
brought to Guildhall, a summons having been issued
against Mr. Sloane. The girl's appearance, as she was
carried into the court in an easy chair, excited groans
and exclamations of horror. She was described by
witnesses as having been eighteen months ago a comely
girl, plump and healthy. The surgeon of the hospital
thus described her appearance when she was brought
there: "The pulse was scarcely perceptible; the
extremities very cold and livid; the respiration feeble;
and she was almost unable to speak." There was no
disease: the appearances resulted entirely from want of
food; and this must have been the case for many
months. There were marks of violence about her neck
and shoulders; but they had not been inflicted by
anything hard, such as a stick, for if that had been used the
bones must have been broken. She could not have
existed in that state many days longer. "I have been,"
he said, "in the constant habit, during the last twenty
years, of seeing cases of extreme distress, in many of
which the persons have died in a few hours after their
admission into the hospital; but I never saw a case at
all approaching the appearance presented by that girl. I
could not have beheved a person could be so reduced and
live. She was certainly the most perfect living skeleton
I had ever seen in the course of my life." The
girl herself was then examined.—Placed beside the
alderman, her voice was inaudible to any person but
himself: he questioned her aloud, held his ear close to
her mouth, and catching her replies repeated them
aloud. She stated herself to be going on for eighteen,
and to have been taken from the West Union Work
house by Mrs. Sloane, "on the 19th July going on for
two years." She received no wages. At first they
treated her pretty well; but after three months they
took away the clothing from her sleeping-mattress, and
stinted her meals. At last they gave her only "a little
bit of bread and mustard for breakfast, with coffee and
carraway seeds"; and it was often noon or later before
she got that, though she rose at six. For dinner she
had a "little bread and broth, with a quantity of
mustard in it." "The last time I had meat was about
a month before Mr. Phillimore saw me; then I had a
little beef, but not nearly so much as I could eat. It
was generally six or seven o'clock in the evening before
ever I got any dinner, sometimes before and sometimes
after Mr. and Mrs. Sloane dined. I used then to have
for tea a little bread and pepper or mustard; but they
would not allow me anything to drink with it. I was
not even allowed to take any water. I could not get at
it without Mrs. Sloane seeing me, and she would beat
me if I attempted it." She was often beaten—nearly
every morning, by Mrs. Sloane, for wearing the sleeves
of her shift on her arms when it was cold. "Once
when Mrs. Sloane had gone out and boiled some meat
for her cat, when the meat was boiled and the cat had
the meat, the water it was boiled in was put in a basin,
and she accused me of drinking a little of the water.
I said I had not, but she beat me very much for it."
The girl then revealed an almost incredible instance of
obscene cruelty. Mrs. Sloane once ordered her to eat
some of her own excrement, and actually called Mr.
Sloane to aid her while she forced the revolting
substance into the girl's mouth. [The whole of the
persons in court here burst into a yell of indignation:
the officers made no attempt to repress the manifestation,
and Alderman Humphery declared that his feelings
would hardly allow him to continue the examination.]
The girl went on to give further details of beatings, and
of the precautions taken to prevent the participation of
any food not given by the hands of Mrs. Sloane herself.
Alderman Humphery now found that her voice was
growing inarticulate; she murmured something in
which the word "Hospital" was alone distinguishable.
Mr. Clarkson (who appeared for Mr. Sloane) rose to
cross-examine her, and asked, "When did Mr. Sloane
beat you?" After a long interval, she whispered, "Mr.
Sloane" beat me about a month ago"; and then she
seemed to become unconscious. The surgeon found
that she had not fainted, but had fallen asleep; and he
forbade, any further questioning, as impossible to be
borne. Mr. Clarkson, with evident feeling, bowed to
the interdict; but stated his belief that "when the case
came to be further investigated, it would present a
different aspect." Alderman Humphery (with emphasis)
—"There shall indeed be another inquiry, and Mrs.
Sloane must also appear to answer this "serious charge."
—Mr. Sloane was liberated on bail to the amount
of £400., for his reappearance next week.

Mr. Sloane appeared again on the 13th, when further
evidence, corroborative of the above, was taken. Mrs.
Sloane was excused from attendance, having met with
an accident. A witness swore to having seen Mrs.
Sloane beat the girl and drag her by the hair of her head.
Alderman Humphery censured the authorities of the
West London Union for their lukewarmness in not
prosecuting. Mr. Pontifex, the clerk, excused the
officers by reference to difficulties respecting the
expenses: but, after an indignant demonstration from
the Alderman, he took up the case for the Union. Mr.
Clarkson again, out of humane consideration for the weak
state of the girl, abstained from any questions; but
re-stated that Mr. Sloane's friends rely with confidence
on his exculpation in the sequel. The investigation was
continued on the 20th, and particulars even more
disgusting than those already disclosed were elicited. Mr.
Sloane appeared alone. Mrs. Sloane had evaded the
search of the officers, and it appears intends to remain in
concealment till the day of trial at the Old Bailey, when
it is said she will surrender. Mr. Huddlestone appeared
for the West London Union, who now intend to
prosecute with vigour. He applied, however, for a further
remand, in order to make himself fully master of the
case; and intimated that if Mrs. Sloane does not appear
when he shall prosecute the examination in full detail,
he shall oppose the permission of Mr. Sloane to be at
large. Alderman Humphery adjudged that the bail be
increased, and required two sureties for £250. each, and
the recognizances of Mr. Sloane himself for £500. Mr.
Sloane, after the examination was adjourned, requested
permission to leave by one of the private entrances to
the court; and, having first sent out the gaoler to
ascertain if the coast was quite clear in Church Passage,
peeped round the corner of the door in every direction,
and, feeling satisfied that no one saw him, made a
sudden rush, and at the top of his speed made the best
of his way into Gresham Street, where he was recognised
by a person who had seen him in court during the
proceedings. It was soon passed from one to another,
until a mob collected round him so dense, that he was
quite unable to escape. Mud was heaped upon him
from all sides, and his ears were greeted with various
shouts: "Down with the wretch who starved the girl!"
"Death to the cruel monster!" "Give it to him; show
him no mercy; he had none for Jane Wilbred!" and
such-like phrases. In order the more effectually to
prevent his escaping, one of the mob knocked his hat over
his eyes, and it was not until he was dragged and pulled
about in a very rough manner that he was able to get
away from them, when he ran towards the Post-office,
with the mob in full chase after him, yelling and hooting
at his heels at every step, until he fortunately met a
policeman, who took him under his protection, and
hurried him into a public-house in Gresham Street, where
he remained until a cab was called, and he was got into
it with great difficulty and conveyed to his chambers in
the Temple. On arriving there, however, a fresh surprise
awaited him, for there were from 500 to 600 persons
collected round the house in Pump Court, anxiously
waiting for Mr. Sloane. The officer who had accompanied