LETTER XXV.

Ill-treatment and Murder of Wives - Suspected Murder of a Wife by Starvation- The

Bath Starvation Case-Murder of a Wife in Marylebone-The Proceedings before the

Committing Magistrate are attended by Dr. Jones and his Servant A Witness who

knew nothing of God, and had never heard of the Devil - Buck proposes to send a

Missionary to this Witness' Neighborhood - Trial of the Murderer before the Central

Criminal Court................................

LETTER XXVI.

Murder of a Woman by her Husband in the City of Oxford - Attempted Murder of a

Wife, and Suicide of Husband, at Newcastle-upon-Tyne-Horrible Murder of a Wife by

the Husband in the City of London-Execution of the Murderer, and remarkable

Declaration made by him-Death of a Wife from brutal Ill-treatment-Brutal Murder

of a Wife................
249

LETTER XXVII.

Murder of a Wife, and attempted Suicide of the Husband - Buck's Indignation thereat,

and Criticisms thereon..

................. 263

LETTER XXVIII.

Murder of their Husbands by Maria Cage, and Sarah Chesham - Fortune-telling and

Poisoning A Wife Poisons her Husband in Sussex - Dr. Jones and Buck attend the

Trial, and find that Sauce for the English Goose is not always Sauce for the

Gander....

267

LETTER XXIX.

Brutal Treatment of their wives by Englishmen-Malicious Stabbing of a Wife-Savage

and Inhuman Conduct to a Wife by her Husband - Attempted Murder of a Wife, and

attempted Suicide of the Husband - Ill-treatment of a Wife, and her refusal to Prose-

cute-Wife-beating, and Wife refusing to ProsecuteThreatening to Murder a

276

Wife...

LETTER XXX.

Barbarous and shocking Ill-treatment of Women in England - New Christmas Sports,

where the Noses of Women, only, get smashed, and their Eyes knocked out-Atrocious

Outrage upon a Woman-A young Girl Outraged-A Woman Shot by her Lover-Buck

finds the difficulty of understanding "the ways" of Englishmen increasing - A Lon-

don Magistrate certifies to the chivalric treatment of Women by Americans......... 285

LETTER XXXI.

Bill passed by Parliament for the better Protection of Women and Children-Lord Gran-

ville's Jest upon the subject-The White Slave in England-Illustrations of Earl Gran-

ville's Jest Price of Insulting and Assaulting a Lady - A Pugilist brutally Beats

several young Women-Savage Assault upon a Woman-Attempt to Strangle a Woman

-An Editor discourses on Cruelty to Women.................

......... 294

LETTER XXXII.

Cruel Treatment of Children in this Country-Charge of administering Gin to a Child

of Seven Years-Mysterious Murder of a Boy near Plymouth-A Woman throws her

Son, aged Six Years, from a third-floor Window-Buck's History of this Transaction-

He is solicited to leave his Master-Refuses, and sets forth some of the Advantages of

Slavery in Georgia over Poverty in England........

LETTER XXXIII.

.......... 306

Two Children Murdered by their Father at Camberwell-Murder of a Child by its Mo-

ther, and Death of the latter - Horrible Murder of two Children by their Mother at

Loughrea - Murder of an Infant by its Step-father-Ill-treatment of a Child by its

Father (a Clergyman) and his Sister, resulting in its Death-Murder of an Infant in

the Neighborhood of the Bagnigge-wells Road-Buck Discourses on that Text....... 317

LETTER XXIV.

Charge against a Farmer, of Murder, by throwing a Child to be devoured by a Sow-

Cruelty to a Child three years old - Murder of a Child-Fatal Cruelty to a Child, by

Burning it in the Hand with a Live Coal-Murder of Children for Burial-fees-Murder

of a Child by Starvation, and Ill-treatment by Father and Step-mother-Cruel Treat-

ment of a Child by its Mother-Child-torture, by way of Christmas Sports....... 325

LETTER XXXV.

Cruel Treatment of Servants by the English People-Charge of atrocious Cruelty to a

Servant by Mr. and Mrs. Sloane..............
338

LETTER XXXVI.

Cruelty to a "Small Servant;" or, the "Marchioness" duplicated-Quere: Have Samp-

son and Sally Brass transferred their Abode to Great Carter Lane, Doctor's Commons?

-Buck attends an Investigation, in which it is suggested that Mr. Richard Swiveller

may have been interested-He (Buck) Discourses with a benevolent Englishman upon

the Advantages of the relation of Master and Slave in Georgia over that of Master

and Servant in England

............... 348

LETTER XXXVII.

Murder of a Servant by her Master, at Thrandeston-Assault by a Military Officer on his

Female Servant-A First-class Hand in a First-rate Milliner's...
................. 359

LETTER XXXVIII.

Cruel Treatment of Lunatics, etc., and of Prisoners, by the British People - Death at

Peckham Lunatic Asylum-A Witness against Bethlehem Lunatic Hospital-Dreadful

Abuses in that Hospital, and Brutal Treatment of Lunatics there-Similar Conduct at

Dunston Asylum - The Birmingham Jail Disclosures - Alleged Ill-treatment of the

Poor in a Workhouse.............

369

LETTER XXXIX.

What is the Social Happiness of the British People?-The Paupers and the Beggars help

to furnish an Answer..

.......... 384

LETTER XL.

The Inquiry into the happiness of the British People, as a Nation, continued — - Stealing

caused by distress Increase of Vagrancy in the Metropolis-Street Begging - The

Leicester Square Soup kitchen and Hospice-The very Poor of the Metropolis-Deaths

from Starvation- The hungry Children in the Ragged Schools - Pauperism and Va-

grancy More of the Leicester Square Soup-kitchen - Children Dying for want of

Breast-milk- Another Death from Starvation-The common Lodging-houses in St.

Giles - Attempt of two Maiden Ladies to commit Suicide by Starvation, on account of

their Destitution............................................
391

LETTER XLI.

Distress and Destitution in the Agricultural Districts of England - Adventure of Dr.

Jones and his Servant on the Road from London to Gravesend; in which Buck emu-

lates the Character of the Good Samaritan

LETTER XLII.

Buck witnesses a Meeting between St. James, and St. Giles, in which the latter, as usual,

is made to take the Kennel - Extent of Destitution in the Metropolis and its Vicinity

-Death from Starvation, and shocking Destitution-Another Death from Destitution

-Distressing Picture of Degradation and Destitution .............

LETTER XLIII.

Unhappy Mental and Moral Condition of a large Proportion of the British People, as

shown by various Facts, especially by the number of Lunatics and Insane Persons,

and of Suicides

...... 423

LETTER XLIV.

Causes of the Suffering among the British People considered, in a Conversation between

Dr. Jones and an English Nobleman.....

............. 441

LETTER XLV.

Continuation of the Conversation between Dr. Jones and an English Nobleman-"Let

us hear the Conclusion of the whole matter."

453

APPENDIX

465

THE

SLAVEHOLDER ABROAD.

INTRODUCTORY LETTER.

FROM DR. PLEASANT JONES TO WILLIAM T. THOMPSON, ESQ.

Cotton Cot (near Pineville), May 1st, 1859.

DEAR MR. THOMPSON:-I yield to your suggestion, and consent that my letters from England to Major Joseph Jones shall be published. I do so, relying very much upon your judgment; for I am not conscious that I possess any special gift in the book-making line. Indeed, I had supposed that there was enough of that sort of thing in the family when my cousin, the Major, took to the business. Not that I wish to be understood as intending to utter a word in disparagement of the Major's books, Mr. Thompson; for I must confess that they have exhibited one of the most satisfactory tests of success they have put, and are continuing to put, money into the pockets of their publishers. It cannot be denied, therefore, that there is something more of interest about the Major's literature than the grotesque infelicities of its orthography and syntax, hideously fascinating as these sometimes are. This feature, however, was intended, I suppose, only as a sort of bush to the wine that was within. Mr. Titmarsh Thackeray, nearly about the same time, I believe, was finding a similar expedient quite successful in attracting attention to the entertainments of the admirable Mr. Charles Edward Fitzroy Yellowplush.

Still, I could not but feel that possibly there was some luck in the Major's success, and that, proceeding upon a calculation of the doctrine of chances, Fortune may have exhausted her favors in this line for the family. You seem to think otherwise. I am persuaded to submit, therefore, and so I consent to the publication of such of my letters as may be selected for that purpose. Some explanation, as to the how and wherefore of their being written, should precede them, I think; and this I will proceed to give.

I have had no higher ambition during my life, as you know, than to be a successful planter. It is true that, after coming to man's estate, I studied medicine, took a course of lectures, and graduated as M. D. But I preferred the occupation of a planter to the practice of my profession; and, marrying early in life the girl of my heart, I settled down upon my little patrimony, near Pineville, and devoted myself to agriculture. In this pursuit I have thriven as well as could be expected, and have cause to be very grateful. Several promising children have been born to us, all but one of whom tarried but a little while, when a Hand came out of the darkness and hurried them away. After some years, constant occupation, cares, and the loss of these little ones, so tried my health as very much to impair it. As it was with poor old Tobit in the times of the Apocrypha, and as it has been with thousands since, in all ages of the world, "I went to the physicians, but they helped me not." They advised me, however, to travel to try a trip to Europe. The World's Fair, then in contemplation, and in process of preparation in London, was exciting an interest even among our piney-woods. I had just invented a new plough, having an attachment for cutting roots, which I thought merited a premium; and, as I had acquired a taste for premiums and silver cups at our own State Fair, through the aid of some fat calves and fatter pigs, I yielded to these suggestions, and determined to visit Europe for the benefit of my health and the gratification of bringing back with me a gold medal for a prize plough.

What to do for some one to go along with, and take