INCREDIBLE FOLLY.

Evening Star, Volume IX, Issue 2771, 4 January 1872, Page 2

INCREDIBLE FOLLY.

About three years ago a contractor, named Malcolm, residing in Fitzroy, received in* telligence from home that he had succeeded to a°fortune of L3OOO, and forthwith commenced to receive large remittances periodically on account. He and his wife were, unfortunately, addicted to drink, and the receipt of this money only caused them both to give way entirely to their dej rived passion. In a couple of years Malcolm drank himself into a state of lunacy, in which he died. His wife after that sank lower and lower in the social scale. Lately she Jias beep cohabiting with ap qld Ufan in ijer neighbourhood, a d the ppir have caused great annoyance to people around by their disorderly conduct. A few days ago Mrs Malcolm, who has gone under the name c£ Molloy for several months, exhibited symptoms of incipient lunacy, t!ie result ©f continual intoxication. Her three little children, a boy au(J two girls, wefc utterly neglected, except that some kind neighbours, Mr and Mrs Thomas Day, supplied them with food. Mr Day, who is well known as a horse-trainer, brought the case under the notice of tbe police, and none too son, for Mrs Malcolm was found to be a complete lunatic when taken into custody on Monday morning. She was taken to the lock-up and placed in the same cell with a woman named Susan Williams, a notorious prostitute, who had just been sentenced to three months imprisonment by the bench for being habitually drunk and disorderly. The little Iny Malcolm innocently handed to the police what he thought to be a L 5 note, which he said he found in a drawer at his mother’s house. The note actually proved to be not for L 5, bijt LoO. The police afterwards heard of a rumfir about the neighborhood that Mrs Malcolm had lately received L4OO from home, but it was impossible to ascertain what monpysbe had, pince her wits were entirely gope. Tbe little boy waa,:.of course, questioned closely and stated that the old map who had been living with his mother took away a cash-box from the house in the morning. A warrant was at once procured for his arrest. Scarcely had the astonishmrnt of the police and the other persons at the Courthouse over the discovery of the LoO note subsided, when the •‘disorderly f restitute,” Williams, informed the police out of her cell that a note had been handed to her by the poor lunatic woman. This note on being examined proved to be another £SO. The two £SO notes are now in the possession of the Fitzroy police. Mrs Malcolm was on Monday remanded by the bench for seven days, in order that she might be brought to her senses. Her two little girls, both in a pitiable ragged condition, were sent to tbe industrial school. The boy is a fine bright little fellow, of about nine. Mr Day promised to take care of him for a week, and in tbe meantime their worships will consider what can be done for him. The singular honesty of the womap Williams, in giving up

the LSO note, should lead to her being taken in hand kindly by some hem vo'. Nt people after coming out of gaol. The police state that she had been searched before receiving the note, and there was nothing in the world to stop her from appropriating it in complete safety. — Leader, December 23.