ABSTRACT
Yesterday Mr. Selfe placed in the hands of our reporter, at the Thames Police-court, three letters he had received respecting the case of a soldier’s widow, named Ellen Readdy, who was inveigled into a marriage with a scoundrel named Samuel Spurling, a recruiting sergeant, who ill-used her and abandoned her the day after the wedding, taking with him £10 she had received from the Indian Mutiny Relief Fund, in consideration of her husband, Patrick Readdy, having been killed in India, in an engagement with Sepoy mutineers. Mrs. Readdy came before Mr. Selfe a few days’ since, and said that she had discovered that her second husband, Spurling, had a wife living in India, and that she had been recommended to apply to the committee of the Indian Mutiny Relief Fund to restore her pension of 5s. per week, and to the authorities of the East India House, for a restoration of her pension of 2s. 6d. per week from Lord Clive’s fund. She lost both by her marriage with Spurling, and, owing to the heartless conduct of the fellow, was reduced to a state of great destitution. Mr. Selfe, who has taken a warm interest in the case, promised to write to the committee of the Indian Mutiny Relief Fund in her favour, and the publication of his remarks brought forth the following letters:—
