The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1884-10-11 00:00:00

THE ALLEGED ASSAULT IN A
RAILWAY CARRIAGE.

William Parker, described as a gentleman of in-
dependent means, and living at Chester, was, at the
Manchester Police-court, on Saturday morning,
charged with assaulting Jeanette Corlette, a milliner
and dressmaker, residing at Wrexhana, whilst travel-
ling on the London and North-Western Railway
between Wrenbury and Nantwich. The prosecutrix
said she was 18 years of age. On the 26th September
she got into a train at Whitchurch to go to Nant•
wich market. The prisoner was already in the
carriage. At Whitchurch two gentlemen and three
women got into , the carriage, but at the next
station (Wrenbury) they got out. The prisoner
and herself were then left alone in the carriage.
As soon as the train started prisoner asked where
she was going. She replied to Nantwich. He had
not spoken to her previous to their arrival at Wren-
bury. After leaving Wrenbury the prisoner came and
sat opposite to her in the carriage. He asked her if
he could go to Nantwich with her, and she said,
Certainly not." Witness asked the prisoner what
sort of young girl he took her to be. He then asked
her to go to Manchester with him, and she replied
" Certainly not." She was frightened and went to the
window and looked out, pretending to speak to a
person in the next compartment. The prisoner came
:o the window and, pushing her head on one side, also
looked out and said, All right; there's no one there."
Ile prisoner appeared to be sober. Witness
had a basket with her, and the prisoner
rpened it and looked into it. He caught
nold of her. She struggled, and her wrist was
hurt. Her basket fell down. While prisoner picked
it up she opened the carriage door and got out on the
~rep. She rode about three miles on the carriage step
~efore the train was stopped. When she got outside
the carriage prisoner laid hold of her hair. A gentle-
man in the next compartment heard her scream, and
gave an alarm, but as the communication was severed
it was some minutes before the train stopped. She
complained that the prisoner had assaulted her, and
the guard took him into his van, and placed her in a
carriage with some other persons. When the train
arrived at Nantwich she gave prisoner into custody.
Mr. C. S. Brooke, solicitor, said he was a passenger
by the train from Whitchurch to Crewe in which the
nrosecutrix travelled. Some minutes after leaving
I,"renbury he heard a noise in the next compartment,
.ind looking out saw a young woman standing on the
r'ootboard outside the carriage. The train was travel-
ling about 20 or 25 miles an hour. He asked what
'vas the matter, and she said a man in the compart-
.nent had assaulted her. He begged her to hold on,
,ind he pulled vigorously at the communication cord,
'jut he found that the cord was severed. He tried to
attract the attention of the driver, but could not. He
saw that the girl was shivering, and he was afraid she
would fall off, and he encouraged her to hold on,
telling her that the train would stop presently. He
begged her to cling close to the carriage or she would
be swept off by the canal bridge. She did so, and as
it was her clothes touched the bridge. She had a
very narrow escape. The train was stopped at
Market Drayten Junction, the guard having observed
the young woman on the step. She complained of
having been assaulted by a man.
John Dickson, guard of the train, said he saw some-
thing very wrong when nearing the junction, and he
stopped the train. The prosecutrix complained of
having been assaulted, and he took the prisoner into
his van.

For the defence two witnesses, to whom the prose-
cutriz complained, were called, who said that, in
answer to questions, she had denied that the prisoner
had laid hands on her, adding that she had left the
carriage simply because he used bad language.
The magistrates said they could not understand
the reason why the charge of indecent assault was
withdrawn, as they had no doubt the prisoner had
assaulted the girl in the way described, and they fined
him £lO and costs.