The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1878-11-19 00:00:00

Cremememhied I sild not us this smolt. I did not
ask lire. Eolith& the nature of the assault, but she said to
rep? r. I held no warrant for hie SPPreh ''n •
prisoner "you indecently assaulted me, and he made no
hut acted
accord m ing to y orders an apprehrodhot Wm I was 'sok
stare ahethar any of the borough police etre near, but I saw
them afterwards. I had been welting an hour. I did not are
iii
prisoner nas. t Mis.Kuigtit Cousiiiered myself sat .1
scooting the man, having the .rders of my seperier.-111
Mr. Howard :I was ordered there by soy Superintendent, in
conoternce of women laving Leon &abutted.
Me. sowsard explaiuol that Inc nsequence of complaints
about some men assaulting (masts in this neighbourhood,
the police were set on the watch. Ile pie'r act now to
an wrence which happened on Oct ober 15th.
Elisabeth Hayward, a respectably dressed young wom an
of tniddlo height sold: I live at 3. Bridge _bull littaa
adtoolo, with any father an I sister. On Wedneed iy,
October 25:12, between seven and eight, was just bale •
Argylotermec, parish of Its lipols. I was coming towards
Weymouth, and as I was walking stoat alone, • man met
me, stood in front of me, and said—" It is a windy
meting ; will you come for a walk r and laid his hauls
on her shoulder. I was friglatoucd, and ran away till I
, got on the top of the bill. Prisoner was the tun who
assaultedml;! have no doubt about Urn stall.
Mr. Rennet What are you. Miss Hayward I—A. I am
• laundress, sfr.-01. How lons have you lived there I—A.
I have lived in Bodine's, ume AWL but I have lived in
Weymouth in service. --Crces-examination continued: I
wed very much frightened when thn man stopped me,
bemuse it took me all of • sudden. I don't know that it
was because he put hls hand on nay shoulder. —Mr. Hanna :
Are you in the habit of walking tab out with men I—Miss
Hayward : I un in the habit of walking with one man.—
Mr. Symonds: Is that the man you are engaged to be
married tot—A. it is. sir.—Mr. Howard : There is noth-
ing at all against this young woman's character, and it is
wrong to make the suggestion.—By Mr. So mond.: I cow.
plained at once to my (rinds at hums; but I did not
complain to the police till lately.
In answer to Mr. H mne, Mr. LI award said ho did not
charge any indeosincy. he only put the CAW as one of
ordinary assault.
Mr. Tisane, for the prisoner, gabt be was sorry to use
the word "primmer" with reference is the man, forums-
less • constable saw an assault with his own eyes or had •
warrant he had no right to) arrest • man; that was the
first remark he had to mike. AA AO the cases themselves,
more trumpery, snore "pettifogging" cases were never
brought before • court of justice. 110 believed there was
a report that • man had been playing ills "Spring-heeled
Jack' Vick about here, and there was a trap to catch
him ; the police pot their head. toxether and resolved to
trap some one. Coold the, believe the statement of Mrs.
Knight that she had said nothing stall about this before-
hand—could they believe Mrs. Knight walked up and
down near this particular spat, her husband tutu near,
without arrangement I This roan eat arrested, sad cott:d
the Bench believe thee, was not a plot to catch someone.
The first CAN was an utterly trumpery one; and, as to the
second, It wan more trumpery still. Prisoner was • man
thoroughly well known in this town; he was of good
character, and had been in the borough police, though he
was somewhat eccentric, labouring In fact under some-
thing of • religious mania. He would ask the Bench not
to inflict any One upon the man but to call upon his
mother and brother, who were present in the Court, to
take him into their must sly, and enter into recogniunces
for his good behaviour in future.
Mr. Howard was very 'lorry Kr. Haulm should go into
the character of the rusa. for (proincing something
written) the lees said about that the better.
Mr &Walden remarked the argument of Mr. Hanna was
that prisoner was not responsible for his acts.
Mr. Hanne : Oh, no, sir, I did not say that ; the prisoner
is eccentric, but! did not say he was not responsible, nor
did! mean to argue that at all.
Mr. Gooddon said it almost amounted to that. Here
was • man going about the road and assaulting harmless
females, and the excuse was that he was eccentric.
After consultation, the Chairman said an sos atilt had
been proved ; it was not • violent one : but it was not the
Snit time. They must protect the public, and if they
imposed • fine, it would probably fall upon the parents of
prisoner. The beet thing they thought to do was to call
hire, to enter into his recognisances in • sum of £5O for
his good behaviour for *ix months, and his brother and
another to be bound also in $.50.
. . . . . . .

-ii-e-rocogn"—iLn-ces"- were then entered into ; but prisoner
was not liberated, to he was immediately called Ii wawa
before the Borough Bench for offences committed within
the boundary.
The following gentlemen sat: Mr. W. Talbot (chair-
man). Dr. Drew, Mr. H. Rtggett. and Mr. 3.
Mr. Abbott was also present; but did not act, on. of the
offences being committed against Ida wreant.
Mr. Hanna appeared for defendant.
Mr. Howard stated that some weeks past there bad been
• groat deal of alarm amongst females, on account of
assaults by this man. When unprotected females were in
solitary parts of the road they were frightened by • man
running after then& and this, whet done in bye-lane, wee
worse than when done in the public streets, while the
prisoner's education and position increased the magnitude
of the offences, If, as Mr. Ilanne suggested, the prisoner
had • sort of mania, the sooner it was stopped the better,
for he did not know a worse form of mania than assaulting
unprotected female&
Mary Collins • little servant at No. 1, Southfield Villa,
said, about eight o'clock on Wednesday, gird october, I
went into the Dorchester road, and returned by Southfield
road. When near the residence of Captain Atuyatt, I
wee quite alone, and going to my matters house, when I
heard • noise a some one running after me. Some one
overtook me, it was the prisoner, who said-" It is
ro • very ugh cold night," and I replied--" yes it I was
frightened and waged quicker towards my master • ,
house, and had got nearly as far as the gate, when, at I
left the pathway to go in, prisoner said- 'Olt don't go in ,
yet." I went on, ends, I wee going in, ho clasped me
with both arms around in y waist. I tried to get away
from him ; but found myself going farther into the field,
though I can't say whether he was pulling me that way.
I tried to call out, but could not, as my strength was
exhausted, but I at last screamed. Ile said " Don't be
offended, I am not going to hurt you." I struggled with
him about five minutes, neon, being near, but at lad! got
hrune. Sect morning I fobl the zen Doman, in whose employ
I was, u hat tiwa.114P,11,1.• .1. .411. &hilt night I was very much
, frightened from raw shoola, as well as ths atrugel&-By
' Dr. Drew: I am quite sure this was the man, when he
tint spoke to roe, It was under the lamp; but there was no
lamp where we first struzgled.-Cross-examined by Mr.
Harm.: I went down the Dorchester-road that nieht for
my mistress. Mr. Hanna 'Asti alto's' why she went one
way and came back another; but Mr. Howard replied she
ought not to be asked that. If the girl had a sweetheart
there was no harm in that. Would there be any harto,
suppceing the
_girl went to meet his friend Mr. Hanne.
(Laughter.)-1&. Hanes retorted he did not know that she
did not go to meet his friend Mr. Howard. (Renewed
laughter.)
Mr. Abbott, however, settled the matter by going to
Mr. Howard, and telling him aloud that the girl went on
her mistress $ busineee.
Witness, in answer to Mr. Hanna: I wee notimuth hurt,
only frightened' there wee no indecency.
Mr. Haute Ile did not even kiss you.-(Laughter.)-
A.. No, sir.
Mr. Howard said he should next go into the cast of
Elizabeth 'Brine, remarking there had been so much
fright and fear in the neighbourhood, that he sho old
prove more than one offence, and after that he might at its
the other case&
Elizabeth Brine, dressmaker: On Qui 13th November, I
had been working at Mr. Abbott's, on the Dorchester
Road. Prisoner ran up to her from behind, said "good
evening." and she answered him the same, lie asked her
to go for a walk on the Preston-road, and the refused.
Next he asked her to go throw the field with him' but
she said that was worse. They went towards Me. Trim.'
and he put his arm three times round her waist, when she
told him to take himself off. She was not much frightened;
only annoyed.
'Mr. Howard said there were other oases "Lowing •
continued miss of amanita ; but he did not cal any more
evidence.
Mr. Harms admitted the man had acted vary foolishly,
but he had not committed any indecent assault at alb
The Bench Mr. Hanna asked to adopt the same course in
this as in the other cases, and remarked this would be •
very useful lesson to the man in future.
' Mr. Talbot, after consultation with the magistrstei&
said this was a very shameful cage. How ?untied c told
have gone on so long he did not know, for he was certain
to be found out. The public must be protected, and the
Bench would not do the same as the county magistrates
in the yearlong awes The learnt punishment they could
inflict was • due of dOs,, or a month's hard labour in
default.
A watch was offered in lieu of payment, but this wag
refused, the Bench allowing the commitment to be sus-
pended for • fortnight to Kiva him time to Pay.