The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1869-07-27 00:00:00

Cromeeisminod : Did not toll her to °otos on board
to see some pictures. While ',limner was rocking the
little girl in the liammoek he .nt down and mtioked
Pion. He was undreamed when they comedown into the
cabin. He pushed hr down on tile II or. Witneas
was sitting down about two yards near. The litle
girl did not aity she would tell her father or her in Alter.
tie could hear all that was said. They acre there but
an hour and a half.

}Le-examined : Never knew any one Nay he would
show pictures in • vessel before. Boys awl girls were
Irises out of the vowels when they were et the deck.
Never know them driven away when they had been
&died to same on board. Prisoner pulled the little girl
duiru. Whilst the child was in the hammock prisoner
had no elate. on. enct.his person Wall exposed.
. .

Matilda Tite, ;Red 14, said she was in Hopeettreet,
Weymouth, on the 13th July, near the quay. It ass
between seven end eigot. tshe heard a And ocreion
dowr. near Ur. fl-ale's house front the dir rotion uf the
vessel. She now Eim H.oieybun coming ashore from a
vessel, milled the Waterford. This was about ten
minutes after she beard the scream. About ten ntiout
afterwards she -saw a Mall pop up his head front the
forecastle of the Waterford. Hid not know the man,
but believed Cm prisoner was the p rson. Told ham
be ought to be ashamed of himself. The chill honey.
bun 1.11 crying when she spoke to prisoner. Ile wrung
up his fist at tier. Prisoner popped up his heat' vshile
she was speaking to the little girl.
Eliz• Honeybun, the mother of the child, was then
culled and said her daughter none home crying and
very much frighteutd. In consequence of what she
beard she examined the child, and took her to • doctor
the same evening. Also informed the police.
John J mkett stated that he saw Eliza Iloneybun on
the quay near the Waterford. she WU cryik: heavily.
It was between seven and eight. He spoke to chill,
and in consequence of what she said he went on board,
and saw the boy Lee as well as prisoner,who was walking
about with a con lie in his haed, lie hailed prisoner
and told him to some on deck. lie said " Ptu not
coining." lie then said," If you are • man, come on
deck, I want to speak to you. What do you means by
enticing children on board? You taco not • man,
and ought to be punished. You offered my daughter
half-a-crown to go and stop with you in the ship all
night." Poisoner did notspeak, except when he add Ito
would not come on deck.

Crowe:amino I When he wild to prisoner " Are you
• nom r did not say "No."
Mr. Foots then slimmed up contending Opt the
main points had been clearly and untlitputaltly estab-
lithod, although there might be in souse little particulars
o slight diticrepancy, as would be naturally the Claa
where the wttnraws were of such toads. age.
. . .

Mr. Collins in his address said it was the duty of the
jory to consider the case with a rational mind (as juries
usu sly did), to see if there was any reasonable doubt
shout the matter such •11 to entitle the priioner to an
acquittal. Was it likely if • moo intended to monk no
filthy on assault as that alleged that be would have done
no in the prenenoo of boy between eleven and twelve
rears old, and, nioreover,with the girl Randall jest above
on the deck ! Ile comment. .I on the inconsistency
between the evidence of ti e little girl and boy. If
they could not believe the to, y of the eirldren in
every particulsr by all means let them not convict the
prisoner on their evidence. He trusted the jury would
consider the suggestion p ,efectly reasonable that pri-
soner only put the child in the hammock in order to
frighten het from coming on board, and alter rocking
her he let her go. When men intended to commit an
indecent assault on children they were not likely to
begin by frightening them. The whole facts were pert
fectly consistent with this view of the case.
. . . . . .

His Lordship then put the case to the jury, observing
that if they were satisfied that the prisoner had inde-
cent intentions in what he did to the child the e Renee
would be made out. H. thrn reviewed tho vi limos
at some length. In conclusion he said the question
for their consideration was whether they would adopt
the view of the learned counsel for the prisoner and
say he only wanted to frighten the child. The jury
consulted for some little time, mid pronounced a verdict
of "Not Guilty."