The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1875-08-10 00:00:00

MATRIMONIAL. MONSTER.

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The American papers state that there ha. been arrested
in Cincinnati a matrimonial monster named David W.
Buck. Ile is only 33 years old, and has half a-dozen re
wiviw than he knows what to do with. He first, married
Elizabeth Blaine, at Greenfield. Ohio, and hail four chil-
dren. Ile left that family and married Anna Kerr at
Danville. Mo, and left her in a few weeks. At that time
ho isa, in the army and had to march away. Before the
war was over he married another woman somewhere on
the march, hut WI., soon divorced from her, and has
now forgotten even her name Ile then went to
cineinnati and married a young lady of 14..4 family
in that city. Ile got work at Chicago at house paint-
and sometimes visited his Cincinnati wife. While
on one of his visits to her he met Miss Hannah Serkate
4 Lawrenceburg, and soon niter married her in the
regular way. Ile hail so many wives now that they began
to trouble his d, and lie finally confewint to his
Cincinnati wife what be had done in Lawrenceburg, and
offered to go to the police office and charge himself with
bigamy. She would not hear .4 it, and he went to house
painting again in Chicago. But the Cincinnati and Law-
renceburg wives got together, and upon comparing notes
resolved that Buck .night to be stopped. They went to
Chicago with an officer, and had no difficulty in finding
and arresting Buck. On the train he told his own story of
his life. Among other things he said he Nut five separate
and distinct wives living in Chicago, and was very glad to
get anywhere out if that city where he could be boarded
and lodged. Ile dreaded, above all things, a family diffi-
culty at Chicago.

THE TRIAL OF COLONEL BAKER.
At Croydon assizes, on Monday, Colonel Baker, a staff
iifficer at Aldershot, was tried for an assault ilium Miss
Dickinson, in a lot class carriage on the South 'Western
Railway. Sergeant Parry and Mr. Poland prosecuted :
Sergeant Rillantine, Mr. Hawkins, and Mr. Tilley
defended.
Colonel Baker was accompanied into the dock by Gen. Sir
Thomas Steele. (in the bench were Lord Loran and Sir
William Fraser, M.P. The portion of the dock behind
Colonel Baker was 1311.1 with his sureties and friends.
I 'olonel Baker pleaded "not guilty" in a loud yoke.
The evidence of the prosecutrix, who was attended in
She witness box by her brother, showed that she left
Yeterslield to join some relations at Dover, for • visit to
Switzerland. At Isphook Baker got into the carriage
they were alone. Some ordinary conversation took place
about the prettiness of the line, the army at Aldershot,
prisoner saying he was on the staff and she telling liim she
had a brother there, about the London theatres and the
wadeiny, and her journey. There was nothing alarming
about the defendant's conduct till after we left Woking.
Ile still occupied the same seat. He asked: Do you know
when the train will next stop/ I said yen; at Vauxhall.
He then said I suppose you don't often travel alone. I
said, never. He went on. Would you fix a tiine to be on
the line again? I said, no. You wont he inquired. lle
then asked would I give him my name, so that I may
know when I hear!" I said, "I shan't." He said,
" Why not?" I replied, "Because I don't choose; I don't
one any reason why I should." He got up and put up the
window. "Will you give Inc your Christian name?" I
said nothing in answer. Ile the came and sat beside me.
There was no arni in the seat. Two could sit together.
He took hull of lily hand,and then asked me for my name.
I tried to get away, and said "I won't have you so near."
I pushed him off. Ile said, "You are cross." He then
put his left arm round lily waist, drew ion near him with
the other hand, and kiqsed me once. He said "You must
kiss inq darling." I pushed him off. He was then laside
me. I got up and tried to ring the bell to warn the guard.
The dial was in the centre of the compartment. The glass
WWI broken away. He said, "Don't ring Don't ring I
Don't call the guard !" He then forced me back into the
corner where I hail been sitting, and pushed Inc back on to
the cushion, being on me, lie was in front of use. He
kissed me several times on the lips. I could not move at
all. As soon as I could speak, I said, "If I tell you my
name, will you get oil?" I don't think he said anything.
lie kept kissing me. He sank down close in front of me,
and I felt his hand underneath my dress—on my stocking,
above my boot I got up instantly. His other hand was
quite free. Ito you know what he WU doing with the other
hand? I had an impression—nothing more. I can't say I
saw him do anythi lig. I got the window down and screamed.
The defendant tried to pull me bark. I turned round the
handle and slipped out backwards to the footboanl. I
held on with niy left hand to tho handle of the door.
With my right hand I held his arm. He said, "Get in,
and I'll get out at the other door." I said, if you let me
go, I shall fall. My hat New away directly I got out.
When the train stopped, defendant said: "Don't say any-
thing you don't know what trouble you will get me into.
You say you were frightened. I'd give you my name or
anything." I was nearly exhausted. Several persons
went to her assistance, and defendant was put in another
apartment, and next day a warrant was taken out against
him.
Other evidence was given in corroboration, the chief
being that defendant's trousers were partly unbuttoned.
Mr. Hawkins had no witness to call in defence. fie
could not deny that Colonel Baker had taken unwarrant-
able liberties, but contended that rape was not contein-
plated.
The jury, alter ten minutes' absence found a verdict of
guilty of indecent assault
Sir Richard Airey and Sir Thomas Steele bore testimony
to the defendant's brilliant service in the Crimea and
India, and of his honourable character up to the present
inquiry.
His Lordship, in passing sentence, complimented the
. .

juii-onTliedis7rinTinirioii-eina justice of their verdict. It
had been hinted that the young lady was wrong in enter-
ing freely into conversation with the defendant, and that
she might ear to.sylfer - •in ‘•ensiskuenc?, but he

considered that a libel upon the society to which the
defendant belonged. The pent./ lady walleml from that
court as innocent and undefiled as ever she waa before,
nay wore. The courage which she hail displayed
,tiad
vlded .

wk.—. a ray of glory to heryouth and her innocence. If she
had given encouragement at woo the duty of the defendant
to protect her laosanst herself. In the crime itoslf he could
see no palliation whatever, but sume witnesoeo had been
called to whose evidence he auust give effect, and it must
be considered that this was • ouiblen outbreak of wicked-
nooo on the part of the defendant who bad alistingutshed
himself previously as • good wahlier. Addressing the
defendant the learned judge odd: --If the jury had found
you guilty of the grayer charge I should have felt it nay
duty to have oentenced you to two years: impriou.nme,t.
. .
%art

the heavist penalty that the law will admit of ; but the
lull* have rightly and truly found that you did not make
up your mind to that degree of wickedness, but that
you were a hesitating man. I mean to spare you
those physical indignities which to you would be Do dread-
ful, hoping that you may at sonic distant day lm allowed
to remime the brilliant Minlielf to your country of which
you are undoulitedly capable. The sentence a the Court
mu that you be imprisoned in a way not to be personally
ilegrailing to you for twelve ttttttt tie; in the gaol of this
county thatyou be lined .f. 500 that you be further im-
prisoned until you pay that line; that you pay the coats
of this prosecution, amt that you be imprisoned for a
further term not exceeding three months until you have
pan) thoute caste.