The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1881-07-19 00:00:00

WIXBOIIIt.
SERIOUS CHARGE OF ASSAULT.

At the Wimborne Petty Semitone on Friday, before
Colonel Paget, Rolls-Fryer. Esq., and Major-General
Lane, two respectable-looking men, named Edward
Hart and Compton Hall, were charged with having
committed a criminal assault upon Eliza Ruoyard.
The clinplainant, a weekly.looklug young woman,
came into Court on crutches. The assault was
alleged to have been committed as long alp ea last
September, the girl at the time being advanced in
pregnancy, and the result of the usage to which she
wee subjected was that she was rendered seriously ill
--so ill that • magistrate took what were thought to
b her dying depositions, and she was prematurely
confined. . .

Mr. H. S. Dickinson defended the men, who had
been out on bail since the date of the alleged rape.
The complainant said she lived at Colehill, and on
the 27th of September last year she was coming from
Charles Freeborne'a a little between 11 and 12. On
the road she met Edward Hart, Compton Hall, Henry
Hall, and George Thorne. They all wished her
good night, and Hart said "shall I come back with
you," She told him no, and then George Thorns sail
you would rather have me, but she said she would
rather go by herself. Her words were—" I don't
wish you to." After that she went on her way, but
Edward Hart followed her, and walked by her side.
Sim ran away horn him, and he ran after bee and
caught bee when she was close to it r father'. house.
He then threw her backwards into the ditch, and
Ebn, who came up at the time from across the
common, stuffed a hankerchief into her mouth sad
held her down while Hart committed • criminal
assault upod her. Hart afterwards held her by the
legs while Hall similarly amanita i her. While this
was going on she '' went off," and couldn't say any-
thing to them. She cried ont at first, but her father
and mother weer in bed. She ' you bad bettir
mind what you are abeut, or I will tell my father."
Hart said you bad better not, and *be fainted.
What they did whilst she had fainted she did
not know, but when she came to herself they were
still there. When she got boom she went on to bed •
she did not ray anything about what had haplyaterf
until the following Friday, and then she told her
mother It took place on the Monday, and she allowed
Tuearlsy, We intraday, and Thursday to pram without
awing anything about it, When she cams to henelf
the prie niers acre helping to hold her up.
Oro...examined by Mr. Dickinson: What are you,
Miss Itunyard ?—I profess nothing.
Hot what do you do for a living!—Knitting.
I if el that keep you ?—laTe.
Then what else do you do T—No reply.
I believe you have had one or two bastard children?
—flat hal nothMg to do w th thEe Case.
Isn't it a fact that you g • out with different men ?--
N 0...

Oldyou ever Pt. with George Freeborn 2—l have
been with him.
Several tiniest—Yea
. . .

1-1;c1- on this .paiti;nlar night you came from his
bonsai—Yes.
And you had been at the Barley Mow with him all
that day ?—Not nearly all the day.
I may take it that you are on very friendly terms
with Freeborn i—Yes.
What made you go to his bowel—His father sell he
wee ill.

And you take such a event interest bt him that you
went to ace if it were truet—Yee,
Did y i not mention what oc3urred to your friend
Grene.re Freeborn fi‘et?—Yee.

I ti.lnnght en. And what aid he say ?—lie said he'd
hoard of it before.
Who had told him ?—Hart.

Why didn't you tell your mother ?—I didn't like to.
Bat your mother knew psrfeotly well that you bad
bad baiter 1 children, and that you were in the habit
of doing this sort of thing !—I never had any one
interrupt me before in that sort of way.
But she knows the sort of character you are. You
don't mean to wish us to believe that you seem =dna
you did not like to tell your mother 1-..4 don't know.
Who did you toll alter that I,—No one.
What did you do next ?—Nothing.
1)1.1 ym come to the p die ?
And never would have of y air own sword was
too ill to.ortine.

--iir-O-ur 1;11;er-told the police I—Yea
And you wouldn't have seer maid an• thine about it,
lilt had not bean for your father? Ii that s il—Yee,
sir,_:tia. _ __

_
What age are you 7-20.
believe as a matter of feet your father did not
come to the plies until some weeks afterwarde !—I
don't know.

By the Bench : I was cmfined about a month after
this affair, and suffered from rheumatic fever and a
chill. I was taken ill about a week afterwar Is.
Paw Hart on the following Friday and toll him he
ha,l bett.e. kok out.
_

_
Ifickinson : An I you hwl no intention of
&nag anything in the maWer unless he insolted you
again. Come. be candid; i.n't tha- .I—Yea.
The Chairman remarked that after that whnistion,
ha did not see how the cue could be pursued forther.
Mr. Dickinson a dd be had no wi.ll to labour K. _ _

_
The father, George Runyan:l was called, and Raid
hie wife made a c immuni Won to him on the Frid tv,
and 03 the following Thnrsday he saw hart and maid
this is a pretty thing you hive been doing to this young
WQ0)411. and he said he knew nothing about it, but Fe
gold hip he would have to kuow something ab vat it.
By Mr. Dilkinson : fie all :wed nearly • week to
elapse before he took any stepn io the matter, i7eciuse
he couldn't neglsot, hin work for that.
The Chairmen: Tie bench have come to Os
conclusion the case must be dismissed.