The Express.
London, England, 1852-04-09 00:00:00

SOUTIIWARK.

Robert Farrell, a painter, i; Colling wood-street, Black-
friars-road, was charged with violating his daughter, a little
girl II years of age.
Lonna Atkins Farrell stated that she is 11 years of age,
and that she lived with her father (the prisoner) and her
mother in Collingwood-street, and Out she and her brother,
six years of age, slept in the same room with her parents, on
• bed upon the floor. On the previous night, both her
father and mother being from home, she and her brother
went to bed about 9 o'clock, and in the morning, between
the lights, she was awoke by her father, who desired her to
get up and come into his bed, and threatened to give her
the strap, with which he was in the habit of beating her, if
she refused. Being afraid that he would put his
threat into effect, she got up and went over to
the bedstead, and then saw that her mother
was not there. She then got into bed, and she hero minutely
described what took place while there, by which it appeared
that a capital offense had been perpetrated on her by the
prisoner. The prisoner then fell asleep. Shortly after she heard
her mother's voice, and on looking towards the worn door
and seeing her standing near it, she beckoned to her to
come to her. She immediately got up and went to her
mother, who told her that she had been underneath the
bedstead all the time that she and her father woes lying on
the bed, and she asked her what her father had dune to her.
She told her mother the manner in which her father had
meted towards her, and her mother then went down stairs
to the door, called in a policeman, and gave her father into
custody. Afterwards the complainant was taken to the
residence of a surgeon, in Walcot-place, who examined her.
By Mr. Combo—l did not call out or reunite any alarm
when my father was ill-using me, for I was afraid he would
bent me if I did. About a month ago he ill-used me, but
not to the same extent he did that morning, and be then
threatened to beat use if I told any on* of it, and I was
afraid on that occasion to acquaint my mother of what had
happened.
Policeman Perry, L division, stated that between 6 and
6 o'clock that morning ho was called by the child%
mother, who informed him that her husband had assaulted
her daughter, and she would give him into custody. Ile
went up-stairs, and found the prisoner ia bed asleep, and
having awoke him, then cemmwricated to him the nature
of the alleged charge., which he denied, and at the same
time expressed his wahugness to accompany him to the sta-
tion-house, where the charge was entered against him.

Mr. Wagstaffc, surgeon, of Walcott-plane, Kennington-
road, stated that the little girl was brought to his house at
an early hour that morning by the policeman and her
mother. He was apprised that she had been assaulted, and
the result of hb examination, the particulars of which
he detailed to the magistrate, was that he was satis-
fied that such an assault had een perpetrated upon her
person within 24 hours from the period she was brought
to him.

-Mr. Combo, alter having given the prisoner the usual
caution, asked him if he was desirous of saying anything in
answer to the charge ?
Prisoner, pointing to a woman who was seated in one of
the witness-boxes, said, that woman is the cattle of all this.
She has put it into my child's head to tramp up this charge
against me. I should like to have the child examined by
another surgeon.
Mr. Combs—The gentleman who has already examined
the child is known to be a surgeon of experience, and would
nut have spoken so positively to the injuries perceptible on
the child's person if they were not visible as he described.
However, you can procure the attendance of another
medical man, if youp in examine her. The magistrate
added that with seeped le the Owner's wife she could not
be examined as &wiles. spinet her husband.
Mr. Combo, to the prisoner's wife—lt has bean staled
that you were underneath the bedstead daring the time
your husband acted in the manner given in evidence.
Mrs. Farrell—Yes, It is true ; I was there.
Mr. Combe—For what purpose were you there ? Had
you reason to suspect that he had ill-treated his child
before ?
Mrs. Farrell—He is in the habit of beating me, and he
gave me egad thrashing yesterday, and I left home and
went to see my daughter in the House of Occupation. When
I returned home my husband was out, and I was afisid to
go to bed, for fear he would again ill use me ; so I took
one of the pillows of our bed, and went and lay down
underneath the bedstead.

Mr. Combe—Tben you knew what was going forward,
and yet you did sot attempt to protect your child from
violation !

Mrs. Farrell—l me not aware that he bad milted her
until she told me of it afterwards. " I never supposed such
a thing."
Mr. Combs 'aid that the conduct of the mother of the
child was really of so revolting a nature that no jury would
give credence to such an act as that alleged to have been
committed by the prisoner, had it not been for the testi
vet of the medical gentleman, who proved that the offense
had ices pargtratcd so recently. He (the magistrate) had
some tiwMs whether he ought not to commit the mother
for befog a party to the offence. Yet as he imagined in the
first ineteme that the child's evidence might be affected if
he adopted each an alternative, he should only commit the
per•