The Northern Daily Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1857-03-27 00:00:00

SEDUCTION.

e
At the Belfast assirete on Tuesday, bdoauYg,hithzycatshee of Sayers
fovr.
Miller, which was an action
seduction of his daughter, ' a girl of only 16 years of age. Mr.
r
Harrison opened the pleading?, and Mr. Andrews, Q.O.
stated the case, as will be found in the subjoined evidence.
Stroh Sayers, examined by Mr. Harrison : I am daughter of
William Sayers; he resides at Mount Hamilton, County
Antrim. lam • between sixteen and seventeen years of age,
and I have four brothers and five sisters, of whom one only is
married. lam acquainted with the defendant, Robert Millar ;
and I have known him from. ;my childhood. My father is a
farmer, and Millar occupies the adjoining farm. There was a
singing school in winter, 18.56, and it was held in the
neighbours' barns. I went to the school sometimes. Robert
Millar always accompanied me. I have no brother elder than
me, but I have older sisters ; and .Jane and Nancy went
sometimes with me. Ile always nee, empanied the home.
To a Juror : My father did not know of his coming, as
he was still in bed when we came fre'm the singing.
To Mr. Harrison : My father has seen Coming in
as a neighbour. Robert Millar said that he wa'etted to be
the first sweetheart and the last. There was a dance, which
was held in Mrs. Hood's, My father and my sister' Nancy
were at the dance, but Robert Millar was was not there. The
Friday night after the (lance he canoe to my father's an. 4 .he
said he would not deceive me, as he was coming for noth
else than marriage, and that. I need not be afraid of him, as I.'o
would do what was right. He then seduced me. He came
at ten o'clock at night. My sisters Jane and Nancy were up,
and saw him come in. He visited me afterwards ; but my
father did not know he came to the house. I never saw him
after July. Cross examined by Mr. Joy, Q.C. : I was three
nights at the singing school, and on two of those nights I met
Robert Millar. I know Nancy flood, at whose mother's
house the dance was held. I remained after the
.dance
with Miss Hood. I an) acquainted with Thomas Hood
and Thome, M'Clure. I also know a person named
Gaston, both of whom slept at Mrs. Hood's that night:
I went home on Thursday, after breakfast time, and
my father and mother were in the house. I made the bed for
Thomas Hood on Tuesday night, and on Wednesday night I
was in that bed. I was quite sober that night. Eneas
M'Callister was in the bed with me for a few minutes. On
Tuesday night, I was for a few minutes in bed with Thomas
Hood. In February and the end of March Thomas Millar
visited me. I heard of a woman named Hannah Elliot, and
I believe she lived in Dunloy. To Mr. Harrison : The night
after the dance, when I was on the loft, Miss M'Clure, Thos.
Hood, Miss Hood, Mrs. M'Clure, and another person Were
with me. Nothing improper ever occurred with me except
when with Robert Millar. To the Chief Baron : Mies Hoed
was in the room when Thomas Hood was across the bed with
me. William Sayers, examined by Mr. Harrison :I am
the plaintiff. The defendant's family and my family were
intimate neighbours. His father is a rich farmer, and
ho!ds between thirty aed forty acres of land. The father has
upwards of £2OO in bank. Robert Millar works about his
father's. I hold upwards of forty-five acres by a lease,
and six acres and a piece of bog, for lives renewable for ever.
My daughter Sarah nssisted generally in my house. Cross
examined by Mr. S. B. Miller, Q.Ce: The defendant works
with his father. I made no entry of the birth of any of my
children. Jane Sayers examined by Mr. Andrews, Q.C. :
yers ; and
I am the sister of Sarah Sa
known Robert Millar front my infancy. I have
He began to pay
attention to my sister in November twelvemonth. We learned
sacred music at the singing class, When he was there he
always came home with us. I received him as courting my
sister. Mr. Joy objected to the question appearing as
evidence, inasmuch as the girl had her natural guardians alive.
The Chief Baron said he would take the objection, and allow
the evidence to proceed. Examination eontinued—He visited
my sister from November till the end of March. When
visiting my serer they went into the parlour, but I did not
know that anything improper happened. I had a conversation
with Robert . Millar, and he said he had sent word to
Sarah that ho wanted to be her first sweetheart, but
twat if he had continued to send till now she would toot
have answered him. (Laughter.) That was after November,
1855. Cross examined by Mr. Dix : It is the rule of our
country when young persons are courting to go into a room
alone. (Laughter.) Nancy Sayers, examined
,by Mr.
Harrison—Robert Millar said, when coming to our house,
that lie would marry my sister Sarah, as she was handsomer
than either Jane or myself. Cross examined by Mr. Miller,
QC. : But no:bing material was elicited. Nancy Hood,
examined by Mr, Andrews, QC.: T am intimate with Sarah
Sayers, My father is dead, but my mother has a flax and
corn mill, and a piece of land. Last year my mother gave a,
party, to which we invited Sarah Sayers, and her father, mad
sister. I asked her to remain, and her father allowed her;
Nothing improper, that I saw, occurred in the house. This
dosed the plaintiff's case, and the court adjodrned.