The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1807-03-23 00:00:00

TORK LbNT

The business closed on Saturday se'rtnight. The
Juntas, before he left the city, was pleased to re-
prieve all the pr;soners under sentence of death,
except Thomat Jra at.
CROWN g'4l).
Thomas ,!sell, of Old 'Mahon, in the North
Riding of this county, aged 24 years. was charged
with violating the chastity of Elizabeth Stabler, his
master's daughter, a child under the age of tee
years.
The Counsel frr the Prosecution stated, that the
Prisoner was servant to William Stabler, black-
smith, at Old Mahon. and lived in the family as
an inmate. On Sunday, 27tH July last, Mr. Ste.
bier and his wife went to Castle Howard, Leavi +R
the care of his family to the Prisoner. The tam l 7
consisted of five children, the eldest of which wait
the child on whom the ii jury was committed. and
who was at that time under the age of nine years.
The two eldest boys went to the Sunday School,
leaving only thii girl. the Prisoner, an aeprentue
boy, and two young children, under four year. • f
age, in the bows. The apprentice tail was sell
out of the way to fetch some water, and in his ab-
sence the Ptis.mer committed the unmanly crime
for Which he now stood at the Bar.

We shall briefly state the tantance of the am!.
dente in this case, without entering into any detail*
of the testimony of the respeCtive Witnesses.
As soon as the Prisoner had grit the apprentice
out tit the way, he proposed to Elizabeth Stabler to
go with him into his losiging•rocm, and he would
give her a glass of gist. the girl acceded to this
proposal. and the Prisoner gave her a glass of the
liquor he had promised her, which she drank ; he
offered her spore, which :he refused. The Prisoner
then placed the chiltingein his bed, and fully cont.
pitted his criminal purpose. The child did not
complain of this outrage until the following Wee-
day, when, upon being interrogated by her mothers
she related tae whole transadion, and whose evi-
dence, as to the situation of her daughter, nsateri-
ally corroborated the child's testimony. On the
following day, a surgeon was sent ter, who cu.
mined the chili!. but whose evidence we cannat no-
tice further than by stating, that it placed. beyond
all doubt, the truth Ot the previous testimony of the
girl, and proved the lanai perpetration of the
crime.
The Prisoner, when charged by Mr. Stabler with
.11w injury done to his child, at first denied it ; but
afterwards confessed it, vf farlts to beg fergiveness ;
but in a few days thought poper ag-un to•deny the
charge, which so imitated his master, that he bad
him appret•andei.

Many Witnesses were examined on the pan of
the Prisoner, woo gave him an exceedingly good
charafler, but whose evidence no lurther anitecci
the charge against him. than by proving that the
girl had not been so much injured as to prevent her
attending school the 1, flowing week.
His Lordship, in crating the law to She Jury.
said. 'that the SWUM which Mk the benefit of
the Clergy from persons cony Et.ni of rapes, had
Made it a capital offence fir any man to have what
the law calls carotid knowicig: of a female child red.•
the age of taiy-ars ; and that without any reference
to consent or oust-consent of the clii:d. His Lord-
ship then recapitulated the whole of the evidence."
The Jury, after consulting for a few moments,
found the Prime: Goat,. bet recommended hoe to

~,
F
1,

*.k

His Lordship, wit:. the most invasive tolem-
sir?, said. " Gentlenien, I always hsten with plea-
sure to your recommendation, wherever I can do it
Consistently with my public duty : but l am afraid
I should hand over the young and innocent part of
the female sex to the lusts of the depraved part of
the other sex, if I should, in this instance, yield to
your suggestion ; and it will be my painful duty to
leave the Prisoner to the unmitigated severity of the
law." _ _

When his Lordship passed sentence of death upon
the rrisoner, I.e rep aced th a'vvre sentiment. And
added, It would be in VA'll that the law ',totaled
female youth and innocence with ffs heaviest penalty
against those who outraged them, if the Ministers
of the Law had nor courag.• fully to execute it."

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