The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1826-08-04 00:00:00

OXFORD CIRCUIT.

AIONSIOUVL, AUG.
CROWN SIDE.
Mr. John Morgan, a respectable inhabitant of the town of New-
port, is this county, was indicted for assaulting • riervanughl
named Martha Reece, with intent to commit a rape. in a second
count of the indictment. he was charged with a common assault.
Mr. Russet. conducted the prosecution, and after t. statement of
the forts, called
Martha Reece—She was rather a prepossessing gill, aged six-
teen, and her statement was to this effect:—Mr. Morgan kept a
coke-yard in the town of Newport, and the witness went by the de-
sire of her roisterss to the defendant fur the purpose of purchasing a
basket of coke. On that occasion the defendant toak her into the
gas-house and there committed an assault, from the particulars of
which, if true, no doubt the intention must have been such as was
laid in the first count of the indictment. She, however, prevented
the completion of the crime.
Cross-examined by Mr. C. PHILLIPS—After the assault had
been committed, she waited for the coke, borrowed a basket from
Mr. Morgan to take it home in, and carried that basket back
again to the yard the same morning. She swore that she did not
leave the premises smirking or laughing, nor did she speak to the
defendant when she returned the basket. She complained of the
violence offered to her the same evening to bcr 'Menem, but did not
go before a megistrate, as her father had been told it was best to
keep the case until the Assizes. She had neve: made trey offer to
compromise the matter, nor had she given to Air. Morgan any en-
couragement to commit the assault in question. Site cried " mur-
der" as loud as she could while Mr. Morgan was taking liberties
with her; but she supposed the reason why she was not heard out-
aide was, because the gas.house was very high, and the sound
ascended inside and did uot pass into the yard, the door of which
was open all the time.
Dinah Roberts, the mistress of the last witness, stated, that site
remembered sanding her for some coke to Mr. Morgan's. When
she returned she appeared to be in very low spirits. In about an
hour she went into a very strong fit, and it required several people
to hold her. M'hen she recovered herself she was much exhausted.
She had lived with witness from the time she was twelve years of
age. and had never been subject to tits before.
Charlotte Roberts supported the testimony of the last witness,
and stated that the promeutrix complained to her of Mr. Morgan's
conduct the very same day on her bringing the coke.
Cross.examined by Mr. Puma, es.—After this she returned to
Mr. Morgan's again with the basket she had borrowed.
Charles Reece, the father of the ptoaecutrix, said, that soon after
the occurrence which was the subject of the present inquiry, he was
met by the defendant, who said, Reece, I understand you are
much annoyed at what passed between your daughter and me. I
have only kitatedi her." Witness said, " You have almost killed
her." " Well, said Morgan, "I shall give her a pound." Wit-
ness then walked away.
Cross-examined by Mr. Pilitares.—llia daughter never went
before a Magistrate at Newport, because that was the advice of his
attorney. lie was told he had better leave it for the Assizes. Wit-
ness had once the beak luck to be plaintiff la a Court of Justice
for trim. con. with his present wife, to whom, however, he was row
reconciled, and with whom he cohabited.
Mr. nitrates, in a very able speech of considerable length,
enlarged upon the character of the protecutrix's family, anti the
extraurdinary excuse that was given fur her not going before a Ma-
gistrate, namely, that it was the advice of the attorney who was
now concerned for the prosecution.
Mr.SMIT it, the attorney for the prosecution, who sat behind Mr.
Phillips, here avowed that it WS by his advice that no charge had
been preferred before a Magistrate.
Mr. PHILLIPS resumed, and said that Mr. Smith had not only
violated his duty, but by his conduct had published an inrithed
libel on the character of the Magistrates at Newport, for it indi-
rectly charged them with being too corrupt to do justice. The first
impulse which injury excited was complaint; and an attorney's duty,
if he was alive to the intense, of his clieta,lwould have been Instantly
to apply to a Magistrate, in order that the purposes of jtistlee
tr.'glit be forwarded. The Learned Counsel, after several other re.
marks on the improbability of the tale told by the prosecutrix, said
be should nut rely upon that alone, but would flatly contradict her
by evidence.
Iknjamin Mills then s ated, that if any cries of murder or any
other noise had been made, in the place where the prosecutril
legit, that the assault in question had been committed, he must
have heard it ; fur it, the place where he was, namely, in the retort
house adjoining, lie could hear the scraping of a shovel. Ile saw
Mr. Morgan lift the basket of coke on the prosecutrix's head as she
was going away, and at that time, on far from crying or appearing
low-spirited, she was in perfect good humour, and said something
jocular to William Davis, another man working on the premises.
William Davis corroborated the account of te last witness, and
proved that the prosecuttix left Mr. Morgan's premises without
any appearance of disorder, and in perfect good humour.
Sarah Farmallo stated that the next evening after this affair was
supposed to have happened, the prosecutrix told het she would
make more than a new gown out of it.
Elizabeth Davis stated that she knew the prosccutrix ; and a few
days after this business she told witness that if she did not get a few
pounds out of Mr. Morgan she would hang hint.
The Mayor and the Coroner of Newport, the High Sheriff of
the County of Monmouth, and several other highly respectable
persons, gave the defendant a highly respectable character.
Mr. Russet. replied upon the evidence given in defence.
Jilt. Justice Do attornit summed up the whole of the evidence
to the Jury, remarking that the evidence of a prcrsecutrin is a case
of this kind required to he most closely watched.
The Jury found a verdict of Not Dinky.
CIVIL SIDE.
Mr. Baron GARRow tried the only three remaining cases, and at
five o'clock the Amite* terminated here.