The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1804-10-24 00:00:00

SHOCkING C.ll, • I'.'t 01'3E.

Mr. Griffiths, a roan t,t unnl-•miOutd ch +meter,
and a very respeCtable trath-sman, has resided for
many years in Oxford term, tie Cororrr
of H.d-
les-street. He carried on there the bu.ia.-ss of
trunk maker, and has had also shops fat rat some
business in Mary-la-bonne-street, Goldetr.sqn it e,
and other parts of the tcw.t, upon an extensive sc Je
He has also had for several ye.r. s a villa near Wil-
lan's Farm, New road, Tottenh.,m Court Road, at
which Nlrs. Griffiths, woo is in a ha .1 state or health,
has regularly resided with the children duel g the
summer. Last week the unsettled state 01 the wea-
ther induced her to come into town witfr her family,
taking with her all the useful part of the furni-
turu. On Sunday last Mr. Griffiths went out after
dinner, to walk with his two children, a boy and
girl, and about five o'clock he sent them home.--
The children presumed, that he proceeded cowards
Paddington, and as he did not return nn Sunday
night, or Monday morning, the family became
greatly alarmed. On Monday morning, search was
made for him, in every diredion, among his friends
and acquaintances, buff to no purpose. In the even-
ing, a messenger was sent to the villa, at Willan's
farm, and the shutter of the window of the room
that was frequently used as Mr. Griffiths's bedcham-
ber, was perceived open. Atter knocking at the door
for some time, without- obtaining an answer, the
messenger returned to Mr. Griffiths's house, and
brought some persons to the villa, with imple-
ments, with which they broke open the doors.—
On entering the bed-chamber, then• found Mr.
Griffiths dead upon the floor, and the room covered
with blood. The waistcoat of the deceased was
found tied by a string. to the w.,:trscot, and the
sleeve was so contrived, as to admit the but-end of
his musket ; Mr. G. being a Member of the Mary-
la-bonne Volunteers. A string was also found tied
to the trigger of the piette, and brought round the
bat-end of the musket.

It is supposed that he put the muzzle into his
mouth, and by the aid of the string filed off the piece.
The contests of the musket had completely demo-
lished the upper part of his head, leAving nothing
but the under jaw and part of Isis neck, And pre-
senting a most shocking speetacle. An inqu:st will
sit upon the body this day. The decea►ed was 55
years of age, and a man of polite and pleasing
manners.

A morning paper of yesterday says, se It i‘ pain-
ts, to revive the public anxiety respetting a calamity,
which we imagined had some time since considerably
abated. We allude to the malignant epidemic dis-
temper which broke out and raged with very fatal
violence at Gibraltar. Shortly after the first public
mention of this disaster, a report was said to have been
given in to the Privy Council, statingthedisorder to be
nothing more than what is usually incident to the place
and climate, and which, in a greater or less degree,
very frequently succeeds intense heat of weatherimg
continued. This report quieted in ;great me sure the
public apprehension; but it now unfortunately turns
out, that the disease, instead of being considerably
abated, as we fondly believed it to be, continue*, on
the contrary, still to rage with aggravated virulence
and a wider fatality. Report represents the town,
garrison, and neighbourhood, to be in confusion and
consternation; that the disease had reached every
rank and description of the inhabitants j that the
ganiscm was also infeaed ; that the deaths per day
were from 50 to OQ.

1 . . MIDDLESEX SESSIONS.

Erie►e WILLIAM MA INWA R IFIG, Esq. Chninftant end
Me Justice: of Me Peuce fur Me Courtly of Middlesex.

ATROCI .ITs ASSAULT ANT) R
A vet y interesting cause was tried early in the day,
ehich occupied much time, and in which a very
crowded Court was anxiously concerned. After
flitch difficulty s:lence w is &veined, and Tb -
rs of Newman's-mart, Lincoln's-hut-
Cields, Printer, 1V.15 hit,ll.7llt to the liar, indided
'or an assault, with intent to commit a rape on the
Indy of rattielia Dixon, one of his female' servants,
aged about 19 years.
Tlw Witin-,sithi, on both sides, and. all the females
in Court, being pies ;misty ordered to retire ;
Mr. Gt iis r . , as Counsel, on the part of the pro-
secution. stated, that the ca,e he WAS about to dis-
close to the Court, and to the Jury, was one of the
most 'ethers in its nature, and of the utmost import-
ance to the public, and the comnitinity at large.
I he charge against the Defendant was seldom
equalled in atrocity and violence ; and, had he keen
arraigned at the bar of another tribunal, it wiail
have affeCted his hie ; but, happily fur him, the par-
ties were satisfied to oh.ain justice in a less rig ‘rows
degree, and chose rather to expose his crime for
public example in this way, than to set his life at stake.
It was by 4,aPure impla Ited in the mind of man,
to be the proteelor and guardian of female inno-
cence; hut more particularly when that proteCtion
was regihred of him in the pet son of a young and
artless girl, placed under his roof in the situation of
an humble domestic. In the present instance, he
had to charge the Defend ant with an outrage against
humanity, against morality, and even against na-
ture. lie was an eminent printer, in the neigh-
bourhood of Lincoln's Inn Fulda, a married man,
with a virtuous wife and two children. The Pro-
secittrix was a young, artless, unsuspicious, innocent
girl, between eighteen and niheteen years of age,
whose father was deed, and her mother married a
second time to a respedable tradesman in the same
neighbourhood.
l'he Prosecutrix served the Defendant in the Ca-
p ecir of children's maid, ar.# on Saturday the Itith
of June last, her mistress and the children were at
the country-house, while she remained in town. At
night the Defendant rang his bell for her to take
away the supper things, and, noon going up stairs,
he attempted to take v. ry improper and indecent
liberties with her, and offered her money if she
would sleep ovals h;rts. She refused him with indig-
nation, and threatened to acqua'nt her mistress with
his conduti : at this time there was no person in the
house but the Prissecutrix and the Defendant, bet
soon after the apprentice boy came in and went to
bed in the upper part of the house. Her master came
down to the kitchen some time after, and repeated
the libetties he had before taken. offering her a
mein piece if she would consent to his proposal;
and, upon resis.ing his earteses, and attempting to
s:reem out. he threatened, if she made a noise,
th et he would pet ;serrate by force the objet of his
wishes ; he then dragged her up two pair of stairs
to his own bedroom, which was in a remote p art of
the house, and, having secured the door, he undres-
s-•l her with one hand, while he held her with the
a. la a, a id then lanced her into his bed ; it was then
beta ee.i 12 and one o'clock at ni,.tht ; he fleeted her
with nati:ll violence, and took m any indecent liber-
ties, but did not succeed in his vicious purpose.
Mier passaig some hours in the utmost terror and
ag:t loon, she at last perceived he was asleep. She
moo., searched for the key of the merit, which she
found in his pocket, unlocked the door. and made
her escape. 'fia secure herself the better from fur-
ther insult. at that time, she locked him up, and
took the key away wi,h her ; she then went to the
pat lour, where she fastened het self in, and there re-
mained until the apprentice got up. That morning
(811 Jay) her master left town, and did not return
until Monday night; when her mistress was going
out of h,wn, she gave her a stria charge not to leave
the house, which charge was afterwards repeated
by her master, there was not any one left
in the hose e but herself; and being afraid to
leave it, and having no person to send to her
mother. she had no opportunity of communicat-
ing what had happened to her at that time. On
Tuesday morning, about eight, he rang his cham-
ber bell, and supposing he was up, she answered it :
she founJ him in bed, and he desired her to hand
hies his medicine bottle from off the table: she
brought it to his bed side, and having left it on a
chair near him, was retiring, when he started up,
seized her in his arms and threw her on the bed,
when, after usi-g great violence, he perpetrated his
abominable design : he attempted to detain her,
but pretending she had heard several knocks
repeated at the hall d ear. and romising to re-
turn again to him, he permitted her to go
away. She then took an opisortun ty of sending
for her mother, to as horn she related some
part of her master's condua, but suppressed the
mote material pail, at that ureic. Her mother af-
terwards made her complaint to Mrs. l'hreader, the
sisteriin-law to the Defendant, who, having sent for
him, reprimanded him its severe terms, to which
he did not ventu e to make the slightest colour of
defence. Th.t step father i.f the Prosecutrix, who,
by this time, had hem' made acquainted with the
whole of the trAtlsa3:n.l, applied to a Medical
Gentleman for his advise and opinion ; in whose
presence, the Defendant acknowledged the fad, :and
offered to make sonic pecuniary compensation,
which was :mimed with indignation ; and when Mt.
Cooke (the stepfather) declared his intention of
bringing him to public justice, he replied, he might
as well put a pistol to his head and blow his brains
out. That day, the Defendant left town, and the
girl was so ill, she could not be removed, and her
mother and stepfather sat up with her all night ; the
next day, not being able to walk, she was brrught
home in a carriage to her mother's; she was there
visited by the former Physician (Mr. Colthnrst) and
a Mr. Consins, the former of whom brouet a
third medical Gentleman with him ; but he having
declined giving evidence on the trial, the father
refused to let him see the girl. The Learned
Counsel concluded by observing, that such prose-
cutions as the present should have no objeft what-
ever in view but public pieties and public example.
In this case pecuniary sari fail.on IVAS not sought or
required ; the honest step-father of the injured girl
haa refit 4.1 all compensation ; and. what was a mute
soaking lianas its she case. the Defendant, by bit

own acknowledgment; admitted he sever had a
more prudent and better condu&rd girl in his house.
The Prosecutrix was then sworn; 'tad, upon en-
tering the witness box, displayed a countenance
most peculiarly innocent and interesting; her face
was not beautiful, but her fine expressive blue eyes,
regular features, and gentle manners, bespoke
innate innocence and truth. She was rather of a low
stature, delicate figure, and her whole deportment
was that of propriety and modesty. She gave her
evidence in a clear, ingenuous, and satisfs&ory
manner; and, though sometimes betrayed into a
slight error, through her confusion, and the con-
scitiiness of her unhappy situation, vet she always
correaed herself with precision. Her evidence %vac
neatly what we have already given in Mr. Gu R Rev's
statement. She sail she was almost nineteen year
of age, and had lived in the Defendant's family
about three months. In dragging her up stairs, hr
put her head under his arm, and his handkerchief in
her mouth, to prevent her screaming um-.
She then underwent a long and selupulon•Ov
sti crns..examination by Mr. CoNit, on the part
o: the Defendant.
It appeared, that there were two doors to ••

• .
Defendant's bed-room, one leading to du stairca,-.
and the other to an adjoining room ; it was throech
the latter her master had dragged her, and the iszy
of which she had taken out of his pocket when she
made her escape from him ; she stated fut thrr, th..t
she had never seen the other door open, there se,.s
no key in it, nor did she ever see any key belonging
to it. She went out, with her master's permission,
for a few minutes, to see the illuminations on the
4th of June, but neither he nor any person el,e ac-
companied her ; she only went as far as Holborn,
and, returned again ; he never offered to take any
improper liberties with her until the IC_lth of June.
when he offered her the crown-piece, and in isted
lie should sleep with her in the kitchen, or she should
go up stairs with him. When asked why she did
ro' tell the apprentice the next morning she replie I,
she was ashamed to tell such a ttansaaion to so little
a boy.
Jane Cooke and Thomas Cooke, the mother and
step-father of the Prosecutrix, corroborated the
transaftion. as far as came to their knowledge, and
stated the p irticulat s of the matter as relating to the
reprimand given to the Defendant by his sister-in-
law, Mrs. Threader, and his offer of making coin-
iiensation. &c.
Jo.eph Cowell, tbc defendant's apprentice, a tiny
about Iti years of age, st.it:d that he had a conver-
sation with his master on Sunday last, who asked him
if he had ever taken any improper liberties with the
girl, when he declared he never did.
Messrs. Colthurst and Couzens, the two medical
gentlemen who had attended the Prosecutrir, proved
the injury sustained.
Mr. CONIT, nn the part of the Defendant, went
into a very long and able statement in his drf:ncv,
in which he contended, that the evi,l, nee of the
Prosecutrix was not to be relied on, inasmuch es
she might have made her escape from Cie De-
fendant, if she thought proper: she had remained
three days in the house after his fist atterni t to
v;olate her; and he further stated, if he was rightly
instrufted, h. would prove that she not only eon.
served to the farnilia sties which followed, but wil-
lingly !1. p: with him sin the Monday fallowing the
first traosaCtian.
Mrs Threader, sister-in-law to the Defendant,
was then called : she stated, that she had a conver-
sation vr'.ls..thi Prosecutrix on the Wednesday after
the transaflinn happened, who acknnwledged to her
that Jr: had slept with her master on the lslonday
night she y.romiscel to sleep with him on Tuesday,
but d.. 1 not.

tY,r4 n being closely interrogated by the Court
she soul I not tell what first lei to :he c‘anrersation,
nor could she mole& one sei once that p.is.ed at
the time she reprinianded the Deten.lant.
The Jury, wallow ene moment's hesi•ation,
brought in a verdia of Gnstbu, and the Defendant
was committed Clerked ell Gaol, to br br,:ught
up on a tuture day to receive the sentence cf the
Coon.

BPers, Erg. was indiete I fcr assalilting
Elizabeth MI :Mahon. Ir. appeared that the Prose,
cutrix was conk to the Defendant, who was a gen-
tleman of property, and kept a bachelor's house, in
York-buildings, Baker-street. One day the Prose-
cutrix, by her master's permiss;on„ h been front
home, and returned about ten o'elock at night, when
the housekeeper desired she would Prepare a pair of
fowls for supper, as her master expected com-
pany. This order was countermanded about twelve
o'clock, when her master came down to the kitchen,
and abused her in very gross language ; asking her
was it she who bought the scraggy veal inr dinner
He struck the table with violence, and threw the
candle down; he then ordered her to go up to hed ;
he immediately after followed her up, and while
Are was in the as of undressing. he swore at her.
calling her an impudent b—ch, and Asked her, did
she stay up to listen ? He then seized her by the
wrist, arid dragged her with great violence ,1,-wn
three pair of stairs, by which her limbs were much
bruised arid hurt : it was then between twelve and
one at night, and he i.isisted she should immediately
leave the house. She refused, rut knowing selo.re
to go at that late hoot ; he then Imked her cp
in the kitchen, where she reant nod all night,
the next morning made her escape thtough tI tz
garden, and went to her sister's; tae mark rd
fingers, whore he had relied Ler by the iris', re-
mained for several days. She niminoned him be.
fure the Magistrates at tow—tree:, wlv.n he ac-
knowledge,' he had used het ill, arid said he had left
a one pound note at home, along is ith her wages all
a compeasetion ; but as she had brought him there.
he would not give her any. She was of erwards
oblige,: to prosecute him for her wages at H 'Thorn.
The Jury found the Defendant ()Nike, And the
Court sentenced him to pay a fin.. of I Ss. 4d.

Day.—The Ticket Nu. 6791, as firs[
drawn yesterday morning, entitled to l'vexpir
TWOUSAND PuvvDi, was sold in Sixteen Suxteet,th
Shares, at the Office of SWIFT and C,. in the
Poultry. The first drawn Ticket on Wednesday
last, the Seventh day, No. 9362, a Prize of TEN
Movisso Porsns, was also sold by Swab r and
Co, in One Half and Eight Sixteenth Shares,
and No. 19,008, :he Second Day, a Prize of ONz
Tstovsa sco Pou•oh in One 9usatsr and Twelve
Sixteenth Shares.