The Sun.
London, England, 1837-06-26 00:00:00

EXTRAORDINARY ACCUSATION.

It will be remembered that in May last year a charge of a
very strange and highly criminal nature was preferred before
din Lc,.visham ma-_,,istrates by Mrs. Elizabeth Simpson Boyce,
widow, against Mr. John Frederick Parker, a solicitor, who
for many years had resided at Lewisham, where he filled the
office of clerk to the district magistrates, and held other official
appointments, and was universally considered to be a gentle-
man of high and honourable character.
Mr. Lester, solicitor, of Blackheath, appeared on behalf of
Mrs. Boyce, and an information was exhibited, charging Mr.
Parker with having, in the spring of that year, administered
certain drugs to Mrs. Boyce, to procure abortion, she then
being pregnant by him, and with having subsequently taken
her to the house of a German surgeon in London, where,. in
a darkened room, an operation was performed upon her, which
produced the intended effect of causing abortion.
Upon this information a warrant was issued, and Mr. Parker
was brought before a Magistrate, when time being asked on
behalf of the accused to rebut the charge, the Magistrate Con-
sented to grant it, and in the interval to take bail for Mr. P.'s
appearance. Two gentlemen of known property and charac-
ter immediately became sureties for Mr. Parker's appearance
on the day appointed, each in five hundred pounds, and Mr.
Rinker having entered into a personal recognizance of one
thousand pounds, he was liberated.

The day appointed for hearing arrived, but the accused was
not forthcoming, and, on inquiry, it was ascertained that he
had quitted his residence at Lewisham, and was gone no one
knew where. Ile was (in the usual form) called upon for
his recugnizances, and, not answering, they were ordered to be
estrcated.
Notwithstanding the disappearance of LIPo accused, the Ma-
giFtrates deemed it their duty to take the deposition of Mrs.
Boyce as to all the details of her
rive was given by her of the., :ccusation. A long narra-
tivecircumstances out of which her
acquaintance with Mr.. Parker arose, the illicit intercourse
followed: 1,.;:r bw3oming pregnant, and giving birth to
at, chill' A. st"''quent renewal of the intercourse, and her
*".cond time pregnant, upon which occasion she
lIA ,01 •
one attempts to have been made to procure abortion,
b, administering drugs, and these failing, that she was taken
y Mr. Parker to a German surgeon in London, where, by an
instrument, the end was accomplished.
Mr. Tanner, her father, was also examined as a witness
upon some collateral matters of minor importance.
The affair, as might be expected, caused much excitement
and conversation in the neighbourhood, but like all other
things at length was forgotten, till last week it was most un-
expectedly revived by the accused himself challenging in-
quiry into his conduct.

In
the early part of the week a formal notice was served
upon the clerks of the magistrates, informing, them that Mr.
Parker would forthwith surrender himself to meet the charges
preferred against him.

On Saturday the Magistrates met in the Asembly-room of
the tavern, for the purpose of clitering upon the examination
of the prisoner. _ _

The'aecused, John Frederick Parker, was produced by
Atkin3. Ile is a good-looking man, of middle stature, and
apparently in the prime of life. Saveral respectable friends
accompanied him.

The information was read by the clerk of the magistrates.
It contained the charges before stated, to which Mr. Parker
pleaded nut guilty.
Mr. BODKIN was instructed to appear on the part of Mrs.
Boyce, but he had no charge of any kind to prefer.
CHAI4MAN-What motion then have you to make?
Mr. BODKIN—That the information may be withdrawn.
The N said spme good reason must be given before
they could grant such a request.
Mr. BoDKIN was instructed to say that whets Mrs. Boyce
preferred her extraordinary charge, she wai labouring under
great irritation and excitement of mind, and had been impro-
perly urged on by others to make statements which she could
not, now that she had regained her self-possession, possibly ;at-
tempt to substantiate, and which, therefore, she wished to
withdraw. lie had only to add, that he had received a letter
from M. Boyce, in which she admitted the charges prefer.ed
!)y r rigit'nt Mr. P.irker to be alto4ether untrue.
Tie that under all the circumstances of the