The Sun.
London, England, 1853-09-20 00:00:00

SOUTH WALES MINERAL.

The first ordinary meeting of the company was held
on Friday at Neath—Viscount Villiers in the chair.
The report stated that the act incorporating the com-
pany received the Royal assent on the 15th of August.
The directors regret that they were compelled to with-
draw the branch to Maesteg in consequence of opposi-
tion. The engineer, Mr. Brunel, has been requested to
give his attention with as little delay as possible to set
out the line. The majority of the parties interested in
the land required for the railway have agreed to give the
same gratuitously to the company. The Briton Ferry
Dock, when completed, will afford one of the nearest and
most important outlets for the traffic of this railway. The
directors have arranged with the Briton Ferry Dock
Company that the terms of the traffic and accom-
modation shall be determined by Mr. Brunel, who
has accordingly been requested by both parties to
undertake the decision of these points. The directors
also congratulate the proprietors on the great prospec-
tive advantages which they, in common with every other
interest in the principality, will derive from the exten-
sion of the South Wales Railway to Milford Haven,
affording a ready outlet to all parts of the world for the
unlimited supply of coal and iron, which this district is
capable of producing. Two extensive virgin tracts of
minerals, including the best steam coal, have already
been taken by different companies with the determina-
tion at once to commence working, and negotiations are
now in progress for opening other coal-fields along the

line.
The CHAIRMAN, in moving the adoption of the report,
congratulated the proprietors on having obtained their
act at a moderate expense. The great matter for them
was the prospective opening of extensive virgin fields of
coal at Glyncorrwg. They had had an offer from re-
sponsible parties to lease the line for a period of thirty

- - The contractors for the construction of the South
Wales branch to Pembroke, and the proposed docks at
Pennar, are Messrs. Wythes and Treadwell, who have
undertaken to have these important works finished by
December, 1855. It is understood they will be pro-
ceeded with without delay ; and the total cost is esti-
mated at 500,0001. The whole of this large capital will
be advanced by the contractors, who have agreed to
take the shares of the company for the amount. The
railway company will advance the sum of 35,0001. for
the required land. The proposed extension is six miles.
The completion of these docks and the railway will make
the haven at Milford a most important one. On the
run from New York, Mdford possesses an advantage of
24 hours over both Liverpool and Southampton.

EXTRAORDINARY CHARGE AGAINST A
ME i•ICAL MAN.

Henry Hamilton, alias Scott, described as a surgeon
in practice at 3, King William-street, Strand, and ap-
parently about 40 years of age, was placed at the bar,
before Mr. Hall, at Bow-street yesterday, charged with
having administered drugs to a young woman to pro-
cure abortion, and also with having committed a rape
upon her person.
Messrs. Austin, solicitors, attended for the prisoner.
The prosecutor, Elizabeth Brown, deposed as follows :
—I am a single woman at present, and live with my
parents at 11, Methuen-street, Rotherhithe. lam 22
years of age, and live by needlework. On Saturday
to morningthepr
prisoner's
ne
st
house,about halfand pa
sa skt
etdwteol vse
eD o'clock,
Dr. Hamilton.
I wt
e n
I had never seen him, but I had heard talk of him, and
had often read his advertisements in the newspapers.
I was shown up stairs into the drawing-room, and the
prisoner came to me there. He began by saying, " All
my patients fully understand that my fee is half-a-
guinea." I had told him that I was suffering from sick-
ness and pain at the bottom of my stomach. I said that I
had not got half-a-guinea with me, and had only called
for his advice. He said he would take half the money
then, if I could bring the other half on Monday, which
I agreed to do. I sat on the sofa by his directions and
he began to examine me. He said that I was in the
family-way, which I was not until then aware of.
Mr. Hall—Are you a married woman then ?
Prosecutrix—No, not yet, sir ; but I am just on the
point of it.
Examination continued—l told the prisoner that I
did not know I was so, and asked him if he could re-
lieve me of the pain I was suffering. He said that he
might be able to do me some good, but would like to see
the young man I had been acquainted with. I replied
that he was not in the way, and could not be found,
upon which he asked me if I could find any other young
man that would do in his place. If not, he said, he
could do it himself, if I would permit him. I did not
think that this was right, and refused to let him do
what he wanted. He said that if I consented, that and
the medicine he intended to give me would do me good.
I told him that it was very wrong to suggest such a
thing, and said that I would wait until I was married
to the father of my child, which would be very shortly.
He then said he must examine me, and laid me down
upon the sofa, and acted in a very improper manner to
me. [The witness here suddenly fainted, and was re-
moved from the court, in consequence of which a tem-
porary adjournment of the proceedings took place.]
Examination resumed—l complained of his conduct,
and resisted him very much, but he partly effected his
purpose, not entirely. He said, that when people were
not prepared with their money, they were often obliged
to go to unpleasant extremes, and persons had to under-
go a great deal that might go against their prudence.
He had placed some medicine in a glass upon the table,
and said, if I had allowed him to have his way, I should
have had to take it immediately afterwards, but now it
was no use to me, consequently I did not take the medi-
cine. Before he examined me he asked if my friends
were well off, and whether I was myself, and I told him
we were poor working people. He gave me two pills
to be taken at bed-time, and said they were to act upon
my bowels. He asked me to call again on Monday, and
consider in the mean time whether I would not consent
to what he proposed. He assured me I should not have
so much hesitation about it after one or two visits ; but,
if I still refused, I must bring my young man or another.

He said if I did not submit Co hits he should have to u,e
an instrument, and then I suspected that he wanted to
procure a miscarriage, which I did not wish. He de-
sired me to keep the affair a secret from my friends,
and said that I had better not mention what he had
done to the to my young man, as, in his ignorance, he
might object to it, and it might get him (prisoner) into
trouble. I left him, and in half an hour afterwards I
met my young man in the Strand, and told him every-
thing that had happened.
Cross-examined—The young man's name is John
Smith. He is an ironmonger, and has visited me with
the knowledge of my parents. It was not Smith that
recommended me to consult Dr. Hamilton. It was a
young woman in Church-street, Rotherhithe, whom I
only know as Sarah. She also works at the needle.
She said she had read his advertisements in the weekly
newspapers. I did not know that I was pregnant be-
fore going to Mr. Hamilton. I never told the prisoner
that it was by an old man, and of course it was not. I
did say that I did not know what had become of the
young man, and that he might have gone to Australia
for what I knew, as he had been talking about it. I
alluded to the young man Smith, and said I had not
seen him for a week, and did not know where he was.
What I have described occurred in the drawing-room.
The prisoner fastened the door and pulled down the
blinds before examining me. I cannot say if there were
any men outside painting the windows at the time. I
was in his house two hours altogether, and he kept me on
the sofa about three-quarters of an hour. I did not
cry out, because I resisted him. I did not complain of
his examining me with his hands, because I thought it
might be necessary. I told Smith all that passed, for I
thought it was my place to do so. He did not know that
I was going to the doctor's. I had not seen him for a
week or fortnight before. When I met him in the
Strand, after leaving Mr. Hamilton's, it was not by
ap-
pointment. Up to this time I have never told either
my father or mother what took place, and they do not
know I am in the family-way. After I told Smith all
about it, we went back to the prisoner's house together,
and I waited outside while he went in to speak to Mr.
Hamilton. Smith did this of his own accord. I had
given the prisoner 65., and was to take him the remain-
ing 4s. 6d. on Monay. He never told me that my
parents ought to know how I was situated. After
Smith came away from the prisoner's, we went to Bow-
street police-station, and had him taken into custody
for rape and abortion. I never told Smith to ask the
prisoner for compensation, and I am sure he did not
do so.

John Smith (who was kept out of court during the
examination kept
of the prosecutrix) said : I have -co-
mpany with the last witness, with the knowledge of her
parents, for three years. I lodge with my aunt at No.
4, New-street, Bermondsey, and am an ironmonger. I
was with the prosecutrix on Saturday morning in the
Strand, and left her about one o'clock to go to Dr.
Hamilton's, as she complained of a pain in her side. I
waited for her at the end of the street, walking about ,
all the while she was in the prisoner's house, and joined
her when she came out, by previous arrangel
nent. She
told me that she did not think Mr. Hamilton had treated
her properly, but she did not enter into all the particulars
until we had got into the steam-boat, on our way to
London-bridge. I saw her home, and met her again in
the evening, when we returned to the prisoner's house
at half-past seven. I left her outside, and went
in myself. I saw Mr. Hamilton lighting up his
gas, and when I said that I wished to speak to him
he showed me up stairs. I told him that I had called
about the young woman who had been with him in the
morning, as I was her young man, and understood that
he wanted to see me. He said, " She only paid me
part of my fee, 65." I asked him what the feo was re-
quired for ? He replied, " She was with child, and it
was for an abortion." I asked him if he was not ashamed
of himself for proposing such a thing to her, and
demanded the money back again, as he had no right to
charge for such a thing. He then ordered me to leave
his house, and I did so.
By Mr. Hall- -I did not ask him what he had done to
procure abortion. I knew that from the girl herself,
and I accused him of indecently exposing himself to her,
and handling her improperly. His only reply was,
" Leave my house." When I got outside I spoke to a
policeman about it, and he referred us to the police sta-
tion, where I went and made the charge. When the
prisoner was brought to the station be said I tried to get
a fee from him, which was a false charge.
Cross-examined—I have been out of a situation, un-
fortunately, about three weeks, in consequence of slack-
ness of business at my late employer's, Mr. Hogg's,
whose shop was lately burnt down. He would be glad
to have me back again if he had work to give me. I
saw the prosecutrix the day before she went io the doc-
tor's (Friday.) I have at times talked to her about
going to Australia, and I was away from her nearly a
month. She knew my address, but not that I was at
home. I saw some painters working at the next house
to the prisoner's on Saturday, and think the blinds were
half down.
By Mr. Hall-1 did not notice the blinds when I went
into the prisoner's drawing-room, but I observed that
it was not at all like a surgery, and certainly a very im-
proper place to ask a young lady into.
Henry Fry, constable F 22, said—l was on duty be-
tween seven and eight o'clock on Saturday even-
ing in West Strand, when the prisoner came up and told
me that a man had been to him endeavouring to extort
money, and using heavy threats. He asked me if I
would take him into custody if he came again, and I
replied, " Yes, if I happen to be on duty at the time.
About an hour afterwards the witness Smith came to
me, and said that he wanted me to accompany him to
King William-street, to take the prisoner in charge for
committing a rape: and administering drugs for a bag.