The Sun.
London, England, 1854-09-12 00:00:00

VIOLATION OF it GIRL.

DoRKING, MONDIT.—This little -village has for the
past few days been in a state of great excitement, in
consequence of Mr. George Elton, aged 15, brother-in-
law of the Hon. arid Rev. A. Sugden, of Newdi,ate,,
Surrey, and George Elphick, aged 20, groom to the'hon.i
gentleman, being charged before Mr. Charles Barclay,
and Mr. George Cubitt, county magiitrates, with having
committed a rape upon the person of a girl named
Elizabeth Crauley, aged 16, a house-maid in the employ
of Mr. Suplen ; and Maria Fenn, aged 23, a cook iu
the same establishment, was also charged with aiding
and abetting in the commission of the same offence.

The foliowing evidence was adduced, after three ad.
journwents

Mary Elizabeth Crauley deposed—l am sixteen years
old, and am in the service of the Honourable and Reve-
rend Mr. Sugden, of Newdigate, as a housemaid. I
have lived with him about two months. The first
time any liberty was taken with me was on Sunday,
the 13th of August. About ten o'clock, after the family
had gone to bed, on the same evening I went out to the
village, and called at Mr. Farrington'e, and. when I
came back I found Charles George Elton and George
Elphick smoking and drinking in Elphick's room, and
Maria Fenn with them. I sat down with them, and
stopped some time. I asked Maria, Feun if she was
going to bed. She said " Yea," and we both walked
into our room, and whilst we were undressing, Elton
came through our bedroom to go to his own, there
being no other way except down-stairs and up ano her
staircase. After Elton had gone through I locked the
door, leaving the key inside. We then put out the
candle and got into bed. Shortly afterward,' Elphick
entered our room and unfastened Elton's bed room door
and let him in, and said to him, "You get in on Crau-
, ley's side." I replied, " If you do, I shall tell Mr.
Sugden." Elton then got into bed, and Elphick on the
side of Maria Fenn. Elphick then leaned over Maria
Fenn and took hold of my arms and-one of my legs,
and whilst I was struggling and screaming, Maria Fenn
put her hand on my mouth, Elton at the same time
having his knees on my chest. Elphick then got hold
.of Maria Fenn by the waist and the hair of her head,
and carried her into his bed-room, and in their absence
Elton accomplished his purpose. During that time I
screamed for assistance, but Maria Fenn said she could
not come, for Elphick would not let her. Elton then left,
and went into his own room. I then got up and went to
Elphick's room, and found Maria Fenn in bed. I remained
iiithe room because I did not wish Elton to be in my
room again. I was at this time sitting by the window.
After that I went into my own room, leaving Elphick
and Fenn in bed. Elton came through my room again
to go to hid own. As he was corning through I re-
!leated himto ask Maria Fenn if she was coming to
bed again- After Elton had gone throug9, I went into
the bed-room, and Elphick told me " I should be in the
family way" unle‘s I allowed him to repeat the offence.
He asked Maria Fenn
ti.f it would not be so. She at
first replied in the negative, but afterwards said, "Ye,,"
and both persuaded ing.eaihydea:dt it
n would be better for me if
I allowed it. I said I
then
wish it, and if it was it
would not be my wish:,
iennt
fitnto my own room
Elphick catunew
and got into bed.
criesaerwarids and
that
tn( resistance
into bed, and notwithstanding my got
he accomplished his purpose. After tll Elphick left
me, and I went to sleep. I did not tell any one about it
till Mr. Farrington had said that there was a
an unpleasant nature in circulation. Elphickrumour and
Feon told me not to tell any one, for if I did it
would be the worse for me. The first person I spoke
to respecting the circumstance was Mr. Farrington, on
Saturday, the 2d September. He said he had heard
something about me. I then told hint about it, and
what Elphick had done to me on Sunday evening, the
13th of August last. When I saw the policeman I re-
quested him to take Elphick into custody in consequence
of what ie had Imo boaetiag that ks had dose to toe at

a public house. Elphick and Fenn said they were going
to be married, and they promised to find rote a home
if anything happened.
Subsequently to these transactions, in the absence of
Mr. Sugden and family, Elphick came home iu a state
of intoxication, with a loaded pistol, which he dis-
charged at the complainant, and struck her in the
neck, and she fell down ; Int, upon her getting up
again, she went to Mr. Farrington's, who found her
neck bleeding, and applied something to it.
The Hon. and Rev. Arthur Sugden (in whose ser-
vice two of the prisoners are) deposed that on the 13th
August the family retired to rest between halt-past
nine and ten, it being intimated to the servants that
they could go to bed too. The Rev. Mr. Pigott slept
at the rectory that night, in a room adjoining that occu-
pied by the proseeutrix, and not more than eight
feet from where blie was actually lying. He should
think that if there had been anything wrung, Mr.
Pigott must have heard it. Suspecting on the 21st
August something was going on wrong, witness
went up stain., when he heard a struggling and
a voice say, " Let me alone, George." Some one
opened the door, but it was immediately closed, and the
struggling recommenced. Witness was about to open
the dour, when the prisoner Maria Fenn came out, hav-
ing her hair dishevelled. He at once called her and
Elphick into a room, and, after animadverting on their
conduct, gave the latter notice to leave. Maria Fenn
gave witness notice.
After hearing some other evidence, and Mr. Sadler for
the prisoner Elton,
Thu Chairman said that, after a patient investigation,
the bench had come to the determination of committing
the whole of the prisoners for trial.
The prisoners were then committed for trial at the
spring assizes, and the various witnesses were bound
over to prosecute. George Elton was admitted to bail
in two sureties of 2501. each.