The Sun.
London, England, 1853-12-31 00:00:00

CLERKENWELL.— William Sergeant, coffee-house
keeper, Holborn-hill, was charged with having brutally
assaulted Sarah, his wife.

It appeared from the evidence of the prosecutrix, who
was was very much bruised, that on Thursday night last,
at about halt-past eleven o'clock, she was in bed, when
she was alarmed by the loud screams of her female ser-
vant, and her cries for help. Witness went to her assist-
ance, when she found the prisoner pursuing and threat-
ening her. He immediately commenced a violent attack
upon witness. He threatened to break her neck
down stairs, kicked and beat her in a most savage way.
Their cries of " murder" and screams brought a police.
man to their assistance, when she gave the prisoner into
custody, and he was taken to the station-house, where he
expressed so much contrition, and promises not to ill-
use her any more, that she did not press the charge
against him ; he was allowed to return borne with her,
when she retired again to rest, but the prisoner shortly
after renewed his violence towards her, and in order to
avoid him she left her bed-room. He pursued her into
the street, she being nearly in a state of nudity. She
again gave him into custody, and he was locked up. She
added that she had a family of six children by the pri-
soner. He had been in the continual habit of ill-freating
her, and she could liye better without than with him.
Emma Hawkes, the servant, confirmed this testimony.
The prisoner said his wife treated him brutally six
years ago, by smashing his toe with a jar.
Mr. Tyrwhitt ( o the prisoner)—What is a woman to
do with a wild animal,' or a madman, like you ? I shall
send you to the House of Correction, with hard labour,
for three months ; and think yourself lucky that you are
not sent for the full term of six months. You must
then find responsible bail to keep the peace towards your
wife for six months ; and the probability is that, unless
you check your violent temper, you may some morning
be found exhibited as a melancholy
spectacle in front of
the debtors' door at the Old Bailey. You ought to
think yourself fortunate that you are not now standing
at that bar under a more serious charge.
He was conveyed to prison.

LAMBETH.—Thomas Brown alias Bell, a " travel-
ler," residing at No. 28, East-lane, Walworth, was
charged with hocussing Elizabeth Marsh, and taking
her to a house of ill-fame, where he kept her all night
and violated her person.
The complainant, a good looking young woman, 22
years of age, said that on Wednesday last she went to
Wright's servants' registry office, in the Edgeware-road,
and after waiting there some time, Mr. Wright gave her
the address of a lady in Duke•street, Manchester-square.
Before leaving the office, Mr. Wright sent for some
bread and cheese and beer, and requested her to partake
of them. She did so, and left the office, and was fol-
lowed by the prisoner, who offered to show her the
shortest way to Duke street. Knowing very little
about London, she accepted his offer, and the prisoner
went with her to Duke-street, and waited for her while
she was with the lady. He then offered to put her into
an omnibus that would take her close to the residence
of her sister, near the Harrow-road ; but instead of
doing so, he put her (and got inr himself) into a bus that
took them to the Westminster-road, where they got out.
In the course of the journey the prisoner asked her for
a shilling to pay their fare with, saying there was a
person in the neighbourhood they were going to who
owed him some money, and he should return her the
chilling. After getting out of the omnibus the prisoner
prevailed on her to go into a public house, where they
first had some brandy and water, and after that some
black stuff, highly spiced, was brought in, which the
prisoner pressed her to drink. She refused to do
so, upon which the prisoner with an oath declared that
if she did not do so he should throw it over her, and
she in consequence drank it. She had hardly done so
when she became so stupefied and intoxicated as to lose
all recollection of what had taken place, until she found
herself in the street with the prisoner, the air having
somewhat recovered her. She, however, lapsed into her
former state of stupor, and had no recollection what-
ever of what passed, until she found herself, to her great
horror, in bed with the prisoner, and perfectly naked.
The room was in perfect darkness,'and she struggled to
get out of bed, but the prisoner prevented her, and she
then screamed and hallooed as loud as she could, but no
one came to her assistance. She continued to scream so
loud that the prisoner placed his hand on her mouth,
and told her if she did not leave off he would break her
ribs in. She then became very ill, and the prisoner
subsequently had connection with her twice, notwith-
standing her making every effort to prevent him. On
the following morning she got out of bed as soon as she
could, and while dressing she discovered that she had
lost four shillings from a pocket she had made in her
petticoat in such a manner that it could not be picked
except with much difficulty, and a thimble which was
with the money she found on the floor, On mention-
ing the circumstance to the prisoner, he said he was
sorry for her loss, and that he should go and get some
money to pay for her omnibus fare. Instead of doing
so, he merely accompanied her as far as Westminster-
bridge, and then left her to get home the best
way she could, ill and wretched as she was.
On reaching the residence of her sister she told
her all that had happened, and her sister took
her to the house of Mr. Collins, a surgeon, in
Connaught-terrace, Edgware-road. After this, wit-
ness and her sister went to the office of Mr. Wright,
and waited there until five o'clock, when the prisoner
came there, and they gave him into custody.
Mr. Norton—How did you know you should see the
prisoner at Wright's office, if he did not belong to the
place

- Witness—Because, sir, I knew that he had left a par-
cel with Mr. Wright the day before, and finding ho had
not called for it, I waited until he did.
Mr. Norton--Did the prisoner seem to be known to
Mr. Wright the office-keeper/
Witness--Yes, sir. He had part of the bread and
cheese and beer there when I had, and Mr. Wright
spoke of him as a jolly good fellow.
In her cross-examination by the prisoner the witness
admitted having been to two public-houses before get-
ting into the omnibus on Wednesday evening ; that she
had some coffee at the house they slept at on Thursday,
and had been into a beer-shop, but not a public-house,
with him before they parted. She also admitted that
she had promised to meet him at a public-house in the
neighbourhood of her sister's residence on that evening
but added that she had done so through fear and an
anxiety to get rid of him.
Mr. Collins, the surgeon to whom the prosecutrix was
brought, and who, in company with Dr. Bushell, had
again examined her, deposed that there were no symp.
toms or appearance to account for recent injury or vio-
lence such as that described by her. There was nothing
to justify him in saying there had been a recent violation.
Dr. Bushell was of the same opinion.
The prisoner, however, was remanded.