The Sun.
London, England, 1831-01-26 00:00:00

ASSAULT.

The Salford (Manchester) Quarter Sessions terminated
on Saturday evening. The only ease which excited much
interest was the trial of Mr. James Holmes, a manufac-
turer residing in the neighbourhood of Bury, for an as-
sault, with a criminal intent, upon Mary Whittaker (the
wife of John Whittaker), a young woman employed in
the defendant's mill. The case was one of a very peculiar
nature. The defendant was overlooker in his father's
factory, in which the prosecutrix and her husband, who
had been married about eighteen months, were employed.
According to the statement of the prosecutrix, the de-
fendant (who is himself a married man) had frequently
annoyed her with proposals of an improper nature; but she
had contented herself with rejecting his offers, and, as far
as her situation permitted, repelling his familiarities, with-
out complaining of them to her husband. On the evening
of the 9th of November, the night on which the offence
was committed, the defendant was at a party along with
some friends at the house of his brother Anthony Holmes,
who is a publican. The husband of the prosecutrix was
drinking in the tap-room of the house, and about eleven
o'clock at night the defendant went into the tap-room, and
giving Whittaker invited him into the parlour to sing
some of the best songs to the company. Whittaker readily
accepted this proposal ; and while be was amusing the party
" The Death of Nelson," and other
Yell,"
skill, Mr.
usp•ietchim"eCnsarorfothtiys
Holmes withdrew un-
perceived frem the room, and proceeded to Whittaker's
house, the door of which had been left unlocked by the
prosecutrix when she went to bed, in order that her hus-
band might more easily get in on his return from the
public-house.
The prosecutrix states, that while in bed with her infant
she heard some person come into her room, and presently
afterwards a man io his shirt, whom she perceived by the
light from the window to be the defendant, came up by
the side of the bed, and immediately got into it, at the
same time placing one of his hands upon her mouth, eo as
to prevent her from calling out. Her husband's sister and
mother were asleep in the next room, but were not awak-
ened or alarmed, The man remained with her in bed for
about five minutes, during the whole of which time (the
prosecutrix stated) he kept his hand upon her mouth so as
and begun to cry, the defendant got out of
made his escape from the house. During
havingbtoedpraenvdeanwt
hastily
eer giving. any alarm ; and, at length, her child
the whole of this singular scene not a word passed be-
tween the parties! After a lapse of about half an hour
the husband came home, and she then informed him of
what had taken place; hot it appeared that during this
interval she remained quiet, without apprising her sister
or mother-in-law of the violence that had been offered to
her. The prosecutrix accounted fur this silence, by say-
ing that she was all that time in a state of too great alarm
to be able to cry out. Next day, the prosecutrix and her
husband applied to the Magistrates for a warrant against
the defendant, who was bound over in sureties to appear
at the Sessions to answer the charge.
The Jury, after deliberating for nearly half an hour, re-
turned a verdict of Guilty against the defendant. He was
immediately taken into custody, and placed in the dock to
receive sentence.
The CHAINnAN, after some severe observations, sen-
tenced the defendant to he imprisoned for four calendar
months in the House of Correction.
The prosecutrix is a good-looking young woman, with
it light blue eyes, fair locks, and snowy hands," those cha-
racteristics of beauty which are peculiar to the far-famed
" Lancashire witches." She delivered her evidence with
great modesty of demeanour, and apparently with the most
artless simplicity.

The Duke of WELLINGTON on Monday re-
viewed the 43d Regiment, now in garrison at Winchester.
The men went through various evolutions, which were
performed with such accuracy and celerity as to excite the
unqualified approbation of his Grace, who complimented
Lieut.-Colonel Booxit on their effective state of discipline.
......ifampshire Chronicle.

SUR REY Tit EA T R Es—A successful debut was
made at this theatre on Monday night by a young lady
from the Norwich Theatre, of the name of POOLE. The
character in which she chose to introduce herself to a Lon-
don audience was that of Mrs. Haller in The Stranger—
an arduous one for a first essayist, but the more creditable
to a fair ambition if fulfilled with merit. Miss Poota's
performance was upon the whole of a very respectable, and,
in certain passages,
a superior kind. Besides the advan-
tages of a fine figure and expressive countenance, Miss
PooLa appears quite at ease on the stage. In the scene
where she discloses her real name to her benefactress,
Countess jsinterstein, she displayed powers of a very su-
perior cast, which drew forth the most unqualified marks
of approbation from the audience. Mr. OSRALDISTON
sustained the part of the Stranger is a superior manner.
The piece was given out for repetition amid very general
marks ofsatisfaction. The house was very much crowded.

Meetings of the
peasantry in the North, re-
specting tithes and rents, continue. All accounts agree
in representing the distress amongst the poor as most ap-
palling ; and in anticipating a famine in the approaching
bummer, potatoes are already becoming very scarce, and
oatmeal has reached a very high price. I allude particu-
larty to the North-West ; but in the South, although
the potatoe crop has been deficient in some districts,
yet the supply in the chief markets continues abundant,
and the price is moderate. In the Clonmel market, for in-
stance, potatoes sell at from ltd, to 3d. per stoat.