The Sun.
London, England, 1836-08-22 00:00:00

ATTEMPTED RAPE.

.loseph Barr. the barrack sergeant and schoolmaster of the
Tower, was indicted with feloniously assaulting Mary Anne
Ablet, one of the girls of the Tower National School, under
twelve years of age, with intent to commit a rape.
From the evidence of the girl, it appeared that on Wednes-
day, the 6th of July, she had been sent by her school mistress
to the Mint upon an errand. On returning she met the pri-
soner, who told her he wanted to speak to her. He then led
her through three of the store rooms, locking each door after
him. When he came to the room which was called the store-
room for dirty bedding, lie bolted the door inside, and flung
her down on the bed. Witness screamed out, when the prisoner
said, " Don't scream so, else Mr. Hodgson would hear
her." Witness screamed louder, and then the prisoner let her
go, telling her if the old woman (her governess) asked her if
she bad been crying, to say she had been running. When she
got away she went to school, and told one of her schoolfellows
what had happened. She told her mother the next day that
Mr. Barr had given her twopence ; and upon being asked what
he had given it her for, she said nothing, being ashamed to tell
her mother what had happened.
Cross-examined by Mr. PHILLIPS—Had not told Mr.
Bailey, the clergyman of the Tower, that the prisoner had
locked the door inside in the last room. Had heard the boys
say that her mother had been drunk, but not that she had been
turned out for being drunk. Did not know why site told her mo-
ther that Mr. Barr had given her twopence. Had heard from a
Mrs. Roddy that Mrs. Anderson, the mother of the young girl
to whom she had told what had happened, had been to Mr.
Barr, and offered to settle the case if he would give her money,
which Mr. Barr refused.

Jane Anderson went to the Tower National School. Asked
the last witness on the day in question what she had been cry-
ing for, when she told her what had taken place.
Mary Ablett, the mother of the prosecutrix, said that the
governess and her daughter told her what had taken place
together.
Cross-examined by Mr. CLARKSON.-Mr. Barr got it
up among the boys that she was drunk, and had them
up at Lambeth-street to swear it, but the Magistrate would
not hear them. Would take her sacrament oath she had
not drank spirits that day, and was not drunk ; she had a
fresh colour, but could not help that. Mrs. Barr turned -her
out when she went to her, but she did not know the reason
why. Mrs. Boddy never went to her knowledge to ask Mr.
Barr to settle the matter with money. All she wanted was
justice to her fatherless child.
Mrs. Boddy, examined by Mr. PHILLIPS, stated that it was
false, as sworn by Ablet, that she had told her she had been
to Mr. Barr for money, and that he would not give it her. She
had never been to Mr. Barr's in her life. This was the case
for the prosecution.
Mr. PHILLIPS addressed the Jury for the prisoner, and re-
marked in strong terms upon the contradictory nature of the
evidence. If the Jury required it, he could prove the story of
the prosecutrix with respect to bolting the doors to be totally
untrue, as there were no bolts on the doors to which she had
alluded • and with respect to her statement that Mr. Barr had
locked the last door inside that was impossible, as there was no
key-hole in the lock on the inner side of the door.
Mr. Sergeant ARABIN said he had never witnessed so many
discrepancies in a case in his life as had occurred in this.
The Rev. Mr. Bailey, the chaplain of the Tower, who had
taken great pains to investigate the matter, stated that the
prosecutrix had stated to him that Mr. Barr had led her
through several rooms, bolting every door after him, and
locking the last inside ; the fact was, there were no bolts to the
doors, and the lock of the last room could not be locked in-
side. The Rev. Gentleman gave Mr. Barr a most irre-
proachable character.
The Foreman of the Jury stated that they were unanimously
of opinion that the prisoner was not guilty of the charge.