The Sun.
London, England, 1848-10-10 00:00:00

inveigled Amy, their daughter, to a house in King-
street, Soho, and 'that upon her return again, the
child described the particulars of the indecent conduct
pursued towards her while there ; and she (the
mother) lost no time in bringing the matter under
the notice of the magistrate, in order that such a
delinquent as the defendant might be punished, and
her child be prevented from being again exposed to
the contamination of such characters as her father
associated with.

When the defendant was placed at the bar this day,
Mr. COTTINGHAM inquired if the Rev. Mr. Chessnutt
was in attendance, and the answer being in the affir-
mative, the magistrate, addressing the gentleman, ex-
pressed his astonishment that he was not present on
the former occasion, when so serious an accusation was

preferred by his own child against a man who was
living in the same house with him, and who, he must
be aware, was in custody on the charge. That the ,
inquiry was postponed frem last Wednesday, at the
request of the prisoner, on his stating that he
wished the Rev. Mr: Chessnutt to be called, who
would give important evidence in his behalf. The
magistrate added, that his daughter's statement should
now be read over, and that the prisoner could put any
questions he thought proper to him, with reference to
the charge.
Mr. Edwin, the chief clerk,-then read the state-
ment above alluded to, and when he came to that
part of it which related to the coniplainant having
informed her father of the prisoner's misconduct to
her,
Mr. Salomons, who attended on behalf of the ac-
cused, addressing the Rev. Mr. Chessnutt, asked him
if there was any truth in it? Whether his daughter
had complained to him of assaults upon her ?—He re-
plied that she bad not.
Mr. COTTINGLIAM—Prayi Mr. Chessnutt, was:the
prisoner in your service, or in what relation does he
stand to you ?
The Rev. Mr. Chessnutt--He was not in my ser-
vice, but he lodged in the same house, and was atten-
tive and occasionally played with the child, to divert
her, when I took her away from her mother.
Mr. Salomons—Do you believe that there is any
truth, then, in the statement made by your daughter
against the accused?
Mr. COTTINGEIAM—It is not for him to judge as to
the truth .or falsehood of her account. I tested the
child's capacity-and credibility before the oath was
administered, and every circumstance she has related
to me is quite consistent, and bears the impress of
truth ; for although her parents are separated, and at
enmity, still it is absUrd to suppose that this child in-
herits their feelings, and that she would come forward
to make such a charge as this without foundation.
The magistrate then (addressing Mr. Chessnutt)
asked whether the child had communicated the
defendant's misconduct towards her to him at his
lodgittg in King-street, Soho?
The Rev. Mr. Chessnutt—She never did. She has
been tutored by other parties to trump up this story,
which is entirely destitute of truth. She never men-
tioned such a thing to me.
In reply to Mr. COTTINGRAM, the Rev. Gentleman
said that the prisoner was in the habit of going into
his bed-room at times, with hot water for shaving, &c.
This question was put by the Magistrate, as the
complainant had stated that the assaults perpetrated
on her by the prisoner were frequently committed in
her father's bed-room.
Mr. Salomons—lf your daughter bad mentioned
the circumstance of her having been so grossly as•
saulted as she now describes to you, would you not
have
The adiolpetve.dmprr.
Chessnutt
talatiinislqt
uthesetiooffneanbdiy I shoulder ?
have done so.,
Mr. COTTINGRAM hero had the little girl brought
forward, and when she heard her father's -denial of her
having complained to him of the prisoner's miscon-
duct, she persisted in the truth of all she had stated.
She added that she' knew a Miss Ebers and a Mrs.
Elliott, at the house in King-street, but she did not
mention to them the way she had been treated by
the prisoner, and that her reason for not doing so was
on account pf her short acquaintance with them, and
that she thought telling her father of it, he would
prevent it in future. That her mother did not tell
her to make up the story about the prisoner, and she
added that he was in the habit of taking her out of
bed and dressing her.
Mr. COTTINGILUA here observed that he never
heard anything more improper, not to say indelicate,
than for a person in the Rev. Gentleman's position in
life permitting a man like the prisoner to be attend.
ing, and dressing and undressing his child, and th It
child a daughter, particularly as it appeared there
were two females in the house; that, to say the least
of it, he acted with great indiscretion in suffering such
a man to be about his child.
The Rev. Mr. Chessnutt said that Mrs. Elliott and
Miss Ebers did attend upon the child when they
were at leisure, but he could not expect they would
he always with her ; that he, however, was seldom
from home, and that the prisoner, he should say, had
no opportunity of acting in the manner she described.
Mr. COTTINCiIIAM-if the child could not have
been properly attended by you, she ought not to
have been taken away from the care of her mother.
The magistrate added, that at the last examination he
had given directions for the child to be examined by
a medical man, in order to ascertain if her statement
of the violence offered to. her by the prisoner was
borne out by the appearances which would be likely
to be perceptible if such had been tke case.
Mr. Saltiel, a . surgeon, •was then called, and he
proved that violence bed -been done to the child, and
although eight or ten days had elapsed since the
period, yet there were indications of it still existing.
Mr. Salomons contended that the evidence was not
sufficiently strong against the prisoner to warrant the
magistrate in sending the case for trial ; that the
father of the child flatly contradicted her, and declared
on his oath that she had not communicated the alleged
circumstance of the prisoner having assaulted her to
him (the father), and it was net pfobable that if such
had been the case he would have denied it, in order to
screen such an offender.- If the magistrate did commit
the prisoner, he was convinced no jury would convict
him.
Mr. COTTINGRAM said that notwithstanding what
had been urged in the prisoner's defence, he believed
the child to be the witness of truth, anti that she was
not biassed either one way or the other, but had told
had been treated by the
thprisoner;'einannetrhaitnhew,htiheehmshe
magistrate, could not help re-
marking that the conduct of the father of the child
was most remarkable ithroughout: He, the magis-
trate, should therefore commit the prisoner.
nSaam
bluleaMnsotTnit, hope
eerwise the prisoner will be
till his
will accept of bail to
trial.
ca ormll liaprrse.;llce do
Tt lieN olirnA
mg a
soal d
, that as it was a bailable
offence, he should, therefore, adjudge the prisoner to
enter into his own recognizance of 1001., and find two
sureties of 501., to answer the charge at the next ses-
sions for Middlesex.
Mrs. Chessnutt trusted that her husband would
not be suffered to take away his daughter again.
Mr. COTTINGRAM told her that the child was to
remain with her, at all events, until the trial was
over, and that she need not alarm herself, for she
might rest assured that no judge would, under the
present circumstances, permit the father to have any
control over her.
The prisoner was then committed in default of pro-
curing the requisite bail.

f dis

WOMBWELL'S MENAGERIE.—Such a series or
asters has seldom occurred on the transition of a collet
tion of beasts as happened between Seaton and Lyme
Regis, on Sunday week. Soon after the carriages began
to be removed from Seaton the rain fell in torrents,
literally soaking them, and continued the whole of the
way. On coming up Bossell-hill the van which con-
tained the lions and tigers fell over, and with great diffi-
culty was again put in an upright position, to proceed
on its journey. On the arrival of the van containing
the elephant by High Cliffe House, where the road is
very steep, the shaft of the van touched the legs of one
of the horses, which commenced plunging and kicking
furiously, and frightening the other horses drawing the
van, upon which the whole of them set off at a gallop
down the hill. nearly
coming
fto in coCllisliffe, ion with the
landau of R. B. Wrey, Esc' ,
o Weir in which
was Mrs. Wrey, returning from church. Her life was
in imminent danger, as the van threatened to crash her
carriage to pieces; the horses, however, reached the
bottom of the hill without further damage, but imme-
diately on entering the field of exhibition the wheel of
this ponderous van
gave,way beneath its weight, break-
ing into several pieces, and bringing the carriage down
on its axietree. " These disasters were of a more serious
nature than all which had happened to the menagerie
during the whole year previous. said one of the
icom-
pany, and these, be it remembered, befel it on a Sunday.
Its misfortunes, however, did not terminate here, for on
drawing the beasts from the town on Tuesday, the van
containing the zebra was turned over, and in order to
sat t right
h Lt
"
burden, which for a time was allowed to be at large in
the field.—Exeter Flying Post.
GREAT
oagNGaisnT,oiNtEhavvd. to b
AEge disencumbered of its
.—This annual feast
of the dedication," which about nine years ago was cele-
brated for its save brutality, passed off this year in
ge
the most rational and Ciaristianlike manner possible.
Every cottage was the scene of true hospitality, and the
light hearts and happy faces might be seen emerging
from the newly-adorned dwellings with rapture. The
three Ember days at this season always occurring in the
feast week, the church was tolerably attended ; it is de-
dicated to St. Giles, but it appears that when the new
style was introduced, the time of keeping the feast
was not altered. On Thursday afternoon the Sunday -
' school children to the number of 150, had their annual
treat of tea and plum cake. Two tables were erected
in n little croft close by the church, which was most
tastefully arranged with flowers, and loaded with cakes ;
almost every mother in the village came to witness the
scene, and about 50 partook of tea at the parsonage.
The day was very fine, and the boys amused themselves
with cricket, running races, &c., whilst the girls were
engaged in every apecies of imaginable frolic. The
darkness put an end to the scene.—Derby ..11crcury.
F°sT-orrrell•---On Saturday the receiving• office for
letters in the East India-road, Poplar., was opened for
the issue"and payment of money orders.