The Sun.
London, England, 1834-01-16 00:00:00

UNION-HALL.

GROSS OUTRAGE AND ASSAULT ON A LADY.—
Yesterday Henry Vince, a linen-draper, residing at
Stockwell; Thomas Collier, his shopman ; George
Skinner, Mary Ann Vince, and Charlotte Fryer,
were brought before Mr. MURRAY, and Mr. HAWES,
M.P., charged with having assaulted Miss Caroline
Amelia Newman, a maiden lady, residing at Clapham-
rise, under the following aggravated circumstances :
Miss Newman, who appeared to be in an ex-
ceedingly delicate state of health, came to the office
in her brother's carriage, accompanied by him, and
also by Mrs. Newman, her sister-in-law. During
the investigation Miss Newman was accornmodwed
with a chair, in which she was obliged to be sup-
ported by her brother and his Lady while giving her
evidence.
Miss Newman stated as follows :—" I live at
Clapham-rise, and on the afternoon of Thursday,
the 9th instant, as I was passing the defendant
Vince's shop, I saw some articles in the window,
and went in to inquire the price and examine the
quality. I had been in the shop on former occasion.,
and when I went in on the present I requested to be
shown some lawn handkerchiefs, when Collier, the
shopman, produced a piece of lawn, and upon my
remarking that it was an inferior quality to that
which I had previously seen, and added that they
asked two prices, Collier immediately said, " What
do you mean by that ?" I repeated the observation,
and alluded to the circumstance of my having pur-
chased lawn at the same shop at a different price.
It was then getting dusk, and as I was unwilling to
make any purchase after what had taken place I
left the shop for the purpose of getting home before
it was dark. I had not, however, proceeded far
when I heard somebody behind me, and at the same
moment was tapped on the shoulder, when, on
turning round, I saw it was Collier, the shopman,
who then addiessed me, and said, " We have
lost a piece of handkerchief from the shop."
Surprised at the circumstance and the manner in
which I was addressed, I said to him, " Upon my
honour, I have not taken it ;" and he then said I
must return with him to the shop, and in reply I
expressed myself willing if it was necessary. The
shopman Collier having said that I must return, and
taken me by the arm, I consented. On the way
back we were met by Vince and Skinner, the former
of whom said, " We have lost a piece of lawn from
the shop, and we suspect that you have taken it."
When we got to the shop I was shown into an
inner apartment, and there were present, Vince,
Skinner, a policeman, and the two female defend-
ants. Vince then said, addressing me, " You must
strip." When told that I must strip I said, " I
shall not," and I offered, if necessary, to allow him
to examine my muff, which I gave to the police-
man, then my bonnet, and then my cloak. Each
of these articles having been examined, Vince said
that I must undergo a further search, upon which I
expressed my determination not to submit to be
stripped in the presence of all in the room. Vince,
before leaving the room, said, addressing Skinner,
that it was he who had exhibited 'the lawn in the
shop ; and the latter, in reply, said that he knew
nothing about it. Vince also said, addressing me,
" If you had not said that I charged two prices I
should not have insisted on your being searched."
I was then conducted up stairs to another room by
Charlotte Fryer, the servant, and was soon joined
by the other female defendant, who put her hand into
the front of my gown, adding that I must strip off. I
said if it was necessary that I should submit to the dis-
grace, I should do it myself; I t hen pulled off my dress,
the arms of which, and other parts, were examined,
to ascertain whether it contained the alleged stolen
handkerchiefs. I then pulled my pockets off, which
were examined, and also my petticoat, and when I
said that surely it was unnecessary to undress any
further, the defendant Mary Ann Vince said that it
was, and I then unlaced my stays, which also under-
went a very scrupulous search in consequence of
being padded." It further appeared by Miss
Newman's evidence that even after she was divested
of her stays the female defendants drew out her
chimese from her person, and looked down before
and behind, so rigid and exact were they in the per-
formance of the abominable examination to which
the unfortunate lady was subjected on the occasion.
When she was suffered to dress again she heard a
voice at the outside of the door, which she believes
to have been Vince's, say, " I don't accuse you of
stealing the handkerchiefs, I only suspect you."
She then said, addressing the female defendants,
" You have now had an opportunity of seeing that
I am innocent of the charge which was brought
against me," upon which Charlotte Fryer, who is
servant in Vince's employ, said, " Oh, but you
might have dropped the property.
Mr. MURRAY said that, after hearing the evi-
dence, he and his Hon. Colleague coincided in the
opinion that the punishment they were impowered
to inflict was not at all adequate to the offence.
Therefore they had determined on sending the case
before a Jury.
The Magistrates then stated that they should call
upon Vince to give bail himself in 1001. and find
two sureties of 501. each, to answer the charge at
the Sessions ; Collier, his shopman, to give bail
and Skinner
to the same6ol.,andfind
atmwoousnut. Theretiesof
two3ol.
femaleeach;
defend rants were ordered to give bail, themselves in
201. each, and find two sureties of 101. each to an-
swer the charge.
The complainant, after having given her testi-
mony,the
pr vwaa, se craerermi e
wherein t tie armsthe moagf
slttreart
ebrother
ei(tiiet
do
after giving the above decision. They returned into
the office, however, soon afterwards, and Mr.
MURRAY, having alluded to the very aggravated
nature of the assault on Miss Newman, said that in
consequence of the delicate state of that lady's health,
and the uncertainty that she would be enabled to
attend the Sessions to prosecute, induced them (de

HULL M A RKET.—Jan. 14.
Wheat, Old —B. 40s. 50s. New —s. 445.465.
Foreign —s. Ms. Ms. ln bond... —s. —s. —s.
Oats, Poland —s. 18s. 20s. Old —s. —s. —r.
Small or Feed.... —s. 16s. !Ss -..6. —s. ...8.
Foreign —s. 16s. les —B. —B. —f3..
Barley, Norf. & Suf. ... —s. 288. 30s. Linc. & Wold —s. 25s 275.
Foreign —s. —S. —e.
Beans s 325. 345. Foreign
Pease, White —s. 365. 425. Grey —s. 325. 345.
Pares —B. —s —s. Foreign —B. ...i. ..5.
Rapeseed, in bond none. Free, per last 261. 27/. Os.

DUMFRIES M
a. d. s.d. a. d. a. d
Wheat, Imp. Bush... 5 9 to 6 9 Butter, I6oz 0 Btoo 9
Barley .• 2 9 3 0 Eggs, 22 0 0 1 0
Oats ......... ........... ... 2 0 2 3 Beef, per score 8 0 9 0
Flour, 141 b.
Oatmeal 1 6 1 8 Veal 0 4 0 4
Potatoes, cwt.

RKETS.—Jan. 8.