The Sun.
London, England, 1834-04-10 00:00:00

CHESTER ASSIZES.

James Mason, a young man of ordinary appear-
ance, was indicted under the 9th George IV., cap.
31, sec. 13, for brutal ill treatment of one Hannah
Woodward, at Marple, in this county, on the 16th
of June, 1833, with intent to procure a miscarriage,
she being then quick with child.'

Her deposition was put in, and the portions of it
which related to the.present offence were read :
" I am 22 years of age, and reside with my father
and. step-mother. About seven months ago I be-
came acquainted with Mason ; he visited me as my
sweetheart, and I became pregnant by him. On
Saturday, the 15th of June, I was taken by the
overseer to Stockport; before the magistrates, to
swear my settlement, and an order was granted for
my removal from Marple to Matlock, and I was to
have gone on the following Monday, the 17th. In
the afternoon of Sunday, the 16th, I went out to
tea at Samuel Martin's ; his daughter had invited
me on the Friday. It was just as the people were
going to church and chapel. On the Canal-bridge
I saw James Mason among some of his companions.
When I got near him he said, Here's my mistress
coming.' He stopped me and laid hold of my shawl.
I said, Leave loose of me, you dirty rascal.' I told
him where I was going, and that if he did not let me
go I would turn back. I attempted to turn back,
but he would not let me. He said I must come
with him, and he dragged me on. People were going
to church, and being ashamed of being seen strug-
gling, I went with him along the canal side a little
way. I attempted to turn back, but he dragged me
onwards. I told him if he insulted me again, I would
have him taken up. He said, Don't be such a
stupid fool.' I said, You mean me no good, and I
won't go with you another yard.' He dragged me on,
and I shouted out for assistance. He took me round
the waist and by the right arm, and dragged me
into the wood, and threw me down (here follow the
details of a struggle unfit to meet the public eye),
but I struggled and got up. As soon as he got up,
he twisted me round again by the waist and threw
me down, and my head hit against something which
stunned'me for some time. My strength was nearly
gone, from the length of the struggle and the diffi-
culty of breathing, in consequence of his having
stuffed a handkerchief into my mouth, to prevent
me from calling out. At length he accomplished
his purpose. When I came to myself, he said, " I
don't care what thou sayest, I'll have my revenge."
He then put his hands—(Here follow the details of
the most brutal treatment.) He made me groan
with pain, which was so great that I thought I
should die under his hand. I told him I would get
myself examined when I got back. He said he did
not care a —, and said—(Here the prisoner used
expressions of the most revolting nature, importing
his wish that abortion might ensue.) My clothes
were all wet through with blood. I made my way
back as well as I could ;he came with me. When
we got to the bridge where he first met me, he said,
thee, go home and tell thy mother to put
thee to bed ; thou art fit for nothing else ; I wish'—
(Here the filthy expressions were again repeated.)
There were several persons near the bridge. My
mother was not at home, but when she came in I
told her what had happened, and showed her my
clothes, which were very bloody. My mother sent
for the doctor, Mr. Hibbert, and he examined me.
Several times during the last fortnight I have
thought I should not get better ; and from the pain
I now suffer, I fear that I shall not recover. This
is the truth, as God is my Saviour ; and whether it
affects his life or mine, I shall state no other."

The greater part of this statement was corrobo-
rated by a boy named Francis Heron, who saw the
parties in the wood together, Hannah Woodward,
the stepmother of the woman, and by two other
female witnesses.

Mr. Hibbert, surgeon, described the nature of
the injuries, and the immense hemorrhage that en-
sued ; but his evidence is unfit for publication.
Mr. Wright, another surgeon, who subsequently
attended her, deposed that it was only by the
greatest care, and by keeping her constantly in a
recumbent posture, that he succeeded in preventing
premature labour. She went her full time, and
was delivered of a live child on the 25th of August.
She died (in the opinion of both the medical gen-
tlemen) of consumption, on the 14th of January fol-
lowing, accelerated, if not brought on, by the treat-
ment she had received.
She made a declaration in articulo nzortis in sub-
stance the same as the above.
No witnesses were called for the prisoner.

The jury returned a verdict of Guilty.
Mr. Baron GURNEY then proceeded to pass sen-
tence in these words :—" Prisoner at the bar, un-
less the great Searcher of all hearts shall make
some change in your nature, and in your heart, that
nature is too callous, and that heart too deeply
seared, for me to make any impression upon it by
any thing I could say. The crime of which you
have been convicted is one of the blackest and the
most atrocious which it has been my misfortune
ever to hear proved in a court of justice. Prepare
to meet your God very.shortly ; it would be cruelty
to society to show any mercy to you." His Lord-
ship then sentenced the prisoner to be executed in
the usual terms, but without naming the day.

POLICE INTELLIGENCE.

MANSION-HOUSE.

Yesterday a well-dressed and well-educated
female named Mullowney was brought before the
LORD MAYOR, charged with having stolen a goose
and a teal, in Leadenhall-market.
Mrs. Mullowney had been walking through the
market in the evening, with her eyes veering from
stall to stall, as if she intended to make a bona fide
purchase, and the butchers gave her many a pressing
invitation "to buy?' After an unsatisfactory exa-
mination of the numerous birds, she cast her eyes
upon a very fine goose, and taking a gin-bottle out
of her pocket, she took a swig to enable her to put
.her design into execution. She then began to feel
the goose, and the moment the poulterer turned his
head aside, she whipped it off by the neck, and pro-
ceeded several paces from the stall. Hearing, how-
ever, a sort of bustle behind her, she stopped,
turned about, and exhibited the goose, as if she
meant nothing wrong. It was then discovered that
she had contrived to carry off a teal as companion
to the goose. The poulterer saw that she was very
tipsy, and did not wish to prosecute her, but thought
that the least she ought to feel would be a night's
lodging in the Compter and a lecture from the
Lord Mayor.

The Low) MAYOR—This is a very awkward
business, Madam. Pray what have you to say
about it ? Prisoner—Upon my word, my Lord, I
meant nothing but to try the weight of the goose, to
be able to tell a friend of mine in Bristol whether
it would be more economical to buy geese in London
or in Cork, where I am going.
Mr. Hobler—But was it necessary to try the
weight of the teal Ma'am, in order to ascertain the
weight of the goose ?—(A laugh.) Prisoner—l
_lon% know how it happened ; but they appeared to

be twisted together in such a manner that the one
followed the other.

Mr. Hobler—l suppose the lady thought it was
the young goose following the old one ? Prisoner—
I had no intention to take it away, whatever may be
thought of the act as it appeared to be. I did not,
to my knowledge, move from the stall.
The LORD MAYOR—No, I dare say the beverage
you took interfered with your knowledge of what
actually took place. I am, at all events, willing to
believe so. Prisoner—My Lord, my husband is
entitled to a large estate, which happens to be hea-
vily encumbered, and in the possession of a person
who has no claim, and I am a great sufferer in con!
sequence.

The LORD MAYOR—And to reconcile yourself
to the disappointment, you drink gin till it makes
you act, if not like a fool, like something much
worse ? Prisoner—What could I have done with
the goose ? I was going off in the coach for Bristol
this day, and from thence to Cork, and my object
was nothing more than to decide between the Irish
and the English geese.

The LOAD MAYOR—You say you are going to
Cork. Do you intend to return to London ? I
see by a paper which has been found upon you that
your seat is engaged in the Bristol coach. Prisoner.
—I don't suppose it will be necessary, my Lord.
The LORD MAYOR—I hope not, Madam ; for
I can tell you, that if your propensity to the glass
incites you to any more experiments to ascertain the
comparative value of English and Irish geese, you
may be sent to a greater distance. Prisoner—l
thank you, my Lord, for your kindness, but upon
my honour all I wanted to know was whether an
English goose was a more valuable bird than an
Irish one.

The LORD MAYOR—I dare say you are satisfied,
Madam, that there are plenty of geese in both coun-
tries.—Prisoner (curtseying)—l wish your Lord-
ship a very good morning.
The LORD MAYOR—Good morning to you,
Madam. I wish you a safe journey, and I sincerely
hope, for the sake of the English geese, that you will
never come back.—(Laughter.)