The Sun.
London, England, 1832-03-09 00:00:00

SALISBURY, March 7.

Mr. Justice PARK took his seat on the Bench this morning
at 8 o'clock, immediately on which,
John Moor, aged 30, Daniel Middleton, 18, George Pearce,
'2'2, John Smart, 213, and Elizabeth Hams,, were placed at the
bar, the former charged with having on the night of the 30th of
July last, at Preshute, near Marlborough, feloniously assaulted
and ravished Sarah Kempster, the wife of Edward Kempster.
The other prisoners were indicted for aiding and abetting in
the above offence, being accessories before the fact.
Mr. BINGHAM for the prosecution, said that a more
atrocious offence had never been committed in a civilized
country A wife was torn from the side of her husband, and
twice savagely violated almost in his very presence. The hus-
band was a private in the Wiltshire Militia, which in July last
was quartered at Marlborough, and on the day in question the
prosecutrix came some distance to visit her husband, but the
town being small and very much crowded, he was unable to
procure any lodgings for her, and in consequence agreed to ac-
company her part of the way home. They had not proceeded
more than half a mile, when they turned into a barton by the
side of the road, and lay down under a hay waggon, with the
intention of getting a little rest. In about half an hour the pri-
soners came into the yard, and Pearce and the woman got upon
the waggon, where Smart had pre'iously placed himself. It was
then about twelve o'clock, and a fine moonlight night. Moor
and Middleton proceeded to take improper liberties with the
prosecutrix, and on her husband interfering they beat him
severely. He called out for assistance to the other prisoners
in the waggon, as did his wife also, but they encouraged
them to persevere, and the woman Elizabeth Hams made use
of a coarse expression, and told them to thrust some hay into
the prosecutrix's mouth. The husband's resistance being un-
availing, at the desire of his wife he ran for assistance. Mid-
dleton, assisted by Moor and Pearce, endeavoured to effect
his purpose, but in consequence of the struggles of the pro-
secutrix could not succeed. Subsequently, however, both
Moor and Middleton completed their purpose, and on the
arrival of the husband with assistance, the latter was still en-
gaged in the commission of the crime, and was taken away
by force. The prosecutrix had been very ill for a long time
in consequence of the treatment she then received, and was not
yet recovered.
The evidence of the prosecutrix, her husband, and other
witnesses, proved the case most strongly against Moor, Middle-
ton, Pearce, and Elizabeth Hams. The circumstances of the
case, unfit for publication, were most revolting and disgusting,
and displayed the utmost depravity and cruelty on the part
of the prisoners. The testimony as far as regarded Smart
was very slight.
The Jury returned a verdict of Guilty against Moor, Middle.
ton, Pearce, and Elizabeth Hams, and acquitted Smart.
Mr. Bishop, Clerk of Arraigns, having asked the prisoners if
they had any thing to say why judgment to die should not be
passed upon them according to law, and proclamation for si.
lence having been made, the Learned Judge put on hls black
cap, and proceeded to pass the awful sentence of the law. His

Lordship said that during the whole of his experience, now
upwards of forty years, he had never met with a case so revolt-
ing and so disgraceful to humanity, as the one of which the pri-
dsoners had just been most rightly convicted. His Lordship
concluded by passing sentence of death upon them in the usual
form.
- •

The three men did not appear much moved ; the woman was
dreadfully agitated, and was carried from the dock in cons
SiOllP.

WORCESTER, March 7.

Mary Brtiford, aged 22, a very good.looking country-girl,
was charged with the wilful murder of a female bastard child,
on the 15th of September last, at the parish of Severn Stoke.
The Jury found the prisoner Not Guilty of murder, but
Guilty of concealing the birth.
Mr. Justice LITTLEDALE sentenced her to two year's
imprisonment, and to be kept to hard labour.

On Monday morning Stephen Woods, a pri-
vate in the 2d battalion of the Rifle Brigade, put a period to his
existence by shooting himself through the heart with his rifle-
piece, in the barrack room, at Dover Castle. Two or three
comrades were present, but not aware of his intention.—Kentish
Gazette.

SUNDAY, FIVE o'CLocK.—Our reporter
has just returned from an important tithe meeting held in
llathoe, in this county. John O'Brien, of Lara, Esq. , was
called to the chair. Several speeches were made, and spirited
resolutions adopted. During the delivery of the speeches, a
party of police marched by, on their route to Kilkenny, and
were commanded by their chief to hold themselves in readiness,
in case an attack should be made on them by the people. No
disorderly conduct, however, was shown by the peasantry, on
the contrary, each individual manifested a desire to seek legally
and constitutionally what they had assembled for, namely, a
total abolition of tithes.—Carlow Post.
MIXING of CoFFEE.—We understand that a
petition has lately been sent from this city to be presented to
Parliament, representing that a nefarious practice is carrying
on in mixing coffee with a cheap article called succory imported
from various parts of the Continent. This article has exactly
the appearance of ground coffee, and we are told can be bought
in France far about twopence per pound. In looking into the
' importations of last week, we observe that 245 casks of succory
have just been landed at London. We trust the petition
alluded to will cause Government to take immediate steps to
put a stop to such traffic, not only for the sake of the revenue,
but for a more important reason, the health of the public. We
fear we have had too much of French mixture amongst us of
late.—Edinbtergit Ackeritfser.