The Sun.
London, England, 1861-09-17 00:00:00

SURREY SESSIONS, Sept. 16,

(Before Mr. Tilson.)
SERIOUS CHARGE AGAINST A SURGEON.
Mr. David Ormond West, a surgeon and apothe-
cary, carrying on business in Etham-street, Dover-
road, Southwark, surrendered to an indictment
charging him with an indecent assault upon Catha-
rine Hobbs, a girl 14 years of age.
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Sleigh, specially retained
the defendant, instructed by Mr. G. C. Fomleptcsohner.for
Mr. Lilley, in opening the case, stated that it was
one of vast importance to the prisoner, who was a
medical practitioner in the district of Newington,
and if the jury should consider him guilty the
offence was one of great enormity. He should call
the witnesses and leave the case in their hands.
Catharine Hobbs, a very intelligent-looking girl,
about 14, fipid that on the 22d of last month she
lived in the Crescent, in the New Kent-road, and
slept at her father's, Russell-place, Old Kent-road.
On Saturday, the 24th of August, about half-past
eight in the evening, she went to her mother's, and
told her she was rather costive. Her mother gave her
a penny to get some pills. She went to defendant's
shop, and on seeing him told him what she required.
He asked her what she wanted them for, when she
laughed, as she did not like to answer. He went
into a back room and called her to him. He pulled
a curtain across the window, and told her to be
seated. There was no light in the room. As soon as
she was seated on the sofa he put his hand under her
clothes. He then requested her to stand up, and re-
peated his indecency, and said she was in the
family-way. Previous to that she had not asked him
to examine her or see whether such was the case.
She never asked for anything except the pills. She
never was familiar with any male person. As soon
as he said she was in the family-way she said, " No,
lam not, let me go." He then wanted her to go
back with him to the closet, but she got away, and
ran home and told Mrs. Young, a lodger, what had
occurred. After that her mother came home and she
was told what had occurred, and then they all went
with a constable to Mr. West's house, and he was
given into custody.
The girl was here severely cross-examined by
Mr. Sleigh, who elicited from her that she had been
to Mr. West's shop before for medicine, and he
never acted improperly towards her on any previous,
occasion. At the rear of the room he called her in
was a sitting-room, in which was a light and several
persons at supper. The door leading to the shop
was open, but no one coming in could see them as
they were situated. When he assaulted her in the
manner described she was afraid to call out or run
away from him. She, however, told him she wanted
to go.
Emma Young, awidow, residing with the mother
of the girl, said she recollected the latter coming
to her on Saturday night, the 24th ult. She was
crying and very much agitated, and complained of
the conduct of Mr. West.

Elizabeth Aylett, mother of the girl by a former
husband, said that on the night in question last wit-
ness and her daughter informed her what had oc-
curred at Mr. West's. In the early part of the
evening her daughter complained to her of her head
and chest, and stated that she was costive. She told
her to get some pills, but not to take them until she
returned from market. It was then that her daugh-
ter told her what Mr. West had done. She cried
very much at the time. They all went to Mr.
West's house, and saw him, when he said that the
girl had been to him to complain of some natural
deficiency, and he had examined her merely. She
told him he was a base man, as the child could know
nothing of that. When at the station-house the
prisoner said he had examined the girl in a profes-
sional way, as she said she thought she was in the
family-way.
In cross-examination by Mr. Sleigh, witness said
that the expense of the prosecution was borne by a
friend, but she did not think proper to mention his
name.