The Sun.
London, England, 1861-07-15 00:00:00

ASSIZE INTELLIGENCE.

HOME CIRCUIT.--HERTFORD, JULY 13.
(Before Mr. Justice Blackburn.)
CROWN SIDE.
James Smith, 25, a gipsy, was indicted for felo-
niously assaulting and ravishing Anne Hearn.
Mr. Bushby conducted the prosecution. The pri-
soner was defended by Mr. Lysley.
It appeared from the statement of the learned
counsel for the prosecution, and the evidence ad-
duced to support it, that the offence of which the
prisoner was accused was committed under most ag-
gravated circumstances. The prosecutrix, who gave
her evidence in a very simple and artless manner,
is a respectable young woman, the daughter of a la-
bourer, living near the village of Rickmansworth,
and it appeared that about 6 o'clock on the evening
of the 13th of May she went out for the purpose of
purchasing some articles of grocery for the family,
and she had to go through a field where there was
a public footpath. As she was proceeding on her
way she saw the prisoner and two other men sit-
ting on a gate, and as she approached them the
prisoner jumped off the gate and went up to her
' and addressed her by saying, " Well, girl, where are
you going to ?" She replied that it was no business
of his, and was about to proceed, when the prisoner
laid hold of her in an indecent manner and attempted
to throw her down. She resisted, and a desperate
struggle took place between them, during which her
clothes were literally torn from her back, and she at
length had nothing on but her chemise, and she be•
came so weak and exhausted that the prisoner suc-
ceeded in forcing her upon the ground and accom-
plishing his object. It appcered tnat while this was
going on the prisoner's companions remained sitting
on the gate, and did not attempt to render her the
least assistance, and when she had an opportunity,
the prosecutrix got up and attempted to go away.
When she did so, the prisoner said he had not done
with her yet, and ran after her, and threw a shawl
round her face, and again endeavoured to throw her
upon the ground. She struggled with him as well
as her strength would permit, and one of the other
men upon seeing this ran up, seized the prosecutrix,
and assisted to force her down, and the prisoner then
again repeated the offence. It may be imagined
that the prosecutrix was at this time in a most piti-
able condition, but she eudeovoured to get away as
well as she could, and as she was leaving the pri-
soner called out to her and said that if she told any-
thing about him he would murder her the next time
he saw her. The poor girl reached home with a
great deal of difficulty, and immediately told her
father what had happened, .and after she had suffi-
ciently recovered they proceeded in search of the
prisoner, and came up with him at no very great
distance from the spot where the outrage had been
committed, and the prosecutrix immediately pointed
him out to her father, who asked him what he had
been doing with his daughter. The reply was that
he knew nothing about her, but upon the father
saying that he was the man he wanted and he should
secure him, the prisoner ex(!litim2d, " Oh, if you
mean that, yon --, I shall give you leg bail," and
he then ran off, and succeeded in getting away. A
police-constable, named Parker, was then applied to,
and on the following day he accompanied the pro-
secutrix and her father to a place on the borders of
the counties of Buckingham and Hertford, where
there was a gang of gipsics, and the prisoner,
who was among them, was again identified by
the prosecutrix and given into custody. Upon
the constable telling him what he was charged
with, he at first declared he was entirely innocent,
and had no knowledge whatever of the prose-
cutrix, but when the constable was conveying
him to gaol he asked him whether he thought
he should get twelve months for what
.he
had done, and upon his replying that it was im-
possible for him to say what the result would be,
the prisoner said that he should consider himself
very lucky if he " got off " for three months. _
that
he
e prisoner, when before the magistrates, declared hat
he was not the wen that assaulted the prosecutrix,