The Sun.
London, England, 1861-04-17 00:00:00

POLICE IA TELLIGE NCE.-Aprill6. ,

MARLBOROUGH-STREET.—ThE DISGUST-
ING OUTRAGE ON A FEMALE IN AN OMNIBUS
Wm. Wheeler, of South Brook-street, Hammer-
smith, accountant's clerk, was finally examined be-
fore Mr. Tyrwhitt on the charge of indecently as-
saulting Sarah Connor, a young woman in the ser-
vice of Dr. Clark, Adelaide-terrace, Notting-hill,
while in an omnibus. The prosecution was carried
on by the London General Omnibus Company, for
whom Mr. Beard, of Basinghall-street, attended.
Mr. E. Lewis, of Marlborough-street, defended.
The short facts, as adduced on the previous evi-
dence, were as follow :

The prosecutrix got into the company's omnibus
on or near London-bridge at about half-past 10 on
the night of the Ist inst., and the defendant in the
Strand, near Waterloo-bridge. The former had her
seat at the extreme end of the vehicle, and the de-
fendant, taking up a position close to her, and not
necessarily, hustled her up in the corner, and not-
withstanding her averting her face from him,
placed his hand rudely on her bosom, and then draw-
ing her dress, &c., quite over his knees, placed his
his hand under her clothes, drawing them uP
considerably. Disgusted with his act, the proseeu-
trix jumping up removed to the opposite side and
burst into tears. This conduct of the defendant had
been observed by two gentlemen in the omnibus,
who informed the conductor, and the latter called
a constable, who only allowed the defendant to go
because he was known to the conductor, who could .
find him when necessary. The Omnibus Company,
being made acquainted with the circumstances, sent
to the employer of the prosecutrix, Dr. Clark, and
proceedings being decided on against the defendant,
the company at once agreed to prosecute on the
broad public basis of protecting, as far as possible,
all females when passengers in their vehicles, and
in furtherance of all this the defendant was appre-
hended on a warrant.

The prosecutrix, re-examined, said—The defen-
dant raised my clothes quite above my knee, and I
put down my hand to prevent further intrusion.
A long cross-examination ensued, but the evi-
dence was in no degree shaken.
Price, the conductor, in cross-examination, said
he knew the defendant as having prosecuted in a
case against a conductor for indecent conduct
towards his daughter.
On further examination, he said the defendant
appeared to him quite sober when he stopped the
omnibus. He did not say he touched the prosecu-
trix by accident. She appeared in a dreadfully
distressed state of mind.

Inspector Rogers said, on apprehending the pri-
soner on the warrant, he remarked it was a very bad
job, and he was sorry, but that he was in liquor.
Mr. Frederick Soper, of 24, Eversholt-street,
Oakley-square, mechanical dentist, was in the
omnibus at the time, and fully confirmed the
statement of the prosecutrix from his own
observation. The witness added that on the
vehicle stopping, the defendant made a bolt towards
the door to get out, and fell sprawling all along.
His breath smelt of liquor, and he considered he
was not sober. There was a lady on the opposite
side to where prosecutrix sat.
Mr. Alfred Bult, a stationer, of Maryland-terrace,
Hammersmith, gave similar testimony as to the
state of the defendant at the time.

Dr. Clark begged to inform the Court that his
servant was a well-conducted girl, and he considered
it quite right to proceed against the defendant on
public grounds.
Mr. Lewis, in a long and energetic address for
the defendant, dwelt upon the fact that he was not
sober at the time, and therefore not master of his
actions. He was married and had a family.
Mr. Tyrwhitt said too much credit could not be
given to the London General Omnibus Company
for coming forward in such a case, and it was a
guarantee to the public to protect femalepassengers.
This was quite unlike a case got up, and had been
fully proved.
Dr. Clark said there was no wish that the case
should go for trial.
Mr. Tyrwhitt said the defendant was very for-
tunate, and he should fine him in the full penalty
of £5, or two months.
Fine paid.