The Sun.
London, England, 1850-11-15 00:00:00

APPOINTMENTS.

WOOLWICH, Nov. l4.—Grunner—David Hern to the
Volcano, 5. steam-sloop, now -ready for commission at
Woolwich, and intended for service on the coast of
Africa, In pur.uance of the resolution adopted at the
Admiral,y to send only steem•vessels fur the suppres-
sion of the•slave trade in future, and. to order home all
the sailing vessels as soon as steamers can be made
ready.
Gunner—lsaac Harris, to the Locust steam-♦easel at
Woolwich.

Boatswain—Hugh l‘J‘Deugall, to the Volcano.
Carpenter—John Reid, to the Volcano.
PROMOTION.

Thomas Tope, to be acting gunner. . •
The Fisgard flag-ship, at Woolwich, is to be paid off,
and recommissioned by Commodore Henry Eden, Su-
perintet.dent of the Woolwich Dockyard, on the 26th
instant.

The Locust steam-vessel, of 100 horse-power, at Wool-
wich, will be the next steamer commissioned after the
Volcano for service on the coast of Africa.

THE CHARGE AG -lINST A CLERGYMAN

AT BRENTIVQOD.

BRENTWOOD, rHURSDA.y.—The Rev. Robert Aber-
crombie Jobtistone rector of West Horndon-with-In-
grave, a small hamlet: in this vicinity, who was charged
a few weeks since on the information _of Mary Ann
Doe, a young girl living unoer his roof in the capacity
of a domestic servant, with having feloniously assaulted
tier on the morning ot the Bth ult., and who 'ham been
remanded from time to time by the henna of magis-
trates at this place, in consequence of the absence ot tar
complainant, surrendered to-day, in pursuance of the
.ecognizaeces he had entered int, on Thursday last, for
the purpose of meeting the charge.
The proceedings excited considerable interest, and a
very full bench attended. The Rev. John Pearson pre-
mideil, and amor.gst the magistrates present wets the
Rev. Hastings Robinson, RD., Rev. Thomas Luribey,
Rev. J. Lewis, Rev. J. English, Mr. C, T. Tower, anti
Captain Britton.
Mr. Clarkson, the h-a-rister,inatructed by Mr. Shaw,
of Billericay, was again ',resent to watch the case ou
behalf of the accused.
The magistrates met at half-past twelve o'clock, and
remained in private c.,nsultation for spine time before
the court was opened. When the public ware admitted.
The Chairman asked Superintendent Coulson wnether
he bad succeeded in apprehending the girl, Mary Attu*.
Doe ?—Superintendent Coulson said be had not..

The Chairman—Have you any reasonaLle hope of
being abl•- to produce her: Superint- tid• nt Coulson—
Yes, •ir, I have, I had great hope I should have been
ab.o to produce her before now.
Th., Chairman (to Mr. Clarkson)—Do you wish to
wit the witness any question?

Mr. Clarkson—No, sir.
The Chairman—ln this case we have good reason to
believe that an undue influence bas been exerted to keep
the complainant out of the way, and consequently that
an attempt is-being wade to defeat the ends of public
justice. Further, we are aware that th 3 police are in
,roskeision of recent information which ca is upon us to
f•xerci,e the discreti.•n witn which we are wilt Listed, and
we then fora remand the accused till Thursday next, at
t dye o'clock.

Mr. Clarktwo begged that the Bench would be so good
44 to allow the accused to be tsken into custody. Ile
desired it merely as a matter f form, in order to test
be question whether the Bench had any power at all
over his client. _ _

'The It, v. Mr. Lndbey—The accused has already been
once in custody, Mr. Clarkson.
Mr. Clarkson—Oh, very well, I will not trouble the
Bench further then.

The Rev. Mr. Ludbey—l feel it due to the Chairman
to state that the decision he has pronounced is our una-
nimous opinion.

Mr. Clarkson was quite at a loss to understand bow
the Bench could venture to act upon a suggestion that
undue influence had been used to keep the complainant
out of the way when there was not a tittle of proof of
the fact Moreover, unless the undue influence referred
to could be connected with his client, what had he to do
wiih it?

The Chairman—ln cons( quetce of your observation,
Mr. Clarkson, we will call sorse evidence to show that
undue influence has been exerted. Do I understand you
to object that no evidence has been called to prove this
fact? •
Mr. Clarkson—l have made no objection. I merely
made sn observation. I could have made no obj-ction,
inasmuch as I understood the case was disposed of fur
to- day._

The Chairman—l say again, that if challenged to pro-
duce *-viderice, we are ready and witting to do so. We
ourselves are satisti. dof the t, and at the proper time
evidenc, will be brought forward to prove it.
Mr. Clarkson said es the case was now remanded, he
had to request that the name of Mr. Thomas Wright, of
Brentwood, might ba substituted for that of Mr. Wil-
liams, whole artict-s of partnership, it appeared, did not
allow him to become bail for any person.
The Bench having assented,
Mr. Ciao kson on this subject, he might,
per hat be allowed to correct a statecul-nt which had
gone forth, to the. effect that Nlr. Thompson, a f, rater
bail for the accured, had declined to continue the res.
pottsibility. The fact was, Mr. Thompson was in Lon-
don on Thursday last, and could not attend at Brent-
wood, and this was the sole reason why another bail had
been substituted.

The proceedings were here formally adjourned, and
the uccused, with his counsel and f.i. nds, left the c,air t.
Before the bench had broken up, however, Superinten-
dent Coulson received an electric t-h graph message, in-
forming him that the prosecutrix, with her mother and
fath.r, were in custody, ard would be at Brentwood in
half an hour. An intimation was immediately forwarded
to Mr. Clarkson, and in the course of a very abort titre
the Learned Gentleman, accompanied by the reverend
defendant, returned to the court.
In reply to the Chairman, Mr. Clarkson expressed
his readiness to go on with the case at once; and it was
sceordiegly arranged that upon the arrival of
the girl
the charge should be proceeded with.
Tne girl was brought into court at half-past two
o'clock. She was accompanied by her father and
mother, and by a young female friend. All the parties
were in the custody of Sergeant Gunn. an active detective
)
officer td. the G division of the metropolitan police. Guru,
had apprehended the girl onl this mt)er.i"g
at a low
lodging-house in CArnden-town.. • On 'explaining who he
was to the complainant, and telling her that she mustcome with him, she cried very much, and said she could
not come without her mother. Gunn escertaiued from
the woman of the house that the father and mother were
living in the neighbourhood of Islington,
and thither he
secordingly drove with the compLonant. As soon as
Mrs. Doe saw her daughter in custody, ehe ran towards
her, and grasping her hand said,. " Now mied,
my
child, you tell the gentlemen that it was all wrong whet
yoa told them before; and if they ask you how you
came to tell such a tale, say a you was not in"
,your right
mind, and you did not know what you said.
All the witnesses were then sent out of court, and
The Chairman having ordered the complainant to be
re-sworn, requested Mr. C. C. Lewis, the clerk of the
bench, to read over her deposition, made before himself
and Captain Button, on the occasion of her preferring
the complaint against Mr. Johnstone.
Mr. Lewis having read the deposition,
The Chairman asked the complainant whether what
she had heard read as her deposition was true.
Complainant—No. I really did not know what I was
after when I stated that.
The Chairman—ls it true, I ask you?
Mr. Clarkson—She has already said "No."
Complainant—l don't know what I said. I was quite
insensible.
The Chairman—When you came beforme me, you
must remember you swore that Mr. Johnstone did
something to you on the morning of the Bth of October.
Was that true or false? Complainant—Why, sir, they
frightened me so, I did not know what I said.
The Chairman—Who frightened you? Complainant,
—The parties who came to my mother's house. (The
wi,oess was here understood to refer to the police

officers.)
The Chairman—Well, you are not to be alarmed or
frightened by any one here. You are sworn to speak
the truth, and if you do that you have nothing to fear.
Complainant—All I know i 5 ' that as soon as I entered
the kitchen I fainted away. Whether Mr. Johnstone
did anything to me or not Ido not know. I believe he
did not.

The Chairman—Did you go home that morning?
Ccmpleinant—yes, became I was so ill.
The Chairman—What made you ill ? Complainant
—I don't know, I had been ill all night.
The witness was bore questioned at great length by
the chain= ehti the othe; Westates *44 • viewl