The Sun.
London, England, 1826-09-29 00:00:00

MIDDLESEX ADJOURNED' SESSIONS.

DARING OUTRAGE, ON A FEMALE,
John Taft, a young man of respectable appearance, and
apparently about 24 years old, stood indicted for assaulting
Charlotte Online%

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Charlotte Gunnell, d 3Yelltig sSoman about 20 year's old,
of fine figure, and prepossessing apPeill'antei said she knew
the prisoner, who was ostler at the King's kik ht Ux-
bridge. He had kept her company for two years. On
the 18th of August, Miss Bowden, the sister of the Rev.
Mr: Ward, the Rector of Ivor, with whom she lived as ser-
vant, gave her leave to go out : and in the evening, about
a quarter before 9, she tailed on the prisoner, who promised,
if she would wait a little 'While, he would see her part of the
way home. She accepted his Offeromd at grout a qttetter past
9 they set off The distance site had to go was about miles.
They
2
They talked on a variety of subjeete,Mid irt &friendly way for
some time,but after they had got about a Mile on' thetoad,his
' manner changed, and he answered several inquiries,she made
of him, in a gruff and unkind manner. She in consequetice
remained silent and they walked for half a mile without
speaking. This brought them to Cowley Bridge, where
he began taking improper liberties with her. She resisted,
and he then seized her by the waist, and said, " You shall
go over there, and be to you," and as he so said,
threw her over the parapet of the bridge into the
She screamed for assistance, and, when nearly exhausted,
two men came up, and got her out of the water. She
soon after became insensible, and can recollect nothing of
what had occurred before the following morning, when the
Rev. Mr. Green, the curate of the Rev. Mr. Ward, came
and conveyed her' to Mt. Ward's house.
Cross-examined by Mr. BOLLAND—She had a very
great affection for the prisoner; did not know that he had
lost two situations in consequence of her going so fre-
quently after him. She told Mr. Green that she fell in,
because she felt too much for the young man then to think
of hurting, him.. This was on the Saturday, and yet, on
the following Monday, she went before the 'Magistrates
and made her complaint. Does not remember seeing a
person named London ; knows there is such a person in
the village; does not remember whether Mr. Green asked
her as to the young man's taking liberties with her.
Samuel Newport, labourer, described his getting the girl
out of the water, and carrying her to his cottage with the
assistance of Clarke. She was . senseless when they. got
her out of the water; but, as they were carrying her along,
she partly revived, and murmured, the words—" Oh, the
ostler ! Oh, the ostler of the King's Arms ! bring hint to
me." Witness went, accompanied by Clarke, over to
Uxbridge to make inquiries of the ostler. He was beginning
to tell him his errand, when the prisoner said, " You need
not tell me, I know all about it ; (I.—n her, I wish she had
been drowned, It is not her happiness, but mine, that I
have to study."
Mr. BOLLAND made a long and ingenious defence, and
concluded, by eallingr--
Mr.,Bdward Grimatone, surgeon, at Ivor, who said, he
mu.) intimately acquainted with the Rev. Mr. Ward, her
master, and having heard many rumours about the manner
in which she came into the water, he asked her about it.
She replied, that Taft had pushed her through a place
where the rail was broken into the water. He told her,
that could not be, as the rail was at least six yards distant
from the water, and urged her to recollect, that she might
be called on to repeat her words on oath. She said she
knew that, and was telling nothing but the truth. He then
asked, whether Taft had taken any improper liberties with
her before pushing her, and she answered "-none."
The Rev. Mr. Green, citrate to Mr. Ward, the rector
of Ivor, said, he fetched her on the morning after the
occurrence from the cottage to the house of the Rev. Mr.
Ward. He questioned her, in the presence of Miss Row-
den, shortly after. He asked. her how she came into the
water. She replied, " The ostler at the King's Arms can
tell you all about it. He saw her again that day, and
having heard something in the interim, he commenced, by
observing, " So I understand you have acknowledged Taft
did throw you in ? She replied, " She had." Witness
their asked, how he did it; and she answered, "We
were walking quietly, and he pushed me through a place
where the rail was broken." He asked if he pushed vio-
lently, and she said, " No, he gave me two slight Pushes."
Mr. Green, the landlord of the King's Arms, said,
Taft was a humane, kind hearted man. The prosecutrix
was continually corning after him, and drawing him from
his business. He had discharged him once in consequence
of it.

Henry London, porter to a wine merchant, saw the
woman at the cottage, and asked her if Taft had throw
her in. She answered—" Oh, no, fetch him to me."
Charles Jones confirmed this testimony; and on Mr.
Alley expressing his incredulity, offered to detail a good
deal more conversation that had passed The Jury, after
consulting for a quarter of an hour, found the prisoner—
Guilty. Sentence was deferred.

MEETINGS OF CREDITORS.

LONDON DIARY, MONDAY, Om. 2.
(At the Court of Commissioners.)
J. Lawrence, Park-place, St. James's, tailor
M. W. Lewis, Upper Clapton, surveyor
J. A. Mercer, Basinghall-street, money-scrivener
J. Moseley,: King-street, Covent-garden, victualler .

COUNTRY DIARY, Mattnair, Ocr. 2.
W. Bates, Halifax—Court-house, Leeds at 10
.1. Hirst, Altnondhury—Paekhorse, liuddersfield
T. Jones, Leicester—White Hart, Leicester
W. and W. IL Judd, Baribury—Lion, Banbury , 1 1
J. Newinarch, Manehester—Whiti's, Manchester
.1. and J. Purdie, Norwich—Angel, Norwich • .... 4
Seer and. Co, Haverfordwest—White Hart, Narbeth lll
J. Sanderson, Birtninghani—Packhorse, Huddersfield
B. Tucker, jun..Bristol—Bush, Bristol l2
W. Whitehead, Preston—Messrs. Blanchard's, Preston 1

Amongst the unfortunate persons on board the
Francis Freeling Post-office packet,. from Weymouth
to Guernsey, on the Gth inst., and which is generally
supposed to be run down off Portland Race in the
gale of the same night—and all on board perished—
are Mr. Joseph Wolfe, merchant, of London ; and
Miss Stewart, of Guernsey, the only cabin-passengers.

The Mariner, bound to the Cape, was lost on the
16th of July ; the account has been received via St.
Helena from the Cape. The Mariner, Starkitts, was
struck by a heavy sea on the 15th of July, in lat. 83
south, long. 30, which broke the rudder from the stern-
Imo, ; was obliged to abandon her on the 16th of
July ; she, ivas bound from London to the Cape.
The crew were all saved, and taken on board the liar_
riette .Wasmi from London to Crilcutta. The latter
ship was obliged to heave iron overboard, having also
experienced bad weather, whiCh continued to rage with
• great violence.
Macadamization is making rapid progress through-
, ma the prin endthe of Cipal streets at the west town.
The inhabitants of Bond-street,
who were at first
hostile to the introduction of the new system of paving
have, it is supposed, in
cansequence of Regent-street
now becoming the fashionable drive, materially changed
their sentiments, and this emporium of fashion, in the
f a few d •
, course e days, will be 1 • d
, macm amizethroughout
its
i whole extent, thus l • ' in this •
p acing it,
at least, on a par withpowerful
its rival.