The Sun.
London, England, 1845-10-02 00:00:00

24 I 2.
44 4'

THAMES.

EXTRAORDINARY CHARGE OF RAPE.— Samuel Hart, a
grave-looking man, 50 years old, and nearly bald-headed,
was brought before Mr. Ballantine, charged with forcibly
Violating the person of Mary Ann Dodd, his wife's sister,
aged 18 years.
Mr. Pelham stated the ease for the prosecution. He said
this wasn most painful and extraordinary case. The prisoner
was a painter and glazier, and lived in. Greenwood-street,
Mile-end. The girl whom he was charged with abusing was
a cripple, and had been afflicted with a disea&eof the hip from
the time of her birth.; and one of her legs being shorter than
the other, she could not walk without the assistance of a
crutch. When she lay down, she could not rise again without
a great effort, unless she was assisted. Some time ago the
girl went to the house of her sister, the prisoner's second
wife, as a sort of domestic, and to do needle-work. On
the night. of Tuesday, the 16th ult., the prisoner came
home with his wife at a very late hour. The girl was
sitting up for them, and let them in, and they all went
up stairs to their bed-rooms at the same time. The girl's
bed-room .was on the same floor, and adjoined the
prisoner's bed-room. She slept with the prisoner's three
children. At daybreak, on the morning of the 17th, the
girl was awoke by the prisoner, who had obtained admission
to her bed, and he then committed the offence laid to his
charge. The girl screamed loudly for help, indeed as loud as
she was able, and the children awoke and began crying. The
prisoner immediately left her and returned to his own room.
His wife, it appeared, slept so sound that she did not hear the
screams of her sister, and was not made acquainted with the
affair until several days afterwards. The girl was so over-
come with shame and fear that she made no communication
to her sister,in the house or to any one else, until Sunday
last, when she informed another sister and her father that the
prisoner had abused her, and begged of theM to obtain re-
dress. Her father promised that he would attend to her
wishes, but he had not sought redress for his injured daughter,
and took no steps in the matter at all. Under these circum-
stances the sister had consulted him (Mr. Pelham), and he
advised that the man should be immediately given into cus-
tody. The prisoner was the father of a large family. He
should prove the facts he had stated by the evidence of the
injured girl, and he submitted, that notwithstanding the
length of time which had elapsed before the prosecutrix made
any communication to her friends, it was a proper case to be
sent before a jury.
Mary Ann Dodd was then sworn. Her testimony confirmed
the statement of her solicitor. She added that the prisoner
had since made improper advances towards her, which she
had resisted.
Mr. BALLANTINE—Why did you not mention this to the
prisoner's wife? Witness (crying)—l was too much ashamed,
sir.
Mr. BALLANTINE—TO whom did you first mention what
the prisoner had done? Witness—To my sister Caroline. I
saw her on Friday last, and told her I was not comfortable
with my eldest sister and her husband, and wished to leave
them. On Sunday I left the prisoner's house, and told my
sister Caroline how the prisoner had misbehaved.
Caroline Dodd, who is several years older than the prose-
cutrix, stated that the last witness called upon her on Friday.
She appeared much depressed, and said she was afraid of the
prisoner, and that he had not behaved well towards her. She
asked her sister what the prisoner had done, and she said she
had something on her mind which she would divulge upon
another occasion. On Sunday, when her sister returned
home, she related, everything to witness. She immediately
communicated with her father, who desired her to leave
everything to him, and he had done nothing.
Mr. BALLANTME—Did she appeor to be ill ? Witness—
She was very ill, and had been fretting.
Mr. BALLANTINE asked the prosecutrix if she had seen her
sister between the 17th and 27th, and she replied in the
negative.
Mr. BALLANTINE said the girl had suffered ten days to
elapse before she complained to any one, and continued to
live an the house of the .very man who, she alleged, had
ruined her. That la as an awkward circumstance ; but it
did not palliate the prisoner's guilt, if guilty he was. The
girl was of mature age, and there was nothing to prevent
her complaining to the prisoner's wife, who wa.s, moreover,
her own sister.
Mr. Pelham said nothing but a feeling of shame had pre-
vented the girl communicating with her friends. He asked
the sister if the prisoner's wife had not made some proposal
in connexion with the affair.
The witness said that her eldest sister had promised to
support the prosecutrix and her offspring if she became preg-
nant by the prisoner.
Mr. Pelham asked for a remand, that he might obtain the
evidence of a medical witness, and likewise the evidence of
the prisoner's own• son, who saw the immoral conduct of his
parent.
• The prisoner, with much animation, said the charge was
'false, and trumped up against, him by the prosecutrix • and
her sister, who had given evidence. He was a respectable
and a moral man, and had never any idea of committing the
offence laid to his charge. The girl had robbed him to a
great extent, though he had supported and cherished her,
and her sister Caroline was a common prostitute, who for-
merly walked. Bishopsgate. He begged of the magistrate to
allow him to put in bail and obtain professional advice, for
he was an innocent man.
Mr. BALLANTINE said he had no doubt the case must
ultimately go before a jury, and when he did commit he
would take bail for the prisoner's appearance at the Central
Criminal Court. Under those circumstances he had no
objection to receive good bail for the prisoner being forth-
coming to answar the charge on Friday next.
Bail was then tendered and accepted for the prisoner,
himself in 801., and two sureties of 40/. each, and he was set
at liberty.
. A BRUTAL FELLOW.—William Hazle, an ill-tempered
though well-dressed fellow, residing at 11, Portman-place,
Stepney, was charged with cruelly maltreating Susannah
his wife.

The complainant, a delicate, interesting young woman,
stated that she had been for four years married to the pri-
soner, and during the whole of the period he had treated her
with most unrelenting cruelty, not from any sudden ex-
citement, but calmly and deliberately. On Sunday week he
got a piece of rope, which he made up in the form of a whip,
and on the same evening he took the screws from the hinges
of the door, which he again temporarily fastened up with
nails. About four o'clock next morning he burst in the door,
and beat her cruelly with the rope which he had prepared.
On another occasion she gave him in charge for beating her
with a thick bamboo cane, which he split to pieces on her
person, but on his promising amendment before the inspector,
the charge was not pressed. On Wednesday last he came
home in ill humour, and d—d the infant, who was crawling
upon the ground. She told him not to do so, as his curses
would fall upon himself, when he followed her into the
kitchen, drew her along by the hair of the head, and gave her
several blows and kicks, which cut and marked her severely.
He never let her see the colour of his money, but left her
and her children to starve, so as that they were compelled to
live on the casual bounty of the neighbours.
Anne Pearson, a poor woman living in a house to the rear
of the prisoner's, proved that for the last three months, during
which she lived _in the place, the, prisoner treated his wife
with unremitting cruelty. On the previous Wednesday she
showed witness her legs, which were all over bruises, and in
gores of blood. The complainant was a most domestic
woman, who never left her home, but she and her children
were half starved by the prisoner, and witness often assisted
her with food out of her own scanty means.
John Pearson, husband to the last witness, stated that on
Saturday he saw a stick rise and fall through the window of
the prisoner's house as if some person was beating another in-
side with great violence. The house was 'at some distancg,
and as the dopy was shut? witness begrd no 4ies,
You and your witb assisted this poor
woman ? Witness—Oh, sir, don't speak of that, I'd blush to
'mention it ; 'twas a trifle—a mere trifle. I wish it bad been
more, poor- thing, she subsists on too little. . •- '
This little touch of generous sympathy and unostentatious
humanity thrilled through the Court with an electric effect.
The prisoner in his defence admitted striking ber, but said