The Sun.
London, England, 1826-10-10 00:00:00

THE CASE OF JOHN TAFT.

We lay before our readers copies of the petition, memo-
rial, and affidavits, which have been presented to. the Se-
cretary of State for. the Home, Department, on behalf of
John Taft, the young man convicted at the late Middleset
Sessions, of an atrocious assault on Charlotte Gunnel, by
throwing her over Cowley-bride. It will be seen that
they establish a strong presumption of his entire innocence.
The memorial has been signed by a very large proportion
of the most respectable and influential persons in the neigh-
bourhood : indeed, so strong is the opinion of his having
been the victim of peijury, that the prosecutrix has for
. some days past been assailed with yells and hootingswhen-
ever she has ventured to show herself in the town of Ux.
bridge.
the.trial, the proaecutrix, swore distinctly that she
remained insensible throughout the bight. It now ap-
pears, from the subjoined affidavits of the respectable me-
dical gentleman and his assistant who attended her that
night, that she was perfectly sensible, although weak ;
that she did frequently speak, and did actually in their
hearing make an observation nearly similar to that sworn
to by London and Jones. It also appears that it was not
mere idle ,curiosity which induced Jones to make the in-
quiry, but , that he is .a constable, and having heard a
rumour prejudicial to Taft, he had gone with a view
of obtaining from her such an assurance as would have
warranted his taking him into custody. It is important
also that it should be known that Cowley-bridge, the
'scene of the alleged outrage, is situated on the public high-
' way ; that there are two cottages distant only 13 yards from
' the bridge, and 20 others distant about 100 yards. There
is another circumstance, trivial in itself, but to which the
friends of the prisoner attach some importance, namely, that
it was distinctly proved on the trial that the splash in the
water was heard first, and the scream afterwards: The
good 'character of the man is also another circumstance
which is strongly dwelt on in his favour; and of this ne
greater proof need be given, than the fact that his master,
who knew nothing of him beyond the fact that he had
lived with him upwards of two years, and another person,
who knew still less of him, became bail for his appearance
at' the sessions, in the sum of 1001. each. But the pre-
sumption in favour of his innocence does not rest here, for
two persons have come forward and made affidavits to
facts, which; if true, place the question of his innocence
beyond doubt. The nature of this testimony, as well as
the other evidence collected in his favour, will be found in
the following documents, which, as before stated,. have
been forwarded to the Secretary of State for the Home
Department.

" To the Right Hon. Robert Peel, his Majesty'. Sectetary of
State for the Herne Derartroent.

" The humble petition of John Taft, a prisoner confined in the
House of Correction, Rath fi ld
Cold., - e e,
" Showeth,—That your petitioner has been for two years past
ostler at the King's Arms Inn, at Uxbridge. •
" That your petitioner was on the 21st day of August' last ap-
prehended on a charge of having on the 11th of the same month
violently assaulted Charlotte Gunnel, who woe then servant to the
Rev. Mr. Ward, of Iver, in the county of Rucks, by throwing
her over the parapet of a bridge, galled Cowley-bridge, into a
mill-stream, a branch of the river Colne, in the county of
Middlesex.
" That your petitioner was held to bail for the mill alleged
county of Middlesex, told your petitioner was tried at the Middle-
offence, by the. Msgistrates acting for the.Uxbridge division ef the
Middle-
sex adjounied Sessions on the 28th' day of September last, when
the Jury; after considerable hesitation, returned a verdict of
' guilty,' , against your petitioner, and your petitioner was sen-
ieneed by the Court to one year's imprisonment in the Home of 1
Correction, There to be kept to bard labour.
" That althinigh the Verdict was not contrary to the evidence
given by his proseentrix on the trial, yet your petitioner solemnly
prated& that it wee contrary to. she truth and facts, for your pe.
titiouer is entirely innocent of that charge, and is fallen a victim
for your petitioner tb produce direct evidertee.of
wt°olC'illniri'hpouartYis.f4rom the nature of the offence alleged ugaiolt him; it
il his, isirsocenar whilst his pmsecutrix was the sole witness against
him.to the material circumstances.
,i That on the evening of, the, 18th day; .of,Angust lug, before
nine 0004, a moonlight night, your petitioner was ladkited be
his proseCutrix, Charlotte Gunnel, to walk part of the way fromy
t and thr .---
Pwsecu'
Uxbridge to Iver with her. That be 'accordingly ate um" „„iea,tened if he did,
) ottrilistanding the
her CO Cowley-bridge, which is about half-way how 'Ou-r--"'
xbridge
and Iva. That it being his duty to attend his nuke
it was his duty to return home, and he so informed 17;4 1).""'
tria, At this she wee much offended
neeeasity there was for his returning 'home, to see her to
he should never see her again. He then
her master's house, or to her mother's ; brit ell offered
either. Thst be left her on the bridge, rviuseil
to go k'
and returned to Us-
bridge. That shortly ' after his return, 4 was told by: John
hid Illartin, a farrier at Uxbridge, that' .
prOdegailiiir.' had -Win
found in the river, and had been taken out by two men. That it
was reported your petitioner had thrown her into the river, which

your petitioner then denied, and still mat talemnly`bei clap
That afterwards two men, named Sohn Clarke and Samuel New-
port, who were witnesses against your petitioner on his trial;-carne
together to tell him of the circumstances, when your petitioner
said he knew all about them, they had no atcasion to-tell him.
And lie added, he wished she bad been drowned; it if/Isnot her
happiness he was to study : which expressions bad considerable
influeNnrcoeuornpit,thie minds
tioneri of thesurifeigneClulyrt asoid Juryriryf orhaageldinnag tntilti.
eredinsuch
expreazions, but humbly subinits that they did net tend to, *how
his guilt, but the contrary ; for if the had been drowned, he would
have had to answer the still more serious charge of murder.
That the said prosecutrix, before the trial, had made sae.
nil statements of the transaction, which were at total variance
with each other, and were completely contradictory, as proved
on your petitioner's trial by four witnesses, one of whom was a
medical gentleman, and another of whom was a clergyman of the
established thatch.
" Thu the prosecutrix shortly after being. taken out of the wa-
ter, told two persons that your petitioner did sot: throw her into
the water, sod expressed a desire to see your petitioner; although,
on the trial, she positively swore that he did throw her in, and that
she was totally inseasible the whole night, and was unable to speak
till the next day.
" That the prosecutrix afterwards told the surgeon who attend-
ed her the nut day, that your petitioner pushed her under' the
rail of the bridge, and not over the parapet, as sworn to by her on
the trial.
" That the prosecutrix told the mtts, her master, who Was
then abroad, that your petitioner only gave her two slight
pushes, anti, she fell into the water, and afterwards told the same
gentleman that your petitioner did not throw her into the wa-
ter at all.
" That the prosecutrix swore on the trial that she was insenai..
ble the whole night, and was unable to speak until the next day,
although your petitioner could have proved, and can now prove,
by the evidence of five respectable witnesses, that she was perfectly
sensible, and deliberately spoke many times, and among ether things
stated that your petitioner did not threw her into the seders .and
expressed a desire to see him ; but the medical gentleman wiw then
attended her forbad his coming.
" That your petitioner has aseertained since his trial, that Mrs.
Elisabeth Bull, the wife of Richard Bull, of Cowley, and resident
within 100 yards of the bridge, passed your petitioner and his pro
secutrix whilst they were standing near the bridge, in order to go
to a grocer's shop beyond the bridge, to purchase some articles for
her family ; that she was detained about ten minutes ; and that on
her return from the shop she saw the prosecutrix standing alone on
the bridge, looking into the water.
" That the said Richard Bull saw your petitioner pass by his
house after he had so left the prosecutrix, on his return to Ux-
bridge; and that lie afterwards saw your petitioner's prOsectitrix
standing alone on the bridge.
That the petitioner was totally unacquainted, before his
trial, that the said Mr. and Mre. Bull knew these filets, which
must have satisfactorily proved his innocence.
" Your petitioner hopes you will he pleased to take into mini-
aeration these circumstances, to obtain for him a remission of his
sentence."

To this petition itt annexed the following memorial :
" We, the undersigned inhabitants of Uxbridge and the neigh-
bourhood, beg leave respectfully to recommend the prayer of this
petition to the notice of the Right Hoe. Robert Peel, the Secre-
tary of State for the Horse Department, being well assured that
John Taft., the petitioner, is a person of good character, and be-
lieving him to be innocent of the charge of which he has been
found guilty."
The following are copies of the affidavits :
" Elizabeth 8011, the wife of Richard 8011, of Cowley, in the
county of Middlesex, labourer, maketh oath and saith, that she
well remembers the 18th day of August last. At about 20 mi-
nutes after nine o'clock in the evening, she was proceeding from
her home, which is situated about 100 yards from Cawley, tot a
grocer's shop beyond the bridge, to purchase some articles for her
family. That she saw, just by the bridge, a young man and
young woman standing a little distance from each other, as if the
man was taking leave of the woman. That the uight was s
bright and moon-light night, nearly as bright'as day That she,
this deponent, was detained at the said shop about ten minutes,
and that on her return the same young woman was standing
alone on the bridge, looking into the water. That she, deponent,
mentioned the circumstances to her husband when she returned
home, who replied that the young man had just passed on his
road to Uxbridge. That shortly after, on the same evening, she
heard that the young woman bad been found in the water just by
where she saw her standing, and she knows the young woman
whom she thus saw on the bridge to be Charlotte Gunnel, and
the yming man to be John Taft. That slie is now induced to
come forward merely as an act of justice to the said John Taft,
she having hoard af-his eonvietion and sentence. That she did
not mention what she had seen to any one beside. her husband,
.

because her husband told her not to say any Thing skont it, lest
she should he called upon to give evidence in the event of a trial*
it being considered that John Taft threw her into the water,
" The before-named Richard Bull twitch oath and smith, that.
he saw John Taft pass his house on the evening of the 18th day
of August last ; that he aftertwards saw a young woman standing
alone on the bridge called Cowley Bridge; that be knows the said
young woman was Charlotte Gunnel; that the said John Taft
passed round the turning towards Uxbridge ; that he had pre-
viously seen both John Taft and Charlotte Gunnel standing near
the bridge ; that shortly after he had seen Charlotte Gunnel
standing alone on the bridge, he heard she had been found in the
water.

" Wm. Rayner, of Uxbridge, in the county of Middlesex, sue.
peon, maketh oath and saith, that on the 18th day of August, be
was called upon to attend Charlotte Gunnel, iu his medical capa-
city, who had been taken out of the water near Cowley. bridge,
and who wan then represented to have attempted to commit sui—
cide by drowning. That be, accompanied by his assistant, Ham
Barnes, attended her at Cowley. That he found her iu a weak
state, but perfectly sensible. That she answered several questions
satisfactorily, anti expressed a desire to see John Taft, who his
been tried for attempting to drown her. That this deponent de-
sired that the mid John -Taft might not be sent for. That this
deponent has heard that the said Charlotte Gunnel deposed, on
oath, on the trial of the said John Taft, that she was insensible the
whole night after she was taken out of the water, and was unable
to speak until the following day.
" Harry Barnes, of Uxbridge aforesaid, apprenticed to the said
Wm. Rayner, and his father, Matthew Rayner, Maketh oath and
saith, that he has read the foregoing affidavit of Win. Rayner, and
knows the same to be true."

These affidavits are attested as fbilOws:—
*" Sworn before nre this Sd° day of October, 1828,
" R. W. BLENCOW."

It may be stated in conclusion, that Charlotte runnel
was discharged by the Rev. Mr. Ward,. immediately on
his being made acquainted with the contradictory state-
ments she had .given, and that she is now living with her
mother in a amyl village about three miles 4.0 m 'Uxbridge.

MEETINGS OF CREDITORS.

LONDON DIARY, THURSDAY, Oct.
(At the Ontrt of Commissioners.)
J. °Nor, Cambridge, bookseller
G. and H. Poore, Pavement, Moorfields, breeches-makers

COUNTRY DIARY, OCT. I?.
S. Argil.; Ilkeston, at the Punch-bowl, Nottingham at I
Bremner and Co. Manchester. Mr. Kay's, Mancheater lt
A. Child,Jun. Walcott—Angel, Bath
It. Corry, Ilenstridge—Virginia, lienstridge 3
J. Davies, Newport--Messrs. Prothero's, Newport ... t
J. liambidge, Stow-on.the-Woid—Hart, Evesham .... II
J. F. Ilolwhede, Liverpool—George, Liverpool
J. B. and G. Lawson, Nottingham—Punch-bowl, Notting-
ham ............
W
. . Mogg, Wincanton7—Ship, Mere
W. 'Nekton, Liverpool—George, Liverpool ...... —"*" ...... it
F. and S. Shuts, Creditors.—Old London, Exeter
W. Smith, Leicester—Mr, Dunn(s, Ilirroioghon
J. Stone, Manchester—Hotel, M 11064.4"

--------------
A Supplement to the Guyette of Friday abounds;
na front Sir Archibald
with ofhcial conunuideatio
Cooperie.y _what effect will this int.
Campbell, on the -subject of the late war in India,
most of which have siroulY 411)Pearea•
the conferences between
IC INTELLICANCS 1....ay 'mi-
l/Q.Ol4l'A NT PUBL
4,,4 gurangernent between that two
tual concessioil
n Friday given at Huntingdon to
settling re: moves to Drury-lane„—„,
Lord Join
the Turks at Akerrnann ?
` •
itWill
of,
cro,its..tr;turedii:::::,,,_;ll,resii.:e,ireaii:srsi,.i_io,
is hoped, he will
the friends of Lord John Russell.itl, wax
absent, being et present in Paris. . 1.15, ;Enter, 4,4
peed that he _will returuptandlheilla eerpoplandid
festival is to be got up, at which,
be sufficiently recovered to attend.