The Sun.
London, England, 1818-07-20 00:00:00

OXFORDSHIRE ASSIZES.

Oxroan —There weye nine cases entered for
trial, of which six were Undefended, and three
referred. Of theSe two were special juries, one
of whfch had proceeded As far as the statement of
the ca P hefore'a reference took place. It was a
case of

SEDUCTION.

MR3. BET SURRETT V. DIXON.

•
Mr. „Tnavis addressed the Jury, and said, that it
was his painful duty to state to them the particu-
lars of this case. The plaintiff was a widow, a
very respectable woman, who for 20 years kept
the White Hart lint, in the town of Henley-upon-
Thames. The defendant was a yotuig man, the son
of a person in the same situation of life, his mo-
ther being the occupier of a still more consider,
able Inu-than that of the
,defendant, in the same
town--Ice meant the Lion. The plaintiff, since
the death orber husband, continued to keep the
White Hart. Previously to that time the greatest
degyeeof intimacy bad subsisted between both fa-
milies. The defendant's father being in a supe-
rior situation of life, showed the greatest kind-
ness to the plaintiff's husband, and was frequently
heard to declare his anxious desire that a nearer
connection might take place between the famil,es.
The husband of the plaintiff died about four years
back; shortly before or after this event, the
young Lady in question, who had received a very
elegant education, returned to her mother's house.
She was at that time sixteen years of age. Very
soon after her return from school, she attracted
the notice of the defendant, who was intimate at
the house of the plaintiff, mid he became extreme-
ly attached to her. He *is received in a manner
which his declarations demanded, and the plaintiff
placed every confidence in hitn, whom site consi-
dered sas to be the future husbatid of her thogh-
ter. Besides the very considerable inn which the
plaintiff kept, she was in possession of a farm, in
a very retired situation, about two miles from
Henley. To that farm she had frequent occasiOii
to send her daughter, whose name was Miss Til•

amt of Wtiose Seduction site complained.
Upon these occasions the defendant Was permitted.
to accompany her without scruple, inasmuch as
his views were supposed to be as honourable
as he had declared them to- be. For twelve
months lie thus continued to visit and ride and
walk with the object of his ardent affection. Upon
one of those occasions he-thought proper to make
a very rude-attack upon her person, and Aoassault.
her chastitv.lle was repulsed in a manlier becom-
ing the young Lady; but having possessed himself
of her affections, be .succeeded in persuading her
not to make a disclosure of what had taken place.
Unfortunately, the young lady was prevailed upon
to forgive this attack, and to keep its occurrence
a secret from her friends. The event produced
a degree of coolness for some time, till at length
the defendant, by his renewed attentions, suc-
ceeded in gaining the complete and unresisting
possession of her person. The barriers of virtue
being thus once broken down, the intercourse
was repeated whenever the opportunity offered.
These opportuuities were very unfreqttent, for he
would prove that there never was a more atten-
tive mother to the lionoiir of her children than
the plaintiff. About six months after this sort of
intercourse had commenced, a person of the name
of Bullock, a halt sister of the young lady in goes-
tiOti, and daughter to the plaintiff by,a former
husband, happened to come to the house, and, it,
yras observed she attracted the notice of the defen-
dant in a very particular manner. Miss Tabitha
was present upon this occasion, and knowing
what had passed between her and the defendant,
was so shocked to see his attentions devoted to
another, and more especially to. her own half
sister, that she suddenly fainted, and was carried
out of the room, accompanied by her mother and
elder sister. Her sister called the defendant into
the garden, and charged him with having had a
greater degree of intimacy with, her sister than
was consistent, with propriety. This he denied,
but declared upon his honour that his intentions
were to marry her sister. Not' satisfied with this,
she taxed her sister, and stated her opinion,
when, with considerable difficulty, she induced
her to confess what had pasied, upon art impru-
dent protnise not to disclose it to her mother.—
Thus the plaintiff retnained still in ignorance,
and thinking the defendant had trifled with- the
feelings of her daughtr, she desired him to dis-
continue-his visits to her house. Ar this time the
mother Of the defendant made some objection to
the match. The litOment the plaintiff heard ot
this, she wrote to the defendant, and forbad his
Future visits. The unhappy -girl, however, at ill
Continued her intercourse: With him in private,
and he would now read a. letter from the defen-
dant. to her. It was evidently .an answer -to a
letter written by the young lady to him, and was
thus worded:—

" Dear Tabith.a,—l ani really half inclined to he angry with
yon for writing [and here he quoted a passage from her
letter.37-After what has' passed yon can't love the so wellAs it
I had not confided in you. Indeed, my dear Tabitha, I wish
I was at liberty to convince you to the coutrarY [alluding
probably to his not being in a situation to marry her] I
should wish to have five minutes' conversation with you alone.
I,bope you and Kitty are.goud friends. Yours for ever,

" GEO. DIXON."

This allusion to Kitty referred to the fact of her
not trewing her sister so well after the discovery
she had made as antecedently. Atter this the
defendant continued to sisit the house of the
plaintiff occasionally, still keeping up his inter-
course with the young lady, who was but 1,7 years
()rage, in private. The eldest daughter, of the
plaintiff, whom he would present to the jury as a
witness, married a young man of the name of
,Burford, who was he the same line of life, and
was nephew to Mr. Custer, who horsed many of
the stages upon these roads. Mr. Burfold was
the most intimate friend of the defendant, and
felt it his duty to call upon him to know what
were his intentions towards Miss Tabitha; when
lie declared them to he most honourable, and that
he intended to marry her. Atter this he was ad-
mitted to visit as before, without any disclosure
of past events to the plaintiff. At last the situa-
tion of the young lady became such as to prevent
further disguise. Site becanw pregnant. In this
.situation of things it became necessary to send
for Mr. Smith, the coach-proprietor of Chelsea,
near London, her guatdian, who applied to the
defendant to perform his promise; he, however,
refused, declining to assign any reason fur that
refusal. In this stage of the business it was de-
termined" to see what could be
,got from his jits-
titter and an action was instituted against him be-
fore the young lady was delivered. Ile lidiculed
the action, and said he could pay the damages by
going to prison' for three months. She had since
been delivered of a child. ThiS was the nature of
the case , and it might now be faitly asked what
apology the defendant hid to make for his !ter-
fitly ? They were to be told, he noderstoOd, that
the reason why he did not many her sas, be-
cause site had been unfaithful to him; because
site had been a wanton. This was exactly the
seducer's course ; he fast betrayed, and then tra-
duced. This was to be expected ; but who did
they think was the person that was to prove this
charge ? Why Mrs. Bullock, her own half sister,
who had excited her jealousy by the attentions
which the defendant had paid her. He was told
that' Mrs. Bullock was to prove, that this young
lady had permitted indecent familiarities front two
common soldiers, and in the presence of the ser-
vants of the family too. Ile challenged her to
come forward and state this, for he would con-
front her, not alone with the two soldiers ;bon-
selves, whom he 'lthd in Court, brit with eery
sesvant in the house ; • and it Mrs. Bullock was,
not struck to the ground by such evidence, he
could only say she possessed more nerve than
usually fell to 'the lot of her sex. These persons
would ell declare that they had never seen the
slightest impropriety in the conduct of the young
lady. With respect to the question of damages,
thought the Jury' would, upon hearing the
whole circumstance's, feel themselves folly justi-
fied in giving to the plaintiff the whole sum claim-
ed by the' declartAtion, namely, 100/.
I.lele the Learned Judge, who had had some
private conversation with the Counsel in the early
of the cause, again interpoed, and it was
logreed on all bands, that the justice of case
could be as well met by reference to a Gentleman

mit of Court as by a public examination, "`'l,;11
must be alike disagreeable. to both sides.
Mr. Jervis and Dauncey finally Coosa°
to refer the case lo Mr. Peake. 1 the
The ming • Lady 'whose tonclutt forme' ,;„%,
subject of inquiry was put into the witnesses'
She was well dressed, but did not exhibit ail 'lt.► -
ing features of beauty or elegance. A Verdiet Wa
then 'taken for 1,0001. subject to a reference: , it
The case,. had it been gone into it) put'lled,r
was thought, wouht have produced some singt 14
disclosures. At the Crown bar
cases tried of no public
.Interest. there were

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