Star.
London, England, 1822-01-22 00:00:00

ADMIRArItr SESSIONS.
Testeiday these Sessions • before ihe,•
Srowisit-, w ...delivered. the re!
lowing address to the Grand Are Gentlemen-.-
It is my chitty to address yob restrecting the ditties yogi
are called upOif 'to .perfutor. It is the business Of
this Court to inquire into . all offences committed on
the high seas.,. It is a. jurisdiction of gmat •import-.
ante, inasmuch as it extends to wbereeer the,sea rolls
in anyiparter of the globe., It is a matter of great
surprise, apl.o great credit to those persons engaged
on thattlement, that so few cases of human deka-
•vity occur within that jurisaiction. On the present
occasion there are but two cases for . your consider-
ation, both of which are of a very heinous nature,
and will require your serious attention. The first
that will be'presented to you is a charge of a capital
nature, and one of very unpleasant occurrence. The
charge is of rape, alleged to have been committed
upon a married woman, the wife of another seaman
serving in the same ship. In the shape under which
the case first reached us, it appeired one likely to
give rise to a question of law, for it was represented
as one in which the accused had introduced himself
into the bed of the woman in the character of her
husband ; and, availing himself of that deception,
that he had perpetrated the offence : hilt upon look.;
ing at the depositions, although in the first in-
stance, before he had completed 'his intention, he
was -discovered, he afterwards, however, consum-
mated the act with violence. If the case had
stood as was at first represented, then a question
would have arisen whether, the offence having been
committed by fraud, and without the ingredient of
force, this case came within the deicription of rape,
which must always be perpetrated with violence?!
but, as the case now stands, you will consider it one
of an ordinary description, and pursue your inquiries!
in the weal manner. There will be another case
presented to you ofa singular nature, and of a very
grave description. You are aware of the use of cer-
tain vessels denominated life-boats, which are so often
highly instrumental in the preservation of humao
life when ships are stranded. The offence charged
was, that upon a certain occasion, when one of these
boats had approached a. vessel in distress, the pri-
soners went out to plunder her, and, in order to effect
this purpose, cut away the rope by which the life-boat
was attached to the distressed vessel, and by that means
effectually prevented its.approach. The re,ult was,
that the lives of the Captain. and three of the crew
were unfortunately lost. , Yqu will feel that this is a
transaction whicircails for tfTe*nrost serious inquiry,
and I have nu doubt it will receive at your hands the
attention due to it. I have no further remarks to
offer, and therefore I recommend an immediate ap-
plication to 'business."
The Grand Jury then retired to their room, and
the witnesses on the two cases alluded to by his Lord-
ship were sent before them.
The Grand Jury returned into Court at 11 o'clock,
and by their-Fmeman, Mr. GRIFFITHS, announced
that they had found a true bill against Charles Ben-
nett, for a rape on the body of Jane Newman, on the
high sets.
The prisoner, who is a good-looking young man,
was theta put to the bar, and, on being arrao'ned
6.1
pleaded Not Gui ty.
Previous to tire Jury being sworn,
Mr. ALLEY, on the part of the prisoner, moved to
postpone his trial, on the ground of the absence of
a material witness; but while the affidavit was pre-
paring of the fact, the witness arrived, and the trial
immediately proceeded. . •
The 'Jury being sworn, the indictment was read;
The offence was charged to have been committed '
on the 3d of June, on board his ilajesty's ship Tar-
tar, Within three hundred leagues of Sierra Leone,
on the coast of Africa.

The prosecutrix, who is a womin of respectable
appearance, was then called. It appeared from her
evidence, that she was on board the Tartar, on her
voyage to Sierra Leone, on the 3d of June. Her
husband was purser's steward, and the prisoner was
lob-lolly boy, and did the dirty work under the Doc-
tor's mate. It was the duty of the prisoner occivion-
ally to come to her husband's birth for things which
were wanted. She had no other intimacy with him.
On the night in question, she went to bed at nine
o'clock. Her husband went with. her. In the course
of the night her husband went on deck he was not
well. Ile left her alone in the hammock, which was
inclosed by a screen or curtain. She fell asleep, but
was awakened by the shake of the hammock. She'
said, " Newman, is that you ?" but received no an-
swer. Her husband being very deaf, she was not sur-
prised that he did not answer. She then turned her-
self on her left site and was going to sleep. She felt!
a man ge: into the hammock. At first his feet were'
to her head ; that was the way she and her husband
slept, on account of the weather, and to give them
more room. The witness then described the violence
which had been committed by the prisoner, in defiance
of her resistance and cries. She immediately :tiler-
wards communicated to her husband what had oc-
curred, and told Sir George Collier, who commanded
the vessel; in the morning.
In cross-examination, she said that she never stated
that the whole had been done by mistake, and that
she did not discover that it was not her husband till
after the prisoner had completed his purpose. The
prisoner kept the pillow on her head while he effected
his object.
- John Timpson was sentinel on the night alluded to.
Knew the prisoner and the prosecutrix. His post was
fourteen feet from the prosecutrix's birth. Did not
see the prisoner go to Mrs. Newman's hammock. Be-
tween one and two o'clock heard an alarm from Mrs.
Newman. The first thing he saw was the prisoner
coming to hint for a light ; he then had his trowsers
and shirt on. Witness asked him what he meant to
do with the light? and he said he wanted to get some
Newman
till for the slaves. Did not see Mrs.
till she came up the ladder to go to her husband.—
She had called to him from her hammock. He made
a noise with his foot in scratching it, and then she
called out—he supposed, after she heard the noise.—
' She said, " Sentry ! sentry ! sentry 1" The prisoner
was then at the bottom of the ladder, dressed. Wit-
ness asked her what she wanted ? and she said the
prisoner had insulted her in her hammock. He took
no more notice. Mrs. Newman then went on deck to
her husband. She had her petticoat on, and an apron
round her shoulders. Her husband came down and
asked witness who hid' been there while he was away?