Star.
London, England, 1807-04-11 00:00:00

MIDDLE3EX SESSIONS.

SINGULAR ASSAULT OF A HUSBAND UPON HIS WIFE.
Yellerday Chriflapher Drily, a young man about 22
years of age, was indieed for mot} violently afTaulting
and beating Maria Daly, his wife.
Mr. ALLAY Hated the cafe on the part of the prole-
cution, and obferved, that the Juries of that Court
had cafes of affaults frequently brought before them, of
the moft violent nature, between individuals, between
matters and their apprentices, and even of cruelty in.
Aided upon helplefs children ; but cafes of violence
exercifed by a hufband tcwards his wife, were rather
of a fingular nature ; filch was the cafe he had to lay
before them, nor could he recollect one of much more
atrocious barbarity than the prefent. The profecu.
trix was a young woman, unfortunately wife to the
defendant, who was himfelf the fon of an attorney,
in the city of Dublin. The profecutrix was the
daughter of refpeaable and reputlble parents in the
county of Norfolk, and had received the education
of a gentlewoman, at a London Bearding School.—
Young, innocent, and unfufpicious, the became un•
happily acquainted with a young Gentleman of the
Irith Bar, by whom the was feduced, and brought
over to the city of Dublin ; where, under hit protec.
tion, the enjoyed that comfort and affluence, which,
under fuch circumtlaoces, the could have, until the
Defendant fourd means to become acquainted with
her. He propofed marriage ;—and the, preferring
poverty with a virtuous.hufband, to affluence in
vice, about twelve months ago became the wife of
the defendant ; but not before he was made acquaint.
ed with her fituation : in anfwer to which he pleaded
his ardent affection for her, and his anxious with to
make her his wife. At that time the had a houfe
handfomely furnilbed, and was polfelred of fuch
wearing apparel, and perfonal ornaments, as tafte
and luxury might deem neceffary ; but, like the po
pular dramatic entertainment, 7 tree Weeks after Mar-
riage had fcarcely paired, when the hufband affumed
the character of the brutal tyrant, and his real objea
(the polfeffion of her little property) became evident.
He firtt difpofed of her houfe and furniture, then of
her clothes arid valuables, and hilly, he beat her
violcutl7, and turned her out of doors, caked mil

(telemeters. She once more returned to England;
and fought pioteainn and peace in the boroM of her
parents : but the was not permitted long to rernalti
in tranquility; the defendant followed her, traced
her to her parents, at Lynn; in Norfolk, and per-
loaded her to accompany him to London, where they
mixed in the difEpation and pleafures of the gay
world ; and here again the hufband's depravity wa
exercifed ; he broke open her drawers, paivned all
her clothes and little trinkets, then horfe•whipped
her naked perfon; and in that fituation turned het
into the flreer. This was not only repeated, but
when all her property was gone, and fhe had nothing
left to fupport his ettravagance, this athletic a&ive
young man, who was capable of earning his own
bread, anually forced her to prolliture her perfon, in
order to fupply the means of his difEpation. More
than once the forgave thole acts of violence, upon
condition, that he would return to his own country,
and moldt her no more; but, in the month of March
laft, he again beat her moil unmercifully, Co that her
life was nearly defpaired of ; and, in order to protea
her perfon from further violence, fhe was under the
abfolute neceflity of intlituting this prnfecution.
This ftatement, with many more falls, were hilt
corroborated by the evidence. It appeared, npon
the evidence of the perfon with whom tlsey lodged,
that at one time the Defendant was beatit.g the pros
fecutrix a ith fuch violence, that her (*creams reached
their laodlady, who interfered ; and .vhen the Deters.
dant retired, the difcovered, that the unhappy wife,
and her infant child, had palled the day without a
morfel to eat; and while the humane landlady was
giving fome dinner, in her own apartment, to her and
her child, the hotband returned, broke (pen her
drawers, took away all her clothes, and pea ned then*
The duplicate he afterwards fold to a woman of the
town, for a guinea, and then went and !toned the
goods in the hands of the pawnbroker. Upon ano-
ther occafion he was known to declare, that he had
no oblation to his wife; proflituting herfelf kith old
men, but not with young ones, as a mutual attach-
ment might be the refult in fuch cafes.
He e the Defendant interfered, and laid, that was
only a joke over a bottle of Champagne.
The defendant, in perfon, crofs examined the wiN.
neffes, and only feemed to involve himfelf the deeper,
by every quellion he propofed.
In his defence he Paid, he was here a total banger,
not knowing a human being in London ; he had been
inveigled by the profecntrix into a marriage, and was
not yet of age. She afterwards perfuaded him to go
to England, and kneeled to him rn the beach, en-
treating him to go with her. He admitted, he hal
affaulted her ; and did not deny that 1 e fuffered her
to prolli:ute her perfon for his litrport ; but, as a
leading feature in his defence, he laid, he was not
legally married, for he had procured a degraded
clergyman, commonly called ;II that country 2:comple-
beggar, who performed the ceremony for half a guinea.
His father, he fail, had fince inflituted a Wit in the
EccleGallical Court, and his wife had been cited to
appear, in order to hi:, obtaining a divorce.
The Jury I. and him Guiity, and the Court de.
ferred the fentence for another opportuuity. In the,
mean time, the Learned CHAIANIAN obferved, that
the perfon of the female molt be proteCted from fur.
ther moleffoian or violence ; and dire led the defen-
dant, by the time he lhould next come up, to he
prepared with fureties to keep the peace, himfelf in
zoo!. and two fureties in tool. each.