Star.
London, England, 1812-04-03 00:00:00

ASSIZES.

KINGSTON, APRIL L
Adam Lee, 7homar Lee, and Eleanor his. wife, were
indicted for a highway robbery, by stopping Eliza-
beth Collier, on the 21st of October last, and forcibly
tarring from her her clothes, pockets, money, &c.
The prisoners were three gipsies, and the case ex-
cited a considerable degree of interest, on account
of the cruel manner in which the prosecutris had been
treated.

Elizabeth Collier, when called, was in a very
languid and debilitated state,.front the ill usage she
had received. She stated that she lived, in October
last, at Horsham, in this county, with Mr. Giles.—
On the morning of the 21st of October, she was sent
to Walton, by her mistress, and on her return home
she saw the three prisoners. The woman•, gipsy
asked her if she would have her fortune told ? she
replied no, she knew her fortune very well. Imme-
diately the prisoner Thomas Lee came up to her, and
caught heiby putting his round her neck. The
other came up, and they dragged her towards the
park-palling of Sir John Frederic's park. While the
men were dragging her, the woman kicked her
several times. hey then loosened a palling from
the park, and dragged her through the aperture into
the Old park. Here they abused her very much, by
beating her violently. She fainted away, and when
she recovered she found that they had stripped her of
her gown, pockets, petticoat, and left her almost
naked. " She made a noise, but they were not gone,
and they returned back again, and told her if she
made any more noise they would murder her. She
then described the dress of the persons of all the
three. She said that Thomas Lee, the taller gipsy,
had more hair and whiskers. They were taken the
next day, and she recognized them again, except that
the whiskers of Thomas Lee had been shaved off. •

Another witness proved that she passed the same
place shortly before, end she saw the three prisoners
near the spot which the prosecutrix had described as
the scene of robbery.
Foy, the officer, stated, that 'then Thomas Lee
was taken into custody, he appeared as if his whiskers
had been lately cut off, as that part of his cheek
seemed much lighter in colour than the rest of his
face. But with respect to Adam Lee, he did not
take him into custody, but took his word for his ap-
pearance at the office. The prisoner did appear on
the day, but the girl not being there that day to
identify him, he was again let go at large, on a pro-
mise to appear on the following Wednesday, which
he did, and appeared to answer the charge.
This was all the evidence on the part of the pro-
secution, the case resting on the correctness of the
prosecutrix, as to the identity of the prisoners.
For the prisoners, an alai was set up, to support
which a great number of witnesses were called ; the
general outline of which was, that Thomas Lee and
his wife were in their hut, at Brixton Causeway, on
the day of the robbery, and for several days preced-
ing. Some of the witnesses had not seen them so
near the, time as to be inconsistent with the fact of
their having been to the distance of twelve miles, the
place of the robbery ; but others spoke with indre
certainty as to seeing them at near nine o'clock, the
time of the robbery.
Several witnesses also said they saw no alteration
in the appearance of Thomas Lee's fice, nor did it
appear to them that he had cut off any whiskeri or hair.
With respect to Adam Lee, some witnesses stated,
that they saw him near four on the day ; but, on
cross-examination, they did not seem to have fixed
the day by any certain reference.
The Learned Judge told the Jury, that this was a
case of great nicety, and begged their particular at.
tention to the evi,fence, observing, that it merely de-
pended on the crc,lit they should give to the prosecu.
air. He then detailed the whole, most minutely,
observing upon the beating of every part of it ; and
said, it was for them to determine between the contra-
dictory testimony.
The Jury found the prisoners all Guilty.