Star.
London, England, 1807-08-12 00:00:00

ASSIZES.

CROYDON, AUGUST 7.
The following curinus caulc came nn this day :
111 Witfin was isdid fd for ravifiling, and carnally
knowing Elizabeth Palmer, at Guadf td, againa her
_ . .

The prifoncr is a tailor at Guildford, and was very
tittle known to Mrs. Palmer. the having never Peen
him above three or four times, when he came to her
hufband's, the Greyhound public houfe at Guildford.
On the 9th of June there had been a cricket matcri
at Guildford, at which the prifoner, among(' others.
attended. About feven o'clock the priforter and fe-
veral people went to the Greyhound, and remained
drinking all the evening ; at eleven Mrs. P. went to
.bed, and her hufbsnd fat up to attend the guells ; the
maid alfo went to bed. About one o'cbck the prifo-
ner, who was drinking in the hack parlour, winch is
detached from the houfe, quitted the room, and paffed
through the yard into Mrs. Pahner's room. She was
afleep, but was loon awaked—finding a man in bed
with her, fuppofing, it to he her huloand, Mrs. Pal-
mer did nut repel his attack ; but, perceiving he had
his clothes on, the faid---'' Palmer! what do you do
with your clothes on He made no reply. Soon
after, the Paid--" Are you drank ? if you can't pull
off your chdheo I will get tip and do it for you."—
He oot nut tt bed, and (loud behind the curtain.—
and the Ltid, " Palmer, Purely you are not going
down any where !" Ile then feigned the voLe of
Palmer, and laid that he mull go down (lairs, and
fee if any thing was wanted, for all the guens were
not gone. She immediately dilcovered the trick and
jumped out of bed, and, by the light of the window,
the taw it was the ptifoner. She exclaimed—" You
blackguard, you are not my htifb and." She feized
hold of him, andcried—"Murder—help—Muttler!"
three times. The ptifoner dragged her acrofs the
room, and ran down flair:, and the followed him,
and was met by her hutband, who came cut of one
door as the pritoner ran out of the other. He follow:
elf him, hut the ptifoner turned a corner, near Mr.
Smallpiece, the attorney's, and the hulband went to
the prifoner's lodging, where he was taken. When
acculed of the fad, he at firtl denied it, but after-
wards tail he would make him any recompenfe and
quit file tov.n. Palmer replied, that neither he ncr
any man in England could recompenfe him.
Upon crofs-examlootion, the profecutrix admitted,
that when the firti awoke, flue believed -it to be her
bulb tad, and ailed accordinolv, and that the did rot
difcstver the ptifoner till after hip purpcfe was fully
labels :d.
Sir J. MANSFIELD laid, that it was neceffary to'
cemtlitute a rape, that it thoold be againfl the will of
the female. Here the had conf_nteci' believing it to
be her latiol.—Tite priftner was therefore acquit.
ted. He was afterwaids tried for an arraolt with
t a commit :t r ape, and for a common affault.
Sir I Mat sii tl./) held. that, as the offence, when
*dually committed, was not a rape ; and as it was
very unlikely the ptifoner thould chafe fuch a time
and place to c(•mmit a rape, he mull be acquitted of
the former pat; of the charge. His intent was to lie
with the woman by Ilratagerm and fraud, which was
a very oiclod ad, and throe was an affault upon her
perfm.—Trto prilotter was found guilty of a corninon
affauf , road leno.rccd to cote year's in.ptifonment.
k. .!:Ai.ler was iridided for flealiog a 301. Bal.k note
from the counting horde of T. Moulden.
Thomas Moulden tikepf•led, that he was a wonl•
tlapler, relo'ent in the par ifh of St. George, South-
wark. On the ad of Jantrary lag, lie received 4.21.
in payment of a bill of exchange, horn a Mr. George
Bethel, one 301. one tol. and two 11. notes ; he put
them into his bill book, and about five o'clock the
fame day, when he went to look tar them, he found
they had been taken away. At that time the pith.
ner was in the habit of coming to his hook. They
were both freemen of Rochetier, and the witnefs was
very anxious to ferve Sir S. Smith. He knew no.
thing of the prifoner having taken the note, except
as the 301. noteteas afterwards traced to his pofretlion.
Other witreffes proved the fad, and the ptifoner
was found—Guiity.