Star.
London, England, 1823-07-21 00:00:00

SUMMER ASSIZES.

YORK, JULY 17.
John Strap, otherwise Jahn Bur rows,labouirer, was I
charged with having, on Sunday, the 15th of June'
last, at the township of flewster, in the West Riding
niAlie county of York, Committed a rape on the per
cin't,f One Elizabeth Pullen, Ow daughter of j. fallen. .
Esq. of illubberhouses, in the same Riding.
Mr. JONES addressed thE Jury in support of the
prosecution. It was his- practice, in cases as serious
as the present, to open a case generally and as briefly
as possible. The Lady who was the subject of the
present injury, was the third daughter of Mr. Pullen,
a Gentleman of property, and agent to Sir Thos. Frank-
lin : she had been, on the evening .mentioned in the
indictment, returning from the Chapel of Ea,.e at West
End, and had talked for a short time to a Mr. llorse•
man, an acquaintance of lier's, whom she met on the
way ; they parted, each going a diffetent way, and
she was surprised shortly after at seeing a man lying
down in a field, who accosted her as she passed him,
asked her for a kiss, and proceeded to take liberties
with her, overpowering her violent resistance, and at
length accomplishing his outrageous purpose. The
pi isoner was a Cambridgeshire man, employed in
working upon the new line cf road in the neighboUr-
hood, and who was afterwards found concealed.
Miss Pulleu, a fine looking young Lady, aged 16
years, proved the facts stated in the indictment. Some
other witnesses were also sworn.
Mr. Justice 1101.ROYD summed up the evidence to
the Jury, who, after an hour's consultation, retuined
a verdict of Guilty.
•

CHELMSFORD ASSIZES.
Ann Palmer was indicted for the wilful murder of
her infant son, Thomas Palmer, on the 23d of May
last, at Romford.
This case excited considerable interest, and sensibly
affected a very crowded auditory. The wretched
prisoner, a poor widow with nine children, was placed
at the bar in a state of mental stupor, and it was with
difficulty she was made to understand the arraign-
ment. She, however, pleaded Not Guilty.
Ann Savell deposed, that she had known the pri-
soner about three months. On the 23d of May the
prisoner's eldest daughter called witness into the pri-
soner's house, when she saw the deceased, who was
only eleven months old, stretched lifeless upon a bed,
but the body was still warm. The prisoner was in
the room, and witness said to her—" The dear baby
is no more; but you must reconcile yourself to the
event. 'I he Loan's will be done, not ours.". She re•
plied—" The Loan had nothing to do with it; I
killed 'my baby." -She seemed then much agitated,
..:d witness left the house horror-struck at the dread-
ful circumstance.
Mary Palmer, the prisoner's eldest daughter, de-
posed, that her father had been dead about four
months ; her mother was quite overpowered with
grief at his loss : there was a rumour that his body
had been disturbed in the. rave, which very much
increased her grief ; indeed she was quite distracted
with sorrow, and at times did not know what she said
or did ; she was a woman of very acute feelings, and
was doatingly attached to her husband and children ;
she had suckled the deceased baby herself, and was
passionately fond of him ; she had often sat whole
days since her 'husband's death, weeping over the
baby ; she had often said she would kill herself ; be-
fore this time she had frequently said, laughing
wildly, that the baby was dead and gone to Heaven ;
on the 24th of May she called to witness, and told her
the baby was dead ; she was then crying bitterly,
and wringing her hands ; there- was a small black
mark on the left temple.
A constable of Romford 'deposed, that he saw the
prisoner some time after the child was found dead:—
She was then violently beating her head, weeping,
and wringing her hands. She said, distractedly*—
" Hell! Hell! Hell! I have murdered my baby.
I meant the blow for myself, but it fell upon the baby.
The beetle with which I did it stands behind the door.
I have had murder in my heart, and have carried a
razor about me this fortnight." She appeared quite
wild and distracted.
Mr. Carruthers, a surgeon, deposed, that he exa-
mined the body of the Child. Its death was caused
by a blow on the back of the head. It might have
been perpetrated with such an instrument as a beetle
or mallet. This was the case for the prosecution.
Mr. Baron GRAHAM intimated that he thought it
unnecessary to call upon the prisoner for her defence.
I It was quite obvious that poverty and grief had over..
iiasWeied the better affections of the heart, and -had be-
reft the prisoner of her reason. If the Jitty were of
this opinion, they would find the' prisoner Not Guilty
upon that ground.--The•Jury immediately found
the prisoner—Aa Guilty, on the. ground that she was
insane at the time she committed the fatal act.
The prisoner was then ordered to' be detained in,
custody until his Majesty's pleasute shoild heltnown.
Henry Saunders was indicted for the wilful mut-.
Eder of his wife, on die 24th of May last, act Stanstead
Mount,,fitchett.
John Seymour, a constable, deposed, that he apJ
,prehended the.prisonerain the 10th ofJune,.when he
_voluntarily said-0 I'went. home on the 24th, and
found Jem Green with his aracround my wife's neck
one of the children told me he had been kissing her.'
We had some words about it, and I struck her with
my fist." Witness replied—" Ido not wonder at it,
but I am sorry to bear that you went to her on the.
Monday after, and then kicked het." He admitted
he had done so, but did not explain why. The prisoner
never absconded.
Mr. Welsh, a suigeon, deposed, that he afetended
the deceaSed till her death. . She was in the last stage
of ,consumption, and could not have lived many-
weeks. She complained of soreness °tattle right-side.
There were two. external bruises there, and one of her
ribs was broken: She got better for a few days, bilk
she caught a fresh' cold, and died on the 7th. Upon
opening the body; it appeared that one lobe of the,
lungs was entirely gone, and the Other much diseased.
The bruises an-dthe broken rib wbilld not have calnavd
death in a healthy person,, but )11 ills caSe-they cet-
tainly accelerated it: -. t. . •
'The prisoner said nothing in hisdtfeUee,- but called
several witnesses, wtiO gave him -the character of a
lumina man,-an affectionate husband, and in indul-
gent father. . -
. Mr. ,Baron Pit4tAlll'sutiunid ".4**evidence to
the Jury, who found-,w_rri:;,,eter ,iiiiittt.of Man-
slaughter only, and he was Zenteuceil tirfour mort!fs'
imprisounient in the county jail.' •