Star.
London, England, 1823-04-19 00:00:00

MIDDLESEX SLsSIONS.

11. ScarLorongh stood indicted fur sea:ing t;.-4)
pounds of potatoes, value one penny.
G. Russell stated, that he was t.vi:er of a farm on
Winchtnore•hill, and that the pi isc):)or WiLi one of his
lahourets, and on the, 10:h of M.0.:11 last _Michael
O'Leary said that old Dick had stolen four potatoes.
lie desired him to send for a constable, and he was
carried before a Magistrate.
CHAIRMAN.—Pray what was the Mazistrate's name who com-
mitted this poor fellow ? Prosecutor—Squire Hardy, Sir, of
Enfield.

O'Leary stated, that he saw the prisoner put some
potatoes in his hat, and go away to dinner ; witness
stopped him, and said, " You have stolen some pota-
toes, Dick ; you ought to be hanged for robbing so
good a• master; go and take them back again di-
rectly ;" which he did, and then witness told his mas-
ter what he had seen.

CUAIRMAN.—Are the potatoes which the prisoner replaced in
the heap those for which he is now indicted for stealing. Wit-
ness--They are, Sir.

• .
CHAIRLIAN.••—YOU never helped yourself to four potatoes, I
dare say. Witness—No, never, Sir.

Several gentlemen stated that the prisoner was as
honest as any man in the •illage; some had known
him thirty years.
The Jury instantly acquitted the prisoner.

The CnalamAN said, it was a pity to see an old
man, who bore such a reputable chat acter, charged
with stealing a few potatoes.

OLD BAILEY SESSIONS.

TRIAL OF WADDINGTON, THE RADICAL.

Yesterday, scmuel Waddington, of bill-sticking no-
toriety, was indicted for an assault and rape on Ann
Thomas, on the 17th of February last, in the House
of Correction, Coldbath-fields.

Mr. PRENDEROAST Stated the disgusting detail of
the facts he wa ; about to provi to the JUry, the par.
ticulars of which we are of course precluded detail-
ing. • The child is the daughter of a person who was
a kind friend to the prisoner, and sent her, with her
sisters with a daily meal. He requested, a fea des
before the assault was committed,. that they (the
two children) would come separate; this plan was
adopted, and he effected the purpose for which he
was on trial, and afterwards threatened to kill her if
she told any one; and if she Old her father and Mo-
ther, they would beat her severely.
The prosecutrix was examined with strict scrutiny
by the Iteconom—She went te a Sunday School,
tead the Bible, knew the ninth cemmandment, and
expected to go to hell if she accused the prisoner
wrongfully. She deposed, that she had been in the
habit of going to the House of:Correction, eoldbatb-
fields, with money collected from a club in Chaiter-
house. lane, and alsowith dinsiers; remembers that on
a Monday in February be said he would send a Va-
lentine to her father, to let her and her sister come
separate, as the turnkeys thought it too much trouble
to let them in both together. The next day witness
went in alone, her sister at the same time taking her
father's dinner to a carpenter's shop where he worked.
Arriving at the prison, she met the prisoner in the
passage, who requested her to take it into his room,
and put it by the fire. She vk ent, and Mr. Tirnhery,
a fellow-prisoner, was there, and put the kettle on the
fire; hesclid not come for some time, and the reason
of her stay was to take away the dishes, as she was
wont to do; the prisoner, Tunbery, .and another pri-
soner, named Clarke, dined together : after dinkier the
prioner wished her to go and see the tread-mill; the
bed.toom was in the way to it; he dragged her into
the room ; she cried ; he said if she did so he would
kill her; he fastened the door by putting a string
round a nail ; he then accomplished his purpose.
During the time the prosecutrix was giving her
testimony, Waddington was busily employed in taking
minutes, and conferring with persons near him.
Recoanat—Prisoner, have you any questions to put to the
witness? now is your time if you have.
Poisoner—O yes, to y Lord, a great many. " Turn round
this way, Ann," said Waddington.
The child cried as she turned round : when the
prisoner said, 41 be a good girl, and tell the truth ;
no one is going to hurt you." She appeared dis-
gusted at the sight of him, and would only address
the Recorder, therefore the prisoner put the question
through the Recorder, the witness refusing to look at
him. She went on to state that Waddington made
a mock at the Bible, and pretended to marry her to
one of the boys, whom he made kiss her—it was not
of her own accord ; Clarke and Waddington made
her do it.

Prisoner.—" Ano, I wish you to look it me."—.She refused.
The COURT directed her to de so—when she con•
rented, and indignantly said, " I never liked to kiss
the boys—l never asked you to let me do so—my
sister (who is fourteen years of age) was displeased at
my being kissed, and I told my father of it."
The prisoner put several questions, beginning with
the appellation, " My dear I" and being supported by

one of Mr. Shelton's clerks, she became more confi-
dent, and negatived them all. They principally re.
lated to her desire to see the women at the tread-
mill, and other matters totally irrelevant to the ques-
tion at issue.
The witness declared that no person had told het
what to say—she burst into tears, and begged to see
her mother.
The RECORDER requested Mr. Shelton's clerk to gi
out with the witness, strictly enjoining him not to al
low her to converse with any one.
Waddington.—" I have a great number of questions to ash
Ann, my Lord."
RECORDER.—She will he here by and bye, and care
will be taken that no one says anything to her to your
prejudice.—The little g;t I having re-meted the Cow
stated that her father lived lately
.at the Three Tuns,
Smithfield, but now lives at a Gentleman's house, t(
shew it to any person who wishes to occupy it WI(
prisoner wisheJ to insinuate that it was a house rat
illfarne).—Waddington exhibited a medal suspended
by a piece of black riband, and addressing w itnest
said—" Look at me, did you request this to shew to
your father ?" with an oblique glatice over the left
shoulder.—She said, " Yes, but it was before you
abused me."—Witness knew Dr. Watson, he was ac-
quainted with her father—lie examined her person in
the presence of her mother, it was after Dr. Taunton
had exantined her.
The prisoner put several other questions to the wit-
ness relative to her change of raiment, litc.—slie said
her mother could best answer, arid pathetically ap-
pealed to his Lordship to let her mother come in.
REconnan.—She shall come in presently, my little
girl; let him ask all his questions fist.
She became again collected, and gave answers
with frankness and simplicity ; she would sweat
(knowing that she was answerable at a high tribunal
for her words) that he showed her a razor, and so she
told the Magistrate.
The prisoner rigidly examined her as to her depo-
sF:ions before the Magistrate. She instantly pointed
him (Mr. Rogers, of llatton Garden Office) Gut, seated
on the Bench.
Waddington informed his Lordship, that when
she visited him, be gave her tea, money to buy
oranges, and everything else; to which witness re-
plied, she refused the money by order of her mother.
Elizabeth Thomas, an interesting girl, sister to the
last witness; deposed as to the wish of the prisoner for
them (herself and sister) visiting him separately ; he
wished witness to bring in a pack of cards, and lie
would learn her how to play pretty. On the occa-
sion alluded to, he forced gin on her sister, and
offered to kiss witness, which she refused, because her
father had told her, that girls who sere kissed gene-
rally came to ruin. He made her and her sister sit
on his knee the day before he abused her sister. This
•witness confirmed the testimony of her sister as to
what passed after the day of the assault. When her
sister told her of the injury she had sustained, she
told her father and mother the whole particulars.
Alice Thomas, the mother of the ultra' tuna to child,
and the last witness, confirmed that part of the pre-
vious testimony which related to the disclosure made
and injury sustained by the prosecutrix.
The prisoner exaniined the witness at great length.
Thomas, father of the child, had known pri-
soner since the year 1819. Knew his daughters were
in the habit of taking dinners to Eh.? prisoner. Went to
the Police Office directly on receiving the information.
The prisoner declined cross-examining the witness.
John Watson, better known as Dr. Watson, de-
posed, that he knew the prisoner and parents of the
child ; sow the child on the Tuesday after the Friday
the assault was alleged to have been committed; did
not examine the child for a week afterwards.
Te IlEcoairra thought that the examination was too late.
The prisoner to Dr. Watson put a very indecent question.
Dr. Watson.—Do you wish me to answer that question?
Waddington.—He was an ironmonger formerly.
Ititcosora.—That's no matter, he has said nothing against you
at present.
Dr. Watson; in answer to a question from a Jury-
man, said that-he examined the child at the desire of
the mother.

Rogers, Esq. examined—The prisoner was
examined before him at Hatton-Garden, when he had
the honour to preside as Magistrate, the particulars
of which he recollected very well. The prisoner de-
nied the charge, and made a statement, as described
by witness, which we forbear to detail. •

• At five minutes to three the prisoner entered on
his defence, and displayed more energy of mind than
• he had evinced during the longinvestigation.
He denied.the foul crime laid to his charge, and
! observed, that were he conscious of the crime be
should have come into that Court with a rope tied
• round his neck, and pleaded guilty.--He had lost all
his friends in consequence of this charge.. He then
proceeded to quote various passages from the Bible,
to prove that calumny was the chief object of his
prosecutors—remarking that he might say with the
Psalinist, They have laid wait for my soul !"
[lle child here fell into a fit of hysterics, and was conveyed
out of Court.]
After a short pause, the prisoner proceeded by
quoting two or three other passages; he then thanked
Mr.Vickery the gaoler, and Mr. Shelton the Clerk of
the Arraigns, for the kindness they had shewn him,
destitute as he was of procuring means to subpoena
his witnesses. To the Lord Chief Justice he was par-
ticularly indebted, for granting him the writ of Ha-
beas Corpus to bring him up for trial.
The prisoner then called the following witnesses:
Richard Stag, the galleryman of the House of Cor-
rection; William Jefferies, a turnkey of the same pri-
son; William Buck, who had been confined there at
the time, and William Clarke, also a prisoner in .the
room with him at the time of tyre alleged offence.—
Teir evidence, as far as it went, tended rather to
render the fact doubtful ; but neither of them could
swear positively that it had not been committed.
Dr. Taunton was then called. He had examined
the child by order of the Magistrates. He was at
that time, and is now of opinion that the alleged
crime had not been committed.
The RECORDER here stopped the trial. After such
evidence as had come from the Gentleman who had
been called, it would be too much to find a man
.guilty of a crime that would affect his life. It was
his duty, therefore, to direct the Jury to find a verdict
of Not Guilty of the capital charge. The child, who
was but a mere infant, had told them enough to con-
vince any man that a misdemeanour had been com-
mitted: but of that they were not now called on to
decide, and therefore they would bring in a verdict
accordingly. He then addressed the father of the