Star.
London, England, 1821-08-27 00:00:00

SUSSEX SUMMER ASSIZES.

LEWES, AUGUST 22.
RAPE.—John Hale, aged 18, a fine strong young
man, was.charged on the oath of Lucy Parsons, with
having, on the 16th of Jane, at Kingston, committed
a rape on her body. The prosecutrix, who did not•
appear to possess any personal attractions, and who
was verging towards forty, had no Counsel. She
stated herself to be a married woman, but had been
deserted by her husband for upwards of seven years;
and she was now in the capacity of housekeeper to a
day-labouring man, a widower. That on the .16th of
Jane, about five o'clock in the afternoon, on crossing
a field from Southover to Blind-lane, she observed
the prisoner sitting on a stile. He got up, and let
her get over. She had proceeded but a few yards,
when she turned round, and saw the prisoner follow-
ing her. He said it was a fine day : and also ob-
served, he should like to kiss her. She answered;
" No, I had rather not." He then immediately threw
her down. She begged and prayed of him not to
ruin her. He said, he would not hurt her; and, after
some entreaties on her part, he let her get up. But
shortly afterwards, he again threw her down in a
hedge among some brambles. She begged and prayed
of him not to ruin her, as she was a poor woman.—
She also made all the resistance she could : but, in
spite of her resistance and cries, the prisoner commit-
ted the crime against her will. She had scarcely been
released by the prisoner, when she met a Mr. Hilman,
and she instantly communicated to him the injury
she had received, when the prisoner ran away.
Mr. ANDREWS was Counsel for the prisoner, aad
cross-examined the prosecutrix. She did not know
Master Hilman before she was ruined. Her master
had two beds. She did not sleep with him. A child,
a boy of nine years old, his son, slept with her master.
She was allowed a shilling a week from the parish,
and she earned a little in addition to it by weeding.
She had not winked at the piisoner. She did not con-
sent ; but resisted him till her strength failed. She
never slept With her master.
The Judge.—You have no right to answer that
question. Such questions shall not be put to a witness.
I will not suffer a witness to disgrace herself. If per-
sons put up into that box are to be hunted and terri-
fied as to the whole history of their lives, who would
become a witness ?—there would be an end to justice.
Mr. ANDREWS.—I will put the question in another
way. The prisoner's life is at stake ; and with de-
ference to your Lordship, I shall be able to make her
contradict herself. Mr. Andrews then continued his
cross-examination.—The prosecutrix did know a Mr.
Trigger, at Tarring. She had never said he was a
nice man.
The Judge.—And if she had, what has that to do
with the present case?
Mr. AN onews.—l humbly hope that I have a
right to put such questions as may tend to shew that
:lie prosecutrix is not entitled to belief?
The Judge.—Yes ; as many as you like, connected
with the pre.seut tmusaction ; but none else. Suppose
she did sleep with Mr. Trigger : that has nothing to
Jo with the prisoner at the bar ; she has no right to
be ravished on that account.
Mr. ANDREWS—My Lord, it is the first time I was
ever checked in this manner. At the Queen's trial,
the questions were put much stronger. I have no
other mode.
The -Judge—You are proceeding very wildly. I
again observe, I will not suffer any questions to be
put to the witness but what relate to the transaction
in question.
The prosecutrix, in answer to further questions,
put by Mr. Andrews, observed, that she did not go
to meet anybody in Blind-lane. It was her road home.
She aid not content. She was overpowered, and her
strength and spirits were gone.
The Judge—Did not you tell the prisoner to make
haste? Witness—l have no recollection of it. I •
don't know what I said in my fright.
The Judge—Did you not tell the prisoner that you
did not lay right ? Witness—l don't know what I
said in my fright: my strength and spirits were gone.
Mr. Ililman deposed, that he was attracted to the
place by the screams of a woman in distress, and
on his arrival at the spot, he saw Lucy Parsons lean-
ing on a rail, quite exhausted. She told him the in-
jury she had received, when the prisoner ran away
until he lost sight of him.
Mrs. Wright swore, that she heard the screams of
the prosecutrix at the distance of a quarter of a mile.
She came up nearly at the same time with Mr. Ilil-
man. The prosecutrix was bleeding at the mouth,
and black in the face. Her bonnet, spencer, and
gown were in a torn state. She was also quite ex•
hausted and crying. She saw the prisoner run away :
she shortly afterwards told some labouring men of
the circumstance, who pursued him.
W. Smith swore that he pursued the prisoner, and
found him lying on his back concealed in a bean-
field ; when he motioned witness to pass him. He
(Smith) said, " 0 John, I hope it is not you, who
have done this crime: for if you were my brother I
would take you up." The prisoner observed, "It
was me, and I forced the woman against her consent."
The Counsel for the prisoner and the Judge ob-
served, that these expressions were not in the deposi-
tions before the Magistrate.
Smith answered that the friends of the prisoner
had persuaded him to go no further than he was
forced ; but he thought that in this Court he was
bound to tell the whole truth. He was never before
a Magistrate except in the above case.
Mr. Asntews.—Mention, Sir, what friends of the
prisoner, and their names?
Smith.—My own uncle, Sir.
For the prisoner, Mary Simmonds was called to
prove that the prosecutrix did meet Trigger at Tar-
ring; and also that she had said, if it had not been
for Hilman she would not have prosecuted the pri-
soner; and that, if lie was hanged, she should never
be happy again.
The Judge.—This has nothing to do with the case.
I do not like these attempts to raise prejudices against
witnesses. It was very likely that the prosecutrix
might say. that she should be unhappy if the prisoner
was hanged ; but it sheaved humanity on her part,
and therefore tended more to raise than depreciate
her character.
Samuel Borrer swore to the same effect as Mary
Simmonds.—Here the case closed.
Baron WOOD made a most able and impartial
charge to the Jury, and observed, that it was the
opinion of a very Learned Judge, that the charge of