Star.
London, England, 1817-03-24 00:00:00

'ciety, as not to know that she would have been suf.
ficieutly protected from the violence with which she
said she was threatened 1 or that she would, after
having been so atrociously abused, under any feelings
of terror, have lost a moment in proclaiming her
disgrace, and asking for vengeance on her violator ?,
But still less likely is it that she would have concealed 1
a disgrace to which her own sister had been an eye-
, witness. These. I apprehend, were the grounds on
i which the acquittal took place; and not, as has been.
on a mere rule of low. If the young woman
had been treated with the violence she has described,
she must and would ham told her parent. That she',
was with child is a matter beyond doubt ; and it
might by possibility happen that this young man was
the father of that child ; but the violation must be i
put altogether out of the question. Even this sur.
mite, which I have made for the benefit of the young
woman, is set aside by the oath ut the young man
himself, who swears most positively that he never f
had any connection' with her whatever ; and that his 1
evidence is at all deserving of discredit I can in no I
respect discover. He is a respectable young tnan,
and has given his testimony in a very unquestionable
manner. I protest I was most anxious and,desirous.
for the sake of this unfortunate family, that sanne-
thing might occur which would lessen the enormity
of their guilt. The natural compassion of one's
feelings, in seeing a man of education, and in hole
orders, work up his mind to an offence for which
there is no palliation, without using a harsher obser-
vation, led me to hope some circumstance might arise
to lessen his guilt ; but it is with pain that I am di iven
to say no such circumstance has transpired. That
the young woman was pregnant by some person is
beyond a dotfht ; but who as the father of the child
is a matter of speculation. Some lurking secret at
which we have not yet arrived, and which from this
trial we ate not likely to unravel, yet remains be-
hind. What could be the motives for concealing the
real father, and fixing it OR an innocent man, is be,
yond our ability to discover. If the charge of vin-
'lotion against James Harris is false, the next question
for your consideration is, did the defendants agree
to bring forward the charge, knowing it to be false ?
With respect to the young women, as they both swore
to being present, no doubt can exist of their guilt.—
As to the lather, perhaps, the evidence is not so con-
clusive. You, Gentlemen, however, will weigh well
the circumstances which have come before you, and
say whether you believe a father could have lived
eight months in the house with his daughter in a
s:,..te of pi egilancy, without discovering her situation?
and nest, whether you believe he could have been
the dupe of such a story as that which has been told,
even from his ..wit daughter ? In the defect of the
evidence against the father you have nothing but the
general circumstances of the case, and the palpable
falseness of the charge. You will consider w:ietner
the natutal sagacity of a man of good education
could really have persuaded him to give credit to so
foul a charge ? If you are not fully satisfied of his
guilt, you will acquit him by your verdict. The
same observation applies to the daughters; but if you
think they were all privy to the conspiracy, you will
find your verdict accordingly.
The Jury, after a few minutes consultation, found
all the defendants Guilty.
Mr. Baron GRAHAM immediately proceeded to
' pronounce sentence on the defendants. He observed.
that during the whole of his judicial life, Wisner left
inure pain than In the performance of his duty on the
present occasion. It WAS impossible to imagine a ease
more melancholy than that which was now before
him. A Clergyman of the Church of England, a
character which stood so high in this country, con.
victed on the clearest and most satisfactory evidence,
of a most abominable and atrocious conspiracy—a
crime which became still more dreadful from his
having induced his two daughters to follow him
in his career, and to bear a part in his foul load
of infamy. He confessed he knew not bow to do
justice. Compassion for the infirmities of human
' nature might induce him to alleviate the severity
of punishment; but in this case all compassion was
swallowed up in the contemplation of the scene before
' him—a scene Which presented to his view a man,
who, in spite of the benefits of education, and the
1 dictates of religion, had sunk to the last degree 'of
human crime. The sentence of the Court was, that'
the Rev. R. Woodward should be imprisoned in the
common gaol of*, county of Bedford for two yearns
and that hii daughters, Sarah and Susanna 1 should
each be imprisoned one year in the same g The
defendants seemed deeply affected with their maim.
14
Mr.Woodwsrd is a man about 50 years of age. His
eldest daughter Sarah, has nothing prepossessing in
her marine's or person, and is about 2.5. The youngest,
Susannah, is rather a pretty girl, of fair complexion.
Their fate has excited but very little commiseration
in the County.
MAIDSTONE ASSIZES, MARCH se.
Jaws and Gene Posed stood capitally Indicted,
for having, on the 25th of July, at Bridge, in this
County, assaulted Zephaniah Fry, putting him in fear
and danger' of his We, and taking from his person
several Bank of England notes, and three'notes of-
thc,Caata bury Union Bea ko_togctiter with, oro go lam
in gold, a silver watch, gold seal, ilcc. amonatiog in
value to £2OO, his property. The prisoners in this
case were post-boys, and, together with* third man,
stopped Mr. Fry, on his road from Doveft:aost7an-
terbury, dragged him out of his gig, and his
pockets of the property stated in the indictment. Mr.
Fry swore most positively to the persons of the pri—
soners, who were taken up at Woolwich, on the oth
of August following, the eldest one, James, having
opened an eating-house with his portion of the spoil.
An attempt was made to prove an orshi It pa"
of both the prisoners; this was successful i case
of George, who was acquitted, but James was found
Guilty—Death.
The indictment against several persons tie boar*
ing the Hope luggage boat, near Eritb, on the night
of the Slit of October last, fastening down the
Master and his brother, ad sseatios upwards of three
hundred pounds worth of tea sod other articles, oc-
cupied six hours on Friday. Gib bad before
r pleaded guilty, and on being admonished by she'
Judge that be would derive no mercy by such plea,
he said that he should persist in it, as he would not'
chose to die with a lie in his mouth. Um, his asso-
ciate, was capitally convicted ; and harder and King i
the two receivers, were found guilty, and mutate
so fourteen years' transptetation,
Gidduns, it will be recollected, is.thew who, to