Star.
London, England, 1826-09-30 00:00:00

UNION lIA LL.

Yesterday an elderly man, named James Thomas, was brought
before the sitting Magistrate, ,J. S. Cacoweet., Esq. by Johns, an
active officer of this establishment, who apprehended him under the
authority of a warrant, for assaulting his wife, Mary Thomas, a
genteel looking young woman.
On taking their respective situations before the Magistrate, the
disparity in point of age between the parties was obvious, the hus-
band being at least 60, and his wife not more than 17 years of age.
IThe defendant was represented as a compkte Don Giovanni, hay.
,ing made love successfully to several young females subsequent to
his marriage with the complainant, and it appeared promised
marriage to them all, describing himself as a man of unbounded
wealth. By his flattery and deception, it seemed that he wheedled I,
many poor gide from their 'aunties,, assuring them of honourable
courtship, and impressing them with a !whet that he should raise'
them to .an elevated situation, where they would have nothing
else to do but to bestow on hint their love, and in return they should
ride in their coaches and live most sumptuously. The above outline
or sketch of the defendant's amours was related by the officer who
took hint into custody. The defendant, previous to the investigation
of the charge, sequemed his wife to speak as loud as she could, in
order that he might catch every thing that fell from her lips, as she
knew that he was rather hard of bearing.
The complainant complied with his desire, and proceeded to state,
that she had been married to the defendant 12 months, but from the
barbarous treatment that she received, she was obliged to leave him
four months ago. Since that period she ascertained that he had
promised marriage to several young women, and being desirous of
saving them from destruction, she took the pains to inform herself
of their habitations, and warned them of the danger Into which they
were about to plunge themselves in listening to the false promises
of a man to whom she (the complainant) was already unfortunately
married. Having succeeded in breaking off the acquaintance and
courtship of the defendant with several young females in the manner
above described, the complainant said, that on the day preceding, as
she was going to the defendant's house, for the purpose of claiming
some of her property that was left behind, she met him in the street,
walking arm-in-arm with a young woman now in court, named
Anne Herne. On seeing them together, she approached her hue.
band, and upbraided him for his scandalous conduct, telling the
yoang female that he was a married man: The moment his com-
passion heard it, she expressed great surprise, adding that he had
promised her marriage, and that the ceremony was actually to have
taken place on Sunday next. This piece of information, coupled
with his former conduct, so exasperated the wife, that she vented
her indignation by bestowing a good deal of abuse upon him. which
excited the ire of the defendant, and he struck her a blow in the,
Iface with his fist. For that blow she took Out a warrant against
the defendant, and her father, as well as Miss Herne, were now
present, both of whom she was anxious to have examined.
The young woman (Herne) now stepped forward, and said, that
the defendant had promised her marriage, and represented himself
as a man worth X 5,000 a year. She added, that she should have
been caught in a snare, had it not been for Mrs. Thomas, who
saved her in the manner above described.
The complainant's father, a respectable looking old man, set out
with describing the defendant as a hypocrite ; that he had married
his daughter, and no sooner had the ceremony been performed, and
a few days spent in her society, than he commenced to treat her
more like a brute than a human being. They had subsequently
discovered, that the defendant, instead of being possessed of pro-
perty. was as poor as Job; and, in addition to all other kinds of ill-
usage, half-starved his (the witness's) daughter.
The Magistrate reprehended the conduct of the defendant, and
observed, that all he had %o do with was the question of assault ;
and the fact being distinctly sworn to, he was held to bail.
The defendant requested two of his acquaintance to became hi.
sureties, but they refused, on hearing the circumstances detailed ls)
kis wife.