Star.
London, England, 1826-10-31 00:00:00

MIDDLESEX SESSIONS, OCT. SO.

. Samuel Banks, an athletic seafaring men, was in-
dicted for ast indecent assault on Msry Duffield, on the
10th of this month.
Mr. Pniturs—Gentlemen of the Jury, you have
heard from the Clerk the nature of the indictment, and
it is my duty to state to you more particularly the
crime for which the prisoner stands at the bar. Miss
Duffield, the prosecntrix, is a school-mistress, living at
No. 2, York-street, Commercial-road, in partnership
with a Miss Spencer, and had the misfortune to take
this man into her house to lodge. She had known the
prisoner for years: she, had known bislainOy in !Nor-
folk, and being a native of that costaty herself, had
always viewed him in the light of aim:other. On the
10th of October he supped with her, and had taken
something to drink with the prosecutaix, who had her-
self taken a glass of rum and water. They had for
supper a pot of porter, of which but little was drank,
consequently the prisoner could not plead drunkenness
as an excuse for his ensuing conduct. It was ten o'clock,
and she reminded him it was time to go to bed. Miss
Spencer, who generally slept in the house, had gone to
visit some friends. The prisoner asked Miss Duffield
if she (Miss Spencer) was coming home? Miss D. little
suspecting his art, said, " if she is not home by half-past
I ten, she will not crane home at all." She took a candle
to light him to bed. Having lighted him upstairs, she
put the candle on the chimney-piece. She said," Good
night, William; he bade her "good night;'' but she
found, on getting to the door, that it was fastened and
that the could not get out. I shall not tell you what
he did; I shall leave that to the prosecutrix. She said
she would resist while life inspired her, and did resist.
Her screams were beard on the other side of the street
by a.person who desired the watchman to break open
the drior ; but he bad got a foolish notion into his head
that if he did not hear the word " murder" called, he
had not the authority. The prosecutrix, however, by
some means got away from his rasp; she rushed into
the street, and, agitated and distracted as she was, went
to the friend's house at Poplar, where Miss Spencer was
stopping ; she related to them the way in which she
had been treated, and they immediately went to her
house, which they broke open, and in which there was
no one but the three children. The prisoner was old-
mately taken in some ship, and conveyed to the Thames
Police-office, where the worthy Magistrate acted in the
jostest manner. So great was his opinion of the violence
used towards a defenceless woman, that he not only
bound the prisoner over in the safest manner to appear,'
but also bound over Miss Duffield in 200/. to prosecute.!
Mary Duffeld confirmed this statement, and described the vie.
fence. He was the last Man she would ever have suspected of
such oniony.
The other facts were all proved by different witnesses.
Mr. Aompuus, for the prisoner, made a most eloquent appeal to
the Jury, in which he did not attempt to defend, but pleadel the
frailty of human nature in extenuation of his conduct.
He was found Guilty, and sentenced to two years' inipthOOMeat.

A meeting was held at Nottingham on Tuesday last.'
and a petition voted to Parliament for the abolition of
the restrictions on the introduction of foreign corn.
IMPRRIAL CHILIAD, MINING ASSOCIATION.—OtedtIf•
day,in pursuance of an ad vertisement,some Shareholders
met together at the Loudon Tavern, in Bishopsgate-
street, foe the purpose of making ...some alterations in the
Direction of the Company, Mr. TOMMY CURTIS is the
Chair. Mr. J. Waticaa being proposed in the room of
Mr. Pitman, as Director, the motion was adopted
without opposition. The Meeting then broke np. Some,
dissatisfaction was expressed by some Shareholders,
who arrived at the place of meeting rather late in the
day, at finding the assembly broken up. They had
understood, they said, that the meeting was to take place'
after two o'clock.
From Buenos Ayres, under date August 10, we learn
that the election of the Representatives to serve in Con-
gress had taken place on the Sunday previous, a ble
to public notice. At the close of the poll, the trlereirn-
meat bad a majority of nearly $OOO votes. The soldiers,
headed by their Officers, marched in bodies to give their
suffrages in favour of the Ministry. Very little bud-
ness was doing. The project of a law presented by the
Government to raise a monument to the author of the
revolution of 1819, had met with approval.
The Meeting of Greek Bondholders has had one good
efect—it has quickened the exertions of the engineers
and the superintendence of the Messrs. RICARDO: Two
boats, it is said, are now ready, though the late season
excites some apprehension as to their crossing the Bay
of Biscay in safety. An anecdote of some interest has
reached us on the subject of this expedition, Lady Coca-
RAIZ having heard at Geneva that some delay had
occurred in fitting out the armament for her husband,
sent over 14001. which she had collected, to be applied
to the furtherance of that object.
Saturday a respectable-looking man called at the St.
Alban's Bank, stating that he wished to open an ac-
count. He had not, he said, come prepared to pay any
thing in then, but he should do so on the Tuesday fol-
lowing, meanwhile be would take a checkbook. The
respectability of his appearance preventing any suspi-
cion, he immediately obtained one, which in the even-
ing of the same day he made a very good use of. He
first bought a gun of a gunsmith in the town, whom
he paid with a check of 81. He afterwards paid a visit
to Mr. Causton, a silversmith, in the High-street, where
he laid out 41. in spoons, which he took away, and paid
for with a check as before. The gunsmith, in the
course of the evening, thought it strange that he knew
nothing of his customer's face ; it might be all right,
or it might not ; therefore, 44 to make assurance doubly
sure," he repaired to the Bank, and, though after hours
of business, obtained an interview with -Mr. Edwards,
from whom he learned that there were 64 no effects."—
Like a prudent man, he repaired to the Verulam Arms,
where the stranger was sojourning, and without any it.
dication of the knowledge he bad just attained, he beg-
ged respectfully the momentary loan of the gun, upon
the plea that 64 some improvement might be made in
the touch-hole." It was touch-and-go with thej gun-
smith, when he had again got his gun, the loss of which
he so luck ly avoided. The swindler shortly after de-
camped, and has not since been heard of. He went at
St. Alban's under the name of Wilson.

C*uvov..—Two persons are going about Sheffield,
and giving information against the venders of lozenges
without stamps. It is not generally known that all in-
:en/es must be stamped, except peppermint and ginger.
Cowlinge fair, Oo the 17th inst. proved the largest
ever known, there being 60,000 sheep and lambs penned;
but prices were somewhat lower than at Horriliger.—
There was a very good show of horses and cattle, which
were sold on low terms, except those of the best kind.
A dreadful murder is described as having been per-
petrated on the 14th inst. near Alliteere, on the person
of a young woman, the details of wbitb are too bona*
to be repeated.