Star.
London, England, 1818-07-28 00:00:00

Assrzrs.

DORSETSIIIRE ASSIZES, JULY 2.3.
DIABOLICAL CONSPIRACY AND ABDUCTION.
SIB 0110, ON TRIP PIONOCUTION Or irsoaux LOWMAN 'rucking'. Mi.

- _
r. MIMS SOWDITCH, JOHN SOWLOSVS, WILLSAY PoWIIIII6I, SC-
SAISS/a, BOODITCII, LLISAISTU WSW's (Wins OS WILLIAM

CITYINS), SUSANNA SiULRAINS, THOMAS PAUL, AND JULIANA, NOI

Wu% JANIE MARE., AND ELIZASCrIi SHELL.
This was one f the most important causes that
ever occurred in the history of criminal jurispru-
dence, and although the Jury did not think it neces-
sary to trouble his Lordship to sum up the evidence,
the trial occupied the attention of the most crowded
Court we ever beheld for the space of fourteen hours.
It was an action instituted at the instance of' Mr.

Tuckett, of Taunton, against all the defendants, for
having wilfully and wickedly conspired to carry off
Miss Maria Glenn, the daughter of Mrs. Ann Fen-
ton Glenn, of the Island of St. Vincent, who is only
17 years of age the 28th of August next. The in-
dictment contained several counts, in order to meet

all the exigencies of the case: it charged the defen-
dants with having conspired and carried away the
young lady in the night, from the cart of her guar-
dian Mr. Puckett; with having falsely imprisoned
her, in order to procure a marriasbetween her and
James Bowditch, a labourer,

Mr. Serjeant Pros, addressed the Jury, in doing
which, he observed, and he should do it with much*
sincerity of feeling, that a case so replete with wick-
edness, fraud, and cruelty, he had never heard of in'
a Court of Justice. If the circumstances should be
made out in evidence, which he had no earthly doubt
they would,_ he should be authorized in saying that
it was an unexampled combination of treachery and
rah, resorted to for the purpose of overthrowing
innocence and happiness. He he Learned Serjeant)
was not anxious to fatigue the attention of the Jury
previous to the investigation of the whole of the facts,
he should therefore merely confine himself to a refe-
rence of the situation of the parties. The Learned
Serjeant then proceeded to animadvert upon the si-
tuation of the parties, and to detail the whole cir-
cumstances of the case, which maybe collected most
accurately from the following evidence
George Lowman Tuckett, Esq. a :Arrister, resi-
dent at Taunton, was the first witness ; .he married
the aunt of Miss Glenn ; the young lady was in-
trusted to his care by her mother, who resided at St.
Vincent's. In July, 1817, Misi Glenn, who had been
ill with tholooping-cough, was sent for change of
air to Holway Parm, occupied by Mrs. Bowditch,
attended by Mary Whitby, the nurse-maid, and Mr.
Tuckett's two infant children, not knowing at the
time that Mrs. Bowditch had any son residing with
her. He was in the daily practice of visiting his niece,
the place being within an easy distance from Taun-
ton. He never observed any thing that could excite
any alarm, but occasionally saw James Bowditch, a
young man of about 25, at work as a common la-
bourer among the reapers. Miss Glenn had very
great expectations ; her mother had property, and
her grandfather possessed two large sugar estates in
the West Indies. She was an only child; the re-
turned to Taunton on the 2d September. Her mind
and disposition were the gentlest he had ever seen.
Maria Glenn, an interesting looking girl, was then
put into the box, and was accommodated with a
chair. She went through a ye: y long examination:
She *related the circumstances of her going to Mrs.
Bowditch's, and of her being i for some time
that Mrs. Bowditch had a sont7r with her.' She
had seen the person whom she afterwatds knew to be
him, but considered him as 1 common labourer; he
sometimes put his hand to his hat as she passed, but
she did not know that he was part of the family. A
daughter of Mrs. Bowditch's was married while the
witness continued at Holway. On the Saturday be-
fore the 2d of September, the day of her return to
Taunton, Mrs. Bewditch and Mrs. Mulraine, a visi-
tor at Holway, came to the witness, and asked if
she really meant to go home? she, witness, replied
yes ; upon which Mrs. Bowditch said her son was
lost, Ind she knew not what was to become of him.
This was repeated once or twice, and when the wit-
ness asked what was meant ? Mrs. Mulraine ob•
served, that she Could' not be ignorant, ner have been
so long in the house without knowing of James Bow-
ditch's attachment. Witness expressed much asto-
nishment, and asked what her uncle and aunt would
say if they were told this, begging them to say no-
thing more of this sort, as it greatly distressed her.
She took her little cousins by thle hand and walked
away. The following day Mrs. Mulraine came and
requested her to speak to James Bowditch, who was
like one distracted at the thought of her going away ;
addihg, that his family could not reason with him,
but that if witness would speak to him he would be
contented, and made sensible of the diXerence of
their situatioas. She felt that it was wrong to go,
but yielded at length, and expressed her suepriseat
his conduct, his sister having shortly before assured
her, that what his mother said was in joke. James
made no reply, but Mrs. Mulraine said it was no
wonder if, when so very nice, a young lady was in
the house, a young man should become attached to
her; but she need not be uneasy, as it would come-
ko
nothing: she returned home the next day. On
the 15th Mrs. Mulraine and Mrs. Gibbons, the sis-
ter, who was .married while witness was staying at
Holway, called on her, and whilst alone with them,
they‘v begged her to ask permission of her aunt to
out along with them, as they had something
particular to say. She ,applied to her aunt, who
refused her leave. One of them said, .‘ I thought
so," and began the former conversation about
James Bowditch; that he was quite distracted;
that he had declared he would not live without her,
but would rather murder both her and himself.—
Mrs. Gibbons said she was surahe would do it, for
she never knew any so resolute as her brother. Mrs.
Mulra;ne professed a great regard for the witness,
which had induced her to make the communication;
for Mr. Bewditch had declared he would follow her
to any part of the world and destroy her, adding,
that if she told her uncle the danger would be
greater. In consequence of this she was terrified ex-
ceedingly, believing all to be true. Mrs; Mulraine
begged her to reflect what a shocking thing it would
be to be murdered, and told her to swear on her life
and soul that she would do what Mr. Bowditch
wished her. In her alarm she promised so to do.
They then left her. The same day she met Jane
Marke the cook on the_ stairs, who said she had just
seen Mr. Bowditch. Witness took no notice, but was
followed by Make into her b,,datoom, when Marke