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

;leek, vicar of the said parish of Harrold ; and that
In the month of July last she was in the garden of
her father's house, between the hours of nine and ten
at night, and was laid hold of by a man, whom she
discovered to he James Harris, of the said parish,
Sadler; th it she threttened to tell Ater father of his
• behaviour, and upon his promising not to commit the
like offence again, she did not inform her father.—
Further this deponent with, that on the evening of
the 18th of Oziohcr last, between six and seven
o'clock in the evening, having occasion to go i. tithe
garden, as she was retuning, the said J. Harris, hay.
tag, as she siippues, watched her moti.ins, soddenly
assaulted her, put his Icot behind her legs, and threw
her down viol ntiy, by which fall she was stunned,
and that during the time she thus lay senseless on
the ground, he by force and violence, and against her
will, effected his purpose ; that when she came ti) her-
self, she screamed out, and called for her sister; and
that the said J. Hauls, in her calling out, held :lb
knife to her throa', and threatened to kill her. That
awn after her sister came to 11,2, and by her means
}Janis was pulled away, and Went out cf the garden.
That in consequence of this act of violence she is
likely to become a mother, and through shame, never
discovered, even to her father, the ill treatment she
had met until by her increased size it could be
no longer concealed."
The deposition of Sarah Woodward was the same
as detailed in Mr. Serjeant IlLossm's speech.
The examination of the Rev. Mr. Hooper, by Mr.
Sioux, was then continued. In consequence of this
information, he issued his warrant for the apprehen-
sion of liarris—Harris was brought belore hint the
same day, and he committed him to prison. H. sent
.for a neighbour, a Mr. Eyles, to be present at the
examination.

The verdict of acquittal of Mr. J. Harris was ad-
mitted by Mr. Horn.
J. Harris examined. I live at Harrold, and am
22 years of age. I am a sadler by trade. I know
the three defendants perfectly well. I never had cri-
minal intercourse with Susannah Woodward in my
life. I went to school to her Hither for about a year.
lowa' then between 13 and 14 years of age. I had
no acquaintance with Mr. Woodward, except going
to school to him. 1 had no acquaintance whatever
with his daughters. I. did not assault Miss Susannah
on the night mentioned is July, nor on any subse-
quent night. I spent the whole of the evening of Oc-
tober 18, with a Mrs. Reynolds and a Mr. N 'rthern.
Elizabeth Glentun was the next witness. She ap.
peared much indisposed ; and on being asked sonic
questions, said, " she had already said the whole
truth, and nothing but the truth, and could say no
more. Her head was very bad, "and she could not
recollect what she had said." To la frequent repeti-
tion of questions she gave the same reply. At length,
with sonic difficulty, she was induced to say, in an.
suer to a question from Mr. Serjeant BLosseTT, that
" Mr.Wuodward came to her, and wanted her to say
that she heard her apprentice say, that he was with
• young Harris when he was with Woodward's daugh-
ter. She, however, never heard her apprentice say
any such thing." Here the witness faictej, and was
tarried out of Court.

Mr. iiurcr remarked, that it was very unfortunate
for his client that he bad not been able to cross.
examine this witness.

Serjeaot 131.oesarr was about to call further
evidence, but the Learned Judge conceited he bad
already submitted sufficient to support his case.
Mr. Serjeant BLosscrr said, he was prepared with
witnesses who would protect a clear alibi on the part
to bis client.

Mr. Hiner addressed the Coact and Jury on the
part of the defendants.
Mr. Baron GRAHAM now proceeded to sum up the
case to the Jury. His Lordship observed, that the
defendants, the Rev. Robert Woodward and his two
unfortunate daughters, Susannah and Sarah, stood
indicted, and the indictment charged, that on the 7th
of June, 1815, the said Robert Woodward and these
too young women did conspire and agree falsely to
accuse one James Harris of having, on the 18th of
October, in preceding year, by force and violence,
violated the said Susannah Woodward; that the said
Sasannah did, in the month of June, 1815, falsely
charge the said James Harris with the said offence,
and that in the Spring Assizes following he was tried
and acquitted thereof. This was the short substance
of the indictment; and that which the Jury had to
decide was, whether the three defendants, two, or
any of them, had been guilty of the offence imputed
to them ? In order to commit the crime of coo-
'piracy, two must necessarily have been concerned ;
therefore, in thircase, the Jury must either find two
guilty, or acquit the defendants altogether. With these
prefatory remarks, lie should proceed to detail the
etfldence, which he would do with the more particu-
larity from the aeriousntss of the charge, and the rank
in society of the individuals who stood before him.—
The Learned Judge then read over the whole of the
evidence; he observed, it was clear that the father
imust have known his daughter was in a state of reg-
. mane/. He would, however, duke a few observa-
tions in order to see Low far he .inclusion was fair,l
that no violation had been committed, and that all
the defendants had been parties to the conspiracy un•
der which Coe prosecutor was accused of that offense.
4' Gentlemen of the Jury," continued his Lordship,
64 you will see how the matter stands, and whether
yoe can conscientiously believe there was one tittle
of truth at the bottom of this charge. In the first
place it appears. that not a. syllable of tl.is charge
came to the knowledge of James Harris till seven or
ht months after the fact was alled_ged to have taken
pace
; and then what was done I The charge is pre.
!erred. the prosecutriz is examined, and upon coning
into a Court of Justice finds no credit. Now it is
said, not with the strictest and most perfect correct-
oess, that the prisoner was acquitted upon a point
of law, and not upon the merits of the case. This,
I am satisfied,- is not true; the fact is, that the itnJ
probability of the charge was the true ground upon
"bids tbeacquittal.took place; and certainly nothing
ash, *sae more the face of improbability, than that,
If the Clime alledged had been committed it would'
have been kept secret from the month of October to
ate June following s but it becomes still more impro-
bable, whets the situation of the parties is considered;
the one a young woman of education an 4 modesty,
sad the other a young man living in the same parish.
Can any one believe chit the daughter of a clergy.
plan could have bees so ignorant of the state of so-