The Statesman.
London, England, 1823-08-28 00:00:00

k • rarrir SKSI3IONB.4-tharstals, Anadyr 27.
.....61.-•;-
muna Oli• lITLIATION AQATITYT till, REV. *lle
LtAM FARMER. -f• 1 ..• • 'o •i
Seniors was yesterday Ite4inia the Ntregteljibil*
i
• T rich Church of Clapham, foil the impose of hilillef,
:" sseteeterenining a charge of BastardaY which had heelltaidlll
before a Magistrate of the district, against a roleseariag Owe!
green. Whose name is Wm. Farmer, and who holds a Cimatit
at Newcastle. in Staffordshire. .
There were five Magistrates present—namely, 'Theirs. Her-.
risen, Esq., John Thoratoa, Esq., John Rogers, Esq., John
Hedger, Esq., and Joint Reveal'', Esq.
Thomas Harrison, Esq. presided as Charente.
The definaant, who bad been brought by warrant from Ms
residence in Staffordshire, was present, and was &Ovoidal 'art
his solicitor, Mr. Richardson. Mr. Adolphus appeared as hit
counsel. Mr. Hewitt, the solicitor, appeared oft the part 44
the perish, sad opened the case against the defendant in a vim
few nerd*, and with greet delicacy.. He entremely.regrette
he said, the Hurd task he heti to perform. and in the fella, ,1
meat of his deter should abstain 'front orgies any topics which.;
were calculated to excite unnecessary prejudice, or to sggre.e
sate the charge ender which the defendant labelled. He
shealdeentent himself with calling his witness,-who. would
;wear thit the defendant was the father of a male child, of
ehleit the bad been dellveredin the month of July list, sad
lasing established this (act, It would remain with thle, Jastices
to make such order as they thought proper.
Manual' Forster, a decent looking weans, although not,
possessing any peculiar personal attractions, was then railed
and sworn. She appeared to be Abet 34 years of age, and
was accompanied by a fine boy, rather more than a month
old. She was evidently mach affected by her sitentiow, tad
shed teareorofitatly. From her evidence the following
story was elicited :-.The defendant was a married man; abe
bad known him about thirteen years, and had lived in hilt'
service three years and a half ; this was seven years ago. at
. Leeds. While ander his roof he bad sedeced her, bat their
intercourse had not exceeded five or six tunes.On his quit-
ting heeds she left him. and ultimately came to live witlo the
Rev. Mr. Phillips, a Dissenting Clergynuatt, on Clapham
Common. Ott the time common lived a Mr. James Ogle
Robinson, who had married the sister of the defendant.
In the winter of last year, the defendant, from ill health,
came up With his wife to spend a short time with Mr. Ro-
binson, and wait an occasional visitor with him at the Rev.
Mr. Millet's.. On Tuesday, the 6th of November, Mr.
Phillips having been unwell, Mr. Farmer agreed to preach
for him in his chapel. which was at a short distance from
the house. A party of ladies and gentlemen were assembled
at tea in the parlour. previous to the evening service; Mr.
and Mrs. Farmer ware present. After the tea, the depn.
neat accidentally went into an adjoining roam, and there
-unexpectedly found toe defendant. He renewed his ac-
quaintance with her; and, after some conversation, he ap-
pointed to meet her the next evening at seven o'clock, near
the church on the common; he theu went to chapel. The
next evening see went to the place appointed, but the de.
fendant did not arrive ; she waited for a considerable time,
oast length crossed the road to the shop of a tradesman
near the "Plough, when by the light from the window she
saw the defendant, who had kid alighted from the Clapham
coach ; this was about eight o'clock; she joined him, and
they walked across the cotumon till they came opposite to
a gentleman's house, when that occurred which led to the
prefect inquiry. She then returned home, and got into
her master's house before nine. She did not see him after.
wards. hhe subsequently went to live with Mr. Borrow-
dale on the common, antf on the 22d of July liSt WAS re-
torted from his house to the workhouse, Otero she was
deivereci of a male child, of which she now solemely swore
•the defendant was the father. •
' In the cross-examination of the unfortunate woman it ape
peered that she had .hewn great reluctance to admit she
et as at all pregnant, and still greater reluctance to impli
care the defendant, until forced to make a oligdosure by the
parish officers. It also appeared by calctilation, that the
child was hut a seven and thirty weeks child. She posi-
tively denied ever having had intimacy with any other man
besiar• the defendant. With respect to her connection with
the defendant while in his service at Leeds, she said that
it had h. ea discovered by her mistress 1 but that never.
tbdess her mistress had given her • good character six
Months after.
Mr. A notion:a addressed the Bench on behalf of the de.
fendant at great length, awl with much ingenuity. He ob-
served, that independent of the improbability of this wo-
man's own story, lie shod,' be able to give a complete and
'satisfactory contradiction to her statement. He then pro-
ceeded to point out those points of her evidence which
struck him as inconsistent with truth. He particularly al-
luded to the state of Mr. Farmer's ill health, and asked who.
ther it was at all likely that lie would have had the base.
nest, almost %titbit; the hearing of his wife, and under the
roof of a brothel clergyman, for whom lie was about to
celebrate Maine service, to make so infamous an appoint.
mint as the deponent had represented ? He would ask also,
was it in the verge of possibility, first, that after her seduc-
tion, and living three Yeses and a half in the house of the
defendant, intimacy had taken place between her aryl her
master but six times; and next, that after Mrs. Farmer had
discovered the profligacy of her husband, she would have
given a rhatacter to this partner of his guilt, and thereby
..enabled her to pollute molt& respectable family, by her
pretence. After soese further remarks, the Learned Coun-
sel said, that he should call witnesses, from whose testimony
it would appeay, that it was utterly impossible the defend•
ant could have been on Clapham Common at the time stated
by the witness, inasmuch as he did not leave Charing-cross
ti I after eight o'clock, and did not reach Clapham till past
rine, a poke! long after that which this wretched woman
bad thought proper to fix fur the consummation of her
guilt..
Mr. Hitcher:ran, a Clerk in the house of Ransom and
Co. Laitkers, was then called. He stated himself to have
been long aequeinted with the Reverend Mr. Farmer, and
that nn the 6th of Noventher became to spend the clay with
him, as he was finally to take his departure from London on
Friday, the toll. They went to see different Exhibitions in
the aetrai Ile. and dined at a chop-house. After dinner they
petite riled to witness's house, at Pimlico, to tea. In their
way. however, theyatalled at the Ship at Charing-croes to
tiro..v at what time the Clapham coach departed. They
acre told at eight o'clock. Witness accompanied Mr. Far-
mer to Cliaring•cross, and saw him get up on one of Mrs.
lietler's coaches. .
ht cross-examination, witness said, be had no other reason
fun fixing the day than that it was the Wednesday previous
..to the Friday on veiticit Mr. Farmer returned into the coun-
• try. -He al not know that it was a Holiday at the Bank.—
: HP Itirl obtained leave of absence from his employers. Mrs.
Kitchstenan was present at tea ; slits was not here as a wit-
• nest. lie did not hear the clock strike when he left Mr.
Fernier, nor did be see the coach ge.
Mr. Parrett, a Medical Gentleman, proved that lie was
..
called in to Hannah Forster, at 114. Ilm inwdale's, on the
1 morning of the 21st of July. SI e complained of pains in
. the lower part of the abdomen. He asked her if she was
pregnant, and she said- e• No." lie examined her, amid
Wm! that the paine, of labour %sere upon her • but she
raid it was impossible, and persisted in this tills& was ac-
tually delivered.
joint Parry, a Interwar, who attended the Clapham
ensehes at Charing Cross, proved, that Mrs. Butler's couch
departed limn thence at half past eight o'clock every even.
ing. They were generally tire or seven minutes at er their
time if they lad to wait fur passengers that had been
booked. There were other roaches to Claptiatn from the
. Silver Cross, which be did Tient:end. He knew uothiug of
Dlr. Partner going by the coach in Norendfere
. M. Thompson, a Clerk to Mr. Richardeon, proved that
be bad conic down by Mrs. Butler's eight o'clock Clap-
ham I coach, from. Charing Cross. and that he did not
reach Battersea Rise, across the Common, till 35 minutes
altar nine. .