The Statesman.
London, England, 1823-06-21 00:00:00

gin's •Jui4g 20.

-Loudon Adjourned Sittings after Trinity Term, before Mr.
Justice Best and a Common Jury.
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gnaw v. WILLIAMS.
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This was an action for the seduction of the plaintiffs
ion gbter, whereby being her services.
Mr. C. PHI LLI relwith whom teas Mr. Patteacm) stated
the ease for the plaintiff, and in an impassioned address
to the Jury, called upon them to visit the defendant with
',templet:). damages for a most artful and dishonourable
sedurtion of the plaintiff's daughter. The outline of the
case opened was, that the plaintiff was a man in a respect.
able condition of life, and had 'brought up his daughter
in the paths of virtue and innocence. The defendant was
the son of a wealthy tanner, residing in Greenwich.—
Miss Shaw and the defendant were now about the same
age. In their early infancy they had gone to the same
school in Greenwich, but their connection and acquaint-'
anee had ceased, urtil it was renewed in the year 1818,
and then the defendant meditated the ruin which he af-
terwards effected under the circumstances which would
he detailed by the young lady herself. The Learned
Counsel urged the Jury to express their sense of the de-
fendant's dishonourable conduct, by giving such dam-
ages as would afford the father some compensation for
A. irreparable loss of a daughter, seduced from the paths
of irnocenee, and abandoned to the world, a prey to scorn

and infamy.
Jane Shaw, the plaintiff's daughter, was then called.
Her father lived in Greenwich Road, and she resided
with him in 1818. She went to school with the de-
fendant. His father was a man of considerable proper.
ty; her father was a carpenter; in 1818, being then se-
venteen years of age, she was bound apprentice to a
dress-maker; she was io the habit of carrying out dresses
to her mistress's cnstotners. About the month of Au-
gust, 1813, the defendant renewed his acquaintance with
her. He was about four menthe older than herself. In
that month she was going home with some work, when
he met her, and asked her if he should accompany her.
and she replied in the negative, hot he insisted upon go-
ing with her, and accordingly went to the house whither
she was going, and he waited outside the door till she
came out. He afterwards asked her. if 11111. kept compa-
ny with any bode. She said she did not know what he
meant by that. lie requested to know whether be might
meet her the next evening. hot she sail she did not wish
any sorb a thing. About two or three evenings after-
, wards she met him again as she was going home with
some work. He asked her if she would take a walk with
him, which she refused. In January 1319, she yielded
to his purposes. He then told her that he had 19,0001.
left him of his own, and said he would marry her when
lie came of age. In January, in that year, he met her
rear the Limekiln., in Greenwich Howl. He said behad
something to say to her. He got off his horse, and made
her take hold of his arm. They walked to Lea Grove,
and there her ruin was effected. He solemnly promised
to marry her, and offered a promise in writing, which she
refused, as she trusted to leis honour. In the beginning
qf March, 1820, she became pregnant, and in the follow.
ing November she was brought to bed. Her father knew
nothing of the transaction, until the child teas born. She
saw the defendant about a month afterwards ; be ob-.
served she was out too soon, and he feared she would
catch cold; lie said he wanted to see her father; her fa-
ther had maintained the child ever since. Previous to
that tinge she had devoted her earnings to the mainte-
stance of her father and (pother, and since then to the
support of her child.
Crose-examined—Her father had not retired from busi-
ness ; formerly he kept a public-house, but not now; lie
was once a carpenter on board a. ship; lie came home
at-out six years since ; her mother never slept out efAhe
hatise during her fither's absence ; her father formerly
kept the Duke of York public-Rouse, and afterwards the
'Rose and Crown. At that time she used in sleep at the
/:ouse of her father; sometimes with her brother, who I
wits about nine years of age, and sometimes with a girl,
about fifteen. At the time the first unlawful act took
place between her and the defendant, the weather was
wet and the ground damp ; he • held the bridle of his
horse when the affair happened. • Previously to that lie
Id made propositions of a similar nature; her reason
for not wishing her parents to know of her acquaintance
with the defendant was, that she. did not believe the de-
f.n•lant meant to perform his promise of marriage.
fte-examined—She never received any relief from the
perish for the support of her child, nor any money from the
defendant. The first criminal act took place in a private
pathway. After the child was born, defendant told her he
would marry her when he came of age. Her parents had
no child but herself.
Air. Ilorton deposed that the defendant was s young
men in very excellent circumstances, and possessed of con-
siderable property.
Here the plaintiff's ease was closed.
Mr. BROUGHAM, in an able address to the Jury, on behalf
of the defendant, contended that the justice of thepiaintiff's
claim would be satisfied by the smallest current coin in the
realm. He urged the utter impobability of the young Lady's
story (exaggerated as it was, by the flowery rhetoric of the
plaintiff's Learned Counsel that she was the victim of art-
ful seduction. The Jury, as men of business, acquainted
with the world, and human nature, could not give credence
to the circumstance, that a really innocent girl and a virgin
would submit to the iniienity alluded to, under the circum-
stances described by the young lady, whose evidence they
bid heard. Setting aside the improbability of such ti trans-
action, what damages would they give for the loss of a
daughter whose chastity could he so easily violated in the
month of January. in an open etposed road, and under cir-
cumstances revolting to every sense of propriety, even in
the most abandoned eccentricities of passion ? Ile then
urged the staleness of this action, which was brought three
years after the supposed cause of injury—after a continu-
ous intercourse between the parties, and after the defendant,
to Whom the child was sworn, had satisfied the parish offi-
cers for its "ustentation. in this case there had been no
artful seduction--no breach of felthoothing to aggravate
damages. For any Thing that appeared to the contrary, the
Inane woman's previous life and conversation were at least
suspicious. Her parents did not appear to have been very
careful In the preservation of•bete morals ; the had been al-
lowed to sleep from under their roof—in what company had
not been explained, and there was every reason to imagine,
that before her criminal intercoirse with the defendant,
ioher
tided, If not her person, had been debased. In conclusn,
be *was persuaded that the Jury, taking all these circum,
stances into consideration, would treat this impudent at-
tempt to Impose upon tho'r understandings, and viewing
the case in that light. he trusted they would dismiss the case
with the most insignificant damages.
Mr. Justice Best 'told the Jury, that as• the action
rested solely spun the testimony of one witness, who al-
*Gogh she was one in -point of law, yet as the action
was her father's, and in the fate of which she was inter-
este 1., her testimony was to be narrowly watched. A man
coot' not possibly do a greater injury tos family than in
seducing a young girl. who had placed her affections
ape, him. Da tear the resew a case like such a one?
Canid it be said, afier what she herself bad admitted
to be true, that she did net believe the defendant
would marry her when ht gate her assurances of it, that
this was a case se union riniring damages) Greven
was It a case of seductiun at ell ? If she was not a decent
'and, virtuous girl at that time ; if she was ready to fall
late the arms 4f timeliest man who' was willing to miry...
Hbr, it was not a' vny * case fur damages, • 'Mt'
Jet/ mu.% take csretha(they did not encourage abandpiet(
'aids' to obtain teolthiftoni young Men, by the verdict Oar
were kbout to ifve. Ills Lordship then commented in se-
vbre herius'apon the confect of the young woman when in
tte public road. .I.le lett adi'erted to her 'pretendgitlgno-
fence respeeliiti the gleaning 'Of tote phrid• about 'keeping
"pinny with ai
•.:Atirreat id'yaataira which a trill by
Jury reatfttelpise...that thy idisisted of sued who irmighl.
their experaeted tkesl • and: Me put: Itict
me-
thereto apt *6,006. MI6 tittair twietddie tst: allY
scOnnoS:rhi'lirt Ireetr•ietrai* Mit glYi ha Ifs

POLICE. .1
ROW.STREET.—Among the disorderly women brought
before the Magistrate yesterday morning, was a young
woman of colour, whose story excited some interest. She
had been taken to St. Martin's watch-house on the pre.
ceding night, having been found figlatiog with other
girls in the Haymarket, and she seemed so much affect-
ed at the idea of being imprisoned, that the constable
deemed it necessary to have her closely watched during
the night, lest she should make some attempt upon her

life.
She approached the Magistrate with fear and trem-
bling, excessively agitated, and repeatedly shedding tears
and his Worship (T. HALL% Esq.) conceiving that she
was really ashamed of her situation, put a number of ques-
tions to her in order to ascertain the fact.
In answer to those questions, she stated that she was a
native of Martinique, and is now in her twentieth year.—
At an early age she was carried to Malta, and lived some
time in the service of aTaptain Hunter's lady, at Va-
letta. Whilst in that service, she became acquainted
with Antonio Mitchel, a countryman of hers, who was at
that time a cymbal-beater in the 10th Regiment of Foot,
then stationed at Malta. She married this Antonio ; and
the regiment having been ordered home, she accompani-
ed him to England. They disembarked at Plymouth,
and there her husband died, about twelve months ago.—
After his death, she came to London and procured :Lae',
vice in the house of Mr. Gardner, a piano-forte maker in
Tottenham-court-road ; but, shoat six ino'ntlis since, Mr.
Gardner went to reside in Ireland, and, after spending
all her money in fres to sham register offices, and in other
ineffectual attempts to obtain another situation, she was
at length driven upon the street.
The poor girl wept so earnestly when site came to this
part of her story, that the Magistrate desired her not to
distress herself, and promised, if her statement was a
true one, and she would conduct herself with propriety
in future, he himself would endeavour to procure her ano-
ther situation.
She appeared to be very grateful for his kindness, and
expressed the utmost abhorrence for the mode of life
she had been driven to. The women she was qnarrelling
with, site said, had robbed her of a gold chain and be-
t wren two and three pounds in money ; and every night
she was compelled to treat every " white street.woman"
she met, or they would net suffer her to fol:ow her
wretched occupation in peace.
The worthy Magistrate directed that she should be
taken care of in St. Margaret's workhouse, Westmin-
ster, until be could make some inqniries respectinr, her.
KICKING re A DUST.—Felix Booth, Esq, of No. 3,
Russell-square, appeared before the Magistrate to claim
a waggon, horses, &c., his property, which had been
seized, under Mr. Michael Angelo Taylor's Act, by one
James Sinnott ; and the said James Siunott appeared,
at the same time, to sue the said Felix Booth, Esq. for
the penalties he was alleged to have incurred by attempt-
ing to appropriate, to his own use, the dust and ashes
made in his own house.
It has been repeatedly decided that no household or other
person, save and except the contracting scavenger, can
remove any dust ashes, &c. out of the parish in which it Is
made without becoming liable to a penalty of 10/. under
the Statute aforesaid, besides being subject to have the
waggon, cart or other vehicle, in which the said dust, &c.
may be in transit Is, seized and impounded either by the
eootracting scavenger, his servants, or any other person.—
But peremptory as this Statute is, It was never so peremp-
torily enforced as in the present instance by James Sin-
nott, joint contracting scavenger, with others, for-cleansing
the united parishes of St. Giles and St. George, Bloomsbury.
It appeired by the statement pro and con that Mr.
Booth, not being aware of the rigorous provisions of
Mr. Michael Angelo Taylor's Act, entertained an erro-
neous idea that the dust made at his own fires was his
own property, and on Thursday morning between nine
and ten o'clock his servants, at his house in Russell-
square, were loading a quantity of it in one of his wag-
gons for the purpose of conveying it to his country-
knuse. The dust &c. was tied np in sacks, and in the
midst of the waggon, among the sacks were placed a
pair of valuable sarcophagus cellarets, packed up in
matting, and containing sundry articles of plate, &c.,
intended for the use of a dinner party at Mr. Booth's
country-house on the following day. Whilst the
vents
were
were engaged in loading these things, Mr. James
Sinnott, came up, and having discovered what was
going on, he loaded the servants with abuse ; raised a
mob of fifty or sixty persons about the house, by ex-
claiming aloud, that " a paltry, mean fellow" lived there,
and finally, he drove the waggon and its entire contents
to the Green-yard,th,,ugh distinctly told by the servants
that there were packages in it of great value.
The Magistrate, after having listened with great pa-
tience to all that could be algid ea either side, said it was
imperative upon him to indict the penalty awarded by
the Act ; but never in his life haul he ordered a convic-
tion with so much regret. The conduct of the scaven-
ger, Sinnott, was mast reprehensible—he had taken
away the plate and other articles at his own peril, and
possibly he would las taught to exercise his authority
with less. harshness in future.
Mr. Booth paid the flue (RIO, and his property was
restored to biw ; but was to appeal against the conviction.

ESCAPE FROM THE IitMULJUH COMPFER,

Ycsterd3y an intriiry. took place in the Committee
Room of the above prison, before Mr. Alderman J. J.
Smith, respecting the extraordinary escape of Widisni
Mason; who had been confined there on the charge of
rabbitig the Cranbrook Iyaggon, and to investigate the
conduct of the turnkeys.
- Mr. John Law examined—.l em keeper of this prilon,
and hire bees so some years. On Wednesday last
abort • four reclocli, 1 went ciitt'of the kitchen into the
lobby, when a peison named Palmer, 'a debtor in this
prison, OM me there was• a nmon'the parapet wall of
the taot. '1- ran Into the. feloava yard, and iiisfailtly.
'miss Maeda - fleas 'ieoagat the it mitre. 1 inquired'
ammo 0,60 fat tint; when Walsh his fellow' prisdaer;
soid.• no is gnat, wad. 1 aisKlid of it; youqj tad, his
iv's in the privy,. Mr. LW: , ;'iltibn4ll.*Cat tni4 the

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