The Rhode-Island Republican. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1809-1841, 1818-11-04

From she Batnmore .anaenesn, Of Sept. "a

-4&kS<@ONS
From she Bahmore Ame'Tcsn, T Sept "a
Novei and Lmhortan Case.-A eorrespon-
dent at Elkton, has forwarded US the follow
ing statement Of novel and important case,
tried few days ego 10 Cecil county esun.
Haiar Waimsiey, Aciioo on,he case tri-
VS. ia Cecil county court,
John Mercer. j Sept. Term, 1919
This action was Instituted by father 10
recover damages for the seduction Of. his
daughter. The plaintiff is in an humble 81,
uaiioD 10 life, but Of respectable character. /.
The defendant widowcr with a family Of
child en- aud possessed of issse fortune
The daughter OF the pIainiif was produced
as witness, who proved that about three
years ago at the earnest solicitation of the de-
fendant, her father por ormitted her - go 10 the
defendants house to reside as companion
Tor his daughter, who had then lately lost her
husbsnd---he promised al The ,ime that ne
would treat her with the kindness and atten
ZION of father, that she considered herself
at all times at liberty 10 quit the defendants
house, which she would have done whenever
she had been dissatisfied with her situations.
that she lived in the fanny upon terms of
was seduced under promise Of marriage.
Mary cifeomsiances appeared IN evidence
which txci,ed slrong sympathy for this ruin.
ed and unhappy girl among Others !, appea
ed that tho defendant cent he, TO temote
part OF the country 10 be confined, and her
father and friends had no knowledge of her
situation and residcnce---some time after he
child was born, her father found her out, snd
made al attempt to remove her, which com
ing TO the knowledge of tho defendant, he
took her to Wilmington, and sent her on in
she stage to Philadelphia, with directions to
. house whore he SAID he had eogaged a ST..
uation for her--whcn she presented herself
at the house, the proprietor had never heard
OF the defendant or OF her, and would no, re
ceivo her--she bad only 8 dollars which the
defcGdant had given her she knew Uoi where
10 go or wha, was TO become OF ber she
was asked by the lady Of the house ii she
knew any person in Philadeiphia, and she
then roroIiected 4 highly respectful able lady
from Maryland who resided In the .ry, she
was shown to her house and the lsdy humane
y employed he, as u servant.
The defendant attempted 10 ptove by b
women by tho name of Graham, that the
piaintiG's daughtel at the ume of the seduc
tion was Sc van, in his Il mily ; the testimony
was diseredr,sd by p"oving the characser ol
the witness. H. also called on Lew Craig
by whom no proved hat the plaiouf's daugh.
ter was a hceniious girl, and that n,ae years
ago he had detected her IN criminal inter,
course with married man os high respccta.
biliiy who had bceA dead some years. The
circumstances which he stated In relation TO
this transaction were most improbable, and
be was discrcdifed also, by proving his char
ac,er to bo Infamous. The defendant las, of
all called his own son, by whom he proved
that soon afxr he returned from college, he
engaged in . criminsi correspondence with
tho plaintiffs daughter In his fathers house,
and ,ha, a long habi,ua, criminal intercourse
subsis,ed between them--the hardened and
unfee ling deprasity manifested by the boy in
his testimony, excited ia the audience great
disgust and abhorrcpce, q strong manifesto
ION Of which could be with difficulty reslrsin-
ed hiss had at one Tine commenced. On
cross-exanioa,ion by the plaintiffs council,
he was entirely discredited by the ju,y. The
plainnf concluded The testimony by sxamin.
ing several respectable witnesses ftom the
neighborhood, who proved tha, the repu's
,ion Of his daughter was fair and uosuspee I'd
until tho seduction by the defendan, - The
case engaged tho attention Of tho court and
jury two days. Abou, 9 o'clock AZ night, the
juy retired from their box, and in about ball
an hour. returned with verdict for the plain
tiH; damages six Thousand dollars. William
Carmicbsel and Ezekiel r. Chambers, Esqrs.
werc for the plainiif-robias Rudolph, Levin
Gale, and Jeremiah Coscen, Esqrs for the
defendant