Middlesex Adjourned Sessi...
The Times, 1824-06-19T00:00:00

Jnna 't eosct, ;wlLtm Horn, .Jo/uz Bradley, and henry IFofli- =- c, were indicted fSa n,raault and false imprisonment. 3Mr. PLATT crindicted the nrosecution, and Messrs. ADOLPHUS, ALLXY, AxnrESs, and C. PHILLIPS tlle defelcc. :tliss Sydney Cewell, a young lady of vcry interesting appear- ance, about twenty-two years of age, but who was for some time so _ulE.cted as to be un.ablc to give her evidence, at ]en tth stated, that sdlre had resided s ith her mother from childlhood. in the month of Jane a MIr. Rawston came to reside with thlcm and left them in Drcnber, rery Tmicli Mo their debt. Shortly a lter Foster called, and brouzht a bill which was directed to MIr. -, York-placo, and a oked ffr the old gentlcman. She had not since been able to find that hill. hut hnd thtat momine foun(d another (directed in the same manner, and with a *eceipt to it. She told him that AMr. Rawstoni Ias left them, but if ever she learned where he resided she would in- form him. He said he would make her or her mother pay the xrnney. Foster and Hom called a short timeafterwards, and con. duct,5d themselves so violently that she shut the front door, and tjied to scape at the back of the house, where, however, she found them waiting for her. She afterwards went to Queen-square, and Foster was bound over to keep the peace. On the '7th of May, the d1y mentioned in the indictment, the defendants called; she was at the tine confined to her bed from indisposition, occasioned by Foster's former ill-treatment. }learing a noise, she opened her roan door, whcn the defendants seized and dragged her down stairs wit,, gFreat violence. She was then in her night.dress and stock- ings, but without shoes. They took her int6 the narlour, where thev treated her in the most brutal manner. [Here the witness d.cribed certain atts of indecency too disgusting to be inserted in eour columns] She told them she thought she was dving, and ekged them to send for a doctor. Horn then said, " i'll fetch a doctor," and wlent oUt and brought in ,Fostcr who said, " Serve ber anIt; we'll teach her how to take vn to Queen square." Slhe T,d she would give them any money no to ill use her; when Horn replied, he would not take 1001. for the sport he mcant to have with her that night. She told thema her mother was ow, wlhen one ?f tlen replied, " WVe know that, and came on purpose." They wnuld not sul1Ecr her servant to come into the room. She requested tn be jilowed to dress bersdlf, but this they refused. She was theti dn.ged into the street, where they exposed her person, andI treated her rith the most disgustig brutality; thethehen forced her into a cart. Sore person passing tlen endcavoured to interfere, but a Woaa.- who was with them said, "Its mv sister; she is jolly drn3k, and we are gning to take her home i orn produced a paper, and &sid he had a warrant to arrest her, and ;llvised the rran to go about his business, whlic he did. They tben drovc her to 1Vhi:rcras.-stret pri-on, holding her down in the cart all tie w,r, and preventing lier calling for assistance. Oni her arrival thwe, she vnis treated with great kindness by the matron to whom sbe r,a_ted the treatnient slhe had received.: Per mother came lhe ncxt mrominT antl psaiI 21. &t., atid slie was discharged in the evening. Cros,s.exrlmined by Mr. ALLEY for Foster.-Believes Rawston had been it, the army. yer mother Aid the rent of the houxe. lNeither sh r nor her mothier evcr wcnt to Foster's for gin. Never -we.t to F. wer's with Rawston. Foster was not in the cart. Did rnft sce Foaiter till she got into the parlour. Never had a bill from Fotrer in Iler own name. Never said her name was Caswell. By MIr. ANDREWsS for Horn.-llad not seen Rawston since he le-t. Haan since cndeavoured to fintl him. Sler servar,t gave her twn pam$ found in the area. Didi not knowv theirpurport. Never aLlvi,cd with any person about threm. [They were liere produced bv the w jitncs, and proved to be two orders of the County Court for pavrent of 1. 19s. Md.. due to Fostcr from Mary Cowell.1 Never wen by the name of Mary. The papers she nevcr saw until the 3crymt gp3ve themn to her. Bvy 3Ir: G PeLeLLIPs for Bradley.-Had lived in the-neighbour. hood ma il years. It was quite day-light when the defendants came. No one assistea her. Did not tell the keener of the prison the 3a. ture of the usage shie had received, but said she had been ill-treated. By MIr. AnOLPrUS for Halliwell.-Never went by the name of Caaswell. Knows arWlr.E1drid: Hewenttolaw with hermothet. Re-examir.ed.-I-ler mother paid Eldrid 251. for fixtures. Sir Alexander Creigliton employed the attorney, and instituted tbispro- secution. She was too weak when in the cart to scream out. illary Kelly, servant to Mlrs. Cowell, corroborated thc evidence of Mtiss Cowell. as to all the principal facts of the case. On her cross.examination she said s4e coald not read writing. Could read the name Mlary Cowell. *Vent to ask Foster what the papers meant. Hle afterwards called on her mistress, and was very insolent. (tler evidence vatiedin a slight degree from the statement of the prosecntrix as to the treatment sie ieccived in the street.) Mrs. Cowell, tite motherofthe prosecutrix, went to Foster's house on the evening of the 7th of May to know what bad become of her daughter, in company with a AIr. Gouglh. Foster laughed at her, and said he did not know. - A Captain Robinson was therewho beg- ged him to tell her, but he refused. Did not know till after three o'clock in the morning. lYent to the Prison at six o'cloek. Paid soine money. Her-daugister wits released in the evening. Cross-examined._Never had any porter or spirits from Fostcr. Foster had frequently seoot for his bill. John Biddulph, butler to - Bicknell, Esq.. was passing on the 7th of Mlay, observe-d the defendants treating the prosecutrix in a very brutaland indecent manner. They treated her Tnore like brutes than men. She called out to himn " For God's sake protect me." He asked them to let her go in and dress herself, but thev refused. Saw two women at the window next door laughing. He confi;med the evidence ofthe two first witnesses. l Cross-examined.-There were several persons presenit. Was in- duced to come forward,from reading an account of the transaction in the papers. Mlr. Bristow saw two carts passing along the road, dsiven very fu. -iously. Twvo men and the prosecutrix werc in the foremost. They appeared to be 1holding her down. Thought the wras insane. SIte appealred in a very distressed state. Capt.Robinson, R.N., confirmedAMrs.Cowell'sstaternent, as to whjat passed at F'oster's house. Mrs. Gliddon, the matron of the prison, described the stateof the prosecutrix on her arrival at the prison. M r. ALLEY then rose, and addressed the jury for the defendant Foster. AMr. ANDREw5S addressed thie jury for the defendant IHortn. Mrk. C. PHILLn's said, he stood there to vindicate the character and innocence of r,is clietit (Bradlley), whose reputation depended entirely up.an the result of that trial. MIr. ADOLPHUsS addressed the jury for the defendant HTalliwrell. MIr. ALLEY then called Mlr. jfohbi Richmond, one of the clerkls at BIow-street, who produced the depositions taken at the examin- ation, and which, lie said, contained the whole of the evidence then brought forward. Ilo sent a copy of them,, by the order of Sir R. 5irnie, to the Judge of the County Court. Caroline Stennett, a servant to M\r. Foster, ssad, she had often taken wine and spirits to llrs. Cowell's: thought they were tor her. Foster at lensgth refused to give her any more credit, and witness went to ask for thle amount of his biD, when prosecutor told her she would pay it when it was convenient, but would not putherself ouit of the way about-it; shte never told her any otherperson ought to pay it. Rlemembered the officers calling on the 7th of Mlay, before they went to the house of the prosecatrix they afterwards scit for her master, who wvet to pointher out to them, and returned home in a few minutes. She once received the ame,unt of ahill for 21. 8s. from the prosecutrix, and gave her Foster's receipt for it. John Branch, an agent to the County Court, proved that he served the sunmunona personally on the prosecutrir.. H-c afterwards served the two orders, bh puttinJg them doNvn the area, when the prosecutrix said they miglit lie there and rot, she would never pick thenm up. Daniel Framptno. who rcsided next door to the prosecutrix, said that he saw the officers bring her out and place her in the cart. Thev used no nmore violence than was necessarv, and did not treat her with that indecency. She appeared very violent, and resisted the authority of the officers. Cross-examined.-Kept a boarding-school ; had two young ladies teachers. They might have, been at the window ; might have laughed; but he did not see them. The prosecutrix might have been treated with violence and indecency, and he not see it, as he was not at the window all the time. WIm. Seymour was sent for by the prosecutrix; on his arrival he found the defendants And her in the parlour. Did not see them use her in any unbecoming manner. Heard one of the defendants tell the servants to fetch helr clothes ; buit she told her not to go. She said they had come to arrest her for an illegal dematnd, and he(witness)advised her to pay it, and slie could obtain redress after- wards, if it was wrong. ( ross-examined-rs a bricklayer: frequents Foster's IItOIse. VWent in coniseqitence of the servanrt coming to his lhontse, heyggin for assistance. The prosecutrix had her usutal dress on. Was al- tlost s.rc shic had lher stays on, but could not swear to it. Was po- sitive sie had lashawl on, a handkerchief, a petticoat, stockings, and a pair of slippers. Alfred Badger, a clerk in the Legacy-office, Somerset-house, -as passing at the timc of the alleged outrage: did not see any violence used. Cross-exanmined._Vas not closc to the prosecutrix: there were several persons betweeni her and h-nn. Charles Blake deposed to ttc sante eflect. Thomas Douglas, from Whitecross-street prison, said, that the prosecutrix did not mention to hint the ill-treatlent she had received on her arrival th,re. He was to speak to the character of the de- fendants, but The CHAIRMAN said he could not receive evidence to character iu cases of ssault Mlir. PLATT replied. The CHrAIRtAN then summed up. He said lie was glad the de- fendants bad so many counsel, as bv their exertions the case had been most thor uglhly sifted. If they had any doubt, he hoped they wvould give the defendants the benefit of it; hut if not, find them guilty of what hc thoughts a most indecent and outrageous assault. The Jury consulted~ about a quarter of an hour, and retunied a vertlict of Guziftq anainss all the defendants. The trial lasted 12 hours, and the Court was crowded to excess during the wl:ole of the rime.. renmce will be passed or. Thursday. MIDDLESEX ADJOURINED SESSIONS, Juze 18. ASSAlILT AND FALSE DMfl.ISONSMENT, BY OFFICEnS OF TIlE COUNTY COURT.