Middlesex Sessions, Tuesd...
The Times, 1824-07-14T00:00:00

Joitn Dartkl and Joitii Green, beadles of the parish of St. George, Bloossbury, were indicted for nn assault on George Levis. It ap- .eared from thea,taement ofthe prosecator thaton the 25th of Octo. ber lalst, as he was passing thoughl jascehs.court, hesaw. the two defendants dratgging the poor woman al1ong. She appeared to resist, and at thc time was bleeding prefisely firom her arn1 Prosecator remonstrated with the men on their- conduct; observed that the wom-an would bleed to death, and begged that they would treat her with less cruelty. Thl defendants replied, that they were taking the woman to the watchhouse, in obedience to the orders of the parish committee ; and added, that if thti prosecutor had any complaint to make, hemight go before the committee; which was then sitting. He was in the act of doing so, 'when the defendants struck him several times, and atlength took him into cu4tody, brought bhin before a magistrate, and charged him Iwith assauttingthem in theexecution of their duty. Se was comnmitted tothewatehhousle, wberehe remained from Saturda. till tucsday, before he got bail.' After FMne- titne the clarge against him waa abandonca_. and le then idicted tho parties. - S%Mr. AxnuEws, for the deiftdants,gave a Yery different account of the tranzaction. Thewas n'whotithe41fendait&tb'adjijcust&dy at the tinme of thiis transsdtloit'wtas a* pauper,. 'nd l'aNd -{beeh n'int 'te. parish factory at Islington. In o had been ordere- to the watchhouse, and the dtefendintg weiecin 'tlhe pact of taking her sah aiioti.r woman there, iihen tlhey vete met by theprosecutor. The woman resisted very micih7 threw herselr tlle groundi and took offtle bandages from hrc: arm, fonim hich she4hadhad someblood taken thatrnorning. The consequenc6was, her arm-bled afresh, aond some of theblood came upon her apron, with =thich5hewiidherefxce.shothlaseppearedasifbleedingfremttheface. -Whilein thiiststeshe was seen by the prosecutor, who, thinking that the -bleeding wt calts'd by the improper treatmnert of the defend. ants, rernotlitfsted with ihem in a very harsh manner, and, at length, so far interrupted them in what was their dutv, that they took himi into castody.. As t4 the charge not being pressed a,gainst hint, itiould appear that it was occasioned by the solicitation of thep jsosecutor's wife, and it was not until after that cliarge was abatndoned that he thouight of'preferring the present accusation. Several witiesses, wvho saw the transaction, were now called, wvho 7taled, that the conduct of the defendants was throughout most hit- mane, andthat tlieyha(l doneallin their power to induce thewoman toRr pecealyaongwith tham. jtfu tile defenbants uy but recommended them to the mercy of the Court. The Cohtrt sentenced them io pay a fin e of 51. each. DOMESTIC BROILS. Johen Pardtng was put to the bar., charged with an assault upon Susannah, his wife. The wife, who is a young wornan of rather a mild appearance, went into the box and told her story, which was in substance, tbatJohn Hardingeamehomeonenightvery tipsy. Susan bore this with. exemplary patience tntil tthe next morning, w"en she took it intoherheadtogiveJohnabitofa "curtainlecturc." Johndid not take thls wholesome remonstrance as kindly as it was meant, and he beat Susan. It did not appear, however, that he used mucht violence-she was more frightened than huirt: but her feelings were very severely wounded, and she had John "c up" before the Mlazistrate. the Chairman (!Mr. CONST.)-.-WU, John Harding, what have you to say to this ? Del udant ..._Say!to i*, your Worship? Whylhave only to say 'tis all fallse, that's all I have to say to it. The CMAIRMfAS(..-B.fnt your wife pesitively swear3 that you struck Dcfendant-Lord bless your Worship, don't believe her. .Je strike her? No, your WVorship ; and now there she is present, she canet show a mark from me, that she can't; but I'll tell your WVor- ship how it was. She wnasaograwaeaing of me, and I did scold her a little, but I never struck her, that I didn't. We hIad a little differ. ence, but it was all made up. Before I went out in the morning, I kissed her, and said, " Now, Susan," says I, " let all that's past be forgot, and things will go on straight again. Never mnind your fathier and mother, but be ruled by your husband." But, your .Vorship, afterall, that verydav she " had me up." But that was not the worst of. it; for wvhile I ivas " had up," she came home and sold every article I had in the house, to the matter of 501. worth, as 1 have certificates to show. ly verv bed shesold. She left an old bedstead, it's true, bat I had not a led to lie on. She then left me, and now sle is it the workhouse, your Vorship. That's all'I have got to say to it. Here Susan too1 up) the conversati6n, and stated In a tone some- what more elevated thaa her first narrative. Your Worshie, this is not the first tine I have " had him up" for his conduct to imc He beat mc, your Worship, when I wvas large with my little girl, and the child has the snrk of where he hit me, in her forehead. Defendant.VOh, your Worship, never mind what she says. I'll tell you how the child got markc(d. iMy wife there, and she cEan't deny it, hit me over the shoulder wilh a poker, and left a mark on mc through a thick catt; and I being vexed, threw mv hit at her, and it hit her over the face, and that'sthe way the child got marked, your 'Vership. Susan did not deny this in words, bitt she threw up her eyes as if she was astonished at the statement. The CsArstsAr.-.Vell, we will not stop now to hear the his- [tory of yOur domnestic squabbles. Gentlemen, (tothe jury) you bave heard the case, and do you deCide upon it. The jury found the prisonergeilty; and the Court sentenced him to pay a fine of one shilling; and ordered him te enter into arecog- nizance in the sumn of 101. not to beat his wife again. Defendant.-Your worship maybe sttre I won't havenothing to do with her; but she is a bad one. lie then entered into recognizanee, and was discharged. AI7DDLESEX SE*SSIO.ArS, TURsDAY, furY 13.