The Sun. — 1844-11-12 (London, England)

CLERKEN WELL. Stephen Morgan was charged With an assault under the following circumstances : Mr. John Camphine, residing at 65, Ossultonstreet, Somers-town, deposed that between eleven and twelve o'clock on the previous night he was returning home along Gray's Inn-lane, when he heard screams and cries of "Police" and "Murder." He hastened to the place, and there saw the prisoner and one of his associates pulling up the clothes of two decent-lorling poor women, and behaving in a most obscene manner towards them. They were crying for help. The prisoner seemed to be taking a part in this ill-treatment, for when witness interfered he struck him a violent blow on the head, and seized the woman's dress. The prisoner again struck witness several blows on the head. There was no policeman near, and witness followed the prisoners into Holborn, where he and his associates turned upon witness, knocked him down, and kicked and beat him in a cruel manner. A policeman at length came up and arrested Morgan, who had previously directed his companions that were beating witness whilst prostrate in the kennel, to knock witness's brains out.  Martha Kingland, the wife of a labourer, living in Clarke's-buildings, Bagnigge Wells-road, deposed that she was returning home along Gray's Inn-lane, when the prisoner and several of his companions met them. One of them knocked her down, and another pulled up her dress. She got up on her legs, but was again knocked down on the footway. The prisoner was one of the party. Saw him violently assault Mr. Camphine both in Gray's Inn•road and in Kingstreet. She was cruelly treated. Inspector Bewley stated that from inquiries made it appeared the witness was a decent, quiet woman, the wife of a carpenter, and the mother of two children. She was perfectly sober, and the prisoner was not intoxicated. •  Anne Whitbread, the companion of Martha Kingsland on the occasion, the wife of a labourer, was then placed at the bar, charged with stealing a gold pin, the property of Mr. Charles Simpson, 252, Tottenham-court-road.  Mr. Simpson stated that whilst he was standing with the prisoner Morgan in Gray's Inn-lane, on the previous night, the prisoner at the bar came up, and saying to him "You knocked me down," tore away the silk stock from his neck, which he recovered, but the gold pin he did not get back. He gave the prisoner into custody. The prisoner, in the most solemn and earnest manner, denied the robbery. It was Mr. Simpson who pulled up her clothes, knocked her down, and rolled her in the mud; and when the policeman was coming up, seeing that she was going to give him in charge for so cruelly treating her, he gave her in charge for stealing what she never saw.  Police-constable Moss, E division, stated that Mr. Simpson gave the prisoner into his charge for stealing a gold pin. The woman at once denied it, and said she had been terribly ill-used by the prosecutor, as well as by Morgan. Witness followed Mr. Simpson to his residence in Tottenham-court•road, d when at the door he said to witness, " I wish I could make it up; if she was not going to give me in charge for the assault, I would nothave given her into custody. I wish I could make it up." The prisoner was the wife of a hard-working poor man, and the mother of several children. On their way to the station, a friend of the prisoner's said, " You know, Simpson, you have lost no pin." Mr.