The Sun. — 1861-07-15 (London, England)

CROWN SIDE. James Smith, 25, a gipsy, was indicted for feloniously assaulting and ravishing Anne Hearn. Mr. Bushby conducted the prosecution. The prisoner was defended by Mr. Lysley. It appeared from the statement of the learned counsel for the prosecution, and the evidence adduced to support it, that the offence of which the prisoner was accused was committed under most aggravated circumstances. The prosecutrix, who gave her evidence in a very simple and artless manner, is a respectable young woman, the daughter of a labourer, living near the village of Rickmansworth, and it appeared that about 6 o'clock on the evening of the 13th of May she went out for the purpose of purchasing some articles of grocery for the family, and she had to go through a field where there was a public footpath. As she was proceeding on her way she saw the prisoner and two other men sitting on a gate, and as she approached them the prisoner jumped off the gate and went up to her ' and addressed her by saying, " Well, girl, where are you going to ?" She replied that it was no business of his, and was about to proceed, when the prisoner laid hold of her in an indecent manner and attempted to throw her down. She resisted, and a desperate struggle took place between them, during which her clothes were literally torn from her back, and she at length had nothing on but her chemise, and she be• came so weak and exhausted that the prisoner succeeded in forcing her upon the ground and accomplishing his object. It appcered tnat while this was going on the prisoner's companions remained sitting on the gate, and did not attempt to render her the least assistance, and when she had an opportunity, the prosecutrix got up and attempted to go away. When she did so, the prisoner said he had not done with her yet, and ran after her, and threw a shawl round her face, and again endeavoured to throw her upon the ground. She struggled with him as well as her strength would permit, and one of the other men upon seeing this ran up, seized the prosecutrix, and assisted to force her down, and the prisoner then again repeated the offence. It may be imagined that the prosecutrix was at this time in a most pitiable condition, but she eudeovoured to get away as well as she could, and as she was leaving the prisoner called out to her and said that if she told anything about him he would murder her the next time he saw her. The poor girl reached home with a great deal of difficulty, and immediately told her father what had happened, .and after she had sufficiently recovered they proceeded in search of the prisoner, and came up with him at no very great distance from the spot where the outrage had been committed, and the prosecutrix immediately pointed him out to her father, who asked him what he had been doing with his daughter. The reply was that he knew nothing about her, but upon the father saying that he was the man he wanted and he should secure him, the prisoner ex(!litim2d, " Oh, if you mean that, yon --, I shall give you leg bail," and he then ran off, and succeeded in getting away. A police-constable, named Parker, was then applied to, and on the following day he accompanied the prosecutrix and her father to a place on the borders of the counties of Buckingham and Hertford, where there was a gang of gipsics, and the prisoner, who was among them, was again identified by the prosecutrix and given into custody. Upon the constable telling him what he was charged with, he at first declared he was entirely innocent, and had no knowledge whatever of the prosecutrix, but when the constable was conveying him to gaol he asked him whether he thought he should get twelve months for what .he had done, and upon his replying that it was impossible for him to say what the result would be, the prisoner said that he should consider himself very lucky if he " got off " for three months. _ that he e prisoner, when before the magistrates, declared hat he was not the wen that assaulted the prosecutrix,