The Sun. — 1851-07-28 (London, England)

CLERKENWELL. The neighbourhood of Islington and Hornsey was painfully excited on Saturday, in consequence of a report that a young lady had been outraged in a barbarous manner by a villain who had attempted her life in Hornsey-wood, and that he had been apprehended and lodged in the station-house of the district, and was to be examined before the magistrate of Clerkenwell-court. Long before the opening of the justice-room crowds had collected in the vicinity, and when the prisoner was brought in it was instantly excessively crowded. The accused, a well-dressed fellow, stated his name to be James Noble, otherwise Thomas Spurrier, and the prosecutrix, was Miss Saran Elizabeth Brown, 18 years old, of No. 6, Annett's• place, Bali'spond. She seemed terrorstricken and nearly fainted away. On being sworn she deposed that she was on a visit to her sister, and on the previous afternoon she took a walk in Hornsey- wood, where she observed the prisoner with another man. She lost sight of them for some time, when suddenly the accused emerged from a thicket behind her, and gave her a violent blow under the right ear, which caused her to stagger, and, on turning round, he gave her another blow on the left eye, which caused her to fall. The rufa❑ then threw himself upon her, with his knees on her stomach, and, holding her tightly by the throat by one hand, struck her several violent blows on the face and other parts of her person, from which blood flowed abundantly. She screamed, and called out " Murder," the prisoner all the time endeavouring to raise her clothes and conducting himself otherwise in a manner not fit for publication, She effectually resisted his base design, although he pulled out a knife and attempted to cut her throat, saying he would have her d-- head off unless she consented to his doing what he liked with her. Her cries at length brought assistance, and the prisoner, after a most desperate resistance, was eventually captured.  Reesby, a butcher, said he was attracted by cries of " Murder," and screams. He found the prisoner and prosecutrix struggling on the ground. The accused, on seeing him, endeavoured to escape, but was laid hold of by witness, when a most terrible struggle ensued between them, the prisoner catching hold of his neckerchief and attempting to strangle him, which no doubt he would have done, as he (witness) became taint and exhausted, when luckily a young [aim named 'Moseley came to his rescue, and they kept him down until the arrival of a pulice•constable, the prisoner struggling desperately and wounding them with a knife. Mr. Moseley and the officer, having given corroborative evidence, the prosecutrix was recalled, and, in an ewer to the magistrate, said, that before the thrnstable came up, she saw the prisoner throw tha knife into the wood. It was a white-handled one, silver mounted. She was cer: ain she must have been murdered had it not been for the brave and courageous conduct of the witnesses. The prisoner kicked and beat her in a most awful manner, and she was suffering very much, and under medical treatment.  A certificate was here handed to the magistrate, bearing the signature of a surgeon, who described the prosecuirix to have been grievously maltreated, and that it would be a long time before she could recover, as her system had received a ♦ery severe shock indeed. While giving her evidence she was deeply affected, and several times burst into tears.  The witnpsses who secured the prisoner said, that when he found out that further resistance was of no use, he offered them all the money he had about him to allow him to escap, , and because they refused, called them vile names, ♦owing he would some day or other be the death of them.  The prisoner, on being called on for his defence, coolly said—" I deny having had or thrown away a knife, and I shall say no more."  He was fully committed to Newgate for trial, and the witnesses were bound over to prosecute. The magistrate highly complimented the young men Reesby and Moseley for their brave and humane interference. They were deserving of a reward, and he presented each of them with 10s. They thanked the Court, observing they had only done their duty, and were happy to have had it in their power.  The prisoner wag then removed to Newgate, and Miss Brown, with her sister, was conveyed home in a cab.  TH.  E