The Sun. — 1852-06-17 (London, England)

SHOCKING CASE OF VIOLATION.  GATESHEAD, TUESDAY. - This morning, at the county police court, Gateshead, seven men were brought up before a full bench of magistrates, charged with having, in company with two other men not yet in custody, committed a rape upon the person of Anne Begg, under circumstances of the most revolting description. The names of the men are William Miller, a quarryman; Edward Brown, a pitman; Richard Stephenson, a quarryman; Stephen Cooper, a hawker; William Bell, a pitman; Thomas Harrison, a quarryman ; and John Brown, a pitman. Their victim was a married woman, about 40 years of age, who being separated from her husband, recently took lodgings with a woman at a place called Waggonman's-row, which lies between the villages of Usworth and Washington, and at a distance of about five miles from Newcastle. I,  appears that this woman had been at Newcastle on Saturday, the sth instant, which place she left to proceed home at four o'clock on the following (Sunday) morning. On reaching the Blue Quarries, which is about a mile from Gateshead, she passed a number of mea who were standing together; and one of them, the prisoner Miller, stepped forward, and offered to accompany her. They walked on together until they arrived at a village called Windy Nook, when Miller called at a public house, and during his absence Mrs. Begg entered into conversation with a woman who was drawing water, by whom she was told that Miller "was a decent sort of man." Mrs. Begg then proceeded on her journey, but was speedily overtaken by Miller, and a minute or two afterwards she turned round, and saw a number of other mei, rapidly making their way towards her. As soon as these men overtook her, Miller suddenly threw her with great violence upon the ground,where she was violated by nine men in succession. She at first resisted to the utmost, and shouted " Murder" several times, but was completely overpowered by these barbarians, who held her in such a position that resistance was impossible. When they had all effected their purpose the poor woman got up almost in a state of insensibility, and heard the prisoner Cooper said to his companions, " If we do not make away with her she will do for us." This proposition to murder her was objected to by the prisoners Bell and Harrison, and the latter was heard to say " that if they treated her again as badly as they had done, he would tell the police himself. Whilst the men were quarrelling amongst themselves, the woman walked on, but she had nor got more than one hundred yards when she was again overtaken by Miller and Stephenson, who threw her down is the same brutal manner as before, and both again violated her; after which they returned to their companions, who had remained at a distance. The poor creature contrived again to raise herself from the ground, and with great difficulty walked home, about a mile distant, where she arrived at seven o'clock. Although, as may be imagined, she was in the most deplorable condition, no medical man was called in, but her landlady ministered as well as she was able to her necessities, and for several days she was confined to her bed. No information was given to the police until the following Thursday, and on the next day (Friday) Miller and Stephenson were apprehended and examined before J. F. Crow, Esq., one of the county magistrates. The complainant was then present, and after she hadnarrated the facts above stated, and positively sworn to these two men having committed a rape upon her, they were remanded until Tuesday. On the seven men being brought up this morning, Mr. Superintendent Thompson informed the bench that the woman was no where to be found, and had been missing since yesterday morning. Under these suspicious circumstances, the prisoners were all remanded fur a week. The two men who have at present escaped the vigilance of the police are well known, and no effort will be left untried to bring them to justice. Whether the woman has been murdered or bribed is at present a mystery, which it is to be hoped will speedily be unravelled.