The Sun. — 1844-12-13 (London, England)

COLERIDGE.) A man, named William Makin, aged 29, was charged with having, on the sth of October last, at Lockwood, near lluddersfield, in the West Riding, feloniously and violently assaulted Mary Ann Armytage, and committing a repo upon her person. Mr. Pashley and Mr. Monteith prosecuted, and the prisoner was undefended. The prisoner is a married man, residing at Crosslandmoor, in the parish of Lockwood. The prosecutrix is a mill girl, 15 years of age, and—like too mazy, we fear, of her class—did not appear to possess much of the commodity called modesty. In the witness-box she gave her evidence with the most unblushing impudence, though she ascribed as a reason for not immediately informing any one of what she alleged had been done to her, that she " dursn't do it for shame." The prosecutrix lodged with the prisoner, and before his marriage she had lived with his wife, who at that time had two bastard children. The prosecutrix slept in the same bed with an old woman and a boy, and in the same room slept the prisoner, his wife, and another boy. It was urged for the prosecution, that in the absence of all from the house but the prosecutrix the prisoner effected his purpose, and if her evidence, when examined by her own counsel, was to be believed, much against her own desire. his Lordship, however, who had the depositions before him, put several questions to her, in answering which she committed herself in a variety of ways, contradicting statement after statement almost as soon as she had made it. It appeared that criminal connexion had taken place between them, but that it was in opposition to the girl's desire appeared very doubtful indeed. Mr. Justice COLERIDGE summed up, and presented the case to the jury somewhat in the manner we have described it.  The jury retired, however, to consider their verdict, and, after an absence of three minutes, Acquitted the prisoner. In this case the law was so clearly laid down by his Lordship, that surely there was no necessity for the jury to retire. As it is customary, however (that the cases may not be delayed), to swear in another jury immediately upon the retirement of the preceding case, these Yorkshire juries, after sitting for about two hours, get tired, and when the case concludes they beg to retire, that they may escape for a time the duties which they are called upon to bear. It generally happens that not a minute elapses between the swearing in of the new jury and the return of the others, and in the case above reported they positively returned before the whole of the ceremony of installing the new jury was concluded. This practice hinders to such a degree the business of the assizes, already so long protracted, and is so notorious to every one here, that we have deemed it our duty briefly to refer to it.  John Kendrew, who was yesterday acquitted on an indictment charging him with feloniously harbouring, aiding, and assisting his brother, William Kendrew, well knowing him to have been guilty of a felony in wilfully murdering one Mr. Inchbald (az reported yesterday), was to-day placed upon his trial, charged with stealing, on the 29th of September last, at Boroughbridge, one pistol, the property of Ann Glenton. Mr. Wilkins and Mr. Overend prosecuted the prisoner, who, himself, was undefended. The prisoner had lodged in the same house with the prosecutrix, and the case was connected in a great measure with that reported yesterday, the pistol having been stolen just prior to starting from Boroughbriclgo with his brother William for Newcastle, where it was pawned. The prisoner was not actually seen to take the pistol ; but he was proved to have known where it used to be kept—to have said soon after the pistol bad bean missed that he had a pistol then, when he was never known to have had ono before, and to have pawned it at Newcastle. The duplicate also was found upon him ; the pistol was clearly ideatitled, and on being apprehended he gave false names. Altogether there could be no doubt on the face of the evidence that the nrisoper had been guilty of the Nlpny wlt4 which Q etas 4argp4. Mr, Justice CoLpiTDOE summed up, =4 The jury, without hesitation, found the prisJr Guilty.—To be transported for wren years.