The Northern News. — 1898-08-13 (Carlisle, Cumbria, England)

ALLEGED INDECENT ASSAULT.  Edward Gill, Nenthead (miner), a married man with four childien was charged by Mary Dixon Barron, kin& woman, of Welgill, with indecent assault. The woman stated that about 10-30 p.m. on the Bth July, Edward Gill came into her house in company with Jonathan Thompson. her half-brother. Her son. a boy of 13 years, was in bed upstairs, and she was in bed in the kitchen. Thompson went to bed, leaving Gill in the kitchen. She alleged that Gill then went to her bed and took indecent liberties with her. She resented this, and tried to get up to call m the neighbours. Gill afterwards pulled her out of bed and put his hand over her mouth. He assaulted her in a very brutist fashion, and she was very ill afterwards. Mr EDWARDS, solicitor, Carlisle, who appeared for Gill, cross-examined complainant at some length. She said she was not aware that her half-brother and Gill were friends, and she did not know that Thompson had invited Gill into the house. Asked as to whether Gill did not go to sleep over the fire after Thompson went up-stairs. complainant said "It is a lie." Thompson had never complained of her having men coming to the house at nights. She was not married, but she had one child. he admitted she was out on the day following the assault. Dr. Short had been attending her for inflammation of the lungs. She had never mentioned the assault to him till a few days after he began to attend her. Pressed by Mr EDWARDS upon a point of evidenoe, complainant asked if Gill had done nothing why he had acme afterwards and begged pardon. Dr. Short first suggested that she should lay this charge of assault.  Jonathan Thompson, of Nenthead, wagon driver, was called on behalf of complainant. He said be lodged with the woman Barron. On the night in question he was in company with Gill, and invited him to the louse. When they went in Gill went up to the bed, where Barron was, but did nothing wrong. They (Gill and witness) then sat down by the tire and talked about twenty minutes. Witness then went to bed, and left Gill sitting. About twenty minutes after he had got to bed he beard the woman shouting "Murder." He came downstairs and found Gill sitting on the long settle. Witness asked him to leave and he left the house quietly. Cross-examined by Mr EDWARDS, witness said that the woman never objected to his going to bed, and she said nothing about Gill's conduct previous to his being turned out. Gill was the worse for drink. Complainant's son was awake but never went downstairs. He cried when be heard his mother shouting. She never asked him to put Gill out before he went upstairs. He had never had reason to complain of men going to the house at night. Mr EDWARDS, addressing the Bench, said a more unfounded charge had never been brought against anyone than had been brought against his client. The whole of the statements of tbe complainant had been contradicted. His client admitted that he had been in the house and that he had gone to sleep by the fire, but totally denied that be had committed any assault. The probability was that the woman herself had gone to sleep and waking up to find a man in the room had begun to shout, 40 it had never occurred to her to make any statemtt t to anyone, or to bring any charge until some story had got abroad about the affair, and someone had suggested to her to lay a charge. The defendant was a man with a family, and the agony of mind he had passed through since the charge was made had been unbearable. After a few minutes deliberation the Bench dismissed the case, there not being sufficient evidence to convict the defendant.