Star. — 1826-10-31 (London, England)

MIDDLESEX SESSIONS, OCT. SO.  . Samuel Banks, an athletic seafaring men, was indicted for ast indecent assault on Msry Duffield, on the 10th of this month. Mr. Pniturs—Gentlemen of the Jury, you have heard from the Clerk the nature of the indictment, and it is my duty to state to you more particularly the crime for which the prisoner stands at the bar. Miss Duffield, the prosecntrix, is a school-mistress, living at No. 2, York-street, Commercial-road, in partnership with a Miss Spencer, and had the misfortune to take this man into her house to lodge. She had known the prisoner for years: she, had known bislainOy in !Norfolk, and being a native of that costaty herself, had always viewed him in the light of aim:other. On the 10th of October he supped with her, and had taken something to drink with the prosecutaix, who had herself taken a glass of rum and water. They had for supper a pot of porter, of which but little was drank, consequently the prisoner could not plead drunkenness as an excuse for his ensuing conduct. It was ten o'clock, and she reminded him it was time to go to bed. Miss Spencer, who generally slept in the house, had gone to visit some friends. The prisoner asked Miss Duffield if she (Miss Spencer) was coming home? Miss D. little suspecting his art, said, " if she is not home by half-past I ten, she will not crane home at all." She took a candle to light him to bed. Having lighted him upstairs, she put the candle on the chimney-piece. She said," Good night, William; he bade her "good night;'' but she found, on getting to the door, that it was fastened and that the could not get out. I shall not tell you what he did; I shall leave that to the prosecutrix. She said she would resist while life inspired her, and did resist. Her screams were beard on the other side of the street by a.person who desired the watchman to break open the drior ; but he bad got a foolish notion into his head that if he did not hear the word " murder" called, he had not the authority. The prosecutrix, however, by some means got away from his rasp; she rushed into the street, and, agitated and distracted as she was, went to the friend's house at Poplar, where Miss Spencer was stopping ; she related to them the way in which she had been treated, and they immediately went to her house, which they broke open, and in which there was no one but the three children. The prisoner was oldmately taken in some ship, and conveyed to the Thames Police-office, where the worthy Magistrate acted in the jostest manner. So great was his opinion of the violence used towards a defenceless woman, that he not only bound the prisoner over in the safest manner to appear,' but also bound over Miss Duffield in 200/. to prosecute.! Mary Duffeld confirmed this statement, and described the vie. fence. He was the last Man she would ever have suspected of such oniony. The other facts were all proved by different witnesses. Mr. Aompuus, for the prisoner, made a most eloquent appeal to the Jury, in which he did not attempt to defend, but pleadel the frailty of human nature in extenuation of his conduct. He was found Guilty, and sentenced to two years' inipthOOMeat.  A meeting was held at Nottingham on Tuesday last.' and a petition voted to Parliament for the abolition of the restrictions on the introduction of foreign corn.