Widnes Examiner. — 1886-12-04 (Widnes, Cheshire, England)

SINGULAR CHARGE OF ASSAULTING A GIRL. At the Newton Petty Sessions, on Saturday. before Meagre R Houghton, T. J. Gillespie, C. Pilkington, A. C. McCorquodale, and W. F. Gooch, a young man named Jos. Sharp, living in Lrgh-street, Ear'esteem, was summoned for assaulting a girl named Caroline Adams, on the 12th Nov Mr. P. Davies (Warrington) appeared for the defendant, who pleaded guilty, and Mr. W. Swift (St. Helens) appeared for the complainant. Mr. Swift, after expressing surprise that the charge against the defendant was not one of ladecent assault, proceeded to say that the girl was under 15 Years of age, and was a kind of assistant or help at the house of the defendant's mother, where she used to go two or three hours each day and help to clean. About three o'clock en the afternoon of the date in question, she was cleaning the windows of the back kiichen, when the defendant entered the house, and after having his dinner, gave some corn to some pigeons in the yard. He afterwards entered the kitchen again, and pulled her off the box upon which she was standing, and behaved indecently towards her. The complainant then left the house and went home, where she complained to her mother, who visited the defendant's house the following day and complained. The girl, however, returned on the Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, and on the Monday when she was drawing her wages she was discharged—The complainant then gave evidence in support of Mr. t•wift's statement, adding, in reply to Mr. Davies, that she had been working at defendant's home for seven or eight months. She denied having thrown any water upon the defendant, or that she had thrown a dishcloth at bith.—For the defence Mr. Davies pointed to the gsod character borne by the defendant, who, he said, was in a respectableposition, and in the employ of Mr. MolYneux, of Earlestown, who had sent a certificate as to his character. while Mr. Urquhart, tailor, of Newton, and the Vicar of Earlestoen, would also speak as to his character. He submitted that the complainant had thrown some water upon the defendant, and that he merely seized her arm to shake her and caution her about doing so in the future. The defendant never dreamt a charge of assault would be brought against him, and he (Mr. Davies) thought the girl must have been wicked to make the complaint she had done. If there was a doubt in the case the defendant should have the benefit of it.—Mrs. Alice Callender said about the date stated she was nursing defendant's mother who was ill in bed. The complainant did not complain of the defendant having assaulted her.—ln reply to Mr. Swift, witness admitted that the girl's mother called on the following day and made a complaint.—Mr. Davies said he proposed to call the Rev. T. R. Matthews to speak to the defendant's character, whereupon Mr. Swift said he would admit that the defendant was of the best possible character in the world. —The Rev. 'l'. R. Matthews: Your Worships. as I have been called upon I think.—The Chairman (interrupting) Atra they e r Chairman— Aft e r s saide m e sa'd the Bench did not think it necessary as they had Caocnesrutlitaioten wfri(t,hmthteheotthlwferennangit:s etwesP, 1 o dl the defendant would be fined 2s Cfl and costs, and he must be more careful in future.  SHOCKING MURDER IN SHHITtELD. On Wednesday, about noon, a German Engineer, named Usnich murdered a marri,d woman named Jubb, landlidy of the Royal Hotel, Sheffield, and afterwards committed suicide. The two had been acqui:inted for some years, and Usnich seemed to have tried to force h"