NEHEMIAH SMITH,
aged 41, was charged with assaulting Ann Underwood, of Desborough, with
intent to commit a capital felony.
Mr. Waddington appeared for the plaintiff, and Mr. Humfrey for the
defendant.
Ann Underwood
stated that she was servant to Mr. Iliffe, living at Desborough. On the
30th of April, she went to Harborough Fair, about five miles from
Desborough. Witness's friends live at Braybrooke, and on her way home to
Desborough she went towards Braybrooke to see her friends. It was
moonlight about eight o'clock. There is a road which crosses the road
from Braybrooke to Desborough, and which leads from Arthingworth to
Stoke. When she reached this place, a man came up to her, laid hold of
her, and asked where she was going. She replied, "to Desborough." The
man then said she should not go any further. Witness screamed out,
"murder!" and he put his fist to her mouth, and pushed her down in the
middle of the road. She asked him to let her get up to take her bonnet
off, intending to run away. He let her get up, and she again screamed,
murder! The man again threw her down on the side of the road, and
committed the assault. Witness contrived to get away from him, and run
towards Desborough, leaving her umbrella, shoe, and basket behind. She
met Mr. Henry Baines on her way, and told him what had happened. When
she reached Desborough, she went into the house of Mr. Coe, and remained
there until Henry Baines brought her her shoe, basket, and umbrella. She
then went on to her master's house at Desborough. Witness spoke
positively to the prisoner at the bar being the man by whom the assault
was committed. He had scratches on his right cheek.
H. Baines
stated that he lives at Desborough. On the evening of the 30th of April,
he was standing at his father's gate, at Desborough town end, and heard
a cry of murder! repeated several times. Witness went towards the place
whence the sound proceeded, and met Ann Underwood crying murder. She was
running towards Desborough. One of her shoes was off, and her dress was
dirty, as if she had been down on the road. She stated what had happened
to her, and witness in consequence went towards Braybrook, and found an
umbrella on the middle of the road, a basket on the side of the road,
and a shoe sticking in the dirt.
John Kendall stated that he lives at Desborough, and is a farmer's
servant. He saw the prisoner come up Desborough street on the 30th April
last, about half-past eight o'clock in the evening. He was going in the
direction of Harborough.
Samuel Gibbs, a shepherd, stated that he was in his master's field,
adjoining the Desborough road, between eight and nine on the 30th of
April. He saw a man coming along the Stoke road from the Harborough
road. It was the prisoner at the bar, who is a gipsy.
Ann Moore was going along the Harborough road on the evening in
question. When she reached the cross road from Arthingworth to Stoke she
heard a scream of murder. Witness had come along the road all the way
from Harborough to Desborough. She met a man on foot and another on
horse-back, but neither of them was the prisoner.
John Iliffe, the master of the prosecutrix, stated that when he came
home at ten o'clock, he found Ann Underwood crying, and very hysterical.
He sent for her sister to sleep with her.
Elizabeth Underwood stated that she was sent for from Braybrook to
attend her sister. She found her extremely ill.
Joseph Ball, the constable, apprehended the prisoner in the
Horse-market of this town, on Saturday the 4th May. On his
cross-examination by Mr. Humfrey, witness stated that he had known the
prisoner many years. He was a dealer in horses, and had dealt in them
for thirty years to his knowledge. Never heard any similar charge
against the prisoner before.
The examination of the prisoner before Mr. Wetherell was put in. It
stated that (he) the prisoner, never turned off the turnpike road, and
that the scratches in his face he received on the 29th of April, from
his son.
Guilty. Imprisonment and hard labour for 18 months.
Northampton Mercury,
Saturday 13 July 1833