CHRONICLE. 



399 



bench, William Draper Best, Esq. 

 Serjeant at law, was indi'ited for an 

 assault on Rebecca, the wife of 

 James Minilie. The counsel for 

 the prosecution stated the case to 

 the court ; in which he observed 

 that Minifio, the prosecutor of this 

 indi6lment, was formerly a man of 

 some consideration, bat misfortune 

 had reduced his station in the world. 

 About nine years ago, his wife be- 

 ing entitled to some relation's pro- 

 perty, an intercourse took place be- 

 tween the defendant and them upon 

 that subjeft, and from that time she 

 had been in the habit of calling upon 

 tlie Serjeant at his chambers. Mrs. 

 Minifie being called, stated, that in 

 consequence of having ceceived a 

 letter from Mr. Serjeant Best, by 

 his appointment she went to his 

 •hambers on the 23d of April last ; 

 but instead of business respecting 

 her estate, as she expected, he told 

 her it was a letter of gallantry ; 

 that he wished her to live with him, 

 and pressed her to make him happy. 

 He said that he saw her husband's 

 circumstances made her uneasy ; 

 but he would remove that bv getting 

 an appointment for him, whicli he 

 had often promised. She told him 

 in reply that she did not expect to 

 hear of such a proposition from him ; 

 that he already knew her sentiments 

 upon the subje6t ; and tluit there 

 were many considerations and ties 

 •f duty and morality, which for- 

 bade such a connexion. Tlie Ser- 

 jeant was not satisfied, but used vio- 

 lent language, and assaulted her by 

 thrusting his hands up her clothes. 



It appeared in evidence, tliat sub- 

 sequently to the supposed oli'ence, 

 the learned SQijeant had been re- 

 quired by the plaintiffs to lend them 

 an hundred pounds, which together 

 with a denial on the part of (he d<j- 

 4 



fendant that he had ever touched the 

 person of Mrs. Minifie, or even ap- 

 proached her with such intention, 

 and several othet circumstances, led 

 Lord Ellenborough to remark that 

 it appeared to be a wicked conspi- 

 racy, to extort money from Mr* 

 Best. 



Mrs. Minifie was cross-examined 

 by Mr. Garrow, and from her an- 

 swers, and the testimony of coun- 

 sellor Ally, who had been consulted 

 on the part of the prosecutor, the 

 jury (without wishing to hear any 

 evidence on the part of the defen- 

 dant) declared their mind to be fulljr 

 made up on the subject : in conse- 

 quence of which Lord Ellenborough 

 said, that he should not trouble them 

 with any observations ; and the 

 jury immediately pronounced a ver- 

 dia of— Not Guilty. . 



At the Hertford assizes, an a6lion 

 was brought by a Mr. Till, school- 

 master, who had most generously 

 lent 1,3001. on bond, to a Mr. Pol- 

 lard, a young farmer, who had been 

 his scholar. Pollard and his friends 

 had trumped up a bankruptcy, in 

 order to defeat Mr. Till of theefleft 

 of his bond, the palintitF however 

 obtained a verdi6t fdr the whof* 

 amount and costs. 



13th. A shocking accident hap- 

 pened to a poor washerwoman in 

 Market-street, St. James's-market. 

 In hanging some linen to dry on a 

 line, that projedled from the two 

 pair of stairs window, l)y over- 

 reaching, she fell into the street, 

 and fractured her skull. She was 

 taken up with but little appearance 

 of life, and conveyed to the Middle- 

 sex hospital. 



Robert Howse, James Reynolds, 

 and John Tiiodey, stood in the pil- 

 lory, at the corner of Duke-strcet, 

 ^mithfield market (pursuant to their 



wcutoDce, 



