Select proceedings at the Old-Bailey ... Containing the trials at large of I. Captain Morris, for a rape on the body of Mary Shortney. II. Miss Hannah Philips, a young lady, for shop-lifting. III. William Adams, for defrauding His Majesty / [James Morris].

  • Morris, James.
Date:
1757
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Select proceedings at the Old-Bailey ... Containing the trials at large of I. Captain Morris, for a rape on the body of Mary Shortney. II. Miss Hannah Philips, a young lady, for shop-lifting. III. William Adams, for defrauding His Majesty / [James Morris]. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    [2 c abilities to fee council (as he too well knows and 1 boafts of) unlefs charitably aided, as above re- 4 quefted; upon the ftrength of which he pro- 4 pofes taking his trial next feffions at the Old- 4 Bailey, which begins on Wednefday next, and 4 has given notice to the profecutors, that he will 4 furrender in court that day.’ And that in the Public Advertifer of Tuefday the 19th day of this inftant April, the following advertifement was printed, viz. ‘To the truly charitable and humane, friends 4 of and enemies to the violators of virtue. 4 An unhappy gentlewoman, whofe h-ufband ‘ being under unavoidable misfortunes, was necef- ‘ fiiated to be continually on the foot amongft 4 her friends endeavouring to extricate him, was c way-laid by a bafe and notorious villain, who, 4 under pretence of aftifting her hufband, inveigled 4 her into his power,and cruelly ufedand ravifh’d 4 her, for which he {lands indi&ed thefe feven 4 months pad, ever fince which he has abfconded. 4 But upon hearing that he was to be out-lawed, 4 and that the poor woman was dangeroufly ill (as 4 fne has been for four months fince this unhappy 4 affair) he put the unhappy fufferersto great ex- 4 pences in attending feveral noticesof hisfurren- 4 der to trial (at times that he was well allured 4 that the poor woman was not able to fit up in her 4 bed, much lefs to appear in court to try him) 4 which expence, herlicknefss and the lofs of her 4 hufband’s time, has rendered them objects of 4 unutterable companion. They therefore are in- 4 difpenfibly obliged thus mod: humbly to call up- 4 on the truly charitable and humane, to enable 4 them to bring this vile offender to juftice, who, 4 from the ftrength of money, and the powerful 4 friends that he (vile as he is) has to ftand by 4 him, boafts, that he’ll get over this profecution, 4 which fo loudly calls for the affiftance of every 4 virtuous lady, tender hufband, and truly af- 4 fedionate parent. This (now) unhappy couple, 4 having nothing to back them in this melancholy 4 profecution, but the juftnefs of their refentment, 4 fear, that it is absolutely neceffary for them to 4 have proper council at the trial, to minutely ex- 4 amine his witneffes (as they are told he has a 4 great many prepared) have it not in their prefent 4 abilities to fee council (as he too well knows 4 and boafts of) unlefs charitably aided, as above ] 4 requefted; upon the ftrength of which he pro- 4 pofes taking his trial next feffions at the Old- 4 Bailey, which begins to-morrow, and has given 4 notice to the profecutors, that he will furrender 4 in court that day. 4 Donations will be moft gratefully acknow- 4 ledged in this paper, or in perfon by the unhap- 4 py fufferers, if admitted; and will be received 4 by Mr. John Frip, apothecary, in Carey-ftreet, 4 oppofite to the Plough-inn, Lincoln’s-mn, who 4 has attended the poor woman in her ftcknefs 4 thefe four months paft, and ftill attends her, and 4 who, in compaflion to their deplorable fttuation, 4 is pleafed to take the trouble upon him. 4 N. B. Inline 18 of this advertifement yefter- 4 day, the ftrength of mercy was printed by mif- 4 take inftead of the ftrength of money.’ The court after mature deliberation had thereof declared their opinion to be, That the printing and pubiifhingfuch paragraphs relative to a profecution for felony depending in this court, was not only a public offence punifhable by indi&ment, and a private injury for which the party aggrieved may maintain his a&ion at law, but alfo was an high contempt of this court, and ought to be taken up and treated as fuch, for the honour of public juftice, and to check a pra&ice fo illegal and wick¬ ed, as the printing and publifhing what may tend to prejudice a queftion depending in judgment here upon a criminal profecution, and therefore made an order to the effect following. London and Middlefex. At the general feffions of gaol delivery of New¬ gate, holden for the city of London and county of Middlefex, at Juftice-Hall in the Old-Bailey, on Wednefday the 20th Day of April, 1757, be¬ fore the Right Hon. Marfhe Dickinfon, Efq; Mayor of the City of London ; the Right Hon. William Lord Mansfield, Chief Juftice of the Court of King’s-Bench ; Sir Edward Clive, Knt. one of the Juftices of the Court of Common- Pleas; the Hon. Heneage Legge, Efq; one of the Barons of the Court of Exchequer; and others his Majefty’s Juftices of Gaol Delivery for the faid City and County of Middlefex. It appearing to this court, that in two public papers intituled the Public Advertifer, one dated Monday April the 18th, 1757, and the other dated Tuefday April the 19th, 1757, and printed and