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NORTH WALES ASSIZES.

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NORTH WALES ASSIZES. The assizes for the counties of Denbigh, Flint, Merioneth, and Montgomery, were opened at Ruthin on Saturday, before Mr Justice Grantham, who was attended by the High Sheriff of Denbighshire Mr Thomas Williams, Llewesog; Mr J. Parry Jones, Denbigh, Under Sheriff; and Mr Henry Crompton, clerk of assize. Sir W. Greuville Williams was the foreman of the Grand Jury. In his charge to the Grand Jury his Lordship re- ferred, among other cases, to the case of Jeanet M'Murdo, Llanidloes, charged with concealment of birth, his Lordship said it appeared to him that she had been very badly treated by the minister of her chapel, who in the most wicked way had been the cause of her trouble, and then refused to marry her. Then he offered to marry her if she would find a certain sum of money, and when she had got her friends to agree to find the money, he again, under the guise of religion, his Lordship supposed, said he could not fulfil his promise. She said she was out of her miud at the time of the crime and really did not know what she did. It might be that that would turn out to be so, but he thought that, as far as the Grand Jury were concerned, they would see that they must find a true bill. THE LLANIDLOES CASE. THE JUDGE AND THE CONGREGATIONAL MINISTER. Jeanet M'Murdo, of Glanclywedog, pleaded guilty to the charge that on July 17th, she was delivered of a female child and disposed of its dead body, thereby unlawfully endeavouring to conceal the birth thereof.—Mr Ellis J. Griffith, for the prosecution, said the charge was brought against the prisoner mainly as the result of what she had herself said. The body was found in a watercourse. There was a document at the end of the depositions which no doubt his Lordship would see, and which seemed to indicate the existence of a greater culprit than the prisoner herself, if that statement were correct. The prosecution did not want to press the case in any way.—The prisoner, who seemed to be very delicate, was defended by Mr Colt Williams. He said his client was twenty-five or twenty-six years of age, and had lived with her uncle for twelve years. If his Lordship thought justice I would be met by the discharge of the prisoner, her uncle was willing to take her back to live with him as his housekeeper as before.-Dr. Owen, of Llanidloes, said he was in attendance upon the prisoner, who was suffering from a spinal com- plaint, and was in a very delicate condition.— George Thomas, a commercial traveller, now of Newtown, and formerly of Llanidloes, proferred his testimony as to the prisoner's character. He said she had been a very useful member of the English Methodist Chapel, Llanidloes. Replying to his Lordship, witness said the Rev. Thomas- Luther Martin had lived in the house of prisoner's uncle. He believed her statement with reference to Mr Martin, who was the pastor of the Con- gregational Chapel, Llanidloes, until the month of May. Witness was a member and a deacon of that chapel, and the prisoner was a member of the English Methodist Chapel. At first the members of the Congregational Chapel did not believe the statement of the prisoner, but what he had since heard had altered his view.—Police Inspector Lake also gave evidence as to character. Replying to the Judge, he said prisoner's father was living, and also a brother, who was a solicitor in Scotland. He had known the prisoner eleven or twelve years. She was a most respectable lady. He had not had any occasion to inquire as to the correctness or otherwise of her story.—James M'Murdo, uncle of the prisoner, said he was a widower, and his niece had acted as housekeeper to him for eleven or twelve years. If she were released by his Lordship he would still take care of her. He knew Mi- Martin was very friendly with her, but he never thought that there was anything between them till after her confinement. She had since told him that Mr Martin promised to marry her on condition that she would find £ 300. He knew she had been preparing for marriage before this. He had not seen 1\1:1 Martin since 1 his bad occurred-he had kept entirely out of their way. The ch trge against him, which was dated the 1st of September, bad been read in Court and published, and he bad not heard that Mr Martin had denied it in any way.- In passing sentence his Lordship said he hoped they all sympathised with a woman in the prisoner's position, she having alleged that she had been very badly treated by a nicn who was a greater criminal than she. She said he bad seduced her under the promise of marriage, and had almost driven her out of her mind. He was not aware that her statement to this effect had ever been denied at any rate it had not been publicly denied. A baser or more worldly-minded suggestion than Mr Martin was alleged to have made with respect to the £300 it, was impossible to imagine. The charge bad not been repudiated, and if it was true, the Rev Thomas Luther Martin was about as base a man as ever was created, and certainly was a disgrace and a discredit to any church in this country. Under these circumstances he could hardly believe this- man was still attempting to preach the Gospel. and ho should think very few days would elapse before an inquiry would be held by the members of his church as to whether or not this charge was true. He bad done his best to find out whether the charge was true or not. because he was very loth to believe it. He was very loth to say one single word which could prejudice anyone in the respected position of the pastor of a church. No one held a higher office than that, in the sight of God and in the sight of man, and it would ill become him, in the position he had the honour to occupy, that of one of Her Majesty's judges, to say anything that would prejudice anyone in that position, but he found himself in this difficult position. If the prisoner's statements were true, he ought to pass a lenient sentence, but if her statements were untrue it would only magnify hei offence. It was, in con- sequence, necessary for him to investigate the story as far as be could, and he found that the story had not, been publicly denied. He was told some letters had been written repudiating it, but that was not the way in which the denial should have been carried out He must, therefore, deal with the prisoner, in justice to her, on the assumption tha' -he "haige was true, at any rate in the main, and must believe that the crime was committed in conseque ce of her having been seduced. He should be sorry to add to the suffering she had gone through, and, although the crime to which she had pleaded guilty was one upon which he must pass sentence, the sentence of the Court was- that she should be imprisoned for one day, which would eptitle her to be discharged, in the care of her uncle.—The prisoner was then liberated. Great interest was taken in the case by the crowded Court. FALSE PRETENCES AT TOWYN. Martha Annie Hughes, 29 years of age, Frank- well street, Towyn, was indicted for obtaining by false pretences from the trustees of the Hearts of Oak Benefit Society the sum of £1 9s 8d, also for forging a certificate or declaration of the birth of a child.-Mi- Ellis Jones Griffith, M.P. appeared to prosecute, and Mr S. Moss, M.P., defended.—The prisoner pleaded guilty.—It will be remembered that the Hearts of Oak Society have no branches or agents, and all the work is conducted at the head office in London. The society paid a sum of Rl 10s on the occasion of the lying-in of a member's wife. Accused had made a claim to the society in April, 1896, and also in November of the same year, which only left a period of seven months between the two claims. The society had made inquiries and found that she had received £ 1 10s when no child was born. She was also charged with false pretences, through filing a declaration of the birth of a child. —His Lordship's verdict was that she be sent to prison for six calendar months.

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