The trial of Joseph Hodges for carnally abusing one Maranata Freestone, a girl under ten years of age, and sentenced to twenty years penal servitude / by Jonathan Wybrants.

  • Wybrants, Jonathan, 1818-1883.
Date:
1861
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The trial of Joseph Hodges for carnally abusing one Maranata Freestone, a girl under ten years of age, and sentenced to twenty years penal servitude / by Jonathan Wybrants. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The Royal College of Surgeons of England. The original may be consulted at The Royal College of Surgeons of England.

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    f I heard nothing more of Joseph Hodges uiita the Rev. H. Pratt, Rector * of Shepton Mallet, handed me the following letter, asking, at the same time, ® what I thought of him, and if anything could be done for the unfortunate prisoner. s; Medway Walk, Convict Establishment, • Bermuda. >< To the Rev. H. Pratt, s: Reverend Sir, it In presuming to address you, it is with a view of obtaining some information relative to the success of the petition which your ’ Reverence so very kindly forwarded in behalf of your humble servant, and I consider it my duty to return you a letter of thanks for your intercession, I should have written sooner but thought it best to allow your Reverence '‘' plenty of time to receive an answer to my petition. You will not be surprised when I inform you that I am extremely anxious to receive a letter from your Reverence stating all particulars. Your Reverence has always proved a • good friend to me, and I trust I have always endeavoured to merit your good 1* opinion, for I can assure you that I have since conviction, borne a very excellent character, so that you perceive that your good counsel and fatherly advice has not been in vain, for it is with feelings of something akin to if' repugnance that I look back upon my past errors, and fain would bury them n! in the vortex of oblivion and forgetfulness ; but as regards my last crime, i your Reverence is aware how entirely innocent I stand. But I will not h waste either time or words in recalling to remembrance the harrowing e thoughts. It is a very melancholy fact to reflect on what the fate of that ip young woman has already been, and what it may eventually be ; but God 1 knows I bear her no malice, and trust she will learn by her own experience e what a bitter thing it is to injure a fellow creature. s In conclusion, give my best respects to all inquiring friends and well 1 wishers, and accept the same yourself, wife, and family, and don’t forget to ai write to me as soon as convenient, and the prayers of your humble servant !i. shall follow your Reverence all the days of my life. I subscribe myself, ' JOSEPH HODGES. ! Having no doubt that Joseph Hodges was illegally sentenced to twenty f years penal servitude for a crime, he never committed, I drew up and for- warded the following, with a copy of the depositions, to various eminent J medical men, and requested their opinion on the case ; most of them strangers « to me except by reputation. I now beg heartUy to thank them for the trouble they have taken ; and trust by their means that truth may be elucida- “I ted and the prisoner be pardoned ; but above all that it will open the eyes of judges, magistrates, and lawyers, not to be again deceived by forced itj and ignorant witnesses.