Another Account of Stephen Wilson Kinsey's Sexual Assault Case

An account of Stephen Kinsey's sexual assault of a young woman aboard a train in 1866 was the subject of a blog entry last year.

However, the article from the 6 November 1866 Birmingham Daily Mail was short and left many questions unanswered:

 

However, another account of the events of the 29 October 1866 has been found.  And, it provides even more details to that troublesome night.  The article was published in the 9 November 1866 Wrexham Advertiser:

Charge of Indecent Assault Against a Tradesman of Llanymynech

At the Shrewsbury Police Court, on Monday, Stephen Kinsey, butcher of Llanymynech, was charged with indecently assaulting, on the 29th October last, while travelling on the Potteries, Shrewsbury, and North Wales Railway, Mary Ann Briscoe.  Mr. Chandler, solicitor to the said railway company, appeared in support of the complainant: and Mr. Corbett Davies for the defendant.  Complain and deposed that on the day named she booked herself by the 7.30 p.m. train for Ford, and was placed in a third-class carriage, in which defendant was also placed subsequently, but two divisions from her, the carriage having four divisions.  Directly the train began to move defendant went to where she was sitting, he having previously asked her to go to him which she refused to do, put his arm around her waist, and kissed her.  She told him to take his hands away, when he indecently assaulted her.  She tried to get into the next compartment; but he pulled her down on her seat, and again indecently assaulted her.  She got to the window of the carriage, put her head out, and called for the guard, but could not attract his attention.  As the train passed the Red Hill station she saw the station-master, and called to him but he seemed not to notice her.  Defendant repeated his assaults; and she resisted him as much as she could, but did not have the strength to cope with him.  She told him she give him in charge directly the train stopped.  When the train reached the station at Ford, and before it had come to a stand , she jumped out.  Defendant held her clothes, and she fell on the platform.  her bonnet was crushed, her satchel was broken, her cloak was torn, and her hair was hanging down her back.  She informed the guard that she had been grossly assaulted.  She had never seen the defendant till that evening , and gave him no encouragement whatever.  Inspector Biddle proved putting defendant in the train on the night in question, in the same division of the carriage.  Frederick Perks, who was acting as guard of the train to Ford, said that he saw complainant with her head out of the train twice; but he did not hear her shout, as her voice would be drowned out by the rattle of the train.  On reaching Ford complainant informed him that defendant had grossly assaulted her.  Defendant was then in division of the carriage in which complainant had been placed.  He had had drink - Mr. Corbett Davies addressed the bench for the defendant, urging that it appeared to be improbable that complainant could not have made herself heard if she she had attempted to do so. - The magistrates determined to send the prisoner to trial at the sessions, but they would accept bail, himself is £50, and two sureties in £25 each.