The Corowa Free Press, Fri 4 Dec 1903 1
COROWA POLICE COURT.
———✦———
Thursday, December 3, 1903.
———
(Before Mr M Longfield, JP.)
Edward Elijah Brown, attempting to commit an unnatural offence. Remanded for 8 days for the production of evidence.
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The Corowa Free Press, Fri 11 Dec 1903 2
COROWA POLICE COURT.
———✦———
Wednesday, December 9, 1903.
(Before Messrs A Anderson and FC Piggin, JsP.)
Edward Elijah Brown, on remand, charged with attempting to commit an unnatural offence.
Remanded for further 8 days.
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The Corowa Free Press, Fri 18 Dec 1903 3
COROWA POLICE COURT.
———✦———
Thursday, December 17, 1903.
———
(Before Mr GR Evans, PM.)
Edward Elijah Brown, on remand, charged with attempting to commit an unnatural offence.
Evidence was given by Constable Prior, Clarence Holland, William Holland, Timothy Moroney, William Davis, and the Government medical officer, which went to show that an unnatural offence had been attempted.
The PM (to accused)—There is a prima facie case against you. Have you anything to say in answer to the charge?
Accused [Edward Elijah Brown] —On the night of 2nd December I spoke to Constable Prior about a paper, “The Worker,” and as to the boy I totally deny the charge against me. I never saw the boy in my life before until I saw him in his father’s shop.
The PM—I commit you to stand your trial at the Albury Quarter Sessions on Friday, February 12, 1904.
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The Albury Daily News and Wodonga Chronicle, Sat 13 Feb 1904 4
ALBURY QUARTER SESSIONS.
———•———
Yesterday [Friday 12 Feb 1904]
———
Before His Honor Acting Judge Harris.
Crown Prosecutor: Mr Merewether.
…
THIS DAY.
ALLEGED INDECENT ASSAULT.
Edward Elijah Brown was charged with indecently assaulting Clarence Holland [11 years of age] at Corowa on Dec 2, 1903. He pleaded not guilty.
The following jury was sworn:—JF Crow, HW Harold, GB Stelling, T Greenfield, John Sherry, W Hanna, WK Barnes, W ( ?), AG Daniel, NH Skinner, Jos Adams, jun, A Michan, PB Munro.
Constable [James] Prior, stationed at Corowa, said he was on duty in Sanger-street, Corowa on Dec 2. At 8.30 pm William Holland called him into his fruit shop and gave certain information. The boy Clarence Holland was present, and answered questions put to him. Witness stepped out of the shop and met accused, who asked him where he could get a paper. With accused he went into the shop, and Mr Holland called his son Clarence, who said accused was the man who assaulted him. Accused said, “He is making a great mistake; I never saw him before.” Accused said he had not been on the Corowa Wahgunyah road; that he had been camped in the police paddock. Accused was then taken to the lockup and charged with the offence.
William Holland, fruiterer at Corowa, said his son was 12 years of age. On the evening in question he sent him to the post office at Wahgunyah to post a letter. The boy returned about a quarter past 8 crying and in an excited state, and with his clothes dirty and pulled about. When the constable and accused came into the shop witness called his son, who said, “That is the man who done it.”
Clarence Holland gave evidence. He was returning from Wahgunyah when he caught up to accused, who accosted him and said, “Where are you going without your boots or stockings?” Witness described how the accused followed him and made him go into the police paddock, where the offence took place. He was sure the man in court was the same man that assaulted him.
Timothy Maroney, dealer at Wahgunyah, said he saw the accused at the Newmarket Hotel about 6 o’clock. At 6.30 accused accompanied him to the Australian Hotel, and afterwards to the Union Hotel at Wahgunyah. Accused then left, and witness did not see him till next morning.
William Davis, groom at the Steam Packet Hotel, said he saw the accused there about 8 o’clock.
William Henry Lang, medical practitioner at Corowa, gave evidence.
Accused [Edward Elijah Brown] gave evidence on his own behalf, denying having spoken to anyone on the night in question between Corowa and Wahgunyah except an hotelkeeper.
After a short retirement, the jury found prisoner guilty, and he was sentenced to 18 months’ hard labor.
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The Border Morning Mail and Riverina Times, Mon 15 Feb 1904 5
ALBURY QUARTER SESSIONS.
———✦———
Saturday, February 13.
———
Before His Honour, Acting Judge Harris.
Edward Elijah Brown was charged with committing an abominable offence upon Clarence Holland, aged about 13 years, in Corowa, on the evening of December 3, 1903.
The following jury were empanelled:— Wm Kirby Barnes, Thomas Greenfield, Walter Hanna, AG Daniel, Nat Hill, Skinner, Joseph Adams junr, John Sherry, Andrew Michan, and Peter Bell Munro.
The accused, who was undefended, pleaded not guilty,
The Crown Prosecutor, Mr Merryweather [sic], prosecuted.
Constable James Prior, stationed at Corowa, said he was on duty December 3, when he saw Mr Holland, father of the youth, and he made a complaint to him. In consequence of this complaint he had a conversation with the boy. Immediately upon coming out of Holland’s shop he saw prisoner coming along the footpath, and he (prisoner asked him where he could buy a paper called the “Worker.” Sent him to Holland’s, and followed him. When Holland saw prisoner he brought the lad in, and he immediately identified him as the man who had assaulted him. Accused denied ever having seen the boy, or having been any further in the direction of Wahgunyah that day than the School or Arts.
To the Crown Prosecutor—Accused said definitely that he had not been on the Corowa-road that night. He had been at the police paddock the day before; but had left at 12 o’clock and had stayed at the Newmarket Hotel, and had remained there drinking all day, and had just come from there to get a copy of the “Worker.”
Took accused to the station, and then brought the boy over, and he again positively identified him as the man who had assaulted him. He had been knocking about the town for fourteen days, and appeared to be suffering from the effects of drink. Had the accused and the boy each submitted to medical examination.
Wm Holland, father of the lad, deposed to having sent the lad to Wahgunyah to post a letter about 7.30 in the evening and to his returning later on, and informing him of the assault, also to the accused, in company of Constable Prior, having come into the shop later on, and to the identification of accused by his son.
Clarence Holland deposed to having been sent to Wahgunyah by his father, and to having passed accused on the bridge. Accused spoke to him and followed him across the bridge, catching up to him at the fence near the police paddock and compelling him to go through the fence. He took him some distance off the road where the offence was committed, after which he ran home as fast as possible.
To the Crown Prosecutor—The man in the dock is the man I saw on the bridge. He compelled me to go through the fence, and said that he would not allow me to go home until I went into the paddock.
To His Honor—I am ceratin that the man in court (pointing to the prisoner) is the man who assaulted me. Have no doubt whatever.
Timothy Maroney, a cab driver, deposed to having left [sic–met] the man [at] the Union Hotel on the day in question, about 6 pm, and remaining with him until7 pm, when accused left him.
William Davis, groom at the Steam Packet Hotel, said that he saw accused at the Steam Packet Hotel that night about 8 pm, and after he left there he went across the bridge in the direction of Corowa. Accused came from the direction of Wahgunyah.
Dr Lang deposed to having made an examination of the accused and the lad, but saw no signs of assault on the lad.
The prisoner [Edward Elijah Brown] here asked this witness a number of questions of a nature unfit for publication.
This closed the case for the Crown, and in answer to a question from His Honor, prisoner elected to give evidence on oath, on behalf of himself.
After being sworn, accused [Edward Elijah Brown] said that on the night in question he had been at Wahgunyah, and returned about 8 pm. The only person he had seen on the journey from there to Corowa was the ostler at the Steam Packet Hotel . He denied ever having seen the lad, or spoken to him. The lad was mistaken. He had never seen him in his life before he went into the shop that night to but the “Worker.”
To His Honor—I told the police on the night I was arrested that I had not been on the Corowa-road, the reason I did so was that I was muddled with drink. It was a lie I told him then.
Accused [Edward Elijah Brown] then made a statement to the jury in which he said that he had been 25 years in the State and never been in a police court before, and again reiterated his statement in evidence claiming that it was a question of mistaken identity.
His Honour summed up briefly, and the jury, after a short retirement, brought in a verdict of guilty.
His Honour, in passing sentence, said that it was a most horrible crime of which prisoner had been convicted, and passed sentence of eighteen months’ hard labour in the Albury Gaol.
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The Albury Banner and Wodonga Express, Fri 19 Feb 1904 6
ALBURY QUARTER SESSIONS.
———✦———
Friday, February 12.
(Before his Honor Acting Judge Forbes, Mr Merewether Crown Prosecutor.
…
Saturday, February 13.
INDECENT ASSAULT.
Edward Elijah Brown was charged with indecent assault.
Prisoner pleaded not guilty, and was undefended.
The allegation for the Crown was that the accused had accosted a little boy named Holland at 8 pm on 2nd December, on the Corowa bridge, that he had taken the boy into the adjoining paddock, where the assault complained of had been committed.
Prisoner denied all knowledge of the circumstances.
The jury returned a verdict of guilty, and the prisoner was sentenced to 18 months’ hard labour.
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Edward Elijah Brown, Gaol photo sheet 7
![SRNSW: NRS2138, [3/6069], Darlinghurst Gaol photographic description book, 1903-1904, No. 9352, p. 180, R5110.](../../images/trials/1904-Brown-6069-gaol-photo-9352.jpg "SRNSW: NRS2138, [3/6069], Darlinghurst Gaol photographic description book, 1903-1904, No. 9352, p. 180, R5110.") |
Gaol Photo Sheet - Transcribed Details
No. 9352
E Book 04/865
Date when Portrait was taken: 24-2-1904
Name: Edward Elijah Brown
|
Native place: England Year of birth: 1849 Arrived Ship: Atlanta Trade or occupation Religion: C of E Education, degree of: R&W Height: 5' 9¼" Weight On committal: 167 Colour of hair: Dark to grey Colour of eyes: Grey |
Marks or special features: Vaccination mark left arm. Scar under right forefinger. Bracelet right wrist. Lump on forehead. Nose crooked. Wart on right shoulder. Bold on top of head. Brown mark on left side of stomach. Large scar on left shin. 2 scars below right knee |
|
(No. of previous Portrait ... ) CONVICTIONS |
|||||
| Where and When | Offence. | Sentence | |||
|
Albury Q.S |
13 |
2 |
1904 |
Indecent assault on male person |
18 months H.L. |
1 The Corowa Free Press, Fri 4 Dec 1903, p. 2./p>
2 The Corowa Free Press, Fri 11 Dec 1903, p. 2.
3 The Corowa Free Press, Fri 18 Dec 1903, p. 2. Emphasis added.
4 The Albury Daily News and Wodonga Chronicle, Sat 13 Feb 1904, p. 3. Emphasis added.
5 The Border Morning Mail and Riverina Times, Mon 15 Feb 1904, p. 4.
6 The Albury Banner and Wodonga Express, Fri 19 Feb 1904, p. 34.
7 SRNSW: NRS2138, [3/6069], Darlinghurst Gaol photographic description book, 1903-1904, No. 9352, p. 180, R5110.