Below also see: Jeremiah Hide, 1845

 

The Sydney Morning Herald, Mon 7 Oct 1844 ¹

SPIRITS AND TOBACCO.
(From Saturday’s Shipping Gazette.)

...
    CENTRAL CRIMINAL COURT.—This Court will commence its sittings to-day, in the New Court House, Woolloomooloo. There are at present forty-four cases for trial in the New Gaol, but of these only the following twenty-four prisoners have been warned for trial:—
    Jeremiah Hide alias Wilcox, assault, with intent, &c, Penrith, August 9th;

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Depositions for Jeremiah Hide 10 Oct 1844 Sydney trial ²

    Charles J Weaver
    Court House Penrith
    9th August, 1844

John H Plunkett, Attorney General
Sir
    I do myself the honor to transmit herewith the depositions taken this day against the individual named in the Margin, ³ committed to take his trial for an assault with intend to commit an unnatural crime, together with the recognisances of the witnesses bound over to prosecute.
    The evidence of the boy Tommy Sickolt was not taken for the reason stated on the depositions.
I have the honor to be
    Sir,
Your most obedient servant
[Signed] Charles J Weaver CPS

1

    Robert Copeland Lethbridge
    Court House Penrith
    15th August 1844

John Moore Dillon, Criminal Crown Solicitor
Sir
    We do ourselves the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your Letter of yesterday’s date relative to the cases against the Prisoner named in the margin (Jeremiah Hide alias Wilcox) and beg leave to observe with reference to your request respecting the Boy Thomas Sickott [aka Sickolt] that all possible means will be used to have him sufficiently instructed to enable him to give evidence upon oath but that we fear from his extreme infancy he will not be found competent to do so by

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the 7th October next the day fixed upon for the trial of Hide alias Wilcox to take place.
    [The following written in different handwriting from the above] He appears more infantine than usual at his years!
We have the honor to be
    Sir,
Your most obedient Servants
[Signed] Robert Copeland Lethbridge JP

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Recognizance for Jeremiah Hide alias Wilcox, 9 Aug 1844

                                                                                                

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New South Wales
to wit.               }

Buggery

    Jeremiah Hide
    alias Wilcox states
    to himself to be
    a free assigned and charged with
    having committed
    an unnatural crime
    on two boys

    Frederick Sickolt [aka Sickott; Sickole] being sworn states:– I am a Vine Dresser residing on the Estate of Mr George Cox last Tuesday from Monday to Tuesday night last I observed the little boy crying his name is Tommy. I asked him what was the matter when he was very unwilling to tell me – but after pressing him a good deal

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he told me that on the Monday as he was walking along he met Jerry meaning the prisoner and he heard Peter the elder brother asked the prisoner what was the matter between him and the little girl at Mr (Wallaces ?) when the Prisoner said to him Peter I can get nothing from her and therefore I must get it from you Tommy then told me that he saw the Prisoner knock his brother Peter down and pull down his

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trowsers and that he saw the prisoner pull out his thing and put it in Peter’s arse. Tommy then told me that he did the same thing to him and had done it at different days three times to him. Peter is eleven and Tommy is only 4 years old. I asked Peter about this and said I want to know what’s going on when between you and Jerry. When Peter said as I was coming

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from school I met Jerry and asked him what was the matter between him and the little girl. When the Prisoner said. “As I can get nothing from her I must get something from you.” Peter then said he asked Prisoner what he meant by something when Prisoner replied I’ll fuck you. Peter said he knew what he meant and tried to run away when

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Jerry caught him and knocked him down. Peter then said that Jerry pulled unbuttoned his breeches undid his own and poked him in his arse with his thing. Peter said the Jerry let him get up and gave him two figs of tobacco to hold his tongue. Peter told me when I asked him how often the Prisoner had done it – that it was twice. I should not have found out anything about this

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had it not been for Tommy’s crying. I examined the boys and found that Tommy was injured in the hole of his arse – inside and I observed that Tommy outside of the hole it had a known appearance something like a burn – from the nature of the wound sore and from what Tommy told me I had no doubt. When I looked at it but that something had been forced into his hole. It was a little wet but not much so. Peter did not appear to be

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injured. Tommy told me that the last time the Prisoner had done it was on the Monday, the day before.
[Signed] Frederick Sickolt

Sworn before us this 9th August 1844.
[Signed] Lawrence Vance Dulhunty JP, Robert Copeland Lethbridge JP

    This [following] boy Peter Sickolt eleven years of age was examined by the Bench as to his knowledge of the nature of an oath and his answers being satisfactorily he was duly sworn

    Peter Sickolt being duly sworn states:– I know the Prisoner. I call him Jerry. About three weeks ago I saw the prisoner over by (?) Whites. He spoke to me and asked me what my name was and asked me to take his sheep to George Cox’s. I said I could

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not. I met him two or three days afterwards and about a fortnight since I met him when he said I asked him what was the matter between him and the little girl. When he said – she would not let him do what he wanted and asked me to let him. I told him I would not. He then took me into the bush, knocked me down, put his knee upon me and tried to do it. He tried to put his thing into me but could not do it. This

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was the first time that he tried it. Last Tuesday – 30th July last – week I met the man Jerry again when he asked me if I would let him do it again. I said I would not when he took me a little away into the bush pulled down my trowsers and his own and tried to put his thing in. He did

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not get into me. He was about ten minutes trying and after he had finished he made me a little wet but not much so. The first time he did it he gave me two figs of tobacco and three [the] second time a fig and a half. He said it was

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for letting him do it and told me not to tell anyone. I tried to prevent him doing it and cried out but not much.

    My brother Tommy was with me each time that Jerry did it. The Prisoner here is the man I mean by Jerry.
[Signed] Peter (his X mark) Sickolt.
Sworn before us this 9th August 1844.
[Signed] Lawrence Vance Dulhunty JP, Robert Copeland Lethbridge JP

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    The boy Tommy Sickles Sickolt being only 4 years of age and unable to read it was not deemed proper to admit his evidence on oath. Indeed he would not answer the questions which were put to him from the Bench.

    The Prisoner is committed to take his trial for an assault with intent to commit an unnatural crime on Peter Sickolt
[Signed] Robert Copeland Lethbridge JP

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    9th August 1844

    I [Fergus Hathorn, aka Hawthorn, Surgeon] certify that I have this day examined William Thomas Sickolt, and find that there exists slight superficial ulceration from the edge of the anus as far as I can see by separation of the sides of the gut with my fingers. There is also a circle of two inches diameter around the external orifice, of reddish brown colour, and showing near its outer border on one side the remains of slight abrasion at that point. Within the gut, around the ulcerated patches, there is a considerable degree of inflammatory redness. It appears to me very likely that all I have described to exist, may have been produced by the forcible introduction of a blunt body.
[Signed] Fergus Hathorn [aka Hawthorn], Surgeon
Sworn before us this 9th August 1844.
[Signed] Lawrence Vance Dulhunty JP, Robert Copeland Lethbridge JP

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    In the Eighth Year of the Reign of
    Our Sovereign Lord William the Fourth Lady Victoria,
    by the Grace of Goad, of the United
    Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland,
    King Queen, Defender of the Faith.

    New South Wales (TO WIT).– Be it remembered, that John Hubert Plunkett, Esquire, His Her Majesty’s Attorney General for the Colony of New South Wales, who prosecutes for His Her Majesty in this behalf, being present in the Supreme Court of New South Wales, now here, on the Seventh Day of October in the Year of Our Lord One Thousand Eight Hundred and Thirty forty four at Sydney, in the Colony aforesaid, informs the said Court, that Jeremiah Hide otherwise called Jeremiah Wilcox late of Penrith in the Colony aforesaid Laborer on the fifth day of August in the Year of Our Lord One Thousand Eight Hundred and Thirty forty four with Force and Arms, at Penrith in the Colony aforesaid, in and upon one Thomas Sickolt then and there feloniously did make an Assault, and

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then and there feloniously, wickedly and against the order of nature had a venereal affair withe said Thomas Sickolt and then and there feloniously, carnally, knew him the said Thomas Sickolt and then and there feloniously, wickedly, and against the order of nature with the said Thomas Sickolt did commit and perpetrate that detestable and abominable Crime of Buggery (not to be named amongst Christians) against the Form of the Statue in such case made and provided, and against the Peace of Our said Lord Lady the King Queen, His Her Crown and Dignity.
[Signed] JH Plunkett.

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[On the depositions’ cover sheet is the following]

1844
9th August
Penrith “10”
Regina
v.
Jeremiah Hide alias Wilcox
CJ [Chief Justice ?]
Depositions

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[On another the depositions’ cover sheet is the following]

In the Supreme Court.
No. 10
The King Queen
against
Jeremiah Hide
alias
Jeremiah Wilcox
CJ
Information.
FOR SODOMY.
Witnesses: Frederick Sickolt, Peter Sickolt, Thomas Sickolt, Fergus Hawthorn

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The Australian, Sat 12 Oct 1844 ⁴

SUPREME COURT.—
(CRIMINAL SIDE)

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 10 [sic–should read, October 11]– Before His Honor Mr Justice A’Beckett. ⁵

INDECENT ASSAULT.

    Jeremiah Hyne alias Wilcox was indicted for committing an unnatural crime, and was found guilty of the assault with intend, &c., and remanded for sentence. (The details of the case are unfit for publication.)

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The Sydney Morning Herald, Tue 15 Oct 1844 ⁶

LAW INTELLIGENCE.
————
CENTRAL CRIMINAL COURT.
FRIDAY 

Before His Honor Mr Justice A’Beckett, and a common Jury.

ASSAULT ON A BOY 

    Jeremiah Hynes alias Wilcox, late of Penrith, labourer, was indicted for having, at Mulgoa, on the 5th of August, 1844, assaulted a boy named Peter Sickole, about eleven years of age, son of Frederick Sickole, a vine-dresser, and having committed an unnatural offence. The evidence adduced in this case was unfit for publication; and the Jury, under His Honor’s direction, having found the prisoner guilty of an assault with intend, &c., he was remanded for sentence.

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The Australian, Mon 28 Oct 1844 ⁷

SUPREME COURT.—(CRIMINAL SIDE.)
————

    SATURDAY, OCTOBER, 1844.—Before their Honors the three Judges.

SENTENCES.

…
    Jeremiah Hyde alias Wilcox, convicted on Friday, the 11th instant, before the same Judge, for an indecent assault, with intent, &c, was sentenced to be kept to hard labour in Parramatta Gaol for three years, with the exception of one week in each alternate month to be spent in solitary confinement.

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NSW Supreme Court return, 1844 ⁸

Guilty of assault
    To be imprisoned and kept to hard labor in Parramatta Gaol for three years. The first week in every alternate Month to be passed in Solitary Confinement.

 

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Jeremiah Hide, 1845

 

The Sydney Morning Herald, Tue 1 Jul 1845 ⁹

NEW FROM THE INTERIOR.
(From our Correspondent.)
————
PARRAMATTA 

THE QUARTER SESSIONS.—The sittings of this Court for the county of Cumberland, (with the exception of offences committed within the city and district of Sydney,) commenced on Tuesday, (this day). The gaol calendar is unusually light. The following is a copy.Committals from Parramatta Bench—
...
Jeremiah Hide (free immigrant), assault with intent to commit a nameless offence. (This man was serving a sentence in the gaol passed on him, at the Sydney Quarter Sessions, for a previous offence of the same disgusting character, and his present committal is for an attempt made on a confinee.

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The Sydney Morning Herald, Mon 7 Jul 1845 ¹⁰

NEW FROM THE INTERIOR.
(From our Correspondent.)
————
PARRAMATTA QUARTER SESSIONS.
WEDNESDAY, JULY 2.

...
    Jeremiah Hide was convicted for assault with intent, &c, and was sentenced to two years’ imprisonment with hard labour.

 

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¹  The Sydney Morning Herald, Mon 7 Oct 1844, p. 4.

²  SRNSW: NRS880, [9/6329], Supreme Court, Papers and depositions, Sydney, 1844. Emphasis added.

³  Mn: Jeremiah Hide alias Wilcox States himself to be free.

⁴  The Australian, Sat 12 Oct 1844, p. 775.

⁵  Justice A’Beckett’s note books could not be located at SRNSW.

⁶  The Sydney Morning Herald, Tue 15 Oct 1844, p. 4.

⁷  The Australian, Mon 28 Oct 1844, p. 3.

⁸  SRNSW: NRS13478, [X850], Annual returns of prisoners tried before the Supreme Court 1824–47.

⁹  The Sydney Morning Herald, Tue 1 Jul 1845, p. 3.

¹⁰  The Sydney Morning Herald, Mon 7 Jul 1845, p. 4.

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