George Emerson, 1868 

Below also see: George Emberson, 1870
George Emberson, 1876,
George Emberson, 1878

 

The Sydney Morning Herald, Thu 1 Oct 1868 ¹

CENTRAL POLICE COURT.
WEDNESDAY.

BEFORE their Worships the Police Magistrate, Messrs Day, Chapman, Renwick, and Dangar.
…
    George Emerson, charged with having assaulted Alwood W Honour, pleaded guilty, and was sentenced to pay a penalty of 40s, or to be imprisoned two months.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Empire, Tue 17 Nov 1868 ²

CENTRAL POLICE COURT.—MONDAY.
(Before Messrs Pearce and Evans.)

…
    William Mathews was charged with furiously driving two horses attached to an omnibus. George Emerson was also charged with the same offence. The cases were taken separately. Mathews was charged with racing against another ’bus. Mr Cory for defence. Both defendants were fined £1 each.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Empire, Sat 19 Dec 1868 ³

WATER POLICE COURT.—FRIDAY.
(Before Mr Cloete, WPM, Messrs Voss, Hunt,
Kettle, and Hill.)

…
    George Emerson was fined 5s for leaving his omnibus.

 

---

 

George Emberson, 1870 

 

Evening News, Fri 16 Sep 1870 ⁴

CENTRAL POLICE COURT.
(Before Captain Scott, PM.)

FELONIOUS ASSAULT ON A GIRL. 

    George Emberson, was charged with a felonious assault on Sarah Smith, under the age of thirteen. Prosecutor was examined, and stated that she is twelve years old. Knows her age by her mother telling other people. Did not know the year she was born. Prisoner lives in Botany-street, Waterloo; his little child used to play with witness. Saw prisoner on Sunday night last at about eight o’clock. He stopped her and asked her if she minded taking service to mind his children. They walked together. Prisoner kept saying it’s only a little further. They went into a paddock near the railway line. Prisoner gave her a ring (produced). She said it was no use to her, when prisoner told her to give it to her mother. He was quite sober, and said that he won £27 on the races. He asked her to take his arm and she refused. Prisoner knocked her down, and for some time she was senseless. He placed her hands behind her back and tied her comforter tight around her back. She screamed out, and a man came up and took prisoner away. She told the man in prisoner’s presence what he had done. She had her senses when prisoner was taken away. He put his hand on her mouth whilst she lay on the ground. He did it without her consent. She tried to resist. She told her mother when she went home.—

    To Mr Forster: The paddock is in the direction of the Glebe. She helped to carry timber the next day to fit up a merry-go-round. Was not playing on a “see-saw” that day. It was nearly ten o’clock when she got up.—

    John Watts stated that he heard screams on Sunday night last, at about 8.30 pm. He went to the place and saw the girl before the court standing near prisoner. He asked her what was the matter. She said that prisoner put his hand round her face, and threatened to kill her if she was not quit. Witness called prisoner a mean scoundrel. Prisoner said she asked him to commit the offence. The girl denied this, and said her mother had sent her to look for a goat, when she saw prisoner, who asked her to help him to look for some children. She said she was afraid. He told her not to be afraid, as there were plenty of houses about. Witness saw blood in the girl’s nostrils. Another man and himself took her home, and told her mother what had happened. They left the prisoner in the field. The girl was screaming some time, and as witness approached her the screams got fainter, as if some one was trying to stop the mouth of a person.—

    Bridget Smith, mother of the girl, stated, that she is nearly thirteen years of age. On Saturday night she sent her out for a goat. Two gentlemen brought her home. She was crying, and her nose was bleeding. She made a statement, and witness reported it to Mrs Emberson first, and then examined her. The men who brought her home informed the police.---

    Prisoner reserved his defence. Committed to take his trial at the central criminal court. Bail refused.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Empire, Wed 8 Nov 1870 ⁵

CENTRAL CRIMINAL COURT.—TUESDAY.
————
(Before his Honor Judge Faucett.

    Mr WJ Foster prosecuted for the Crown.
…

RAPE.

    George Emberson was placed in the dock, charged with carnally ravishing Sarah Smith, a girl under the age of thirteen years, on the 11th September last. The prisoner pleaded not guilty. He had not instructed ant attorney in the matter, but Mr J Leary kindly undertook the defence in conjunction with Mr CJ Manning as counsel.

    In this case the full particulars are unfit for publication. The prisoner, a married man, has been living on the Botany-road, Waterloo, within a few doors of the prosecutrix. On the night of Sunday, the 11th of September, about 8 o’clock, the prisoner met the girl, who was going on an errant, in Buckland-street. He asked her to go with him to look for his children. She consented, and he took her across the railway line to Slade’s paddock, and there committed the offence. Two men were attracted by her screams, and the prisoner was soon afterwards arrested by constable Farr.

    For the defence Henry Wilson was called, who proved that the girl told him on the night after the offence was committed that she had a lark with the man who had connection with her.

    Sarah Smith, on being recalled, denied ever saying such a thing.

    Mr CJ Manning addressed the jury at great length, most ably and eloquently.

    The learned Crown prosecutor replied.

    His Honor summed up.

    The jury, after a retirement of several hours, found the prisoner guilty on an assault with intent. He was sentenced to two years’ imprisonment.

 

---

 

George Emberson, 1876 

 

The Sydney Morning Herald, Wed 20 Dec 1876 ⁶

COURT OF QUARTER SESSIONS.
TUESDAY.

Before Mr District Court Judge Dowling.
    Mr WJ Foster prosecuted for the Crown.
…

FALSE PRETENCES.

    George Emberson [aka Emerson]   was charged with having on the 7th February obtained 10s. From Joseph Davies,  Harris-street, Ultimo, on false pretences. The prisoner pleaded not guilty, and was defended by Mr Buchanan, instructed by Mr Grear. He went to Mr Davies with an order purporting to be signed by Mr Joseph Ogden, brickmaker, of Newtown, and told Mr Davies he wanted the money only for a few days. He said he would return the money in a few days, and on those representations Mr Davies lent the money. The money not being returned as promised Mr Davies had prisoner arrested at Grafton. The jury found the prisoner guilty. He was sentenced to be imprisoned in Darlinghurst gaol, with hard labour, for six months.

 

---

 

George Emberson, 1878 

 

The Sydney Morning Herald, Tue 29 Jan 1878 ⁷

COURT OF QUARTER SESSIONS.
MONDAY.

Before Mr District Court Judge Wilkinson.
    Mr JE Rogers prosecuted for the Crown.

Notwithstanding that the previous sittings of the Court of Quarter Sessions closed on the last day of December, the calendar to-day contained forty-one prisoners for trial. The charges are thus classified:— Stealing from the person, 14 (four persons on one charge); unlawfully and maliciously wounding, 6; false pretences, 3 (against one prisoner two charges); larceny, 3 (three charges against one prisoner); robbery and violence, 7 (in three cases two prisoners were charged with joint commission of the crime); inflicting grievous bodily harm, 2; unlawfully pawning, 2 (three charges against one prisoner); feloniously wounding, stealing in a dwelling-house to the value of £5, attempted suicide, attempt to steal, and breaking and entering a dwelling-house, 1 of each.
…

STEALING FROM A DWELLING HOUSE.

    George Emberson was charged with having, on the 14th December stolen from the dwelling-house of Walter Hogan, various articles of jewellery and £3 10s. In money. Prisoner was lodging in prosecutor’s house from the 7th to the 14th December; on the morning of the last day he went by steamer to Newcastle; after he had gone the property was missed, and portion of it was afterwards found in prisoner’s possession. Prisoner was seen by the prosecutor in the room in which the articles were kept, the door thereto, which was ordinarily locked, being unfastened, though it appeared that prosecutor did not, having business ib his bar, make any remark to prisoner on his being there. For the defence, evidence was called to show that prisoner had been on confidential term’s at prisoner’s house, and that the articles found in prisoner’s possession were made from gold belonging to himself. He claimed them as his own, and there was a question as to whether the articles stolen and those seen in the possession of prisoner were identical. The jury, after retiring, found the prisoner not guilty.

FALSE PRETENCES.

    George Emberson, alias Joseph Watson, was charged with having, by means of falsely pretending that an order for the payment of money purporting to be from a Mrs Spridgeus was genuine, obtained 10s. from Walter Hogan. The order in question was to supply one “Joe” with what he wanted, and this prisoner presented and obtained 10s. advance from prosecutor, which was given in the believe that the order was genuine, whereas it turned out to be fictitious. The defence was that prosecutor had lent several pounds to prisoner without any order, and that the probability was that an order to obtain 10s was unnecessary, and that as a matter of fact he knew nothing about it. The jury found the prisoner guilty. Two previous convictions, one for false pretences and another for attempt to commit a rape, were proved against the prisoner as well as several committals for vagrancy. Remanded for sentence.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

George Emberson, Gaol photo sheet ⁸ 

 

---

Gaol Photo Sheet - Transcribed Details

No. 425
No. on gaol register 2909/70

Admitted: 13th June 1872

 

Name: George Emberson

Native place: Wivenho, NSW Year of birth: 1842 Arrived        Ship:  in Colony }   Year:  Trade or occupation previous to conviction  } Laborer Religion: Protestant Education, degree of: Read & Write Colour of hair: Fair Colour of eyes: Blue Height: 5' 2½" Weight     On committal: 145 lb in lbs     }  On discharge:

Special Marks: Scar on left upper arm. Large scar on right shin. Scar on left shin. Three front teeth out General Description:

(Previous Number ... )  PRISON HISTORY
Where and When				Offence.	Sentence
Summary Summary Syd Criminal Court Syd Criminal Court Sydney Q.S ditto ditto	21 30   3   7 12 19 28 28 28	Aug Sept Aug Nov July Dec Jan Jan Jan	1868 1868 1869 1870 1872 1876 1877 1878 1879	Furious driving Assault Assault with intent to commit rape Discharged Obtaining money by false pretences Stealing in a dwelling Obtaining money by false pretences Sentence expired	14 days imprisonment 2 months | |   | 2 years Labor 6 months H.L. Acquitted 18 months H.L.

  

---

¹  The Sydney Morning Herald, Thu 1 Oct 1868, p. 5.

²  Empire, Tue 17 Nov 1868, p. 3. Emphasis added.

³  Empire, Sat 19 Dec 1868, p. 2.

⁴  Evening News, (Sydney, NSW), Fri 16 Sep 1870, p. 3. Emphasis added.

⁵  Empire, Wed 8 Nov 1870, p. 3. Emphasis added.

⁶  The Sydney Morning Herald, Wed 20 Dec 1876, p. 8.

⁷  The Sydney Morning Herald, Tue 29 Jan 1878, p. 7.

⁸  SRNSW: NRS2138, [3/14030], Darlinghurst Gaol photographic description book, 1866-1873, No. 425, p. 138, R5097.

---