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Story
July 10, 1952
The Daily Record
Dunn, Harnett County, North Carolina
What is this article about?
In Ramsgate, England, a jury acquitted 24-year-old William Williams of impersonating Jane Rivers' husband to have sex with her, accepting his claim of a prior affair and her awareness. The judge deemed it sordid but noted it wasn't a morals court.
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OCR Quality
98%
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Full Text
RAMSGATE, England (UP) - A jury freed William Williams of charges he climbed into bed with a 21-year-old blonde mother and impersonated her husband.
Williams, 24, pleaded not guilty and insisted Mrs. Jane Rivers knew who it was all the time. She had told the court she was greatly embarrassed when she discovered the man with whom she made love was not her husband.
The jury needed only 20 minutes to accept Williams' story after Judge Sir Geoffrey Streatfield called the whole performance "disgraceful and sordid" and said "if this was a court of morals you would not have the slightest difficulty in convicting him."
The specific charge against Williams was that he had "carnal knowledge of Mrs. Rivers . . . without her consent by impersonating her husband."
PREVIOUS AFFAIR
Williams told the court he had gone with Mrs. Rivers several times before her marriage and had made love to her. In addition, he said, he had kissed her several times since her marriage.
He said he had gone to a wedding reception with Rivers and went back to the Rivers home later to fetch his bicycle. Rivers was taking home a girl named Dottie, he said.
"We went into the bedroom, sat down and kissed her on the cheek," he said. "She turned into my arms and I got into bed with her."
In response to questioning by the judge, Williams said the Rivers marriage was "on the rocks," that he was certain Mrs. Rivers knew his voice and that she often said she hated her husband.
Williams, 24, pleaded not guilty and insisted Mrs. Jane Rivers knew who it was all the time. She had told the court she was greatly embarrassed when she discovered the man with whom she made love was not her husband.
The jury needed only 20 minutes to accept Williams' story after Judge Sir Geoffrey Streatfield called the whole performance "disgraceful and sordid" and said "if this was a court of morals you would not have the slightest difficulty in convicting him."
The specific charge against Williams was that he had "carnal knowledge of Mrs. Rivers . . . without her consent by impersonating her husband."
PREVIOUS AFFAIR
Williams told the court he had gone with Mrs. Rivers several times before her marriage and had made love to her. In addition, he said, he had kissed her several times since her marriage.
He said he had gone to a wedding reception with Rivers and went back to the Rivers home later to fetch his bicycle. Rivers was taking home a girl named Dottie, he said.
"We went into the bedroom, sat down and kissed her on the cheek," he said. "She turned into my arms and I got into bed with her."
In response to questioning by the judge, Williams said the Rivers marriage was "on the rocks," that he was certain Mrs. Rivers knew his voice and that she often said she hated her husband.
What sub-type of article is it?
Crime Story
Deception Fraud
What themes does it cover?
Deception
Crime Punishment
Justice
What keywords are associated?
Impersonation Trial
Acquittal
Extramarital Affair
Jury Verdict
What entities or persons were involved?
William Williams
Mrs. Jane Rivers
Sir Geoffrey Streatfield
Where did it happen?
Ramsgate, England
Story Details
Key Persons
William Williams
Mrs. Jane Rivers
Sir Geoffrey Streatfield
Location
Ramsgate, England
Story Details
William Williams was acquitted by a jury in Ramsgate of impersonating Jane Rivers' husband to have carnal knowledge of her without consent. He claimed a prior affair and that she knew it was him. The judge called it disgraceful but the jury accepted his story after 20 minutes.