The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1883-10-06 00:00:00

CHARGE OF ATTEMPTED MURDER

IN LONDON.

In London, on Monday, at the Marylebone Police-
court, Edward Collins, 37, desorilud as a hairdresser,
living at 21, Shouldham street, Bryanston•pquare, Was
charged before Mr. Mansfield with attempting to
murder Benjamin Baer, by cutting his throat with a
rarn- at 94, Harley•street, Cavendish rquare._ _

Harriet Davies, cook in the eervice of Mr. Meredith
Townsend, living at 94, Harley etre ,t, sail that shout
twenty minutes past two o'clock on Surd .y morning
she was called no by a violent rineiog of the nursery
bell. She got up and went downstaira into the butler's
bedroom, and found him dreadfully stabbed. He said,
" I am stabbed, Collins has ,done it, but for what I
don't know." The butler was quite alma The wit•
nese went upstairs and spoke to Mr. Townsend, and
he sent for a doctor and for the pohoe. She afterwards
wiped the blood off the injured man, and waited till
the doctor came. She did not see the prisoner; be had
left. Sbe knew the prisoner, he bad been occasionally
to the house at different times.

Mr. Townsend stated that he was a journalist, and
lived at 94, Harley-street. The injured man was his
butler. His name was Benjamin Bass. On Sunday
morning they were aroused by the ringing of the
nursery bell. He saw the previous witness go down-
stairs, followed by some one. He immediately called
his son, and they both went down to the basement.
Hearing the cook call out " ler," they went
forward into the butler's bedroom, and there saw Bus
covered with blood, sitting at the table, with his head
hanging down. He did not see the prisoner, nor had
he ssen him before. Re knew nothing of him.

The first witness, recalled, said that she did not
know Collins was in the house when she went down
stairs on Sunday morning.
The Magistrate: Then the injured man must have
let him in ?—Witness: He knocked at the gate and
the butler let him in, so the butlt r told me.
Mr. Charles Alfred Ballance, a medical practitioner,
living at 56, Harley-street, said that he was called to
Mr. Townsend's house a little after two o'olock en
Sunday morning. He was taken into the front room
in the basement, and saw that it was in great confu-
sion. The butler was on the floor in a very dan-
gerous condition. He was covere I with blood, and
on examining him he found that he had a wound
which extended across the front of the neck trans-
versely. It was jagged and superficial on the left side
of the neck, and deeper on the right side. There were
some bubbles of air coming up through the blood, which
indicated that the windpipe had been opened. He
stopped the bleeding and ten.porarily dressed the
wound en the neck. He also dressed another wound
on the neck and one on the lower lip. He then
superintended his being placed in bed, and gave orders
for his further care and treatment. Whether he was
in danger now he could not say. He was in St.
Thomas's Hospital. He himself took him there rather
than to St. Mary's Hospit.l, because he was con-
nected with St. Thomas's Hospital, and it was im-
portant to have the man admitted without any delay,
There was a razor in the room covered with blood.

Police-Sergeant William Denyer, 24 D, stated that
shortly after two o'clock ore Sunday morning, when on
duty in Harley-street, he was called to No. 94, and
there saw the injured man sitting on a chair in the
front room in the basement. Bass told him that it had
been done by a man named Collins, Witness went to
21, Shouldham-street, arid arousing the landlady, went
into the house ani knocked at the back parlour door,
which was Licked. After knecking several times the
door was opened by the prisoner, who was then in his
night shirt. The witness asked him if his name was
Collins, and he answered, "Yes." The witness told him
that he should take him into custody for attempting to
murdtr a man at V 4, Harley.street. The prieoeer re.
" Oh." The while s then told him to put his
clothes on and come with him. Retire n searched hisroom
and found the clothes produced. The shirt and
drawers were satutated with blool. Spots of bloed
were a!so found about his vest, coat, shoes, and neck-
tie, the latter being cut. The witness took the pri-
soner to Marylebone-lane Police-station, and sub-
sequently to H.arley.street, where he was placed with
five other men by the hedeide of the it jured man who
at once said, "That ,s the man," pointing to Collins.
The witness then took the prisoner again to the police-
station, where he was charged with the offence. The
charge was read over to him, but he made no reply.
In the mini at 94, Harley.street, the witness found
the lazor produced covered with blood.
In reply to Mr. Marsfield the doctor stated that if
Bass went on well Le might ba able to come to the
court in about a fortnight.

The prisoner was remanded for a week.
Bass is spoken of as a quiet, amiable, and respect.
ably-conducted man, who has been in the service of
Mr. Townsend for upwards of three years. He was well
acquainted with Collins, although the latter did not
often visit him at Harley-street. It is stated that Bass
went out for a walk on Saturday evening while Mr.
and Mrs. Townsend were paying a visit to some friends
at Hendon, and that he returned about eleven o'clock,
about the time his master came home. The family re-
tired to rest, and Bass, having had his supper, is sup-
posed to have gone to bed. This supposition is borne out
by the fact that at the time he was found by the cook in
his bedroom he was undressed and the bed clothes
were disarranged. Collins was not with Bass when
the latter came home, and his presencs in the house is
acc,unted for the statement made by the injured man
to the cook Davies that Collins rattled something
against the area railings and that he let him in. Bass
has two watches and chains, a very valuable gold one
and one in silver. On Saturday night Bass was
wearing the silver watch, and he states that Collins
made particular inquiry as to why he was not wearing
the gold one, and farther asked him where it was.
When the butler wanted to light the gas in his sitting
room, Collins persuaded him not to do so. According
to a statement which Bass has made the struggle
lasted for upwards of an hour, and he could not get hold
of anything to defend himself with. He ran from his as-
sailant along the dark passages, through the kitchen into
a larder, wishing to get into the area in the rear of the
house, with the hope of being able to arouse them in
the house, but Collins pursued him and chased him
back into his own room, all the time hacking at his
throat with a rszor from behind. Collins succeeded
in throwing Bass on to his own bed, and the injured
man avers that his assailant tried to suffocate him.
At last the butler managed to ring a bell and arouse
the other servants and his master. It should be stated
that the accused bears an excellent character from his
employer, and his landlady speaks of him as a most
regular, well-conducted man. She says she saw him
leave her house about half-past nine on Saturday
night and knew nothing of his return.