The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1869-07-31 00:00:00

SHOCKING ATTEMPT TO MURDER
IN BERKSHIRE.

A labourer named William Sherwood, twenty years at age,
has been brought up at the Petty Sessions, Maidenhead, for
having made a determined attempt to murder a fellow cork-
man named John Woodward, at Shottesbrook, near Maiden-
head.
It appears that information reached Superintendent
In-monger early on the morning if the 19.11 that a wan
had been found nearly murdered ii Shottesbrook-lane.
The officer immediately (hove there. and fouhd Wood-
ward lying near the midd.e lodge at Shottesbrook Park,
in a fearful condition, having received several Severe
cuts across the head, arid a smaller .me in the throat,
evidently inflicted u ith a knife. The euperiutendent
left the man in care of Dr. Player, of Maidenhead,
by VthOlile directions the poor fellow was removed to the
Royal Berke Htnpital, at Reading, where Init injuries
were promptly attended to. it was found that Wood-
ward had been stabbed in no less than seven places on
the head, and that an attempt had been made to cut
his throat.
Superintendent Iremonger at once instituted in-
quiries, which resulted in the capture of Sherwood,
whose clothes the officer examined, aud upon his
trousers observed a quantity of blood, which Sherwood
had undoubtedly attempted to remove. There were
also spots of blood on the front and sleevee of his
shirt, and also upon the leathern strap he wore around
his waist. In one of his pockets Superintendent Ire
monger found a clasp knife covered with blood.
Mr. W. Sharp, jun., farmer, of Shottesbrook, found
a piece of iron 2j feet long ins wheat field a few yards
from the spot where the injured man was attailed.
There was a pool of blood by the road side, and IVootb
ward managed to crawl from the place to the Lodge
in question.
The injured man being unable to appear spinet the
prisoner, he was remanded.

On Tuesday the prisoner was again brought before
the magistrates, when
John Woodward, the injured man, said he had been work-
ing for Mr. Sharpe, at Shotteabrooke. Last Sunday week, as
he wan going home, between ten and eleven o'clock, from
White Waltham, he was knocked down from behind by none
one suddenly when near the ledge in Butcherlane. He was
stunned by a violent blow on the head. On the previous
Frid-y prisoner had threatened to kill him.
Mr Flaps', surgeon, said he wss called to see Woodward, and
found him insensible from loss of blood and dangerously ill Ile
had floe wounds on the head, one on the chin, and one on the
throat. Two of the wounds on the top of the head had been
made with a blunt instrument. The others had been in-
dieted with a sharp weapon. The plough bed and itsile pro-
duced would cause Such wounds as Woodward received.
Laura Simmons, a widow, living at the lodge, Rai cher-lane,
said about twelve at night some one told her that Woodward
had had his throat cut. Prisoner afterwards said he was the
person who called her up. In about half an hour she et'ened
the window and to ,ked out. lint hearing no one, she got into
bed again. About ten minutes after that she heard the gate
open, and being called by 1114111 e the went to the window and
saw a ntau who said he had been shansef ally u,ed, and liSd
got Ids throat and heal cut. While elm was looking 4,t him
he di upped down and called nut her Lame. She and Ancer-
son, her lodger, took a camile and discovered Woodward,
who was covered with blood, on the Around. Ile was in.
sensible.
After other evidence had been heard, the prisoner
wan committed for trial at the Reading assizes.

The other day, at Anehterarder, Scotland, a little
hey was lost, and his parer Is Were in a staie if great
Vlii'e the parents were out, two girls It t in ells!, e
house began to cry, and their cries happil) brought pi I piiit
the rebating boy. The little fellow, it appears had gone into
asifinwm to Ude from some of his playmates, and had fallen

-
e •
ROYAL ASBENY GIVEN TO THE Mill
CHURCH BILL
finishing touch was given to the Irish Church Bill.
it. last
he H
etl, in toare of Lords, when the Royal assent Was
pay
vs° by con iu•svon. 'I his Lords C,,mrniseimiers were the
chaticelloe Lord del abley, wd,the Duke of St All, ins,
lord
tin th.
itriPe't therii'lbr".r th I I
withey ere id! arrayed
th,iiu,of
I"un'Tilsonatc'o"Uv"ey
.aed t„ liyethoe"n.ii!nrsor
relpsio;!kwitt..all".' Vie' as su wrier' on his rizht by thtu:usnoer
d on his left by the .ler
of the Bl'k I'''. "moons about • score of ngieeriber's
of it' r The Royal Cunimission Maori%
arot'ud2,':c`the Lori' Chancellor said that se her Majesty had
bre" re""' -
tit to be mven to the bids then before
501b0 hoot
her asse
h he had to direct the desks at the table to pass them
e
is usual course. the names of the various bills were
the tied
by the clerk, and when the kith Church Bill toed
celled and assent given. a general move woe nude by
hew
•, menibem to the their, and the hill for Insestablishing
pseoitowing the Established Church in Ireland had ho-
soot law the realm.
°nilthe announcement of the passing of the bill inade in the
Rouse of ttineramis by the Speaker, inlets return, was greeted
with boid cheers.
rss eayal assent was also given by commission to the
ions Commutation Bill, the Stipendiary alasostrates'
"Depus uties Bill, the Court of Sessions Act •1:-Cta' Amendment
gel, the Court of Common Lieu is ineaster` bill, the Sunday
sed Ragsted Schools Bill, the Meowed Rates 13111, and a
evil:her of oil Cr bills.
Lords be Lisle and Na hichusea put questions on the sub-
led of pietures bemght for the National Gallery, wit ch were
iss,,,sied by Lord ovendone as a 'trustee of the National
way lie replied to the question on whose judgment the
seplesed spurious Rembrandt had been purchasmt that it hail
bought in the judgment of the Director, with the ac-
ewee • ce of the Trustees, who were therefore jointly respon
'pe -
eith the !erector. Ile thought in any case that the
public, not having earlier discovered the picture to be
miti" rhas, were nut entitled to attack its authenticity after it
ead— been exhibited for three years but he adduced a great
eoey of positive evidence in favour of the genuineness both
efthet and of other pictures which formed the subject of
ghat he characterised as these "ungenerous" questions.
Afterremarks feint Lord Malmestiury, Lord tlardlege, and
Lord Oreuville, the subject dropped.
ii4d Penzance moved the second resit big of the Evidence
Amendment MIL He explained the haroship of th- present
Mate if the law, which steharred parties from giving eel
It'd' although he professed his own view to be that, instead
eheking them compellable, it might be sufileient and pre-
ferable to make them competent.
Lini Chelmsford thou4ht the question not a legal hut a
gvial and in rot one, and he doubted the advantage of the
wont PCi poseil innovation. lie apprehended that such •
&we noted give ate almost irresistoin temptation to per-
en, since the wife who had committed one sin would hardly
meanie to conitnit another, and the co-respondent might
beep himself bound in honour to protect her from the .tn-
Wee:lces of their common crime. Ile should not, however,
011,4 to the evideuce of pettiest being made admissible in
ether cases excepting that of adultery.
lord Denman niodel me remark.
Lord Cairns critlcised the bill, especially the provision
shoeing the evidence of parties hi breach of promise of
aserriage suits, and the provision by which ally peewit is
empowered, without stating himself to have any rel•gioua
scruple, to refuse to take an oath. Otherwise, he thought
the bill a valuable one.
The Lord Chaucellor thought the bill was needed to remove I
se &Dowdy which previous legislation had introduced. He
sewed itt favour of the two changes to which Lord Cairns had
•Wressed some hostility.
Ater a few words of reply from Lord Penzance, the bill was
read a second time.
The House then went into Committee on the Bankruptcy
Bill, which has been reported on by a Select Comnitttee, mid
after several clauses had been discussed, it passed through
Committee.
In the Committee on the Imprisonment for Debt Bill,
Lord Rieuilly moved, but did not press, an amendment on
the subject of certain exceptions to which he objected from
the abolition of Imprisonment for debt.
The bill passed through Committee, and various other bills
were advanced a stage, and their lordships adjourned.
In the House of Commous, the Holyhead Docks and Ware-
houses Bfil was read • third Ulna and passed.
A few miniites after four o'clock the Usher of the Black
Rod appeared, and announced that the presence of the
Speaker was desired In the other Douse to hear the Royal
mat elven to several bills.
The Speaker. on Ilie return to the House, said that the
Irish Church Bill had received the Royal assent.
The announcement was received with loud cheers.
Mr. Samuelson asked the Dome Secretary whether he would
'atroduce tibia next session to extebil such modifications of
the Factory and Workshops Acts of 1567 its have been proved
lobe necessary, but which would °there ise cease on the list
July. 1570 and whether he would deal with the whole sub-
ject of the laws relating to the employment of women, young
persons, and children by consolidating and amending
statute?
Mr. Brace said he thought it would be expedient to ex-
end the modifications beyond next year. Ile would under-
take to consider how far the Workshops Act could be assimi-
lated to the Factory Act.
The main business of the evening was Supply, and Mr.
Bruce made an appeal to those members who had prelininnry
notions not to press them, but t allow that and 'Thursday
sight to be given up to volt,. g money, pointing out that
otherwise it would be impossible to bring the Session to a
elose at the usual period. But the appeal, though recom-
mended to the discretion of the Hume by Mr. Disraeli, was
not very effeetive, and it was nine o'clock before the Roues)
got into Colorniteee of Supply.
On the Report of Thursday night's Committee of Supply,
Mr erauf tail took objection to the item of 8.5 776 for the ex-
penses of the Scotch Fishery Board, and moved its ri jection.
The vote was defended by the Lord Advocate, Dr. Playfair,
Br Loch, and Mr. alaefle ; and though Mr. Crnuuforol was
supported by Mr. anaren, Air. Miller, and other Scotch
members, he was defeated, on a division, by 160 to 45.
Br. Graves drew attention to the defective manner In
which the monthly returns of the Board of Trade are made
otu tie complained chiefly of their inaccuracy and the want
of promptitude in their production. As the annual returns
were tolerably accurate, clearly it was not the lack of infor-
mation, but the system pursued by the Board in making up
the returns which was to blame . • au d he recommeeded a
less minute and elaborate set of returns, which could be
brought out more rapidly, and would be more useful to the
mocantile community,
NIT Shaw-Lefevre replied that the numerous complaints
which had been made on this subject hail led the Treasury to
Institute ale inquiry into the Statiatical Department of the
Customs. He admitted that the monthly returns were not of
much use as a guile to commercial operations; butt, as a
general record of the trade and progrets si the country, the
wnual eettirue, admitted to be accurate, were invaivaide.
As h, exports, he pointed out that we Board of Trade had to
depsnd oh the shippers, who did not always give accurate
Information, and esdne of the discrepancies quilted by Mr.
Graves he showed might be accounted for by the different
periods at which the returns were made out, the totals all
pretty nearly correepoioling in the etid.
Mr. C. Raikes moved for a Select Committee to inquire into
the circumstances under which the contract for executiog •
the mosaics in the Central Hall was made with Dr. Salviates
Limited Company at Venice. There had been rumours afloat
about Mr. Lat are's connexion nith the ci•mpany. His name
appeared In the original list of ellareholders as the holder of
tea sharer, but in a recent list, published in June, he ap
posted as having transferred his shares.
Mr. Lapsed replied that the eontract had been made as
anal by the architect, as a matter of detail, and entirely
without his knoaledge. To explain his connexion with the
Venetian company, he entered into a long history of Dr.
Selviati's artistic enterpri=e, and Mated that the company, to
which he lied craved to belong on mtering office, was not a
commercial speculation, but represented a sum of money
raised through his active exertions from friends in England
to prevent the glees and mosaic wollo at Venice being

closed.
Sir. Ward Hunt advised the withdrawal of the motion;
lord Elcho treated the whole affair with ridicule ; and, after
seme remarks from Mr. M. Chambers approving this puhlic
mede of dealing with private calumnies, the motion was

withdrawn,
The House then went Into Committee of Supply, and the
Irieh Education Vote ;£373,950, was agreed to.
The Telegraph Bill stood next for recommittal, but some
time was occupied with a preliminary discussion gong to the
rout of the treasure in its financial aspect. It was started by
Mr. W. Yowler, who strongly insisted that the Government
W 55 makieg a very improvident bargain, anti one of the
proofs on which he dwelt most earnestly was the rise in the
price of the shares in the various comp:odea since the
moment when the idea of Government purchase was first
started. Applying the ordinary rules to the transaction, he
held that l2i years' purchase, with 25 per cent for cora-
pnlfien, was an ample price to pay, and that all above that
was thrown away. In addition to this he urged that the bar-
gain did not include all the ultimate rights of the railway
Nmpabiee, and that in a few years they would bring in a
large bill against the State.
After remarks front Mr. 11. Torrens, anti Mr. W. 11. Smith,
Mr. Ward Hunt defended the bargain made by the late
Government Public opinion was stronely in favour of trans
ferrmg this business to the State, aml the Government had to
Make the best terms they could. Ile admitted that the tele-
graph companies had been liberally treated, but that did not
make the traneaction less profitable on the whole or the
State, and if the bill had been delayed for another year the
price to be paid would have been proportionately large.
lir. Crewe ad held to his eld opinion that the term' given
to the companies were preposterously extravagant, but at
the same lime the Rouse was bound in honour by the bill of
last year.
'the Marquis of Hartington, on the contrary, maintained
that the bill of last year .•nly aSSumed the expediency of ac-
qiiiring this businees for the State, and that the HOWIE was
tote competent to revive the terms of the bargain. lint
tiering carefully examined it, he believed it to be eminently
advantageotui, and he del eede I the Pest Office calculations
against the criticisms of the two members for CambriOge.
On a division the amendment wee rejected by 148 to 23, and
the Home went into Comniittee en the bill
.Clause 4, the monopoly clause—which had been pre-
viously limited by an amendmebt on clause 3 to " electric "
telegraphic communications—gave ri,e, to the longest Ifiz-
euasion. The Marquis of Hartington, supported by the Chan-
cellor id the Exchequer, prop .aed to omit the wordsintroduced
by Mr. Hunt in the Sett ct Comniittee, limiting the monopoly to
seven years. The 'initiation NA!, supported by Mr. Bouverie,
Mr. Walter, and others but on a division it was struck out
by 123 L. 27. The other clauses of the bill were agreed to,
with only a few verbal amendmente, and some other bills
having been forwarded a stage, the House adjourned.
In the Howie of Lords July 27, Lord outeany moved the
Scowl reading of the Tenants' Purchase by Instalments Ire-
laud) MIL and in doing so reviewed the several proposals
made to deal with relationships of the tenant to the land-
lent and argued in favour of creating facilities to the tenant
for acquit-tug the ownership of land of which he may be in
posseseion, The present bill weuld enable the tenant to do
this by paying for the land in Instalments. This measure,
his lordship maintained, ought to pass in the interests of the
public. It might be taken by those who thought It did i.ot
go far enough as an itietalment of legislation, arid as prelimi-
nary to further legislation in future sessiens.
Lord Defferin admitted that Lis lordship'a acquaintance
with the question entitled his recommendation to respectful
consideration, but as it was understood that the Goverement
intended to bring forward a measure to place the relations of
landlord and tenant tin a better footing, he appealed to the
noble lord to withdraw the trill.
Lord Cairns joined in the appeal to the noble lord ,Lord
2311114111 y, to let the bill lay tei the table of the Ellale.
The hill was then withdrawn.
The Marquis of Clanrioarde said lie did not intend to ask
their lordships to go into WEIIIIIittee on the Tenure ;Irelatell
Billet this period of the seseion. Ile should move that the
order Inc discharged ; but lie took the oppertimity of remark-
ing that be was convinced that this bill was the hest that
could be produced on OM question, and he expressed a 1
that the hill which the Government inteuded to produce
year would be framed upon the principles of that bill.
The order for the committal of the bill was then die
charged.
Lord Houghton moved the second reading of the County
Courts (Admiralty Jurisdiction Act, (15e8 Aniendment Bill,
the object of which mut* remedy a defect in the bill of last

session.
The Bill was then read a second time.
Lord Northbrook, In movmg the second reading of the
Contagious Dbeanes hill, said the money for the extension of
the Act in qumtion was taken in the estimates for the pre-
sent year.
The bill was read a second time.
The Reports of Amendmentu to the Bankruptcy, Imprison-
ment for Debt, and the Prevention of Onming ( ,cotlanib
Bills were received; the Debts of Deceased Persons hill the
Poor Law (Ireland) Amendment No. 2) Bill (Amendments ;,
and the High Constables' Office Abolition, ice , Bill were
read a third time; mid the Shipping Dues Exemption Act
Amendment Bill, the Ciinue Ports Act Amendment
Bill, and the Pearm icy Act (Me) Amendment Bill were
11504 iii omi' time
Lord Ca...arson called attention to the present position of
aff.dri in New Zealand. He thought the policy on which the
existing relations between England soil ShIS colony were
hued might have been adnp. td somewhat prematurely, but
that it mast be w•cepted now as • fact, and that in time it
would le no acc.-pted coo. by New Zealand. The present
complication, be believed, had originated in a misconcep-
tion on the part, not of this country, but of the colony,
which could not take sufficient account of the multi-
tudinous subp.cts by whico the attention of England ,
was necessarily occupied. For himself, he approved gen,
rally the present coloniul policy, which did not differ in
principle from his own, but he suggested that, as the difficulty
arose in • great measure from the distance of the two
countries, it might be alleviated by accrediting a Commis-
sions, to New feelad, aswedlai to lbw presidents al Nir