The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1884-06-07 00:00:00

ATTEMPTED MURDER OF A GIRL.

In London, on Monday, at the Worship-street
Police-court, Thomas trriah Coney, 38, described as a
labourer, living at 4, Nicol-street, Shoreditch, was •
brought up on a charge of having attempted to
murder his daughter, aged 11 years. It appeared
from the evidence of the police and from that of the
young girl, who had with difficulty been brought to
•the court, that the alleged attempt took place on the
previous day (Sunday), at about five o'clock. The
prisoner lived at the address given with his wife and
two children, the one in question being Charlotte
Ann Coney. The prisoner and his wife had quar-
relled on Saturday night and also on Sunday
morning, the prisoner himself having been drinking
heavily. There were lodgers in the house who lived in
a room above that occupied by the prisoner's family,
and they heard the noise of quarrelling during
Sunday. This went on the most of the day, and at
about teatime a loud scream was heard, which caused
the lodgers to go below to see what was going on. On
entering the prisoner's room they found him with his
daughter Charlotte. She was being held up in a stand-
ing position upon a chair, and the prisoner had placed
a thick rope round her neck and tied it tightly. The
rope was carried above a nail driven in the wall, and
the prisoner was holding with one hand the other end
of it, apparently about to pull it and to suspend the
child and strangle her. The child was struggling to
get away, and the two men who had gone to the room
at go opportune a moment rushed to her and suc-
ceeded in rescuing her from her father's grasp. The
prisoner said to the men,." If you hadn't come now, I
should have hung all the three and then hung myself."
The wife and other child had, it appeared, run away
from the place, and there was considerable trouble in
finding them afterwards. The girl Charlotte was exa-
mined at the police-station, but there was no visible
thark upon her throat, and it was considered that the
rope had not been tightened round the neck. After
being allowed to leave the care of the police the little
girl ran away from the neighbourhood, and was some
time afterwards found at the house of her uncle, a
short distance off. She was still under the protection
of her uncle, and he undertook to look after her
until there was hope of her safety at home. The
prisoner's wife said that her husband had during
Saturday night a fit of delirium tremens. When he
kept away from drink he was a steady man, and he
was not often violent. The police said they were not
aware of any previous charge against him, and his
general character appeared to be good. The prisoner
expressed his sorrow for what had occurred, and said
he should not have been guilty of this but for drink.
He was remanded in custody.

House HumNo.—Agent (to couple who think they
have at length hit on a thoroughly quiet spot). "And
you won't find it dull neither. There's good piano--
organs comes round two or three times a week—the
muffins is regular—you can have yer chairs caned
and kettles mended at yer very door, and other litl le
things just as handy. [Collapse of couple].—Judy.
"GET OUT! "—Why should you expect upholsterers
to be always willing to become subscribers to public
charities? Why, because, you see, they are chair-or-
table people,—Judy.
SOUVENIRS OP CHILDHOOD. - Scene a ballroom.
Young Lady: Oh, mother I have you seen the lovely
flowers in the conservatory? There is such-a splendid
cod-liver oil plant in
,it k---[Poor thing 1 oho meant a
castor-oil rAant)--Judy.