The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1888-01-21 00:00:00

I

THE ATTEMPT TO MURDER A

DETECTIVE..

At Bow-street Police-court, before Mr. Bridge, the
man who attempted to shoot Inspector Lansdowne,
of the Criminal Investigation Department, Scotland.
yard, has been brought up on remand. At the last
hearing he refused his name and address, but he has
since giveUthe name of Samuel Prince. It appeared
from the evidence already given that on the night of
Friday week Earl Compton's luggage was lost from a
cab between the St. Pancras Station of the Midland
Railway and Lennox-gardens. On the following day
the prisoner presented a cheque for payment at
Messrs, Drummond's bank, which was amongst
the stolen property. The clerk at the bank communi-
cated with the police, and Inspector Lansdowne saw
the prisoner at the bank. When questioned he said
that he had received the check from his partner, Mr.
W. Clements, a jeweller, of 145, Barnsbury-road. He
was taken to that address in a cab, when it was found
that his statement was false. Inspector Lansdowne
then arrested him, and was about to take him away
in the cab when he endeavoured to shoot the officer,
who grasped the revolver with his thumb between the
hammer and the cartridge, by which his life was
saved, although his thumb was injured by the
hammer.

Mr. Sims, who appeared for the Treasury to prose-
cute, upon the prisoner being placed in the dock said
that he proposed to call further evidence as to the
attempt to murder Inspector Lansdowne, and then
to prefer another charge of forging and uttering
cheques on the High Wickham branch of the London
and County Bank. On the 24th of December last a
portmanteau belonging to Colonel Logan was stolen
from the top of a cab, and in the portmanteau was a
cheque-book. On the 28th one of those cheques was
presented to Mr. Field, a baker, in payment of an ac-
count., There were several other forgeries of cheques
from the same cheque-book, but into those he did not
propose to go. The prisoner was evidently a des-
perate and dangerous man. He was formerly in
the Royal Navy, and was sentenced to two years' im-
prisonment for assaulting his captain. He was after-
wards in the 3rd Hussars, when he was accused of
larceny, and when the corporal endeavoured to arrest
him he shot him in the leg with a revolver which he
had stolen from the regimental stores. For this
offence he was sentenced to twelve months' imprison-
ment.

Mr. Geo. Hurrell, the bank cashier, recalled, said
that the prisoner brought the cheque endorsed after he
had been told that it could not be paid without the
endorsement.

Inspector Lansdowne, recalled, said that he went to
the house in the Barnsbury-road, and said, in the
prisoner's presence, that he had come about the cheque.
The person to whom he spoke was Mr. Freeman, a
jeweller, the landlord of the house. He said that there
was no one named Clements living there, but that a
young man of that name worked for him. He also
added that some one came about a cheque on the
previous week, upon which the prisoner said to witness,
"You make a note of that." When searched at the
police-station, a cheque-book of the London and
County Banking Company was found upon him. The
counterfoil of the cheque which had been presented
was in the book, and there were several other cheques
missing. The revolver was loaded with ball cartridge
in every chamber.
By the prisoner: I do think that it was your inten-
tention to take my life.
Prisoner: Why do you think so, considering that I
rode with you in a cab to Barnsbury-road. If I had
desired to take your life could I not have done so
then ?

Witness: At that time you were not my prisoner.
Prisoner: Then you still persist in thinking and
swearing that I intended to take your life?
Witness : I do.

Prisoner: Then all I can say is that I am very
sorry. I think I shall be able to prove different at the
trial.

By Mr. Bridge: The hammer of the revolver fell
upon my thumb and cut it to the bone. The trigger
must have been pulled down the moment I grasped
the weapon. The hammer would not have cocked if the
trigger had not been pulled.
Edward Gleason, of 29, Tavistock-road, West-
bourne-park, a cab-driver, said that on Saturday last
he drove the inspector and the prisoner to 145, Barns-
bury-road. They both went into the house, and after
a few minutes came out together. As they came out
the Prisoner made an attempt to walk to the near
side of the horse's head, but the inspector pushed him
on to the footboard. The prisoner then made a rush
to get off on the other side, but the inspector caught
him by the collar and pulled him back. He then
deliberately turned round and caught the officer by
the collar and, pushing him against the side of the
cab, said, "You are a dead man it you do not
let me go." He was then holding a revolver in his
hand, which he pointed at Mr. Lansdowne's chest.
The pistol was quite close to the Inspector's chest,
and he immediately grasped hold of it, saying, "He is
trying to murder me." A struggle then ensued, during
which the prisoner endeavoured to point the revolver
at Mr. Lansdowne, who, however, kept hold of the
barrel until a carman seized the prisoner from behind,
when the revolver was taken from him. He then said,
".1 am a done man."

Frederick Wilson, a coal carman, said that on
Saturday last he was in the Barnsbury-road with his
van, and saw the struggle. He stopped his van and
caught the prisoner from behind. At that time he was
struggling with the inspector in the road, and both
were holding the revolver.

William Clements said that he lived at 145, Barns-
bury road, and was assistant to Mr. Freeman, a
jeweller. The Prisoner was his half-brother, and his
name was Charles Bonnett. He had no trade, and
Witness did not know where he had been living. The
cheque produced had not been given by him to the
prisoner. The endorsement on the back was in the
prisoner's handwriting. The two other cheques
signed "Strudwick " were also in the same hand-
writing. On the Wednesday previous to the arrest,
some one called at 145, Barnsbury-road, and showed
him a similar cheque.
Cross-examined by the Prisoner. I believe the en-
dorsement to be in your handwriting, but I could not
swear to it. I saw you about six months ago, but
prior to that time I had not seen you for five or six
years.

Formal evidence having been given as to the
forgeries,
The prisoner was committed for trial upon the
charges of attempting to murder, of forgery, arid of
stealing the portmanteau.