The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1886-08-21 00:00:00

ATTEMPTED MURDER AT STAMFORD-
HILL.

A dastardly outrage was perpetrated on Stamford-
hill on Saturday eight. The nois'.3 of a pistol-shot
alarmed the people, followed, as it was, by screams,
and a cry of "I'm shot; murder." Two girls heard
the cries, and saw a lady fall, and a man hastily rush
off. The girls ran to the sufferer, and one of them,
Alice White, recognised her as a Mrs. Tomlinson, the
wife of a grocer, in the High-row.% Tottenham. Tne
wounded woman knew the girl's voice, and said," Oh,
Alice, fetch my husband." She, however, stayed with
her, and sent her companion, Lucy Richards, for Mr.
Tomlinson, who speedily arrived, and conveyed his
wife to her home, where medical assistance was
obtained. The miscreant must have watched his
victim until she got to a secluded spot, and deliberately
discharged a pistol at her head, inflicting a serious
wound under her ear. Seeing her fall he ran away.
The man's movements had been noticed by a number
of people, who kept him in sight and followed him,
but not one appears to have had the courage to detain
him. He walked at a moderate pace to the
Turnpike Gate public-house at the top of the hill,
and as he left he was apprehended, and after being
identified by Mrs. Tomlinson, was lodged in Totten-
ham Gaol. He is a one-armed man, well built and
muscular, was respectably dressed, and is apparently
about 30 years of age. His wife is a sister of Mrs.
Tomlinson. It would seem that his home life had
been very unhappy, and that his wife had sought
refuge with her sister, or at any rate her hus'aand
suspected Mrs. Tomlinson of harbouring her. This
had excited his anger, and he was banging about all
Saturday, watching for an opportunity, spending most
of the aftetnoon in witnessing a cricket match on a
vacant piece of land near Mr. Tomlinson's house.
Fortunately the bullet did not enter Mrs. Tomlin-
son's skull, but glanced off, leaving, however, a serious
flesh wound, causing great loss of blood, and the con-
sequence of the shock to a lady who is in delicate
health causes the gravest apprehension. The pri •
soner makes no secret of his guilt, and volunteered
to the police information of the place where he had
thrown the pistol, an old lumber-yard in the High-
road. On Sunday morning the police found there a
seven-chambered revolver, of which six chambers
were still loaded and one had been discharged. In
order to get to this place the prisoner must have
walked a little distance down the hill and then
returned, past the scene of the outrage, to the public.
house.

William Esworthy, 28, described as a commission
agent, of 29, South•street, Manchester-square, was
brought before the magistrates at Enfield Petty
Sessions on Monday morning, charged with shooting
and wounding with intent to murder Harriet Tomlin-
son. Evidence was given as to the nature of the
wound, and it was stated that Mrs. Tomlinson,
though progressing favourably, would not be able to
leave the house for a fortnight or more. Formal
evicience was them given as to the arrest, and the
prisoner was remanded. It has been ascertained that
the prisoner was in the shop of a chemist named
Barnard, opposite Tomlinson's, on Saturday after-
noon, and that Mrs. Tomlinson happened to go in
to make a purchase. The prisoner went up to her
and said, " Give me that letter." She replied, "What
letter? I don't know you." He said in a threatening
tone, "I'll let you see whether you know me or not
by-and-bye." Mrs. Tomlinson then loft the shop,
went home, and saw no more of him until he shot her
at half-past nine in the evening. , -