The Express.
London, England, 1853-07-07 00:00:00

WORSHIP-STREET.

Henry Stephens, a journeyman carpenter, was brought
before Mr. Hammill upon a warrant, charged under very
aggravated circumstances, with having cruelly ill-treated his
wife.
It appeared from the evidence of the complainant, a good
looking young woman, who was in a state of pregnancy,
that she had been married about fifteen months to the pri-
soner, who deserted her shortly after their union, without
any assigned reason, and remained absent for nearly a
twelvemonth. A reconciliation was at length effected,
through the intercession of their mutual friends, and the
prisoner had since behaved towards her with comparative
kindness until a few days since when he abruptly announced
his intention to leave her again, and demanded the keys of
his drawers to pack up his things, as he was resolved to
proceed to Australia. She endeavoured to dissuade him
from his purpose, and declined to deliver up the keys,
when she was instantly seized by the prisoner, who dung
her back upon tho bed, and seized her by the throat, which
he grasped with such violence that she was almost strangled
In the course of her struggles to release herself from him,
she rolled off the bed and fell heavily on the floor, which
attracted the attention of her landlady, who hastened to her
assistance and rescued her for a time from further ill-
treatment. The instant her landlady bad gone, however,
the prisoner renewed the attack upon her, and after open-
ing the window and threatening to threw her out into the
street, be rushed upon her and knocked her down by a
violent blow on the mouth, which loosened one of her
teeth. The prisoner then threw himself upon her and
pressed his knees with all his force upon her stomach, which
caused her the most excruciating pain, and on imploring
him to desist from his violence on account of her pregnancy,
the prisoner brutally answered, That he did not care for
that, as he did not want a child, and would rather have a
little devil." The prisoner then commenced beating her in
an unmerciful manner about the back and the lower part
of her person, declaring with an oath that he would take care
only to strike her where the marks would not be perceptible,
and continued the same savage course of violence until her
landlady and some other inmates of the house again in-
terfered and took her under their protection.
Rebecca Abbott, the complainant's landlady, corrobo-
rated all the material parts of her testimony, and stated
that she had since examined the person of the poor woman;
which bore ample evidence as to the cruel violence to which
she had been subjected.
On being called on for his defence, the prisoner, in
general terms, denied the charge, and said that he was
compelled to separate from his wife is consequence of her
intolerable temper.
Mr. Hammill severely commented upon the flagrant
nature of the outrage, and ordered the prisoner to be com-
mitted under the Aggravated Assaults Act, and to be kept
to bard labour for four months in the House of Correction.

THE MILITARY KNIGHTS OF WINDSOR—The Va-
cant stall at this ancient and honourable in.titution has just
been filled up by the nomination of Colonel Sir John Milley
Doyle, K.C.8., to be one of its military knights. This dis-
tinguished veteran has served many years in the British
army in various quarters of the globe, in Egypt in 1801,
under the illustrious Abercrombie, during the whole of the
Peninsular war, first in command of a regiment, and subse-
quently a brigade under the Duke of Wellington. In the
records of that memorable period Sir John's name will be
found as having frequently distinguished himself. Is con-
sideration of his " eminent services," be was nominated a
Military K C.B. on the 2nd of January, 1815 ; was also
honoured with the Military Order of the Tower and Sword
of Portugal, St. Ferdinand of Spain, the Ottoman Order of
the Crescent, the Gold Cross and Silver Medal with Eight
Clasps, as also various other military decorations from Spain
and Portugal. Sir John served as major-general and aide-
de-camp to his late Imperial Majesty Don Pedro, Regent of
Portugal, and remained in that service until the restoration
of her present Most Faithful Majesty to the Lusitanian
throne ; and, we regret to add, has been apt unjustly
treated by the Portuguese government, which he so eK.
Matti,' served with real and fidelity for very many years.