The Express.
London, England, 1860-06-11 00:00:00

THE EXTRAORDINARY ATTEMPT AT MURDER

AND SUICIDE AT WINCHESTER.

On Wednesday morning, before the Mayor of
Winchester, Robert Simpson, a private in the 00th Rifles,
was brought up in custody of the police from the military
hospital, charged with cutting and wounding Sophia Rowe,
with a razor on the 12th of May, with the intent to murder
ber. The prosecutrix, • young woman who has been from
that date an in-patient of the County Hospital, stated
that she was • native of Stow Market, in Suffolk,
and had resided in Winchester for some time. On
the 24th of December, being out of a situation as a
servant, she went to lodge at the house of Mr. NVidlin,
the Painter's Arms, Sussex-street, where she remained till
the following circumstance occurred:—Some months ago
she formed an acquaintance with the prisoner, who came to
see her at her lodging, and often went out with her. On
the nights of Thursday and Friday, the 10th and 11th of
May, he remained all night, and slept with her. On Friday
morning the prisoner said he was tired of soldiering,. and
he should cut his throat, and asked her to get him a
razor. She said she would not borrow one, but as he seemed
so unhappy she would buy him one, and gave him Is. dd.,
and he left the house and went into the town. On his re.
turn be gave her the razor, which she locked up in her box.
Prisoner remained with her all day, and they went to bed
between ten and eleven at night, and at his request she
took the razor out of her box and put it under the bolster.
Shortly after they were gone to hot Rachael Welby, who
was in the habit of sleeping with her, mine into their room,
and got into bed with them, where she remained all night.
Welby got up in the morning and left her in bed.
after she was gone, prisoner took the razor from under the
bolster, when she asked him to cut her throat, to which
prisoner replied he had not the power to do it. She then
said he must do it, and if he refused to do so, he should not
cut his own, upon which be did both. Mr. E. Buckell,
surgeon, said he was called in on Saturday, the 12th of
May. Found Sarah Rowe with her throat cut, and there
was a very deep and serious incision, attended with great
loss of blood. She said, in answer to a question put to her,
that it was the prisoner who had done it, and who also had
a severe wound in hie neck. He afterwards found • razor
in the middle of the bed; it was the one which was then pro.
duced. The same day Rowe was seut to the County Hospital,
where she has since remained. Ihsehael Welby was in the
habit of sleeping with Rowe, and did so on the night of the
11th of May, and in company with the prisoner; he and
Rowe were in bed when she went into the mom. Left at 7
o'clock in the morning, before which she heard Rowe say to the
prisoner, " Dodo it, Ben, there's • dear," hut she did not know
what it meant. Mrs. Wathin dotal that her husband kept the
Painter's Arms, and that Rowe lodged at her house. The
prisoner was in the habit of coming to see her, but did not
know that he slept in the house. Went to ed on Friday
night about 9 eclock, in. consequence of being poorly.
About 7 o'clock next morning she heard Rowe say Good
bye," and directly afterwards heard a smash in the room
occupied by Rowe, and on going into it she (culd that a
window had been broken, and on looking on the bed she
saw Rowe bleeding profusely, and with her throat cut, upon
which she immediately sent for Mr. BuckelL Whilst
waiting his coming she heard the prisoner say, " This us
love," to which Rowe replied, " I shall die happy." The
prisoner, when called upon for his defence, said lie did not
know what he was doing at the time, and was fully com-
mitted for trial at the next assizes, buebeforo being removed
was allowed to shake hands with all the parties concerned,
which he did apparently to their satisfaction. --Sali4,4sry
Journal.

The officers of the 11th (Prince Albert's Own)
Hussars had their annual dinner at the Clarendon on Satur-
day last. General Sir Henry Wyndham, K.C.8., colonel
of the regiment, presided, and was supported lay the Earl
of Cardigan, K.C.8., Colonels Smedley Harrison (com-
manding), Douglas, Peel, Bellingham Smith, George;
Majors Cook, Lawrie, Fraser ; Lord Royston, Rev. Richard
Pyper, Hon. Captains Vivian and Noe', M.P., Captain
Dawson, M.P., Lc.

For the information of gentlemen of the second
branch of the legal profession, the Dublin Warder meatiosi
that the office of solicitor to the Ecclesiastical Commis.
sioners, vacant by the resignation of Mr. Godfrey Father.
stone, is supposed to be worth nearly 3,000/. a year. Six
of the leading Dublin professionals are already entered for
the race, but this number will, of course, be largely in.
crossed before the end of another week.

A portion of the Bateman property, in the county
of Kerry, consisting of four lots, was sold on Friday in the
Landed Fatates Court, and realised upwards of 20,0001.
Some other lots which had been announced for sale were
withdrawn, a sufficient sum having been produced to dia.
charge the encumbrances.

The committee of the Glasgow Garibaldi Fund
remitted 900 f. on Wednesday, being their thin! instalment,
making up to this date the sum of 700/. hom Glasgow.
This remittance includes the munificent sum of lOW- (fit
addition to fiat formerly sent) from Miss Geraldine Rosa,
Ballnagoern Castle, Ross-shire. The following cordial letter
of approval from Lord Kinnaird has been received, enclos-
ing the subscription of 101.:—" Veitch'e Hotel. June 8,
1860. My dear sir,—l am glad to see that you have had a
meeting in Edinburgh to raise a ' Garibiddi Fond.' I en-
close a trifle only to show my sympathy with Garibaldi and
the righteous cause in which he and his brave companions
are engaged. Yours faithfully, KINNAIRD. - Duncan
M'Larcu, Esq."
A very severe church-rate contest was finished at
Northendea, in Cheshire, on Saturday. The poll extended
over two days. At the meeting on Friday, a show of hands
was taken, and on being counted the numbers appeared, for
the rate, 69 ; against it, 72. The poll which was demanded
was taken immediately, and on Friday evening the numbers
were declared to be, for the rate, 97 ; against, 68. The
contest was renewed on Saturday, and on the final declaras
ion of the poll, the anti-church-rate party gained the
struggle by a majority of five.
The cricket match between the two celebrated
elevens at Old Trafford, on Saturday, ta•nninated in favour
of the opposition eleven. The " American Champion
Eleven" lost the match by three wickets. The declaration
of our transatlantic cousins, that the Champioti Eleven
could beat any twenty-two in England, has thus been peas.
Many contradicted.
The Prince Regent and Prince Frederic William
returned to Berlin last Wednesday night from the provisos
of Prussia, and Prince Frederick William immediately left
for Potsdam, where he is now residing with hie royal con-
sort. The train by which their royal higlinewes traversed
the new section of the railway from Kouipberg on Monday
reached Eydtkuhn in the afternoon, when the Prince
Regent walked to the boundery line between Pruasis. and
Kuala, and transmitted • telegram to the Emperor of
• in which a hearty greeting was espreesed, and the
hope added that the two couutries might become closer
united by the early completion of the lies on the Russian
territory.
At a banquet given at Palermo on the occasion
of the armistice, Garibaldi (according to the Courrier de
Par ie) proposed as • toaat—"Tbe Independence of Hun-
gary," and, turning to his adjutant-general. Colonel Turr,
said—" Friend, you were my guest at Camp end Varese,
and you are now my guest here ; but in January next I will
return your visit—at Perth
The Boston Transcript (U.S ) learns from parties s
interested in the enterprise that some fifty miles of the
Atlantic cable liars been taken up to a point extending
seaward fifty miles from the chores of Trinity Bay.
Fractures were found in the cable just where they bad
been indicated by the instruments on shore.