The Express.
London, England, 1866-09-20 00:00:00

THAMES.

Jaw Middleton, aged437deseribed as a labourer, of
No. 3, Quisley-street, Poplar, was brought before Mr.
Partridge charged with cutting and wounding Elisabeth
Peterson, a widow, with intent to do grievous bodily harm,
and also with attempting to commit suicide by cutting his
throat, at No. 48, Brunswick-street, Poplar, on the 9th of
the present month.
Mrs. Peterson said she was a widow, living at No. 48,
Brunswick-street. On Sunday, the 9th instant, about ten
minutes past 8 o'clock, the prisoner brought her home
from Poplar Church. He had been courting her for some
time. After the lapse of a few minutes he pro-
sed to her, and asked her if she would be
his ; to which she replied, Yes. He said, "No
you shall not be mine," caught bold of her round the
waist, and threw her on the ground. She struggled with
him, and screamed, and she felt a knife go into her throat.
She was bleeding very much. She continued to struggle
with him, and he cut her on the chin. She made a des-
perate effort, threw him from her, and rove to her feet.
He go* up, and she made for the door, ran to the railway
station opposite with the blood issuing from her throat,
and gave an alarm. She was conveyed to the surgery of
a doctor, and her wounds were dressed.
In answer to questions by Mr. Partridge, the witness
said—l have known the prisoner for many years.. He also
gave me another cut on the throat. He came to the
house in which I lived at four o'clock in the afternoon,
remained till six, and followed me to the parish church of
All Saints, Poplar.
Other evidence was given, from which it appeared that
the prisoner inflicted a severe wound on his own throat
after he had injured the widow in the way described, and
was taken to the Poplar Hospital by James Ponsford, a
police-constable, No. 2% IC, to whom he said religion was
the cause of it all. The dress of the prosecutrix was much
cut, and it was evident that the prisoner had endeavoured
to inflict other wounds upon her, and was prevented by her
struggles.
The prisoner made no defence, and Mr. Partridge com-
mitted him to Newgate for trial.

FRAUD BY • CONVICIWARDER.—At the Chatham
police-court yesterday, George Brown, a warder at the con-
vict prison, underwent a lengthened examination before Mr.
W. H. Nioholson, the sitting magistrate, on the charge of
having fraudulently obtained the sum of 11. from the rela-
tives of &convict named Stephens, alias Callaghan, under the
false and fraudulent pretence of conveying it to that
prisoner, for his use. The evidence of the several wit-
nesses went to show that the accused, who was suspected
of having been carrying on a similar system for some con-
siderable time past, had written letters in the name of
Stephens, requesting that a sum of 31. might be imme-
diately forwarded to him to be expended ix purchasing
additional food and tobacco. The whole of these letters.
although ostensibly coming from the convict Stephens, were
proved to be in the handwriting of the prisoner, to whom the
answers were to be sent, addressed to him at • grocer's
shop in New Brampton. An appointment was subse-
quently made by the friends of the convict with the pri-
soner at the Lord Nelson public-house, where one sove-
reign was handed to him by the mother of Stephens, the
prisoner saying it would be expended in purchasing
" grub and tobacco " for her son. Stephens was now exa-
mined by the magistrate, and swore that the letters pro-
duced were not in his handwriting, and that so far from
having authorised the prisoner to write them for him, he
bad never once spoken to him. Mr. E. Turner, chief
warder at the Chatham convict prison, proved the letters
to be in the handwriting of the prisoner, who, he stated,
had been suspected of carrying on this system for eighteen
months past, although he had hitherto escaped detection.
The pnaoner, who made no answer to the charge, was
committed for trial.
THE HACKNEY Wonsmouen. —At the meeting
of the Board of Guardians of the parish of Hackney held
yesterday afternoon at the Workhouse, Mr. Turner in the
chair, the subject of the recent inquiry relative to the
alleged inhumanity of Mr. and Mrs. Driscoll, the master
and matron el that establishment, was spoken of. No
steps were taken either for rescinding or confirming the
suspension of those officials, whose conduct, it will be re-
membered, was attributed by the coroner's jury to an error
of judgment. It was decided to await the action of the
Poor-law Board in the matter, and that body has been
communicated with accordingly.
LONDON GRIMLAL OKNIDUS Cotsrews (LEnrenn).
—Traffic receipts for week ending Sept. 16, 10,8171. fie. Id.'