Northern Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1857-08-08 00:00:00

THE ATTEMPTED MURDER IN THE QUEEN'S

BENCH PRISON.

The Sonthwaak police magistrate was on Thursday
occupied several hours in investigating the charges against
Antonio de Salvi, an Italian, and Mr. Jabez Samuel Gower,
the celeb ated auctioneer of Barbican ; the former with
stabbing Mr. Robert Henderson Robertson, a gentleman
confined for debt in the Qieen'e Bench pr:son, and the
latter with inciting him to do the same, with intent to
murder him. The court was cro vde.i. Mr. Gower, who
was accompanied by a number of influential merchants
and contractors, surrendered at the appointed time.
Mr. Sleigh appeared for the prosecution, Mr. Robin-
son for Gower, and Mr. Murrong'a for De Salvi. Mr.
Sleigh said that he had just seen the medical officer of
the Queen's Prison, Mr. Waken, and Mr. Jones, the doctor
who first attended to the injured man, and both those
gentlemen had informed him that Mr. Robertson was in
the same state, and that no alteration for the batter had
taken place. He probably might die in two hours, or he
might live many days, but still they were of opinion that
he could not survive the murderous attack on him.
Several witnesses had been examined, but before the case
was closed, and after that he should ask his worship to
commit both prisoners to the Central Criminal Court for
trial. Mr John Lashmer said :I am under confinement in
the remanded side of the Queen's Prison. I was there on
Wednesday afternoon the Bth of July last. Ney's room is
on the same landing with Mr. Robertson's, and shortly
after 2 o'clock I was near my door, which is 8 or 10 yards
distant, when I heard a cry of " Oh, my God, murder,"
proceed from the passage between Mr. Robertson's room
and mine, which is nearer the staircase. On hearing that
I immediately ran out, and saw Mr. Bell, an inmate, rush
from towards Mr. Robertson's room down the stairs. I
looked over, and hearing him still call out "Murder." I
followed him, and passed Mr. Gower on the top of the
weirs. I rushed after Mr. Bell to stop any parties that
might attempt to get out of the gaol, but hearing that no
one had passed, I returned to Mr. Robertson's room. The
door was then half way open. I saw Mr. Robertson on
the floor supported by Mr. Tnompsen, who was sitting on a
chair. He had his hand on Mr. Robertson's shoulder.
Mr. Even Bernal Jones. surgeon, said : I was called in to
Mr. Robertson's room, when I saw him in bed. I found
a wound an inch and a half long on the temple, another
three inches between the whisker and the chin, a third
near the shoulder, and a deep cat on the back of the neck,
which had injured the spine. I have seen Mr. Robertson
since, and I believe him to ba in a dangerous state. Mr.
Charles Colwell was next examined. He said : I am
chief turnkey in the Queen's Prison. I recollect the after-
noon of the Bth of July, when my attention was called to
the remanded side by hearing that a man had been stabbed,
I went there and received the knife produced from Dennis,
one of the turnkeys, who received it from an inmate
Wyld, in my presence. It was in the same condition
it is now, excepting that a little blood has
been rubbed off the broken end. When I first saw the
knife it was immediatly after the occurrence, and it was
open. I have since had it in my possession, excepting a
few days when the police sergeant had it, to endeavour to
trace whether it had been recently purchased. (The
knife was here examined, and although the blade, or at
least the portion left in the handle appeared to have
been new; the corkscrew at the back had evidently been
used several times. It is a knife in general use among gen-
tlemen's servants when travelling) Mr. Combo : Did Mr.
Gower make any observation when you told him Mr. Ro-
bertson had said he instigated Dc Salvi to stab him? Wit-
ness : He said, " Oh, God, how shocking. Mr. Robinson :
Did he say anything in reference to De Salvi ? Witness :
Yes, he said " Salvi did it." Mr. Robinson : Did he make
u;e of any strong expressions ? Witness . Yea, he said, "Oh,
God, that I should have come to this place with the villain."
Mr. Mar/tough . I object to such evidence being taken ;
what Mr. Gower says has nothing to do with my client.
Mr. Combo : Two parties are charged with an offence be-
fore me, and if one says anything about the other I must
take it down, but it will be for the judge to advise the
jury how to receive such evidence. Mr. Robinson to Mr.
Collwell . Did not Mr. Gower appear shocked and indig-
nant at the charge ? Witness : Yes, sir. I took De
Salvi first, and he was surrounded by several persons. Mr.
Gower was near at the time, only separated from the other
by a glass door. Salvi called to Mr. Gower, saying he
wanted to speak to him- Mr. Gower turned away, and
said, "Don't speak to me, you villain." He repeated
that several .times. Mr. Combs : After that, did
you hear Da Salvi say anything else ? Mr.
Collwell : Yes ; De Salvi said, "I did it, Mr. Gower
has nothing to do with it. Mr. Sleigh : Was Mr. Robert-
son detained in the Queen's Prison at the snit of both
prisoners? Mr. 0°11%74.1: Yes, sir. Thomas Buchanan,
police constable 30 M, said : I was on duty at the Nine
Elms station on Wednesday afternoon, July 8-h. I saw
the prisoner brought in by Mr. Collwell and Dennis, one
of the turnkeys of the Queen's Prison. I took charge of
the case, and the knife produced. I also heard de Salvi
say, " Mr. Gower knows nothing about the knife." Mr.
Sleigh here said that was all the evidence he had to
off ron the part of the prosecution. Mr. Combo then
cautioned the prisoners in the usual way, and
committed them for trial at the next sessions of the
Central Criminal Court. De Salvi was committed to
prison, and Mr. Gower ware as before, liberated on bail,
Mr. Macnamara and Mr. Hartley becoming his sureties.
Mr. Sleigh said that after the evidence he had heard
respecting Mr. Gower, he should not in the least object to
his being liberated on bail. In fact, he should support it.
He was instructed by a very respectable firm (Messrs.
Christie, of Lombard-street), to prosecute, and he was sure
they required nothing but justice. The witnesses were
then all bound over to prosecute, and Mr. Gower left the
court with his friends. De Salvi was conveyed to gaol in
a cab, and in a few days he will be removed to Newgate.