The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1824-11-01 00:00:00

ATTEMPTED MURDER.

The following dreadful circumstance, which occurred on Satur-
day night, in (,heapaide, near the corner of Bucklersbury, threw
the whole neighbourhood into a state of carmine alarm : mar-
ried woman, named barah Derail, the wife of Samuel I)cvall, a
gardener, the son of a market-gardener at Ilattenea, was walking
over the cross-way at the end of Bucklenibury, about nine o'clock
on Saturday night, when a men ran up to her and said, " Now I'll
do fur you, you —," and instantly fired a pistol at her head.
The ball with which the pistol was loaded struck the es', arlit, and
fractured the skull. The woman, on hearing the pistol fired. cried
out, " I)h God ! my husband has munlered me! I am shot !" Before
she could speak another a ord, or any person could render her as-
' sistance, the aatarsin, finding that the ball bad nut taken the effect
he intended, rushed upon her, and beat her about the head with
the pistol till she was covered with blood, and fell on the ground
in a state of insensibility. He offered no resistance what
taken bold of by several gentlemen, who sent for an officer, and
gave him into the custody of Smith, a constable. The poor wo-
man was carried instantly to the shop of Mr. Hooper, surgeon,
Queen-street, Illieapside, and from thence she was conveyed to St.
Ihirtholoniew's Hospital, and put to bed. The house surgeon in-
stantly examined the wounds on her head, and discovered that the
wound occasioned by the pistol ball was not dangerous, but he ap.
prebendal fatal cos,sequeneett from several fractutes of the skull,
occasioned by the violence with which she had been struck with the
barrel of the pistol. Iler head was shaved and the wounds
limbed and dressed. During this operation, the prisoner was
Conveyed to Gilispia-suiret Compeer, and the keeper, on hearing
the nature of his offence, had him placed under the are of persons
who were directed to guard him during the night. He was asked
his 11)&111C, to which I.e answered " Samuel 1/evall ;r and said his
reason for shooting his wife was, that he had discovered that she
hail not only been criminal with other men, but was a common
prostitute, and lie had watched her conduct in Oheattside fur half
an hour before be shot her. lie was excessively agitated for sonic
hours, bit he has since heroine quite calm and taciturn. There is
a peculiar wildness about the eyex of the prisoner, and strong indi-
cations of insanity.
The account the unfortunate woman ha. given it as follows :
She has been married nine years to the prisoner; they had lived in
the Commercial-road, Limehnuse and latterly at No. 7. Swan.
court Coleattau-street. (In Sunday last they had ear food nor
money, and they lay in bed the whole of the day, and at
night she went out, by his ditection, to obtain money by means
of prostitution. She had frequently threatened to leave him, as
he was too Idle to work. sod he had swore. in the most so-
lemn manner if ever she did he would blow her brains out.
On Tuesday list, their goods being sold, she told hint she would
go to service, and after some time he consented, and they shook
hands and parted in a very friendly manner. (In l'huntday last
she heard that he had purc.ased a pistol, and that, he had declared,
whenever he met her he would shoot her, having discovered that,
instead of her going to service, she had gone upon the tows. It
is stated that tic prisoner has been confined in a lunatic asylum,
and that he has been recently discharged from lloriernonger.lane
gaol. where he was confined for committing a very violent outrage.
Ile will be brought up for examination this day at GulldhalL

A duel was to have taken place on Stnallberry Green, on
Saturday tuoraing, between Alajor J—m---11 and a Mr.
F-1-41, a wealthy citizen, but intimation having been
given to the police, constables were in waiting; and the
patties having been apprised of it, they travelled further
to the westward. It was said to have been a dispute re-
specting the purchase and sale of a horse.
At a very numerous meeting of the Staffordshire, Shrop-
shire, and Welsh iron-masters, held at the Swan Inn,
Wolverhampton, on ‘Veduesday week, it was unani-
mously agreed that an advance of W. pc.r ton should take
place on bar and rod iron.—North Ii ales GaSctte.
Another affray between the Coast blockade men, and the
Sussex smugglers took place at Bexhill on Wednesday ;
a coniiderable number of tabs with spirituous liquors were
run, about three hundred, it is said, and about the same
number was seitial. A smart ekirmish took place, and
some severe wounds were inflicted. A smuggler, of the
name of Benjamin Bradford, was taken prisoner, and he is
now under confinement in one of the Martell° Towers.—
Kentish Gazette.