The Sun.
London, England, 1852-12-08 00:00:00

THE CHARGE OF MURDER AT ISLINGTON.

CLERKENWELL.—(Tms DAY.)

Jeremiah Tooley, of No. 2, Suffolk-place, Suffolk-
street, Clerkenwell, a labourer, was placed at the bar
before Mr. Corrie, charged with assaulting and wounding
Alexander Downes, at the same house, with intent to
do him some grievous bodily harm, of which wound he
died. The first witness called was
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Mary Downes—She stated that she was the wife o
the deceased, and that he went last night at the back
of his house to feed his dogs ; that was about half-past
eight or nine. Hearing a noise in the yard from the
dogs, she went out and saw. the prisoner making an
attempt to cut her husband's throat. She afterwards
saw him draw the razor across her husband's throat, and
blood was pouring from the wound. She, lost her sight
and senses for a few moments, but when she recovered
she found the prisoner holding her husband down, and
pulled him off and called " Murder."
The prisoner here said the witness was always calling
him names. _

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Mrs. Helen Goodwright said list night she heard
cries of "Murder" proceeding from the last witness, and
ran out of the door. He caught hold of her ;he could
not speak. She saw the deceased taken to the surgeons,
where he expired a few minutes after.
Denis Shear, a labourer— I heard cries of " Murder"
from a woman, and heard the dogs bark. I looked out
and saw the prisoner having hold of the deceased, who
was trying to keep the prisoner from running away.
The prisoner pulled himself outside the door, when I
saw the blood gush from the deceased over the prisoner;
his coat was covered. At the same time, Downes made
an attempt to speak, but failed in the attempt. I laid
hold of the prisoner, and the dying man kept his hold
also. " You, thief," said I, " you have murdered the
man ;" when the prisoner said, " Yes, I did, and will
again too." The prisoner tried to get away, but I held
him until the police arrived. I did not know what he
did it for.

Police-constable Cotten, N 15, said—l saw the
wounded man taken to the doctor's. I went to the
house and took the prisoner, when a razor was given to
me. The prisoner said they wanted to poison him,
for they had made two horns grow out of his head. The
prisoner, on his way to the station, said the deceased
was not satisfied with his own wife, but wanted his also.
He repeated this several times on his way to the station.
Mrs. Downes, in answer to Mr. Corrie, said she took
the razor from the dusthole, where she had previously
seen the prisoner put it.
Mary Gavey saw the prisoner mu n
rderig Mr. Downes
in the back-yard She ran away, and cried " Murder."
She saw the prisoner holding the deceased down.
Mr. W. Butler, surgeon, said deceased was taken to
his shop last night. He reeled against the counter, when
he caught him, and laid him on the ground. About two
minutes after that he died. He had a cut in his throat
from the left ear through the carrotid arteries, jugular
vein, and other injuries. The man died from loss of
blood. The knife had gone through the spine.
The prisoner having said a few words in defence, in
which he stated that he was out of his mind, was com-
mitted to Newgate for trial.