The Sun.
London, England, 1864-11-22 00:00:00

BRUTAL TREATMENT OF A WIFE BY a PENSIONER.—
John Stephens, a tall, strongly-built man, receiving a pen-
sion for his services as a soldier in the Crimea, was
charged before Mr Tyrwhitt, with violently assaulting his
wife, and breaking her nose with an iron candlestick, and
also with assaulting his son, a boy about 14 years of age.
Tke wife said she had been married to the prisoner for 20
years. Yesterday she was out at work, and on coming
home found the prisoner at a beer shop. She went to him
to ask him for a key, which he gave her. On going home
she found that the
,prisoner had sold the bedstead to a
" dolly" shopkeeper. The prisoner shortly afterwards
came home, and she then asked him why he had sold the
bedstead and left the children to lie on the floor. The pri-
soner then began knocking her about, and gave her a vio-
lent blow on the nose with a candlestick. He then went
out, but returned and knocked her down. She was
smothered with blood from her nose, and afterwards went to
the Middlesex Hospital and had it dressed.
Mr Tyrwhitt asked the poor woman whether her hues
band had ever done such a thing before, and she replied,
"Many times. Ho draws his pensi-m fur the Crimea and
spends it, and never pays any of the rent. All I wish him
to do is to let me keep a home for my children."
John Gray Stephens, the son, said that on going with a
constable to the beer shop to point his father out to the con-
stable. his father struck him a severe blow on the head.

In answer to Mr Tyrwhitt, the boy slid his mother
worked and kept the home.

Police-constable Appleby, 47 E, said the surgeon at the
hospital said the complainant's nose was broken.
The prisoner said he did not wish to say anything.
Mr Tyrwhitt remarked, in severe terms, on the prisoner's
conduct, and said he had always observed that the man who
did nothing for his wife and family generally ill-used them
into the bargain. He should commit the prisoner for three
calendar months for the assault on his wife, and fine him
40s or another month for the assault on his son.

The prisoner, as he was leaving the dock, said "Thank
you,"

WESTMINSTER.

DISGRACEFUL ASSAULTS UPON WOMEN.—Christopher
Stott, a labouring man, was charged with the following un-
provoked assaults:
Mrs Lloyd, the wife of an artimn, said that she was re-
turning home through Cheyne- walk, Chelsea, at a little
after 10 last night, in company with her husband and some
friends, when she was attacked by the defendant. She was
walking with a Mrs Kemp alone, her husband having
stopped behind to bid his uncle and aunt good bye, when
the defendant pushed up against her, and then turned round
and struck her two or three times and knocked her down.
He also assaulted her friend.

Mrs Kemp said that she and Mrs Lloyd were standing
talking together waiting for the lager's hut band, when de-
ndant pushed in between them, and on their acquiring
what he did that for, struck them both in a very disgraceful
way.

Defendant said that he merely pushed against the women
by accident, when they both struck him.
The women both positively denied it.
John Alpen, 203 A, said, that ho hsard cries of murder
and police, and found one of the complainants bleeding from
the nose, and the other from the mouth, and took the de-
fendant, who was intoxicated, into custody.
The defendant persevered in his statement that the
women attacked him, and declared that he merely pushed
them oft

Mr Arnold said that it was quite clear that however the
affair commenced the defendant had been guilty of two
unjustifiable assaults, for which he should commit him for
two months' hard labour 4n the House of Correction.