The Sun.
London, England, 1864-10-05 00:00:00

The Attempted Murder at Masbro'.

At the Rotherham Court House, on Monday (before
Messrs Foljambe, Yatos, and Tillotson), Joseph Thompson
was charge .t v ith attempting to murder Elizabeth Roe-
buck in her own house, in ;Nlasbro', by striking her with a
poker, on the 19th of September last. The poor woman,
who still appeared to be very weak, and spoke in a rather
feeble way, was accommodated with a seat during the pro-
ceedings. Thompson, on being brought into court, hnme-
diately fainted away and had to be carried out again. Mrs
Roebuck appeared with her head tied up with a bandage.
Thompson, on being brought into court a second time, was
allowed a seat in the dock, Mr Gillett said the doctor
believed that the fits Thompson had were assumed.

Mr Edwards appeared for the prosecution. He briefly
opened the case, and then called
Mrs Roebuck, who said—l am a widow, and live at Mas-
bro', and have known the prisoner since about Christmas
last, but more intimately since March. He was in the habit
of coming to my house, and has made proposals of marriage
to me. I discharged the prisoner from coming to the house
on the Tuesday previous to the 15th September, on the
evening of which day I was going out with some clothes when.l
I met him nearly opposite my house. My little girl was with
me, and he said "Oh, mother," and I said, s' Now, Joe, you
are going to reckon," and he said " Yes," I went on, and he
called to me and said, "Am I not to be allowed to call at
your house." and I said, "No, I shall not allow you to call
any more." He said he should, and I told him he should
not, for I should fasten the door. When I got home
there was a person in my house mangling, and then another
came in. While they were there the prisoner came, at about
9 o'clock, and remained in my house while Mrs Barker and
Mrs Lee had done mangling, Before Mrs Barker went out
I said to the prisoner, " Come Joe, it is time for you to go
home," but he did not go. As soon as they had gone, I told
him again to go. He said nothing. I sat down to my supper.
He said " Are you going to get your supper ?" I said " Yes, I
am going to finish it." He pulled out a small pork pie and
said " Get some of that." I said I should not, and he looked at
my little girl and said " Perhaps she'llhave some." She said
"No, thank you." He cut it into three pieces himself, and
I told him to get some himself. He said, "Nay, I'm same
as you; I've had my supper." Then he pulled a small
bottle of brandy out of his pocket. Talking about the pie
he made this remark, " It would probably be the last pie
we should eat together." I said, " Very likely so, because
I'm decided." Then ho wanted me to have the brandy, and
I said " No, I should not." Ile said, " You are very wel-
come," and I said " I dare say I am, but I shall not have
it." I then got up and said to ray little girl she had not
given the cats their supper. Sho said she had, but had not
warmed it. I reached some milk to warm for the cats, and
whilst it was warming he took the poker in his left hand,
and said that his heel itched, and he knocked the back of
his boot-heel with the poker. I laughed at him, and said
"It was one way to scratch where it itched." I then gava
the little girl the milk to take into the kitchen, which she
did, and soon as she had gone he jumped up and struck me
over the head with the poker. I screamed " Murder" and
called for my neighbour, Thomas Collinson. I held my
hands up to him and begged him to spare my life. I got
hold of the poker, but ho pulled it nut of my hand, and
struck me with it on the right side of my head. I felt as if I
was going to fall. He then turned away from me towards the
door, and I gave a scream. I thought he was going to fasten
the door, and I got on my feet again. He then turned round
with.the poker in his right hand, and I caught a chair in
mine and held it up. After this ho struck me many times,
but my arm and the chair caught more than my head. My
boy Edward came running down stairs just as the prisoner
was going out the door, and my boy struck at him with the
brush, but did not hit him. The prisoner struck:me again
several times, and I begged him to spare my life. He never
spoke all the time he was doing it. After he had gone se-
veral neighbours came in—Collinson among the rest, and I
sent him for Mr Walker, who came. After he had dressed
my wounds I went to bed, and was in bed for 10 days. I
have not been able to do anything since. I saw Mr Ker-
shaw the same night,before I went to bed. I saw the poker in
Kershaw's hand. It is now produced. The poker was not
near so much bent as it now is before Thompson struck me
with it. The chair produced is mine, and was not broken
before the night of the assault.
By Mr Whitfield--I did not oat any pie with him, The

first blow was on the right side of the head. I was standing
at the time. The blow did not knock me down. The second
blow was on the same side of the head. Ho struck many
blows at me, and many of the blows I warded off with my
arm. I was never all my length down on the ground. I
was standing upon my feet when I was protecting myself
with the chair. Many of the blows fell upon the chair. I
put down the chair when he left the house. I was standing
upright when the prisoner left the house.

Fanny and Edward Roebuck, son and daughter of the
prosecutrix, gave in some measure confirmatory evidence.
William Allott, Masbro', said—On the night of the 19th
Sept. I was going past Mrs Roebuck's house about half-past
ten o'clock when I heard screams of murder. Mr Collinson
told Henry Rhodes and me to go across, which we did.
Just as we got to the door Thompson came out. I said,
" What's your game now ?" and ho said, " Oh, nothing ;
nothing." I caught him by the coat and he got away from
me. I followed him to the Qaeen Hotel, where he struck
me, and I struck him again. We got hold of him there and
were bringing him towards the police-office, when we met
a policeman, and gave him into custody. He asked us to
take _A back to Mrs Roebuck's house, As we were going
back I asked him what ho had done it for, and he said,
" Oh, nothing ; I am pleased I have done it." I did not
know at that time what he had done. He was not allowed
to go into the house. I went in to Mrs Roebuck's. She
was bleeding awfully from the head, I went to the pri-
soner and told him she was not fit for him to look at. He
made no reply. I sent Thomas Collinson for Mr Walker,
and gave the prisoner into custody.
By Mr. Whitfield—Thompson wanted to go to see how
she was. He was very anxious to see how she was.
Henry Rhodes gave similar evidence, and added—He
gave us Is. each to take him back to see Mrs. Roebuck.
Thompson asked Mr. Allott if he thought she would got
better, and one of the neighbours replied, "No, she did not
think she would." He then said, lam a happy man ; you
may now take me: to the Town Hall. We afterwards gave
him up to the police.
George Row gave corroborative evidence.
Sergeant Kershaw proved the apprehension of the pri-
soner.

Mr B. Walker, who was called to see Mrs Roebuck, said
—I examined her head and found three contused lacerated
wounds, and the skull fractured in ono place. She was also
very much bruised about the left fore arm and hand. The
wound greatest in length was one about three and a half
inches long. The next in size was an inch and a half in
length; the smallest wound was about an inch and a quar-
ter long. The fracture on the skull was on the upper and
back part of the head. The head was very much battered
in several places. I dressed her wounds, and ordered her
to bed, She was in bed nine or ten days. Fatal results
might have ensued. Her life was in danger about six days.
She has not yet fully recovered. The poker that has been
produced would have caused such wounds if used with
great force.

This concluded the evidence for the prosecution.
11.1 r Whitfield addressed the bench on behalf of the pri-
soner, contending that this was not a case of assault with
intent to murder.

Thompson, who reserved his defence, was then com-
mitted to take his trial on a charge of cutting and wounding,

Attempted Murder at Newcastle under Lyne,

A sergeant of the 3rd Staffordshire Militia, named Richd.
Fielder, made a deliberate attempt to murder his wife on
Sunday. It appears that up to the time of the occurrence
Fielder was a staff sergeant of the militia, and resided with
his wife at the barracks. There had been some unpleasant-
ness between him and his wife for some time past, and on
Saturday he received orders from his adjutant to remove from
the barracks in consequence of the misconduct of his wife.
He became greatly excited and warmly upbraided her. She
tore open his waistcoat and took some money out of the
po Aets. He demanded it back again, but she refused to
give it him, and ran into a neighbour's house. He followed
her, when she took up a chair to strike him. He came out,
and returned in a few minutes with a loaded rifla. His wife
was then sitting on a sofa. When he reached the door he
deliberately presented the rifle and fired. The ball struck
her right elbow, and passing downwards ploughed a furrow
in the fleshy part, finally entering the wall beyond, drilling
a hole six inches deep. Fielder was at once secured, and
he was on Monday brought before the magistrates. Mrs
Fielder was the first witness examined. She, however,
endeavoured to screen her husband, stating that he did not
shoot at her ; he only shot at the wall, intending to frighten
her. When closely questioned, she said that the rifle was at
an elevationwhich would have sent the bullet into her body
had she not suddenly thrown herself back. She said her
husband appeared to be out of his mind. Since the races
he had been drinking heavily; so had she. They had in
consequence of that been ordered to leave the barracks by
the adjutant. While in India her husband had been twice
in the hospital, suffering from delirium tremens, and when
he was in drink ho was like a man out of his mind. When
in that state he once threatened to destroy himself, and on
one occasion she had taken a rifle from him to prevent his
doing so. Sergeant Major Thomas Walker stated that, on
questioning the prisoner, he at first denied having fired the
rifle; but on asking him how he accounted for the hole in
the wall he said " I did it ; I shot her, and I tun sorry that
I have not killed her." A packet of ammunition which had
been given to prisoner was found to have been opened, and
one cartridge taken out, When arrested the prisoner said
"It was a deliberate act. She has disgraced me. What
shall I do? We are ordered out of the barracks. I must
have been mad when I loaded my rifle, for I don't know how
I did it." Further evidcnco having been given, the prisoner
was then committed for trial at the assizes.