The Sun.
London, England, 1863-12-15 00:00:00

THAMES.

VIOLENT ASSAULTS PROPERLY PUNISHED.—John
Mitchell, an engineer, aged 40, of 17, Dean-street, Shad-
well, was brought before Mr. Woolrych, charged with
assaulting Kate Finnerty, a tailoress.
It appeared there was a quarrel among the women in the
house whero the prisoner and his family were living, and
in the course of the disturbance a man named Driscoll in-
terfered, and the prisoner's daughter struck him with a
knife and cut him. The prisoner then took up a billet of
wood, about 18 inches in length, and struck Mrs. Finnerty
on the back of the head with it. She was stunned
by the blow, and it 'was only a miracle she was
not killed, for the prisoner raised the weapon
with both hands and dealt the blow with all the force of
which he was capable. The woman's head was dressed by
Dr. Ross, of High-street, Shadwell, She was in great pain.
The defence was great provocation on the part of the
Driscolls and Finnertys, and that the prisoner was beaten.
There was not a mark upon him.
Mr. Woolrych said he had sifted this case at great length
and he could find no extenuating circumstances in favour
of the prisoner,who had inflicted a violent blow with a for-
midable weapon and severely injured the poor woman. He
sentenced the prisoner to be imprisoned for six calendar
months with hard labour,
Timothy Desmond, hammerman, of No. 2, Francis-street,
Victoria-read, Limehouse, was brought up on a warrant
charged with a savage assault on his wife Mary.

The complainant said that her husband came home on
Thursday evening and called her into the bedroom, where
he beat her on the left arm and shoulder with a poker, and
bent it. (The poker was produced—it was bent.)
Mr. Woolrych—Let me see your arm.

The complainant bared her left arm. It was one mass of
black contusions. She accounted for her arm not being
fractured by saying that it was hanging by her side when
the first blow was struck, and she could not raise it after-
wards. Four other blows were inflicted on her arm with
the poker. She could not use it.

The prisoner, in defence, said that when he came home
on Thursday night his wife was from home. She detained
him five hours. He was provoked with her conduct and
her insolence to him, and he struck her once with the poker.
Mr. Woolrych—You ought to be ashamed of yourself to
make such an admission. You ought not to strike your
wife at all, but to strike her with a poker is very savage ant
quite unjustifiable under any circumstances.

The wife explained her absence from home. She took
her husband's dinner to the factory where he was employed.
On her way home it rained fast, and she called on a female
friend, and remained with her until the rain ceased.
On reaching home she found her husband had arrived
before her. He had to give up work for the day in conse-
quence of the rain, and was at home before her. His con-
duct to her was generally very good.

Mr. Woolrych said he could not pass over such a das-
tardly assault by a man on his wife as this was without
some punishment. The complainant had been severely
beaten, and there was no justification for such an out-
rage. He convicted the prisoner of an aggravated assault,
and sentenced him to be imprisoned for three months
and kept to hard labour:

LIFEBOAT SERVICES.

MURSO, CAITHNESS-SHIRE, Dec. 12.

This morning, while the wind was blowing very hard
from the W.N.W., the bark Graces, of Shields, was ob-
served in the bay with a s!gnal distress flying. The life-
boat of the National Lifeboat Institution at once put off to
the assistance of the crew, and succeeded in bringing the
whole of them, consisting of 15 men, safely ashore. The
vessel was dragging her anchors when the lifeboat was
launched. It is however hoped that she will be ultimately
saved. The expense of this excellent lifeboat was presented
to the society by A. W. Jafpay, Esq., of London.

IRVINE, AYRSHIRE, Dec. 12.

While it was blowing a gale from the W.S.W., and a
heavy sea running, on Monday, the smack Lewis, of and
for Campbelton, attempted to take the bar with the ebb tide,
but got amongst the rocks at the entrance of the harbour.
Seeing the imminent peril in which the crew were placed,
the lifeboat belonging to the National Institution was forth-
with manned and launched. The smack was in a very
dangerous position amongst the broken water, but fortu-
nately the lifeboat succeeded in saving the crew of three
men, although the mate was severely hurt in getting into
the boat. The cost of this lifeboat was the gift to the in-
stitution of Miss Pringle Kidd, of Lasswade Bank.