The Sun.
London, England, 1863-12-04 00:00:00

FELONIOUSLY WOUNDING.

Daniel Henwright was indicted for feloniously wounding
with intent to do grievous bodily harm.

The prosecutor and prisoner belonged to two factions,
the prisoner being a Kerry man and the prosecutor a Lime-
rick boy, and on the night of Oct, 17 there had been some
quarrelling between the prisoner and some women lodging
in the house in which the prosecutor lived, in one of the
back streets in Poplar. At about helf.past Bin the evening
mentioned, prosecutor was sitting in his room at supper,
when the prisoner entered, and, without the slightest ob-
servation, struck him on the head with a hammer. On his
turning round to see who struck the blow, he saw the pri-
soner, who struck him again violently three times on the head.
He became insensible, and on recovering, he found himself
in Poplar Hospital suffering from a circular fractured
wound on the back of the head of a very dangerous
description.
Mr. M. Williams for the prisoner, said the present was
only one ot those ordinary Irish scrimmages so common in
the localities inhabited by natives of the Emerald Isle.
The learned Judge said—Supposing it was so, he never
heard that in either Ireland ot England was a hammer
invariably used as an instrument of defence.
The jury found the prisoner guilty.
The Record2r sentenced him to 18 months' imprisonment.

A STOPPER FOR " CIVIL JOE."

Joseph West and Susan Palmer were indicted with having
in their possession a quantity of property the produce of a'
burglary, well knowing it to have been stolen.
The prisoner West was suspected, and on the police
proceeding to his lodgings a p trt of the stolen property
was found, and the only account the prisoner gave of it was
that he bought the coat and boots of a man in the Seven-
dials.
The Recorder said there was no evidence against the
woman.
The jury, without the least hesitation, returned a verdict
of guilty against West, and acquitted the woman.
On it being asked by the Recorder whether anything
was known of the prisoner,
A police-constable said he had been frequently
in custody. About eight or nine years ago be was
in Parkhurst Prison for uttering counterfeit coin, but
before the expiration of his sentence he committed a violent
assault upon one of the warders of the prison, for which he
was sentenced to a further 18 months' imprisonment. The
next time he was in custody was for stealing some
pieces of cloth, the property of the London, Chatham,
and Dover Railway, for which he was sentenced to
18 months' imprisonment. In addition to which he had
been in July, 18610 sentenced to two years imprisonment,
but shortly after his admission it was found necessary
to send him to the County Lunatic Asylum, from which he
escaped, after he had attempted to commit suicide by cut-
ting his throat. There was another conviction against the
prisoner, for which he was sentenced to 12 months' hard

labour.
Tho Recorder—Then during the last 12 years ho has
been in prism no less than six years ?

Police-constable—Yes, my lord.
The Recorder, addressing the prisoner, said it appeared

that short terms of imprisonment had been totally without
effect. For the present offence, he should sentence him to
six years' penal servitude.
The prisoner, who is known amongst the thieves of the
metropolis as " Civil Joe," on hearing the sentence, gaily
turned on his heel, and afterwards hopped down the duck
stairs in the most jaunty manner.
SECOND COURT.
(Before the Common Sergeant.)
FELONIOUSLY WOUNDING.

Catherine O'Brien was indicted for cutting and wounding
Thompson Edward Downs, a sailor.

The prosecutor, about 1 o'clock in the morning of the 15th
of November, was wandering about a notorious place in
Poplar, caged Parker's Folly, where he met the prisoner,
whom he asked where he could get a lodging. The prisoner,
who was drunk at th • time, took him to,a house kept by a
woman of the name of Williams. When he wished to leave
the prisoner detained his coat, in the pooket of which there
was 4s. 6d., and a struggle ensued, and the landlady
of the house hearing the disturbance went out and
found the prosecutor bleeding from a wound behind the
ear, which the prisoner admitted to have done. The wound
was an exceedingly dangerous one.
The jury found the prisoner guilty.
The Common Sergeant sentenced the prisoner to 18
months' imprisonment.

Attempted Murder in Berkshire, and Suicide
of the Murderer.

MAIDENHEAD, Thursday.

•
This town has just been the scene of an attempted mur-
der of the most atrocious description, which, though hap-
pily not terminating in the death of the intended victim,
has been followed by the suicide of the intending murderer.
The circumstances are briefly these :—A young
man, 22
years of age, named George Hooper, a native of Burnham,
in Buckinghamshire, about three miles from this place, was
employed as coachman and groom to the Rev. Mr. Gresley,
incumbent of All Saints' Church, Boyne Hill, whose name
will be remembered in connection with certain charges
brought against him of alleged ultra-traetarian practices a
year or two since. This young man was attached to a girl
named Lydia Eliza Baker, a housemaid in the service of
Captain Fyfe, adjutant of the. Berke Rifle Volunteers, who
resides at Folly HO, immediately contiguous to this town,
but his passion was by no means reciprocated, the young
woman having repeatedly told him that she was deter-
mined not to have anything to do with him. This seems
to have determined him to take revenge upon the unfortu-
nate girl, and on Tuesday last, between 11 and 12 o'clock.
he went to the shop of Mr. E :ward Thomas, gunsmith, in
Maidenhead, and requested to look at some pistols. He
selected one, and having asked the price, which he was told
was 165., took it away with him, saying it was not for him-
self but for a friend, whose approval he must have before
purchasing it. Having pr.,mised Mr. Thomas that he would
call again in the evening to let him know whether his friend
would have the pistol or not, he went to another shop, kept
by Mr. Gurney, and bought some percussion caps. He then
returned to his situation, at Boyne Hill, where he asked the
butler for some powder and shot, observing that he wanted
to try a pistol. The butler said, if he wanted to try a pistol,
he should have bullets, but nevertheless supplied him with
the powder and shot as requested. The same evening
between 9 and 10 o'clock, he went to the house of Captain
Fyfe, and obtained an interview at the back door with the
obj,ct of his affections in the presence of her fellow-servant,
the cook. Some conversation took place between them,
and Hooper begged her to reconsider her refusal of him, but
she repeatedly declared that she would have no more to do
with him. lie then asked her to accompany him to the
trout gate. This she refused, however, and wished him
good night. She was about go to into the house, when.
Hooper, exclaiming " Then take that," discharged the con-
tents of the pistol into her neck, and she immediately fell
back into the cook's arms, crying out " I shall die."
Hooper decamped instantly, and went to the Red Lion
Hotel, where he asked the landlord for a bed, which, how-
ever, he was unable to obtain, the house being full. In the
meantime Mr. M‘Graw, superintendent of the Maidenhead
borough
polrioccee,ehdaedd
tobeeßnhanipphruisined, circumstances,tohfethreesideheeofHopper's
and
he a
e
father, thinking to find him there. Not succeeding in
doing so, he returned to Maidenhead, and there learned
that the body of the murderer had been found on the moor,
a piece of waste ground near the town, he having literally
blown out his biains. Dr. Piumtre had in the interval been
summoned to attend the unfortunate young woman, who, it
was at first thought, could not possibly survive, but she has
since recovered her senses, and hopes are entertained that
she will recover. The coroner's inquest on Hooper will be
held this day (Friday), when it is expected some impor-
tant additional evidence will be given.