The Sun.
London, England, 1853-02-16 00:00:00

POLICE INTELLIGENCE.

GUILDHALL.— George Corton was brought before
Alderman Salomons on a remanded charge of maliciously,
stabbing his father.
The following fresh evidence was adduced
_ _

Wm. Parkin-son said—l am a shopman to Mr. Park-
inson, Birmingham and Sheffield warehouseman, of 94,
Houndsditch. The prisoner came to our shop on Friday,
the 4th of Feb., and asked for a clasp or pocket knife.
I showed him ono without a spring at the back to fix the
blade when open, and he asked me then if I had not one
with a spring. I showed him one, and after a great deal
of bargaining, the prisoner representing that he was in
the trade, I let him have it for 10d. instead of ls. The
knife produced by the officer is the same that I sold to
the prisoner.

Henry Wm. Alexander Coleman said—l am one of the
house surgeons at Guy's Hospital. Mr. Corton, senior,
was received in the hospital on Friday, the 4th of Feb.,
suffering from several stab wounds in different parts of
the body. He had been bleeding very much. The
wounds were situated, one in the nose, one in the collar
bone, one in the chest over the sixth rib and near the
breast bone, one in the thumb of the right hand, one in
the ring finger of the left hand, one on the forearm, near
the elbow, and one on the back part of the thigh. The
wound on the chest was about a quarter of an inch deep,
and the rest were merely superficial, but not dangerous,
unless from unfavourable circumstances inflammation
ensued. Mr. Corton was discharged this morning,
having been ten days in the hospital.
William Corton, the father of the prisoner, said- -I
am a locksmith and bellhanger, and reside at 10, Great
Winchester-street. The prisoner is my son, and is oc-
casionally employed by me. On the 4th of February
he was in my shop. I was in the backyaid, and heard
the boy Salter crying out. I went down to the cellar,
which is my workshop, to see what had taken place,
and then ascertained that the prisoner bad been knock-
ing him about and throwing his cap in the fire. I told
the prisoner to walk out of the place, and that I did not
want him there. At first he said he would not go for
me. I afterwards got him up stairs, and insisted on
his going away. He said he would not, and then struck
me with his fist in the face. He went out, and shortly
after came back and concealed himself in the cellar. I
gave him in charge for the assault, and the complainant
was dismissed at the station, and I was advised by the
inspector to take out a summons against the prisoner.
All this occurred about 11 ciclock in the morning ; and
about three o'clock in the afternoon the prisoner came
back. He asked me if I intended to take out a sum-
mons against him, and on my saying yes, he became
very saucy. I attempted to push him out, and then he
stabbed me on the nose and in various parts of my body,
but I could not see what instrument he used. My son
William came to my assistance, and while he was hold-
ing the prisoner I heard him call to me to take the knife
from the prisoner's hand. I did not do so, and I was
soon after taken to the surgeon's, and from thence to
the hospital. Several hours elapsed between the first
disturbance and the last.

The magistrate announced his intention of sending
the case before a jury.

MA.RYLEBONE.—M ary Anne Griffin, aged 22,
was charged with having murdered her male infant, by
cutting its throat. The prisoner, who was evidently
in a very weak condition, was allowed to sit during the
inquiry. Having lately lost her father, she was attired
is black, and when told what the charge against her was,
as it appeared on the police-sheet, she burst into tears,
and buried her face in her hands.

Frances M'Claughrey, on being sworn, said—l am
nursemaid at W. Hart's, Esq., 7, Gloucester-place,
Hyde-park-gardens. Prisoner was in the same service,
and slept with the cook. On the 27th of January, in
the morning, I bad been doing needlework with pri-
soner in her room, and at one o'clock I left her to go
down to dinner. I asked her to some down. She was
then in my master's bedroom, and she said she would be
down in a minute. She, however, did not make her ap-
pearance during the meal. When I went up again to
her bedroom I saw her standing by the fire, and asked
her why she had not come down, to which she replied
that she was not well. I left her and went to Mr.
Hart's room, and at a later period I went to prisoner
again. I asked her how she was, and she said that she
should be better soon ; she was then sitting in a
chair. I sat beside her, and in a few minutes she got
up and went to a chest of drawers, against which she
stood and seemed ready to faint. I led her to the
bedside, and heard a noise which seemed to come from
the prisoner's box ; it was like a gurgling in the throat
of a child. I said to the prisoner, " What's that noise ?"
and the answer she made me was, "Oh I it's only my
inside." She got up from the bed and went into the
next room, and I still heard the same noise coming from
the box. I went down for the lady's maid, who came
up with me directly, and we both went into the priso-
ner's room. The noise I have spoken of continued, and
the lady's maid asked for the key of the box. Prisoner
gave it to her, and on her opening it, I saw an infant
wrapped up in two petticoats. There were also several
towels ; and upon the whole of the articles I have named
there was a considerable quantity of blood. The lady's
maid asked her what she had been doing, and she told
her that she had miscarried. She (the lady's maid) took
the child out of the box, when its head fell back, and
then I saw that it was bleeding from a wound in the
throat. The lady's maid screamed, and instantly the
prisoner seized hold of a pair of scissors, with which she
attempted to stab herself in the neck. We took the
scissors from her, and I went down to my mistress. A
doctor was sent for. On the following Monday the pri-
soner and the baby were conveyed to the Paddington
workhouse. Behind the prisoner's box I found another
pair of scissors, upon which were marks of blood.
It was stated that the child lived until Thursday last,
notwithstanding the serious nature of the wound.
The prisoner, who had nothing to say, was remanded.