The Sun.
London, England, 1823-12-10 00:00:00

MAR- SIMOTING lIIS WIFE.

tl TT n ot-G Att t) 1.1,4 .-Yesterda y. Thos. 11,
osapay,
residing at Geoige-strat, Battle-bridge, was brought up in the
custody of James Smith, patrol at Burton-crescent, charged
with wilfully and maliciously firing a pistol, loaded with slugs,
at his wife, with intent to murder her, or to do her sonic grie-
vous bodily harm.
Blake, a constable, deposed, that about eight o'clock the pre-
ceeding evening, Dr. Macdonald, of Constitution-row, Gray's
Inn -lane, called on him, and informed him that a mahin eorge-
street, Battle-hridge, had shot his wife with a horse pistol (here
he produced the pistol.) Witness went immediately to the pri-
soner's house, and found that the woman, who had received the
contents of the pistol, which was loaded with slugs, in the
thigh, was taken to the Middlesex hospital. Witness took the
prisoner into custody, and lodged him in the watch-house that
morning. He called At the Hospital tojeara the state of the
Woman, when the house surgeon informed him that the con-
t nts of the pistol were lodged in the thick part of her thigh ;
that as yet none of them were extracted; and that she.must
undergo amputation.
[Here the prisoner, who was in the box, gave a deep groan,
and exclaimed—" Aly wife, my poor wife !"I
Witness produced a certificate from the surgeon as to her
dangerous state.
Elizabeth Melburn deposed, she is aunt to the prisoner ; she
lives at 4, George-street, Battle-bridge, next 'door to the pri.:
loner; the prisoner is an .engineer-smith, and worked last for
Messrs. l'ontifex, in Shoe-lane; Martha, his wife,, was a straw
•honnet-maker, and about 26 years of age; they were married
about three years, and had one child, which is six months old ;
prisoner had lived in the house,about nine montbS,,to which he
came from George-street, Hampstead-road; the prisoner, having
no lodgers in his liouse and being lonely, kept that pistol for
his protection, which was generally hung up over the chimney.
piece the prisoner beingout of work, both he and his wife, after
breakfast yesterday, wentout to look for employment; the pri-
soner came home at dusk,'and not finding his wife before him,
he came into witness's house, and she made him sit down to
have a cup of tea ; his wife came in at the time, and she said
to him—" Here you are, comfortably seated, feasting yourself;
why not be at home and have the fire lighted and tea made ?
you ,know I am tired carrying the child, all. day."—He an,
swered he was tired of walking about, and wanted refreshment.
The wife went home, and the prisoner fisllowed'; and shortly
after, she heard the report of a pistol ; and immediately the
prisoner came in and said,--." Aunt, I have 'done mischief,
though I meant it for myself."—l went, and found his wife
lying on the floor weltering in her dood. Dr. Macdonald
was sent for, and lie ordered -her to be taken to the Middlesex
Hospital.
The prisoner, in his defence, said that he and his wife had
some aggravatinn• words, while he stood with. his back to the
fire-place ; he took down the pistol, which hung over the mantle-
piece, cocked and loaded ; he held it in his hand down .by his
side, for a minute,' while she kept aggravating him ; and, in a
fit Of desperation; while in the act of raising his hand with the
pistol, with intent to destroy himself, the pistol exploded.; but
she received the contents, and tell on the floor with the child in
ter arms.

The MAO &STRIAE said, that he had no reason to believe but
what the prisoner said was true ; still he found it his duty to
remand bun for further examination.—The prisoner was re.
mended accordingly.

ON HORSE BOATS.—The moving of boats and
other vessels by wheels moved ,by, cattle, as has
been lately practised in America, ,is mentioned
by Vitruvius. His vessels had three wheels on
each side, aud were moved, by six,oxen within
tilein.—(lfeckanks' Magazine.)
We learn from authority, that in consequence
of the Postmasters of Edinburgh having raised
the, rate of posting from is. 3d. to Is. ad. per
mile, while the price of hay and oats continues
at the present depreciated prices, •and ,while in
almost every other part• of Scotland no such ad-
vance has been made; and, indeed, in many
parts of England, only 'is. per mile is charged—
a resolution is about to be entered into by the
Noblemen and Gentlemen of Edinburgh and its
vicinity, to patronise and support the Post-
master or Postmasters who shall first reduce
their rate of posting• to Fl s. 3d. per mile. The
intimation of such reduction to be made by ad-
viortisinnent in the Edinburgh Newspapers.—
( Edinburgh Couranf, Dee. GO