The Sun.
London, England, 1847-04-09 00:00:00

LAMBETH.

John Phillips, the snn of a gentleman of respectability,
was charged with exposing his person in Coldha.rbour-
lane, Camberwell, on the preceding evening.
The case was clearly proved, at when the prisoner
was called on for his defence, his father, who seemed
very much affected, rose and said that for many years
his son had been the source of the eseatrst po,sinle un•
happiness to him, and after ,iissipating a very handsome
property, had .nlisted in the 45th nogiment. Soon atter
ho accompanled his regiment to India, and had been in
all the despo ate battles during the last two years. The
awful description of the carnage he hat witnesed, which
he had sent home, induced him (the father) to send out

a suet of money to purchase his discharge, ani he con-
sequently came home. On his arrival, a short time since,
his head was one mass of blister, and it was his im
pression that this must have affected his in:nd. During
the whole of his former pmfligacy he ha-I never known
his wretched son tot be guilty of any such offence as the
present, and if it was his Worship's opinion that he had
been really guilty of the charge he should be the ls,t to
screen him.

Mr. ELLIOTT felt pyrfectly satisfied of the prisoner's
guilt, and c .rnmittt d him to the House of Correction fur
three months.

_ATTEMPTED MURDER AND
SUICIDE.

HAMPsIIIRE, W EDNESDAY EVENING.—
This afternoon a spect.l session of the justices for this
divi,ion of the county of South Hants Xas held at the
Red Lion Inn, for the purpose of investigating a most
serious charge of attempted murder and suicide. The
particulars are as to:low:
It appears that on Monday, the 22d of March last, the
inhabitants of this quiet and beautiful town wi•re much
akrim-d by a most desperate attempt at murder, and the-
attempted suicide of the perpetrator, which took place
in the afternoon of that day, at the resid-nce of Mr.
William Thresher, one or the county magistrates for this
district, by his footman, Chas. Wolfe, aged about nineteen
years, upon the person of Elizabeth Ayling, a nursery-
maid in the same family. From the statements which
have appeared it is perfectly evident that the attempt
on the unfortunate girl was made with the utmost deter-
mination on the part of the man (Wolfe), and that, in
her attempts to free herself from the grasp of the ruffian,
the poor creature was much injured by the razor the
fellow used, with which he subsequently attempted to
destroy his own life.
Not less than ten of the local magistracy attended the
session this day; subjoined is a list of their names and
residences: —Admiral Sir John A. Ommaney, K.C.B.
(chairman), of Warblinton House, Havant; Sir James
Stirling Bart., of Bedhampton; Captain Samuels, R.N.,
of Gosport; Captain Greene, R.N., of Wreckham; John
Beardmore, Esq., of Uplands Lodge, near Fareham;
W. Page, Esq., of Brockhurst, Alverstoke; John Mar-
tin, Esq., of Wyniering; W. Forester, Esq., Fareham;
Dr. Hillyer, of Gosport; and J. E. Atkins, Esq., of
Portsmouth.

The case having been called on after the routine busi-
ness of the day was concluded,
Elizabeth Ayling was first examined by Mr. Badden,
the clerk to the bench--Knew well the prisoner at the
bar. (The prisoner here became so violent, through the
intensity of his feelings, that it was almost impossible
for the superintendent of the local police, Mr. Gore, to
restriin him.) Witness, in continuation, deposed that
on the 22d March last the ptisoaer went into her room,
and witness asked him the question. " What business
have you here ?" The prisoner then went into Mr
James Thresher's room. Prisoner afterwards went to
the lower part of the house, and in a few minutes he re-
turned. He then said something to her which frightened
her, which, if I recollect right, was " I'll do tor you."
[ did not s-e anything in his hand at that time, but, in
consequence of what he said, I was frightened, and he
came towards the door and shut himself in, and then he
struck me on the side of the head with something heavy,
but Ido not know what. The blow knocked we down.
Witness did not recollect whether the prisoner struck
her more than once upon the first ~ccasion, but on the
second time he struck her again, when she was striving
to pass by him. The prisoner pulled out a razor, oe
some sharp instrument. It was something %harp. Felt
that he cut Ins upon the throat more than once. About
,or throat !h• re are three wounds, and two upon my h ad.
‘Vhile I was ,truggling ith him he dce:s his raz.ir through
• ny hand, and co my fingers ; only ire of my hands way
cut. I " Oh, yon wretch!" He said, " Wretch."
After this I tried to get to the wind ,w, having got oft
tit., floor, alit' et, try ink to get to the (Lair he dragged ni•
lower again by my hAr. and pr, v nt. d me. Thi, aas the
third rim I was upon thr !Iron I stru.:4glvd and got away
-oat] bon, and i•ft ttim ott she floor. I tialoioed out at
tern,. Oil, murder." Up •n this occr.,i,u+ he did not
attempt to collar+ after mc. I rat. down the stairs, and
'Oct tit • housuontid Sarah in the f:.11. My threat was
then bh r Tug. [Jre name is Sarah Unwire. I told her I
.5'55 in danger. T+,e prisoner was not guilty of ary lode
cency towards me. After I was taken up to bed I saw a
razor in the hind. of Mr. Thresher, my master, hav+++
t,ecit c..ntint,d the house in consequence of this occur-
rence wail this day. I could nut get up until Monday,
the sth instant.

Ttit, evidence as taken by the clerk was then read over
to the witness and the prisoner, but he appeared quite in
stite of torpor, and it WWI with considerable daficuliy
that he w is aroused to hear the statement.

l:iubsequently the prisoner, upon being asked whether
he had an) thing to say, replied, I believe what she has
sail is true; I don't b -lieve she will tell an untruth.
Sarah Unwin, housemaid in the service of Mr.
Thresher, stated that she knew the prisoner Charles
Wolfe. On the 22d of March I heard the last witness
come done the stairs screaming. I was in the kitchen
at the time. Elizabeth was covered with blood, which
flowed from her head and neck. I asked, in the hall,
what had happened. She said, Charles had done for her.
I then went up stairs, and observed traces of blood on
the wall. These were finger-marks. I then went into
the nursery, and then returned into the kitchen, where
I saw blood on the floor from the door to the window.
The prisoner was then lying on the floor, with his back
to the door. Master told him to get up, and after some
time he did so. Wounds were inflicted on the head,
neck, and throat of Elizabeth the nursemaid.

Upon the above testimony being read to the prisoner,
and he questioned with regard to the statement, he re-
plied that he did not dispute what was said.
William Thresher, Esq., one of the magistrates for the
county of Hants, being sworn, deposed :—Theprosecutrix,
Elizabeth Ayling, was in his ser vice as nursemaid, and the
prisoner, Charles Wolfe, was his footman. Was at
home on the 22d of March, and heard cries of distress,
the nursery-girl crying out " Oh, oh." The prisoner
was nine months in my service, and the nurse was in my
family two years. I saw marks of blood on the walls,
which continued all the way up stairs to the nursery. I
thought one of the children was injured at first, but,
upon going into the nursery, I saw the prisoner lying
upon the floor. There were marks of blood in the nur-
sery. I ordered the man to get up, as he was lying on
hid face ; he did, after some persuasion, and went into
his own room. I found a razor, covered with blood
(prodw.ed), which was then wet with blood. That is
the same razor. I saw the mallet (produced) in the
room ; it was a little splintered before. The handle was
split before I saw it upon that occasion. The mallet is
my property. and it is usually kept in the cellar. Wit-
ness had seen it lately in the cellar. Witness did not
observe any stains of blood upon the mallet when he
picked it up. The gill was taken up stairs before this
time.
The pris,,ner said, after the testimony of Mr. Thresher
was read, that he had nothing to say in answer to the
evidence ; he (the prisoner) hid been in the service of
that gentleman el. ven months and nine days.
The Rev. William Thresher, vicar of TitchflAd, SON
of the f rut .r witness, deposed that he heard froth his
father that some injury had been d:,tie to the nursemaid
hy the prisoner, anti upon proceeding up star, he found
blood upon th . walls. fle (witness) gave the razor.
coyervd with b10..d. to Nlr. tloperintendent Clow, ~f ihe
constabulary, wh hel been sent for. Wit-
tie., found the mallet, w Ar!h lie afrei a a.i.ds earried into a
ro an, and put it away, until Mr. Morse, ;he surgeon who
was called in at the tune, gave the mallet to one of
the p..lice, .so me time after the capture of the prisoner
Wolfe.
The prisoner having declined to say anything further
than that the chare,esagainst him were true.

The CllainmaN s yid that the opinion of the magis-
tmt. s aas tuoolitnons, aud, therefore, they decided to
c ‘nonit the prisoner, at once, for an attempt to murder
El z d3.,th Ayling.
The prisoner was then handcuffed, and taken to Win-
chester gaol, to await his trial at the next assizes.

THE ACTON MURDER.
CONFESSION OF CATHERINE FOSTER.

Since her conviction and sentence, and return to gaol.
the unhappy prisoner, Catherine Foster, has displayed
less ap tthy than she evinced both before and during the
trial, but has been move by none of those vehement
symptoms of grief and remorse that a sense of her dread-
ful situation would infallibly produce in a mind less able
to bear the pangs of compunction. She has, however,
hitherto maintained a mild, calm, patient demeanour, and
receives kindnesses from those who attend her with
marked expressions of gratitude. The constant and
assiduous attendance of the Rev. Mr. West, chaplain to
the gaol, of the Rev. Mr. Ottley, rector of Acton, and of
the Rev. C. J. P. Eyre, incumbent of St. Mary's, has
contributed greatly to remove that coldness from her
manner which attracted the observation of all spectators
during the progress of her trial. She made a full con-
fession of her guilt in writing on Thursday last, both to
Mr. M'lntyre and the Rev. Mr. Ottley, accompanying it
with an earnest request that neither of these gentlemen
would permit it to be seen by any other person until she
had passed away. Before making her confession she im-
parted some very contradictory statements to some of the
f- male prisoners, we understand, which, coming to the
ears. of the authorities, she was kindly advised not to
deceive herself by indulging in such representations, but
if she felt disposed, after addressing herself to God, to
disburden her mind, to do so truly. She subsequently,
we hear, took the opportunity of the governor's presence
to tell him some part of the circumstances detailed in
her written confession, and then, requesting some ink
and paper, wrote out an acknowledgment of her guilt,
and an admission of the justice of the sentence passed
upon her. We have been unable, of course, to ascertain
anything of the contents of the written paper, which is,
at present, a sealed document; but from what has tran-
spired of her verbal confession to those attending her
(and we believe our information may be so far relied
on), she abscribed her guilty conduct to being urged into
a marriage with the unfortunate victim, Foster, against
her will—that her mother urged her into the watch, and
that she disliked her husband from the beguniieg• She
added, we understand, that her husband was most kind
and most tender to her at all times, and had never d. ne
or said any thing that could give her uneasine-ss; but she
had been form d into a marriage she loathed, oi woidsAti
that effect. Ever since h r confession, and her mind
has been disburdened, she has .appeared easter, and i.
penitent. We believe the above particulars, as f:r. as
they g.), 1114 Y
bo relied. on; and we are satisfied' to be
euanli d to close this b. rt. t account by stating that, at the
present time, th.e i!ntoriunate,pris,int r is in a good and
proper frame ot.orted b% mind gr,tetul b.r igiou-, solace, and
manifestly comforted
icanings of the rev, gentle-
men and others who titt,l:4 her unremittingly. She
expresses contrition, and appears prepared fur the
result.

Prayers were off red up for her at S. Mary's arid St.
James's Churches on Good Friday and Sunday last.
Tne exeeu ion wall take place, we believe, by ihe ord, r
of ihe High Sheriff, on Saturday week.
On reading over the above, we find we have omitted
one pirticulur, which much anxiety has been exhibited
to ascertain, namely, as to the poison. We believe we

can ,Late, with perfect truth, that the arsenic WAS pur-
chased at Sudbury by Cathetine Foster herself, but of
whom it is not our province to divulge.
The loose and most rep”ehensiblo manner in wbick
deadly pisons are permitted to 1),-• sold by apothecaries
to persons applying singly, and frequently too young or
too ignorant to know its fatal properties, demands im-
mediate remedy. It i. not to one caie of poisoning only
to which the public attention is now directed, but to o
oa •n ; and these will mit be the lust unless the law step
iht and make provision for the more careful dispensing of
such dangerous articles.—Sntroth Herald.

A FEW THINGS THAT OUGHT
TO lir: KNOWN ABOUT' filE NEW COUNTY
COURTS.

ju.isdlction of the Court extends to debts to Lb°
Amount of 20/., and to hurts and wrongs of all deserip•
rions %here the damages are not hid above 5L

PhtinTs of ejectment for rents under 50/. may also be
brought before the Court. The following is a list of the
Court fees on entering plaints.
Cost of a summons if the defendant resides within one
mile of the Court House :—For sums not exceeding
205., 91. ; for sums exceeding 20s. and not exceeding
405., Is. 4d., with an additional charge of 6d, in the
pound (being the general fund fee) ; if above 40s, and
not exceeding 51, 2s. 6d., besides the general fund feet
which is Is. in the pound on all sums above 40s. ; if
above 51. and not exceeding 101., 4s. 10d. ; if above 101.9
75., if the action is founded on contract, and Bs. if it is
founded on tort.

The allowances to witnesses are as follow:—Gentle-
men, merchants, bankers, and professional men, 7s. 63,.
a day ; tradesmen, auctioneers, accountant, clerks, and
yeomen, ss. ; journeymen, labourers, and the like, 2s•
Travelling expenses, per mile, one way, 6d.
The points most important to be observed by suitoll
are the following:—