The Sun.
London, England, 1847-09-28 00:00:00

ATTEMPTED MURDER.

BEECIIWOOD-GREEN, HERTS, SATURDAY.—During
the past few days a feeling of horror has prevailed
throughout this neighbourhood, which has been caused
by the following inhuman outrage upon a poor old
man, which, in all probability will terminate fatally.
The following are the short facts of the case :—On
Thursday se'nnight, Henry Bodsworth, a labourer,
who resided at Lilley, left his home for the purpose
of proceeding to the above place, to purchase some
wearing apparel. Upon arriving there he met his
nephew, with whom he spent the evening at a beer-
shop. At the hour for closing the landlord cleared
the house, and Dodsworth, either from drinking too
much, or from fatigue, went into a cart shed at the
back of the house, and lay down on some straw.
Shortly after being there two men entered, who had
been drinking in the same house, and had seen Buds-
worth change a sovereign. They immediately
assailed him in the most brutal manner with a heavy
bludgeon, with which they beat him over the head
till the blood issued most copiously, and he was
almost senseless. Ile, however, managed to crawl
into a brickfield, ab Art 100 yards off, when he was
attacked a second time by his brutal assailants. In
this field were marks of men's shoes, and about a
quart of coagulated blood between a number of
bricks and the hedge, where the old man was thrown,
the villains, no doubt, supposing that he was quite
dead. _ _ _

Inspector Good, upon being informed of the out-
rage, commenced an inquiry with the view of finding
out the guilty parties. From certain information
the inspector received he apprehended two men,
named Thomas Hide and James Claridge, who were
kept apart, one at Whitwell, and the other at
Stevenage. Upon examining the clothing of Cla-
ridge, fresh marks of blood were found. He ac-
counted for this by saying his nose had been bleed-
ing. Similar marks were found upon the clothing of
Hide.

Mr. Curling, one of the county magistrates, and
Mr. Hawkins, the chief clerk, have since taken the
depositions of the evidently dying man. lie, upon
being shown Hide, at once identified him as being
the man who inflicted the wounds, and he stated that
Claridge knelt on his body during the time the blows
were being inflicted. Mr. Pnillips, surgeon, of
Whitwell, said that there were serious wounds on
the skull, one four inches in extent, laying bare the
skull, the scalp falling over the ears. There were
six others on the left side of the head, one so ex-
tensive that two fingers could be placed in it. The
face was so disfigured that it was with difficulty it
could be distinguished from the back of hi 3 head. He
entertained little hopes of his recovery. After so
cruelly treating the poor fellow, they took from him
all the money he had about his person. The prisoners
will not be examined till Wednesday next, to afford"
time to see whether any favourable change will take
place.

TUE CRICKET STEAM-BOAT.—Through some mis-
management on the part of the authorities acting in the
late coroner's inquiry into the circumstances connected
with the explosion of the Cricket steamer, which has
occupied so much public attention, the engineer (Henry
Robert Haisman) on the day of the melancholy occur-
rence, and against whom a verdict of " manslaughter"
was returned on last Friday night, has contrived to
effect his escape. It appears that at his examination
on Friday last he gave his address at No. 8, Temple-
lane, Fleet-street ; but on Inspector Marsh, F division,
proceeding to the house in question, he found that the
witness had given a false address, no such person being
known there ; and, although there is every reason to
believe that he did at one time reside at No. 8, Temple-
lane, Borough, no clue has as yet been obtained by the
police to his retreat.
FORGERY.—On Saturday information was given,
with a description of a person who on Thur,thy uttered
to Mr. Holbrook, a hatter, No. 46, Strand, a forged bill
for 5/., upon the Branch Bank at Birmingham. lie en-
tered the shop and purchased a hat, in payment for
which he tendered tho forgery in question, but a shop
man being sent out to procure change, the fellow left the
shop also, and made off, leaving the hat behind him. Ile
appeared to be about thirty years of age, five feet six
inches high, rather stout, with fresh full face, and rather
curly hair, with small sandy whiskers.