The Sun.
London, England, 1847-01-27 00:00:00

ATTEMPT TO MURDER.

- - - -
Considerable excitement Was created in this town on
Thursday morning, by the report that a young man had cut
the throat of a woman on the previous evening, in West-
street. From the inquiries we have made, we are enabled to
give the following particulars of this melancholy and some-
what romantic affair. The name of the young man is Charles
Smith, a native of Bridgenorth, but lately holdings situation
in the office of Mr. Gibbs, surveyor of taxes in this town ;
and that of the unfortunate woman is Jane Morris, who is a
native of the same place. At as early age an intimacy com-
menced between the parties, which, after a time, became a
mutual attachment; and, although the friends of Smith, who
are very respectable, objected to .a union between the par-
ties, the intimacy continued, the result of which has been
the birth of four children, all of whom are, however, de-
ceased. Smith remained at Bridgenorth, with his friends,
until, we believe, about 15 months since, when he obtained a
Government appointment ; and.previous to his being ordered
to this town, had been fulfilliag•the duties of his situation at
Bury St. Edmunds, where the unfortunate young woman
had cohabitated with him. About three weeks since he left
that town, having received-orders to proceed to Reading.
His paramour, however, soon discovered his new abode, and
in a few days after his arrival in this town, she made her ap-
pearance, and took lodgings at; the house of Mr. Cray, grocer,
in West-street. Smith also resided in West-street, at Mr.
Martin's, tailor, and the young woman, who we understand
is not more than 21 years of ;age, had visited Smith more
than once at his lodgings previous to Wednesday last, on the
evening of which day she came to see him, and was shown
into his room up stairs, where they remained together nearly
two hours, when the other inmates of the house were
alarmed with dreadful screams. Mr. Martin, accompanied
by a young man who resides in the house, immediately ran
up stairs to the room whence the Sound proceeded, and on
opening the door saw the unfortnnete young woman on the
floor, and Smith standing over her.
smithimmediately ex.-
claimed to them, " She has Mit hist throat." ' Ari alarm was
immediately given, and 151 r. Rusher, chemist, who *lves
near, proceeded up stairs, while a messenger was dispatched
to Mr. George May, surgeon, who quickly attended, and
found a wound on the right side of her neck, but none of
the principal arteries were divided. The wound was
dresred ard the patient put to bed, after which a policeman
was sent for and Smith taken into custody; but he strongly
denies having attempted to cut her throat, while the unfor-
tunate woman has made, we believe, several rambling state-
ments with respect to the occurrence. The position in which
Smith was seen looks certainly very suspicious, although
there is no positive evidence at present to prove that he in-
flicted the wound. A razor stained with blood was found on
the 'floor, and is in the possession of Mr. Houlton. We are
happy to state that the unfortunate victim, who remains at
M
and will be enabled, in
ther. Martin
course
ein s,is
of' going on favourably,
atewdaye,tagive evidence against Smith,
who will be brought up before the borough magistrates this
morning, and no doubt remanded till Monday or Wednesday
next, when the whole facts of the case will transpire.—
Berkshire C. renicle.

Chelmsford whichuao eShaarragheci Cthmesdleiarn tih(ewchoro on is
coroner's
now
in a -
THE PoISoNINGS IN ESSEX.
A communication having been made to Sir G. Grey by
Mr. Collins, clerk to the magistrates of Saffron Waldo, in
o nprissoencieur in
e nc e
of
a letter
vest with the murders of Joseph and James Chesham) in-
trusted to the matron of the gaol to,post to Mr. T. Newport,
farmer of Clavering, and which was forwarded to the com-
mitting magistrates, and by them to the Secretary of State's
office, Inspector Shackell, of the metropolitan force, was sent
down to Clavering to assist the local authorities in capturing
Mr. 'l'. Newport, and in the collection of evidence in the ca.s
Mr. T. Newport was apprehended on the 15th instant, and
on Friday last underwent an examination before Lord Bra,
brooke and Mr. Birch Woolfe on the charge of aiding an.d."
abetting Sarah Chesham in administering poison to Soloman
Taylor, the illegitimate child of Lydia, Taylor.
From the evidence of Lydia Taylor,' it appeared, that
whilst she lived in the service of the mother of Newport, she
became with child by hint, and that he urged her to take
drugs to procure abortion, which she refused to do. A month
after the birth of the child, Sarah Chesham Went to see her,
said Newport was a good-for"-nothing fellow, and promised
to esti again. She did call again, in a month or two after,
at the hou3e of Lydia Taylor, and brought some tea, apple-
dumplings, butter, Sec. She took the child up in her arms,
when it became sick, and she said she had given it a piece
of sugar. She then begged Lydia Taylor to call on her at
Clavering, and bring the child with her. She did so, when
Chesham said she would take the child to its father, and
ran across a field with it. Taylor followed, and overtook her
resting on a bank, and saw her ptic, something in the mouth
of the child, the lips of which were smeared with what looked I
like ointment. She said she had given it a sucker.,,
The child became very pale. A short time afterwards
the child was left in charge of its grandmother, when
Chesham again called to see it, and was seen to place some-
thing in its mouth. The child immediately became con-
vulsed, and exhibited symptoms of having been
poisoned. Medical advice was afterwards procured,
and it partially recca _
-ered • but having lingered a
few weeks, it was seized with the former symptoms, and
died in October last. The mother of Lydia Taylor had ap-
plied to Newport for some assistance r her da guhter pre-
viously to the death of the child, whefon he sa
remark
at subsequent visits, and refused to relieve her. The ma,.
on •
gistrates were then applied to, and an order made him to
pay 2s. 6d. a week towards the support of the child. Sarah
Chesham was committed for an attempt to poison it before its
death.
Several witnesses deposed to havingseen Newport and
Chesharn frequently together.
The letter sent to Newport by Chesham was not read in
de •
the evidence, but was said to upbraid him with deserting her,
with a breach of promise in not paying money promised to
• i
her if she held her tongue, and with accusations which are
at present wrapped in mystery.
he admitted tell-
The prisoner made a very long defence •
ing the mother of Lydia Taylor that she must get rid of
the child; but denied being implicated in the transactions
Mentioned by Chesham ; they had been trumped up to extort
money from him. ire,.
He was committed for trial at the ensuing ass

THE WORKING-MAN'S RELIGIOUS, MORAL, AND
INTF,LLYCTUAL IMPROVEMENT SOCIITY.
--On t
the Monday the
annual meeting of the above society was held a
hall, Store-street ; the Earl of Radnor, the president, waMusic-
s in
the chair. He said the society on amongst the men
employed in the manufactory of Messrs. Maudslay and Field,
Westminster-road, who established a library of religious and
literary works, a few years since. 11is attention had been
called to it, and finding that much benefit had arisen, he
subscribed to it, and presented to it a variety of works:
Having been requested to become president of the society,
he had consented, and was glad to state that libraries for the
workmen had been established in several other fact3ries.
The Noble Earl expatiated on the good that mutt result
from bringing within the reach of workmen the b, st books
on the most useful topics. The report stated that tl.e library
of Messrs. Maudslay and Field c,-,ntained upwards of 6(X)
well-selected works, affording amusement and instruction to
thanks were voted to the noble'
1,257 readers. Auxiliary societies were progessing favour-
ably, and wanted nothing more than to be more generally
known. The Rev. Mr. Hughes of St. Pancras, and the
Rev. Samuel Marchant, ha-e'ng addre3sed the meeting,
ings terminated.
THE SMITHFIELD MARKET
powerful-looking NUISANCE.—Mon-
--president, and the proceed-
day afternoon a youth, named Radcliffe, while in the act of
crossing the carriage-way of the eastern extremity of Lon-
don-bridge, was run against and knocked down by a very
several others from Smithfield market. In addition to being
most fearfully beast, which had proceeded in advance of
trampled noon, the poor youth was very se-
verely gored by the infuriated beast,which appeared the more
irritated by the screams of the foot-passengers witnessing the
accident : ultimately, however, he was rescued from his pe-
rilous position, when it was found that the injuries sustained
were of such a serious nature that the most alarming results
are likely to follow.

THE LATE 'ION. CHARLES STUART.—An inquest
was held on Monday before Mr. Bedford, upon the body of the
above-named gentleman, whose sudden death on the 21st
instant was recorded in our columns. The medical evidence
adduced proved that the deceased had died from apoplexy,
and a verdict of natural death was recorded.