The Sun.
London, England, 1847-08-17 00:00:00

MARLBOROUGH-STREET.

Jane Hickman was charged with having stabbed Wil,
Liam Allen with a knife.

William Allen said he was a costermolfger, living at
15, Queen-street, Seven Dials. Some time ago he coha
bited with the prisoner, but had separated from her
about ten months ago. On Saturday night last, about
ten o'clock, he was standing in Newport Market, st Bing
his goods, when the prisoner came up and gave him a
blow on the head. He left his stall in charge of a person
named Bradley, and walked away in order to avoid fur-
ther violence. He returned, and found the prisoner
talking to Bradley, and he told Bradley not to give her
any money. The prisoner began to abuse him, and at
last stabbed at him with a knife which she had in her
hand. He parried the blow with his arm, and received
a wound in doing so. The prisoner made other stabs at
his body, but he received the blows on his arm, and
the prisoner then ran away. Prosecutor pursued, and,
on overtaking the prisoner, stoppk-d her and gave her
into custody. Prosecutor was certain that the prisoner
attempted to stab him in the body. He afterwards went
to a surgeon, and got his arm, which was badly cut,
strappedtup. He was now an out• patient of Middlesex
Hospital.
David Bradley, 13, Little White Lion-street, corrobo-
rated the evidence of the prosecutor in every particular.
Henry Sheppard, C 138, said he received charge of
the prisoner for cutting the prosecutor on the left arm.
About four o'clock the same morning witness picked up
a knife near the spot where the stabbing took place.
The prisoner, who is a young woman, said in defence
that she did not recollect anything about the affair.
She was fully committed.
WORSHIP-STREET.

Yesterday a young man, named John Parish, was
charged with the following violent assaults :
James Morgan, a poor basketmarker, stated, that
while paiagine through Chtireh.gtp.et. h"*.diteh,
twelve o'clock on Saturday night, his attention was at•
tmeted by the screams of a woman, whom the prisoner
was shamefully beating, and that on his interposing for
her protection, and requesting him to desist from his ill-
usage, the prisoner commenced an outrageous attack
upon him, tore the greater portion of his clothes from his
person, struck him several violent blows in the face, and
was proceeding to further ill-treatment of him, when
the police were procured, and the prisoner instantly took
to his heels.

Police-constable Bayley, 192 11, stated, that, having,
upon coming up, found the preceding witness bleeding
profusely from the nose and mouth, he went in pursuit
of the prisoner, whom he ultimately captured, after a
sharp chase ; but that the instant he placed his hand
upon him the prisoner resisted with the greatest deter-
mination, attempted to fix his teeth into his flesh, struck
him four or five severe blows about the head and face,
seriously contusing one of his eyes, and after endea-
vouring in vain to pitch the witness over and fling him-
self upon his back, to prevent his being taken, struggled
and fought so violently that it was not until the assist-
ance of three other constables had been obtained that
they at last succeded in getting him to the station.
When called upon for his defence, the prisoner said
that although he must acknowledge to have acted rather
violently, it was under circumstances of extreme pro-
vocation, and that he had been himself so shamefully
used that he had been nearly torn to pieces.
Mr. HAMMILL, however, considered that no provoca-
tion could justify such violence as he bad been guilty of,
and, the woman who had been ill-treated not appearing
to prosecute, sentenced him to pay penalties amounting
to 40s. for the attack upon the police and the first wit-
ness, or in default to undergo one month's imprisonment
in the House of Correction.

Neither of the penalties was paid, and the prisoner
was therefore removed in the van.
THAMES.

Yesterday Michael Johnson, a Swedish sailor, was
charged with cutting and wounding Richard Brennan,
with intent to murder or do him grievous bodily hardi.
It appeared from the evidence of the prosecutor,
whose arm was in a sling, and who appeared to be ex-
ceedingly weak from loss of blood, that on the night of
Saturday, the 7th inst., he met the prisoner in Grace's-
alley, Wel'close-square, struggling with a woman whom
he used very rougly. Brennan desired the pri-
soner to desist, but instead of doing so he struck the
woman, and was proceeding to further violence when
Brennan parted them, and the woman ran away.
The prisoner immediately seized Brennan by the
neckerchief, and twisted it in such a manner that he
nearly choked him. A police-constable named Gill, 55,
came up, who with some difficulty made the prisoner let
go, and as the parties seemed disposed to fight, he made
them leave the alley in opposite directions. Soon after-
wards Brennan was overtaken by the prisoner, who sud-
denly closed in upon him. Brennan pushed him away,
and the prisoner raised his hands, and Brennan saw for
the first time that he had a large clasp knife in his right
hand. The prisoner closed upon the prosecutor for the
ceenmi time., and as he did so stabbed him in the neck.
Brennan again pushed him away, and the prisoner fled.
Brennan then felt the blood running down his arm as he
lowered it, and called out for assistance. Gill, the
police constable, who had previously interfered, came
up directly afterwards, and finding the prosecutor bleed-
ing profusely caused him to be conveyed to the London
Hospital, and went in search of the prisoner, who had
retreated into a house in the neighbourhood. He was
discovered in a privy, where he had concealed himself.
The prosecutor was examined by Mr. Joseph Nash, the
house surgeon of the London Hospital, who discovered,
besides the wound on the back of the neck, which was
not of a serious nature, another, of a very dangerous de-
scription, on the right arm, which had been inflicted by
a sharp instrument. Erysipelas, the consequence of this
wound, had since taken place, and the prosecutor was for
some time in considerable danger, and was ordered to
return to the hospital when he had given his depo-
sitions. _ _

The prisoner, in defence, said a woman laid hold of
him, and wanted him to go to a grog shop. He hit her
and got away from her, on which Brennan came up and
struck him, and he returned the blow with a cane. He
denied having a knife in his possession.
Mr. Nash said, the wounds could only have been in-
flicted with a knife, or some other sharp instrument.
Mr. YARDLEY committed the prisoner for trial.
SOUTHWARK.
Yesterday Henry Joseph Killerby, nineteen years of
age, was charged with sending a letter, threatening to
murder Elizabeth Spriggs, the daughter of a tradesman
in White-street, Southwark.
The prisoner is the same young man who was brought
up to this court about eighteen months ago on charges
of sending threatening letters, some of them containing
poison, to different persons residing in the district. One
of the letters was addressed to Mr. Craster Humble, a
hop merchant, of 82, High-street, Borough, and con-
tamed a threat to murder him, and also to set fire to his
premises. Another letter was addressed to Elizabeth
Clouter, the daughter of a tradesman in Kent-street,
Southwark—there were two papers inside containing
oxalic acid—and the writer advised her to take them,
describing that they were pleasant and would benefit
her health. Other letters of a similar tendency were
sent to other persons, but fortunately they declined
taking the advice. For a considerable length of time
epistle,, all of a similar character, some of them con-
taining poison, and others threats against the lives of
the parties to whom they were addressed, were received,
all written by an anonymous writer; and the system con-
tinued until people became exceedingly alarmed, and, in-

formation having been given to the police, at length the
prisoner was taken into custody. He was committed
from this court, and tried on the 25th of February,
1846, at the Central Criminal Court, for attempting to
administer to Elizabeth Clouter one ounce of oxalic acid
with intent to murder her. He was found guilty, but
strongly recommended to mercy on account of his
youth, and sentenced to twelve months' imprisonment.
While in prison the prisoner wrote.a letter to his
brother, confessing that he was the writer of all the
letters, and describing that his motive in sending poison
to Elizabeth Spriggs was in consequence of the little
affection she bore him, adding, that the fact was, he had
for a long while read a great many of Lloyd's works, in
which were some most wonderful characters, and he
thought at the time that he could do as represented in
the books, and appear a very mysterious character. He
regretted sincerely what he had done, promised that
when he got his liberty he would do nothing but what
was upright and just ; that he used to write the threat-
ening letters in his employer's composing-room during
the dinner hour, and used to post them when he went
out; that the three last letters which he wrote to Eliza
beth Spriggs expressed what he felt towards her, and de-
clared that when he went to the house where she was,
armed with a knife, that he merely took it to frighten
her, and not to murder her as was supposed when he was
taken into custody.
Mrs. Elizabeth Spriggs, the mother of the-young wo-
man alluded to, atteneed at this court on Saturday
morning. and, addressing Mr. Seeker, stated, that since
Killerby's liberation from gaol he had commenced send-
ing letters of a threatening nature to her, and that her
daughter went in bodily fear of him. The magistrate
immediately granted a warrant against the prisoner,
and be was accordingly taken into custody late on Satur-
day night by Murray, one of the summoning officers,
and was placed at the bar yesterday rooming before Mr.
Cottingham, who was the magistrate before whom all
the previous examinations took place, and who was in
full possession of the circumstances.
The complainant deposed that she had received letters
containing threats since the prisoner had been dis-
charged from Newgate, one of which she produced,
dated the 12th inst., and which was as follows :

" Mrs. Spriggs,—As I have before told you, I now in-
form you that I know the residence of your daughter
Elizabeth, and I safely promise you that before another
month has passed away your daughter shall be in her
grave ; for, as there is a God in heaven I do intend to
murder her before that time has passed, be the conse-
quences what they may.

" HENRY KILLERBY."

The complainant proceeded to state that she had sent
her daughter from home, in order to prevent the pri-
soner from knowing anything about her, as she sus-
pected that he would lay violent hands upon her in the
event of his meeting with her ; that she had reason to
suspect that he had discovered her place of abode, and
under that impression, she thought it incumbent on her
to take immediate steps to prevent the consequences.
Mr. COTTINGIIAM asked the prisoner whether he had
anything to say in answer to the charge of sending the
mother letters threatening the life of the young woman,
to whom he had sent other communications of a similar
description previously to his trial and conviction at the
Old Baily ?
The prisoner replied that he did not mean to deny the
letter produced was in his handwriting, but that he
neverintended to carry tho threats contained therein
into effect. He regretted now that he had been so
foolish. _ _

Mr. COTTINGFSAM said, that being the magistrate be-
fore whom all the circumstances relating to the former
charges were brought, he was in possession of all the
facts, and, from what ho knew of them, he believed the
prisoner to be a young man possessed of the most mis-
chievous propensities, which, if not brought under proper
control, would ultimately lead to an ignominious end.
Ile thought the punishment he had already received
would have acted as a warning to him in future ; but,
instead of having such an Effect, it would appear that the
term of his imprisonment had scarcely expired when he
commenced sending letters of the same infamous nature
to the mother of the young woman whose life he had
previously threatened. He (the magistrate), however,
should not on the present occasion commit the prisoner
for trial, but he should take care to pass such a sentence
upon him as would prevent, at all events, for a very
considerable period any further annoyance to the feelings
of the young girl's family by the prisoner sending such
letters. He should, therefore, adjudge the prisoner to
find two sureties of 1001. each, to be of good behaviour
for the next two years, and to be imprisoned the whole
of that period in default of finding the required bail.