The Sun.
London, England, 1848-10-05 00:00:00

CLEI7KENWELL.

James Pennington, an ill-looking fellow, who was
described in the police-sheet as a modeller, residing
at 4, Sidney-street, Somer's-town, was placed at the
bar before Mr. Combe, charged by Martha Pearse,
a young woman with whom he cohabited, with having
stabbed her with intent to murder.

The prosecutrix, whose head was bound up, and
who was in a weakly state through loss of blood,
deposed that on Tuesday night last, at about a
quarter before ten o'clock, she returned home per-
fectly sober, when she knocked at the door, which
was opened by the prisoner. She followed him to
the bedroom on the first floor back, when some angry
words took place between them, and the prisoner was
in a great passion with her because she had stopped
as he said, too long on an errand. She was undressed
and going to bed at the time. He repeatedly swore
at her, and said, " You wretch, I'll do for you," and
then gave her a dreadful blow on her nose, which
caused it to bleed profusely. He then ran to the
table, seized a table-knife, and rushing at her made
a stab at her. She attempted to save herself by
holding her arms up to ward off the blows, and the
knife struck her on the temple, near the eye, and
inflicted a severe wound, from which the blood
gushed copiously, and she became faint and was
taken to the hospital, where the wound was dressed
by the house surgeon.
In answer to questions by the magistrate and clerk
she said, she was about to escape from his violence
when he locked the room door upon her and took the
key out of the lock. It was after he had locked the
door that he stabbed her with the knife. She bled
profusely. Witness called out " Murder" as loudly
as she could, and also called to the inhabitants to
come to her assistance. On seeing the blood running
from her, and hearing her cries, the prisoner endea-
voured to coax her to be quiet. She then exclaimed
loudly, " For God's sake let somebody come to my
aid," and continued her cries of " Murder," when she
found the key of the door on the chair; having re-
leased herself she ran down stairs, and the police and
neighbours came to her assistance and took the pri-
soner to the station-house. She had cohabited with
the prisoner nine years. He was jealous of her, and
had frequently ill-treated her before, and had been
committed to prison for violence towards her. The
prisoner while confined in the station-house was seized
with a violent fit, and Mr. Skinner, of Aldenham-
terrace, assistant surgeon to the S division, attended
promptly and rendered every assistance until he was
recovered.

Mr. COMBE asked the prisoner if he wished to ask
the witness any questions ?
Prisoner.—No ; she was drunk.

Allum, 320 §, who apprehended the prisoner,
denied this. She was very much excited and agitated,
and hardly knew what she was about. The witness
heard the cries of " Murder," and saw the prosecu-
trix rush into the street, bleeding and saturated with
blood. fie proceeded upstairs, and in the back room
on the first floor found the prisoner undressed. The
room was; covered with blood, and he found the knife
(now produced) with which the wound was alleged
to have been inflicted.

Mr. James Morris, house surgeon to the University
College Hospital, deposed, that the prosecutrix was
brought to the hospital at a quarter to twelve o'clock
on Tuesday night, and on examination he found a
wound over the left eye. She had other wounds of
older date on her head and chest, which had been
caused by the prisoner. The wound was not dan-
gerous.
Mr. CoMaE cautioned the prisoner that he was not
bound to say anything to the charge ; would he
slo
so after that caution ? The prisoner said he did not
take up the knife or use it against the prosecutrix.
He was cross with her in consequence of her staying
out longer than she had occasion to do. She threw
a loaf at him while he was in bed.
The prisoner was then fully committed to New-
gate for trial.
LAMBETH.

A decent looking woman named Pomford, applied
to Mr. Norton for some slight assistance. From her
t
atement it appeared that her husband had been
statement
principal clerk in a mercantile establishment in the
City, but owing to the failure of the firm he lost his
situation, and being unable to obtain another they
became very much reduced in circumstances. She
endeavoured to obtain a subsistence by her needle,
but such were the prices that were at present given
at warehouses and shops that she found it quite im-
possible to earn sufficient to procure the ordinary
necessaries of life. At present she was engaged in sew-
ing shirt fronts and " dickeys," for which she was
allowed one halfpenny a-piece, and the very utmost
she could do was a dozen in the day, so that she had
to work from six o'clock in the morning until ten at
night to earn sixpence.
Cook, the gaoler, said he had known the applicant
and her husband for some years, and had al ways
noticed that they had used every possible effort to
support themselves. The husband who was an ex-
cellent linguist, had recently been taken to Oitend,
and the applicant was enabled to exist through assist-
ance from a fund which he was sorry to say was
nearly exhausted, from which she received is. 6d. a
week. The work upon which she was at present en-
gaged was paid for so wretchedly that she could
scarcely earn so much at it as would pay her rent;
and he had no doubt from what he had learned of her
that if she got good work she would be well able to
provide for herself.
_ _

Mr. NORTON remarked, that he had observed by
the public papers that considerable effurts had been
made by the gentlemen belonging to the Needle
Women's Society to improve the condition of such
deserving persons as the applicant, and the ample
funds recently received by the society he bad no
doubt enabled them to extend the sphere of its use-
fulness. In this case he should request the attend-
ance of the secretary of the society, and see what
could be done.
Mr. Nowrort here directed the chief clerk to write
to Mr. Roper, the honorary secretary to the society,
to request his attendance before him, with the view
of obtaining for the poor woman some lucrative em-
ployment, and ordered something out of the poor-box
for her immediate assistance.