The Sun.
London, England, 1834-08-28 00:00:00

HATTON-GARDEN.

EXTRAORDINARY CHARGEOFSJAI;ING.--YeSterdaY,
Charles Fcnwick, aged 30, and Wm. Gage, aged 31, ruf-
fianly evil-looking fellows, were brought beforo Mr. Ro-
Gluts, and Mr. Sergeant SELLON, in the custody of Edward
Pring, 153 and 154, E division, charged by Mary Fletcher,
a fine looking young woman, about 26 years of age, who
resided with her husband at the King's Head, High-street,
Bloomsbury, with having stabbed her with a sharp and
pointed instrument, by which she was considerably injured.
The case excited great interest in consequence of a re-
port having been industriously circulated that two monsters
had been apprehended, and the office was excessively
crowded, chiefly by females.
Mrs. Fletcher, on Tuesday evening last, about half-past
eight o'clock, was walkinr, in company of a female friend
and her daughter through' Plumbtree-street, St. Giles's,
when they observed the prisoners following them in a strange

and suspicious Manner.' The prisoner Fenwick at length
pushed against her, and she felt something sharp penetrate
her groin. The other prisoner pushed by her friend in a
similar manner. When Fenwick had passed by she said to
her friend " That man has pricked me with something like
a pin." Her friend replied, "My God, has he ? and I
have been served in a similar manner," and they instantly
found the blood flowing from their wounds. Witness im-
mediately made an alarm, and begged of her daughter
to run for her father, who was close by, and they
then followed the prisoners. A crowd of persons
assembled, and several females also complained of having
been stabbed, but were unable to identify the prisoners.
Witness and her friend pursued them until they arrived in
Holborn, by which time witness was joined by her husband,
who gave both the prisoners into the custody of Pring, the
officer, who took them to the station-house. A three-cor-
nered file was found upon Fenwick, the end of which was
ground down to a sharp point, and the edges were quite
sharp. (The instrument was here produced, and handed
to Mr. Rogers, who examined it,' and its appearance ex-
cited a sensation of horror in all present, as it seemed evi-
dently to have been sharpened for the purpose.)
Mr. ROGERS (to the prosecutrix)—Are you quite cer-
tain that they are the persons who pushed against you ?
Mrs. Fletcher—l am sure that the tall one (Fenwick) is
the person that pushed by me at the time that I received
the wound, Ind the prisoner Gage was with him. They
were both walking arm in arm. I said at the time that I
had been pricked either by a pin or penknife.
Mr. RoGEßs—Are you much injured? Mrs. Fletcher
—There is a wound, but not of a dangerous nature.
When the fellow pushed against me, he did it with
such violence that I stumbled and pushed him off with
my arm. Had I not fallen I should have been se-
riously injured. The file was found in the hand of Fen-
wick when he was taken on the spot.
Pring corroborated this testimony. He saw the file
taken from Fenwick.

Mr. Ito CE RS asked if the other persons were much injured ?
Mrs. Fletcher believed not much. When she was stab-
bed two respectable-looking ladies, who were walking a few
yards behind them, came up, and said that they had been
stabbed the same as witness and her friend, and they left
before the prisoners were taken.
Policeman 154 E. who acts as gaoler at St. Giles's sta-
tion-house, stated that when the prisoners were brought to
the station-house he locked them up in separate cells, where
he could hear their conversation. He heard the prisoner
Gage say to Fenwick, " They can't hurt me." Fenwick
replied, " No, but I shall nap it. You are all right, but
they'll give me hot coffee or pepper."
Mr. ROGERS, who was quite indignant at s uch con-
duct, asked Fenwick what he had to say for himself ?
The prisoner, who was attired in very shabby black, is
about five feet seven inches high. He has a. pale lank coun-
tenance, with long neglected white hair ; an obliquity of
vision, his eyes being large and black. On being asked the
above question, he leaned his head forward, and, with a look
of idiotcy, he said, " What ?"
Mr. ROGERS—What have you to say, Sir, to stabbing
this woman ?—The prisoner lived at No. 6, Peter-street,
Cow-cross, and was a chairmaker, and worked in Finsbury-
square. On Thursday night he came with the prisoner
Page to receive some money, and on coming through Plumb-
tree-street he certainly did push against her.
Mr. ROGERS (excessively indignant)—Come to the point,
Sir, the charge of stabbing the prosecutrix, whom you might
have ruined for ever by your infamous conduct. Prisoner
—That file (pointing at the file) I use in my trade, and it
is sharpened at the end for a particular purpose in the trade.
I can't deny having did it, but when I pushed by her it
struck her accidentally. He (Page) is quite innocent ;he
did nothing at all.
Mr. ROGERS—The lives of females are not to be endan-
gered by such fellows as you. You may think yourself
very fortunate that I do not commit you to take your trial
for the offence. I shall fine you in the penalty of 51., and
unless you pay it I shall commit you to the House of Cor-
rection and hard labour for two months. Prisoner—l can-
not pay it.
Mr. ROGERS—Then you stand committed. (To Page)
—Now, Sir, what have you to say for yourself ?—Page,
who is also a shabby low-looking fellow, with a squint, and
who seemed to treat the matter with nonchalance, denied ,
having taken any part in the stabbing, and protested his
innocence. He had been to receive some money with Fen-
wick, and they pushed by the prosecutrix.
Mr. ROGERS—You are fined in the penalty of 51. also.
Page still denied the charge.
Mr. ROGERS said, under the circumstances, he should
only fine him 20s. He then ordered that the file should
not be returned to them.
__ _

The prisoners were eventually taken to prison in default
of payment.
The officers stated outside that several females had been
lately !tabbed under similar circumstances in the above
neighbourhood and Clerkenwell. None of the females
stabbed on the above spot were in attendance.