The Sun.
London, England, 1851-08-14 00:00:00

ATTEMPTED MURDER AT IPSWICH.

On Tuesday evening last the inhabitants of the
town of Ipswich were much alarmed on hearing that
a young woman, nineteen years of age, named Martha
Moyse, had been murdered by an old man named
James Wailing, lately dismissed from her Majesty's
navy.
The parties had for some time past been living to-
gether as man and wife, and the only motive assigned
for the attempt at the crime is alleged to have arisen
from jealousy on the part of the old man. The
wounds inflicted upon the wretched young woman turn
out to be not so serious as at first represented, and
hopes are entertained of her ultimate recovery. Wail-
ing destroyed himself shortly after.
On Wednesday an inquest was held on the body of
James Wailing at the Feathers Inn, St. Matthews,
before Mr. S. B. Jackaman, when lengthened evi-
dence was adduced touching the cause of deceased's
death, and the attack by him upon Martha Moyse.
The deceased, James Wailing, up to May last was
in her Majesty's navy, at which time he was discharged
with a pension of 9s. per week. Having a maiden
sister residing in Ipswich, he had determined (being
nearly sixty years old) to spend the remainder of ins
life with her, and for that purpose he, on leaving the
service, in which he had beau engaged for upwards of
thirty years, came to this town, with a puree containing
upwards of 60/. He and his sister lived in apparent
1 happiness and comfort together till within five or six
weeks ago;it which tituelWailing met with the young
woman, Martha Moyse, who was induced by the old
man, who had made her several handsome presents, to
live with him as his wife. The house of Wailing's
maiden sister was by no means a commodious one, for
it consis;:ed of but two rooms—a bed-room, in which
were two beds, and a sitting-room.
The unfortunate girl had, up to Sunday night last,
for five or six weeks past, shared one of these beds
with Wailing, his sister occupying the other. Be-
tween four and five o'clock on Tuesday Wailing said
to his sister, " Go and tell Martha I want to speak
to her." Martha Moyse being at the house of a
neighbour the old woman went, and told her she was
wanted by her brother. Both of them went to Wail-
ing's house, where he was seated in an armchair. On
their entering be looked very angry, and said to his
sister, Da you go out, and let Martha stay with
me." The old woman left as desired, but she had
not proceeded further than four yards from the
house when she heard Martha screaming frightfully.
She instantly retraced her steps to ascertain the
cause of her cries, and was met by Martha
Moyse at the doorway, who was running
away from the old man, her face, hands, and the
forepart of her dress being covered w
with blood.
Wailing was undoubtedly pursuing his intended
victim, for, as his sister entered the doorway,
she received a heavy blow on the face from the
hand of her brother, and an incised wound upon her
hand from some sharp instrument, while endeavouring
to parry the blow aimed at her. Wailing losing
sight of the girl, who had fled for refuge in the house
of a neighbour, and his sister presenting herself at
the door, he run back into his own house. The poor
old woman, fearing him, also fled for protection into
the house adjoining. The cries of "Murder" raised
by the neighbours soon brought together several per-
sons, not one of whom durst enter the room in which
Wailing was, or even go near the house. At last a
butcher named Henry Trenter went up to the door
and asked Wailing what be had been doing, at the
same time calling upon those assembled to go with
him into the house. Not one of them dared accom-
pany him, and at length he went up to the door,
opened it, and spoke to Wailing, who replied, " I
have done her business, and I will soon do mine." At
the very moment he made that assertion Trenter saw
him lift up both hands to his throat, and they as
quickly dropped down to the sides of his body.
Wailing was then seen to come to the front door
with blood spurting from a severe gash he had in-
flicted in his throat. It was afterwards discovered
that the ;wound was eight inches long, extending
from ear to ear, dividing the jugular vein and the
common carotid artery. Wailing after throwing out
into the roadway twc razors, one of which was
covered with blood, cried out " Thank God, Ihave done
the business. Now you can take and hang me if
you like, or, if you choose, you can send for a po-
liceman. I have done what I meant to do, but I
want to do more to her and myself too." He thea
walked towards the fireplace, in front of which hef
down exhausted. Mr. G. Sampson, surgeon, and his
assistant, were soon on the spot, dividing their atten-
tion between the young woman and the old man.
But the wound inflicted on the old man's throat was
so effective that all human aid was useless, and he
died three hours after. The face of the miserable
girl, Martha Moyse, presented a frightful gash under-
neath the left lower jaw, but providentially no vital
parts had been touched. Her hands, in defending
the attacks of Wailing, were severely cut in several
parts ; three of her fingers were nearly severed from
her hand.

At the request of the jury an adjournment was
ordered to take place, in order that she might give
evidence, which it is expected she will be enabled to
do in the course of three or four days.
Notwithstanding that the deceased had been drink-
ing, all the witnesses examined agreed in opinion that
he knew perfectly well what he was about, and the
only cause assigned for the acts he had committed
was jealousy. It was stated that Martha Moyse,
after having obtained from the deceased a large sum
of money, absented herself from his house, and that
she was about leaving the town with another man.
Money amounting to 271. was found by the police in
deceased's house.