The Sun.
London, England, 1858-03-27 00:00:00

MURDEROUS ASSAULT UPON A

SOLICITOR.

NEWCASTLE-UPON-TYNE, Thursday. —A. despe
rate case of assault, with " cutting and wounding,"
which was near being fatal, occurred late last night
in this town, and has created considerable excite-
ment. Mr. Geo. T. Gibson, a solicitor of con-
siderable wealth in Newcastle, had gone, a few
minutes after ten o'clock, to his office in
Mosley-street, preparatory to starting for the
south by the evening train. Mr. Gibson had
been engaged iu some law proceedings against
a bottle works manufacturer named Frederick
Swan Todd, well known, and not. without
respeet, in this neighbourhood, who has long car-
ried on bottle works in the Ulose in this town (in
addition to similar works at St, Lawrence, a little
I down the river), and which were brought to the
hammer last week. Mr. Todd, accompanied by
hit wife, who remained in an ante-room, entered the
office closely after Mr. Gibson, who asked him to
sit down till he had finished a letter, and went
on writing, when immediately afterwards Mr. Todd
came behind and made a ferocious onslaught upon
him, stabbing and slashing ferociously at his
head with a knife, till the struggle and the
outcry made by Mr. Gibson brought assistance,
and the desperate man was secured and taken to
the police station. Mr. Gibson was conveyed to
the surgery of Sir John Fife, in Hood-street, where
it was found that several wounds had been inflicted
on his head—one on the forehead, two on the crown
of the head, and one just behind the left ear, all
about two inches in length, and cut to the bone,
which had fortunately stopped the weapon, and pro-
bably saved Mr. Gibson's life. That behind the ear
was the worst, and may be said to have been within
an inch of being fatal. The instrument with which the
wounds bad been inflicted was a small ordinary
breakfast table-knife. The case came before the
borough magistrates this d ay, when medical evidence
of the nature of the injuries was adduced, and Mr.
Gibson being unable to attend, it was remanded to
Tuesday. The affairs of Mr. Todd, who is a per-
son of about 40 years of age, has a large family, and
resides at Newbigtin-house, near this town, have
for some years been at a low ebb, and long-con-
tinued embarrassment, which had at length reached
a crisis, has probably excited him to this rash and
dangerous assault upon Mr. Gibson, whom he
seems to connect in some way or other, it is said,
with his misfortunes. Mr. Gibson is, happily, by
the latest accounts to-day, reported to be going on
favourably.

IRELAND.

DUBLIN, FRIDAY EVENING.
THE COLLEGE ELECTION.

The polling to-clay was exttem, ly languid, both
parties seeming to liwo exhausted their forces.
At the close the numbers for the day were de.
dared as follows :
Lefroy

Gayer l7
The poll will close to-morrow at 3 o'clock.
THE COLLEGE RIOT.

The investigation bofore the police magistrate
commenced to day at College-street office. The
charge against Col nel Browne was first heard, and
..stain It mr W.utitSses were examined, the
being the Rev. Mr. Stubb, the Junior
Dean, who deposed to acts of extreme violence
committed by the police. His evidence was cor-
roborated by Admil al Hayes O'Grady, Mr. Downes
Griffith (a Galway gentleman), and Mr. John
Trew, a junior freshman. The inquiry was then
adjourned to 11 o'clock to-morrow. The College,
have 30 witnesses to examine, and the police, it is
said, no less than 100. The proceeding c tunot close
for several days to come.