The Sun.
London, England, 1859-05-09 00:00:00

Total . • • • 9
LIBERAL GAINS.
COUNTIES.

Berke
South Lincolnshire
Berwickshire . •
South Derbyshire

Total

Total Liberal losses
Less Liberal gains

.. 1

.. 1

.. 1

.. 1

. : 4
.. 36

.. 21

Conservative gains .. .. 15
MEMBERS RETURNED —591.
Liberals .. .. .. .. ..321
Conservatives .. . • ..
...270

Majority against Government .. 61

ATTEMPTED 11,1U.RDER THROUGH

JEALOUS'Y.

A young man, named Charles Peek, was taken before
Sir P. H. Dyke, chairman, and Messrs. Dashwood, Smith,
and Lewen, the presiding magistrates at the Town-hall,
Dartford, on Saturday, on the charge of stabbing another
young man named Charles May, on Good Friday last, with
intent to murder him, or to do him some grievous bodily
harm. The prisoner was brought up from Maidstone gaol,
in custody of Mr. Brandon, a superintendent of the county
constabulary, where he has been remanded since the un-
fortunate occurrence, the prosecutor being so dangerously
injured as to be unable to attend to give evidence—indeed,
for some time his life was despaired of.
Mr. Gibson, a solicitor, of Dartford, attended on behalf
of the prisoner.
The charge appeared to be made under the following
circumstances :—The prisoner, who is not more than 23
years of age, is very respectably connected, his father
being a shipowner, residing at Guernsey, and he himself
being captain of a brig called the Anne, belonging to his
father. It seemed that on the day in question the pri-
soner's vessel was lying off Greenhithe, and the prisoner
was at the Hull Trader public-house, at Greenhithe,
which is kept by a person named Minter, to whose eldest
.daughter the prisoner was paying his attention, and it is
said they were going to -be married. The prosecutor
May, and another young man named Webb, both of whom
belong to Dartford, were also at the Hull Trader on this
day, and it would seem that the former paid a good deal
of attention to Miss Minter, which annoyed the prisoner,
and he' made some observations to that effect. Nothing,
however, took place at this time, and in the course of the
afternoon the prisoner invited the two young men and
Miss Minter and another young woman to go on board
his vessel, and they did so, and afterwards rowed about
the river, 'and then returned to Greenhithe, where they
drank together, and during the evening an altercation took
place between the prisoner and May, and a scuffle ensued,
during which blows were struck. The prisoner, it appeared,
left the public-house about half-past nine o'clock at night
to go to his vessel, and he was followed by May and Webb,
and they began joking him upon the subject of his sweet-
heart; and the prisoner, being somewhat the worse for
liquor, answered him angrily, and at length a fight took
place between him and May, but the struggle had only
lasted a short time, when the latter put his hand to his
breast and exclaimed, " I am stabbed," and instantly fell to
the ground. Assistance was procured, and he was carried
back to the public-house, and Dr. Seccomb, a medical gen-
tleman ,trhwa t
easi
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breast,
andr,sht e,a:hdudptrhoene-
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where
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into
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and on his being taken irito the room where the prosecutor
was lying, he at once identified him as the man who had
stabbed him. A search was afterwards made for the knife,
but for some time no trace of it could be found, but at
length Sergeant Hill, of the Kent constabulary, upon mak.
ing a close search in the prisoner's berth, found a knife con-
cealed in the wood work, completely covered with blood,
and with which no doubt the fatal injury had been inflicted.
The prisoner was on the same day taken before Sir P. H.
Dyke, a magistrate for the county of Kent, at Dartford,
and upon evidence being given that the prosecutor was in
too dangerous a state to attend and give evidence, he was
remanded to Maidstone gaol, and on Saturday was brought
up for further examination.,
Upon the prisoner being placed at the bar,
Mr. Brandon, the superintendent, put in a certificate,
which represented that the prosecutor was still too All to
-attend, but was progressing favourably, and would probably
be able to attend in a few days and give evidence, and upon
this the superintendent asked for a further remand.
Sir P. Dyke observed that he was glad to hear the pro-
secutor was likely to recover, but he had a most narrow
escape, and, under the circumstances, the only course that
could be taken by the Bench was again to remand the pri-
soner.
Mr. Gibson said he did not feel that he was in a position
to offer any opposition to'this proceeding on behalf of the
prisoner, and,
The Bench then directed that he should be brought up
again iin a week.