The Sun.
London, England, 1857-05-25 00:00:00

BRUTAL ATTEMPTED MURDER OF A

WIFE.

An attempted murder of a most appalling and
brutal character took place on Saturday evening,
at the house No. 7, Little Russell-street, Covent-
garden, immediately opposite the stage door of
Drury-lane Theatre,"and within a few yards of the
Scotch Presbyterian Church of which the Rev. Dr.
Cumming is the minister. The back room of the
second floor in the house alluded to was occupied by
a young couple named James Geary, aged 23, and
Emily Geary, aged 19, who were married on the
4th of this month, just three weeks since, and
to all appearance lived happily together until the
night on which he made so determined an attempt
on her life. Both James and Emily Geary were
originally silk spinners, but lately the husband has
filled the situation of porter to a furniture dealer in
Great Queen-street, Lincoln's-inn. On Saturday
afternoon the newly-married couple paid a visit to
the mother of the wife, and during their stay there
occurred nothing which led to a suspicion that there
was or had been any disagreement between them.
On their way home, however, there was some dis-
pute about going to a concert-room, the result of
which was that they parted, and the wife went home
to Russell-street. At half-past 10 o'clock James
Geary returned home, and, as appears from the
statement which has been made by the unfortunate
woman in the prospect of death, having dashed his
cap on the ground, went to the cupboard and took
out a dessert knife. He then rushed at his wife,
knocked her down, and cut her throat. She strug-
gled with him, screamed as loudly as she could, and
exclaimed more than once, " Oh, dear ! oh, dear !
Don't murder me." These cries were heard by Mrs.
Emily Baylis, the wife of police-constable 85 F, who
occupied apartments in a higher part of the house.
She ran down stairs, and having communicated the
facts to Mrs. Evans, the landlady of the house, they
went up together t 3 Geary's room. On opening
the door they saw Geary and his wife struggling
violently with each other on the floor, Geary hav-
ing the knife in his hand, and the woman bleeding
from the throat. Mrs. Baylis and Mrs. Evans
were horrified, and ran down stairs with a view
of obtaining assistance. At the street door
they met Baylis, the police constable, who was just
returning home from duty. He went up stairs and,
found Geary and his wife struggling on the land-
ing of the second floor. The brutal fellow had his
wife down, with her head on the bottom of the
flight leading up stairs, and directly he saw the
officer he stuck the knife into his wife's throat, and
worked it about. The woman exclaimed—" For
God's sake save me ! " Baylis at once seized him,
and drew the knife from the woman's throat. At
this time Geary had inflicted three slight wounds
on his own throat. Additional assistance having
been obtained, Mrs. Geary was conveyed on a
stretcher to King's College Hospital, where her case
was at once attended to by Mr. Charles Heath, the
house surgeon. He found on the right side of the
neck, about an inch below the jaw, a wound three-
quarters of an inch long, communicating with the
windpipe and with the msophagns. Above and below
this were two superficial cuts, and immediatelybelow
the right ear was a ragged wound extending under
the skin for nearly an inch, Immediately above the
collar bone, on the same side, was another
superficial cut. On the left side of the neck; mid-
way between the collar bone and joy- was a trans-
verse cut one inch long, penetrating three-quarters
of an inch into the neck. Close to the left ear was
a superficial cut. On the back of the right hand
were three superficial cuts, each about a quarter of
an inch in length.
Immediately after the attempt on his wife's life
Geary was conveyed to Bow-street station, where
the wounds in his throat were dressed by Mr.
Snitch, the divisional surgeon. They were found
to be very slight. The prisoner remainsin custody,
and will be placed before the magistrate for exami-
nation this morning. He is very reserved, and
does not appear to be in any way affected by a
recollection of the fearful crime he has committed.

Yesterday morning, at 4 o'clock, Mr. Inspector
Mackenzie having been informed that the unfortu-
nate woman was sinking, conveyed the prisoner to
King's College Hospital, and in his presence the
statement of his wife was taken down. He ap-
peared to be quite unmoved during the recital of
the horrible narrative.

The mother and sister of Mrs. Geary visited her
yesterday at the hospital, but the interviews were
very brief, in consequence of her critical situation.
Hopes are entertained of her ultimate re-
covery. Sbe is described as a careful, persevering,
industrious young woman, very peaceable in her
disposition, and one who was unlikely to offend her
husband by any misconduct on her part. In some
quarters it is said that Geary was jealous of his
wife; but there do not appear to have been the
slightest grounds for such a suspicion.