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

ATTEMPT AT MURDER.

An attempt at murder was yesterday made at
Witham, Essex, under the following circumstances :
—A young woman named Freeborn, cook to Mr.
James Upson, farmer in the parish named, became
"engaged" to a young man named Charles Finch,
who was then working at a farm in the neighbour-
hood of Kelvedon. Soon after the commencement
of this engagement he went out to the Crimea to
join the Army Works Corps, or as a " navvy,"
and but recently returned to the neighbourhood.
! In the meantime it seems the young woman had
formed an attachment in some other quarter,
which appears too likly to cost her her life. A
few minutes after three yesterday she left her
master's house for the purpose of proceeding
to the parish church, distant about half a
mile, and, so far as her own statement can be
understood, had not proceeded many yards, before
she saw Finch sitting •on the bank, much to
her surprise, for she had not seen him since
his return, and inee, d believed him to be
in London. He waited until she was quite
close to him, then suddenly sprung upon her,
threw her down in the ditch, and with a razor cut
her throat, without uttering a single word. He
then wade off ; but apparently fearing he had not
fully accomplished his purpose he returned a few
minutes afterwards, and made a second incision,
and then immediately made off. The poor girl
must have been wry soon found, for about 3.30 a
messenger arrived at the Witham police station.
The constables, with the exception of one, were at
the pa, ish church ; they were, however called out
during the service, causing, as maybe supposed, no
small consternation among the congreg ttion, and,
with Mr. Superintendent Cooke, of the Essex con-
stabulary, were speedily on the spot, Mr. Thomas
Tomltin, a medical gentleman, btiog already in at-
tendance. The young woman, who is about 24
years of age, and bears a respectable character, be-
ing removed to her waster's house, search was im-
mediately commenced in the woods, and iu a few
hours Finch was captured by a 14bouting man
named Green tts he was attempting to escape from
the wood. Police•constable Medley, who was near,
took him in charge, and by 7 o'clock in the evening
he was lodged in a cell at the Witham police sta-
tion. The windpipe is completely severed, but the
main arteries have escaped ; so that there is some
chance of the poor woman's recovery.

MURDER AND HIGHWAY ROBBERY IN

STAFFO.RDSHIRE.,

A most atrocious and cold-blooded murder and
highway robbery was committed on Satur-li:v
morning last, near Abbots Bromley, in this county,
on the person of Mr. Wm. Charlesworth, a respec-
table farmer, residing at Ridware, near that place.
Friday, thef 22nd, was the day for holding
the annual cattle fair at Abbots Bromley, and the
deceased, who was about 60 years of age, attended
it for the purpose of business, having, it is
supposed, a large sum of money in his. possession.
Late at night be was drinking at the Coach and
Horses Inn, in company with a good many per-
sons, amongst whom were two young men named
Charles Brown and George Jackson, natives of
Abbots Bromley, and an itinerant musician known
in the locality by the sOubriquet of " Dulcimer
Jack."
About one o'clock in the morning Brown and
Jackson left the house, in company with the musi-
cian, and proceeded along the turnpike-road leading
towards Ridware (which is the high road from Ut-
toxeter to Lichfield) ; when about fifty yards from
Abbots Bromley, they all sat down by the road
side, when Jackson used some threatening language
in speaking
of Char!eswortli, who was about to
leave the public-house when they came away. On
observing some one coming down the road, Jackson
and Brown run further on, and the musician re-
turned to the house, meeting Mr. Charlesworth on
the road ; this was the last time he was seen alive
—except by his murderers—as shortly after four
o'clock his lifeless body was found on the road,
pockets emptied, and his brains literally strewed
about. A large hedge stick was found near hi,
body, with which it is supposed the murder had
been accomplished.
Information was immediab ly given to Edward
Etheridge, the police officer stationed at Abbots
Bromley, who, after a few inquiries, proceeded to
the Coach and Horses inn, where he found Jackson
sitting. On examining his clothes, large spots of
blood were found on the sleeves of his jacket, and
on asking bim how they came there he said he had
hit his nose by a fall and made it bleed, and that
he was at home and in Led by ten o'clock. Directly
after Brown enne iv., anti on exaniiiong Ids jaLL,I-.
similar marks of blood IN ere found. They were then
both taken into custody, and removed to the police
station, where Etheridge was ,joitied by Inspector