The Sun.
London, England, 1844-01-16 00:00:00

MARYLEBONE.

A very eonsi&rabie degree t excitement was created
in the ridghbourhood of Albany-street, New-road, yes-
terday evening, in consequence of the attempt by a man,
named HansfOrd, to murder his own son, Ar-
thur, a boy of eleven or twelve years of age. by beating
him about the head with a shovel. Fortunately, how-
ever, the alarm was given, and the interference of the
police prevent d a fatal consummation. The boy was
taken to the University Hospital, where he lies in a
most critical state.

Alfred Hansford, the younger son, said that he lived-
with his father, mother, and two elder brothers, at No. 3,
Munster-street, Albany-street. Arthur was the eldest,
and Edwin was the next to him. He then gave a long
account of quarrels and fights which had taken place
between his father and brother, and of the assault com-
plained of.
John King, 321 S, said that he heard cries of " Mur-
der" when on duty in Munster-street, and on running to
the prisoner's house, met him on the stairs, but not
knowing that he was the guilty person, permitted him to
pass. When he got into the room he saw the injured
boy in the centre of the floor, and his features quite un-
distinguishable from the blood. He supported him till
assistance came, and the only words he could articulate
were, " father," " asleep." Heard the prisoner after-
wards say that he " was aggravated the whole of the
day, and it was enough to drive a man mad." 'After-
wards, at the station-house, he said, " I am. sorry for
what I have done."
Police constable Harrod, 179 S, produced a shovel,
which was completely bent with the violence with which
it had been used upon the boy, and was deeply marked
with blood and hairs. _ _

Police-constable Vickers, 183 S, took the prisoner into
custody. He said, "I am the man. I meant to pay him
out, for he had aggravated me all day."

He was remanded for a week.

TRIAL OF MRS. GILMOUR.

This woman was tried on Friday and Saturday
last, in the High Court of Justiciary, Edinburgh, for
the murder of her husband, by administering arsenic
to him, which produced death. The circumstances of
the case are no doubt in the recollection of the reader
full details of the charge against the prisoner, having,
been recently published.
The Jury, after an absence of about an hour, re-
turned with the following verdict—The Jury, after a
careful and mature consideration of the evidence
brought before them in this case, are unanimously of
opinion, that John Gilmour died from the effects of
arsenic ; but find it Not Proved against the prisoner
at the bar, as libelled.
This announcement was followed by very decided
expressions of approval by those in Court, which were
rebuked by the Lord Justice Clerk.
The prisoner was then dismissed from the bar.

EXECUTION OF SARAH
WESTWOOD.

STAFFORD, SATURDAY.--The unhappy culprit,
Sarah Westwood, convicted at the last Special As
siaes for the county, before Mr. Baron Rolfe, f r the
murder of her husband, has been executed.. It ap-
pears that the culprit was the daughter of a labouring
man, living at Churley, a hamlet near BurnNood,
where the murder occurred. At an early age she
acquired a loose reputation and was discarded by her
parents, and eighteen months prior to her marriage
with her unfortunate victim, she gave. birth to an
illegitimate child. Twenty years since her union
took place, the fruits of which are several children.
At the same home in which they resided at Burnt-
wood also lived a man named Phillips, who, no doubt,
was the principal cause of this diabolical occurrence
taking place, from the fact that it was supposed that
he had had a criminal intercourse with her, and which
excited the unhappy differences that constantly hap-
pened between her and her husband.
On the 9th of November, when the family were
seated at the dinner-table, the father entered and
complained of a pain in his head, and requested his
wife to make him some gruel, thinking that the
dinner would not agree with him. She did as de-
sired, and he partook of it, but inquired what was the
" white stuff" that was floating about on the top of it.
To this question she gave an evasive answer, and im-
mediately afterwards the unfortunate man was taken
with a severe fit of vomiting, and pains in the
stomach, and was instantly cent to bed, and expired
the same night. The wife appeared but very in-
differently concerned, and expressed a wish to
have the body as quickly interred as possible. An
inquiry, however, took place, and on a post mortem
examination being made, it was clearly ascertained
that the deceased had died from the effects of arsenic.
The above was the substance of the children's evi-
dence, and by the exertions of the constabulary force,
abundant proof was adduced that she had purchased.
the arsenic but a few days before, together with other
poisonous matter, at a chemist's shop, at a village
called Worsall. These facts, with other circumstances,
so clearly brought the case home to the wife, that the
jury,- on the trial, without hesitation, returned a ver-
dict of guilty. Sentence of death was accordingly
passed upon her, and she was removed. Since her
condemnation she has been daily attended by the
Rev. G. Norman, chaplain of the gaol, who has used
every spiritual means to bring her to a just sense of
her condition, and in answer to the entreaties made
by the worthy pastor to induce her to acknowledge
her guilt, she has on all occasions firmly declared her
innocence. Her two youngest children visited her on
Thursday for the last time. The interview is stated
to have lasted about an hour, and on their parting a
scene presented itself of a most affecting character,
such a one as not to be wished for again to occur
within the walls of this prison.
On the same day she expressed a wish to see her
sister and her husband, who were instantly sent for.
On their arrival, however, from circumstances which
had been made known to the Governor, it was found
that, instead of the man being the husband of the
wretched woman's sister, it was Philipps, her guilty
paramour; consequently the meeting was refused in
the most positive terms. At this disappointment she
manifested deep regret.
This morning the condemned sermon was preached
in the chapel, the worthy minister taking for his text
the 2d Peter, chap. 1, verse 14, " Knowing that
shortly I must put off my tabernacle." After the
service the unhappy creature partook of the sacra-
ment, and she evidently felt the deepest anguish at
the awful position in which she was placed ; in fact,
she fainted twice or thrice during its performance.
Notwithstanding all this, she still avowed her com-
plete innocence of the murder of her husband
Her conviction appears to have given satisfaction
throughout this part of the country, as no petition has
been forwarded to the Secretary of State for a com-
mutation of her sentencu. Her age is stated to be 42.
She appeared deeply distressed as she approached the
scaffold, and when placed under the fatal beam trem-
bled violently. The preliminaries having been quickly
arranged, and the rope placed round her neck, the bolt
was drawn, and the sufferings of the murderess ceased
in this world.

SINGULAR CONTEST.--A few days since a woman,
named Sharpies, the wife of a boatman, left her hus-
band at Selby, and eloped in a keel with another
boatman, named James. Two days afterwards Shar-
pies came up with the runaways in the Humber,
nearly opposite Barton, and boarded the pirate. A
fight ensued on the deck, but the wife finding her
husband down, and in a fair way of being pum-
melled; took part against her husband's vessel. The
parties met again at Hull on Tuesday evening, in a
public-house at the Southend, and it was agreed that
they should fight for the woman. A battle took place
accordingly, on Dock-green, the same evening, when the
husband was the victor, and bore away with him the
worthless prize.—lltill Packet.
A great deal of dissatisfaction has been created
this week among the pensioners and women who have
been receiving pensions and half-pay at the dock-yard,
in consequence of the clerks at the Navy Pay-office
paying them in many instances with gold which is
barely of the standard weight, and does not turn the
scale. It seems to be an established axiom among
tradespeople that gold issued in the reigns of George
3d and 4th is not now a legal tender, and Gd. discount
is demanded on every 20s. It is certainly true that the
clerks at the Navy Pay-office have refused to exchange
the gold so issued, when returned in consequence of the
above discount being demanded. This looks very like a
fraud on the public, the money for paying these people
being drawn from the branch Bank of England, which
bank receives the light gold on payment of an established
allowance.—Hampshire Independent.
ST. IVES.—FORTUNATE DISCOVERY. —During last
week, a labourer employed on the farm of Mr. Wratten,
farmer, of Needingworth, near St. Ives, discovered what
he considered to be a piece of paper projecting from one
of his master's stacks, when, on a nearer inspection, it
was ascertained to be a sort of a large fusee attached to
a ball of what is consired to contain combustible mat-
ter, which was placed *lout a foot in the stack. The
paper or fusee had beeii lighted at the end.:exposed, but
from some fortunate reason had smouldered a short time
and gone out.—Chelmsford Chronicle.
The young lady who has taken the Neapolitans by
ears, 1-Ind,r.the cogrloa)er of Favpnte, is u111i:$ Ed-
wards, a pupil of Crivelli, who used to sing at the. Aca-
demy concerts a season or two back • and wile belonged
to that institution.--Dramatic and liulkai Rolm