The Sun.
London, England, 1818-10-20 00:00:00

rOLict INTELLiGBNCE.

DREADFUL TRANSACTION—ArrEMPTED MURDER.
Edmunds was yester-
day brought before the Magistrates of this office;
by Edward Pithier, beadle of Putney, charged with
attempting to murder Mary Edmunds, his wife ;
Mary!lmiS daughter, a child seven years of age ; and
Sarah Dyer. The following are the particulars as
detailed in evidence :
Oil Monday, the 12th inst., as :M is. Sarah
Massey, of Putney, ivas passing by the residence
of the prisoner, about eight o'clock io the morn-
ing, she heard a cry of '' Murder !"Being e-
tremely terrified, she was *Wail to go in, B
and went
past the house about 2U paces. A woman, named
Dalton, came out in a state of dreadful agitation,
and informed her that Edmunds was murdering
his wife and child. She was upon the point of
going to seek for assistance, when the prisoner's
slaughter ran out of the house, pursued by her
lather, who overtook her, and struck her a blow
on the nrck, with somet ling which he had in his
hand, but the distance prevented her from seeing
the weapon he used ; he continued to pursue the
child for several yards, and then fell down. Mrs.
Massey cat ried the child to the nearest house
(Mrs. Dalton's), and examined the wound in the
child's neck, trout which poured torrents of blood
as she carried it along. She found a deep cut at
the back of the neck ; it appeared'a very dreadful
and dangerous wound. After delivering the child
to Mrs. Dalton's family, she went in seat ch of
some persons to secure the prisoner. She met
Mr. Stevens, of Putney, who went imme-
diately to Edmunds' residence, and upon his
SaW the prisoner lying CM the ground,
fast held hy Mrs. Edmunds, and a young
Man named Dyer. Mrs. Edmunds was bleeding
very much from a wound 'in her neck, and
was carried into the house in an exhausted
state. A messenger was dispatched to Pidder,
the beadle of the parish. Upon his ortival
he
found the prisoner in the custody of Dyer and
Stevens, and was informed that, besides wounding
his wile and daughter, be had inflicted as danger-
ous wounds on an elderly female, named Dyer—
one on the neck, and the other on the back of
the head. The prisoner's conduct was indescrib-
ably outrageous, and Pithier considering that he
Was not sufficiently secured, procured a strait
waistcoat and put it on him. The parish-officers
were informed of the particulars 01 the transac-
tion, and front the representations trade to them,
being induced to consider that his terrible conduct
had been occasioned by a fit ot insanity, directed
that he should be taken to a snad-house at Chel-
sea, and properly securest. Their orders were
carried into execution, and subsequently receiving
information from the keeper that his conduct had
been steady-and rational, •and his mind apparently
composed, they gave instructions to the beadle to
conduct him before the Magistrates.
it was stated by Pidder, that the wounded
pie-
ties were unable to attend. 'Mts. Dyer had in-
formed him of the particulars of the transaction.
On Monday morning, about half-past 7 o'clock,
Mrs. Dalton went to -the house of the prisoner,
who is a cow-keeper, to purchase some milk ; he
was then reading a book. Upon her entrance he
started tip and seized her violently by one of her
arms. Mrs. Edmunds hav cued in trout a back
room, and the prisoner instantly took up a clasp-
knife and stabbed her in the neck ; his daughter
next came in, and perceiving the situation ot her
mother and the attitude or her father, ran out of
the house in great terror, and was overtaken and
wounded by her father, as has been described.--
Mrs. Dalton had escaped'the moment previously.
Mrs. Dyer, a neighbour, hearing the cry of
" Mutte' !" went in to ascertain the came of the
disturbance, and was immediately attacked by the
prisoner, and received two dangerous wounds,
one in the neck, and the other in the head. tier
son went to her assistance, and hy a well-directed
blow brought the prisoner to the ground. Mrs.
Edmunds, with her remaining strength, assisted
in keeping him down, when the arrival of Mr:
Stevens insured his security, and ptevented fur-
ther mischiet.
The prisoner, upon being interrogated as to his
motives, said, that he 'S' as perfectly unacquainted
with time transaction ; he was subject to fns.
The Magistrate observed, that it was necessary
to pace the opinion of some medical men as to
the state of the'p-isoner's mind, and it was indis-
pensably necessary to have the evidence ot the
wounded parties.
The prisoner was remanded, and orders gheo
that he should be brought up on a haute day.

DIABOLICAL CASE.

MARLBIMOUGH-STRECT.—A case of a most dia-
bolical nature was heard at this Office on Saturday
night. A luau named Jones, who had been com-
mitted for seven days for begging, charged Jor-
clan, a constable of St. Giles's, with robbing him
of H bundle and 2/. which Jones said he had left
in,his care. His story was innocently told, and
bad so much the appearance of tact, that Messrs.
Baker and Burroa es were much inclined to credit
it, notwithstanding the positive assertion of in-
nocenceon the part of the constable. The case
was ordered to stand over until Saturday, and.
Jordan's word taken to appear; but in the
mean time he consented to have his apartments
Isearched without a warrant,
.and Plank, a very
diligent officer, undertook to make full inquiries
into the mysterious case. The whole turned out
to he a most diabolical fabrication-in every re-
spect.—Plank, being sworn, stated, that he had
matte every inquiry, and
.that Jones, who had
ialisted into the 46th regiment of foot, and after-
wards been discharged, had neither a 21. note or a
bundle, asthe recruiting party who broaght,hirn to
London were at hand to prove ; and he had also
traced Jones to where he slept every night, and
he was proved to have been pennyless and without
a..bundle, and consequently Plank brought him
back to the office.--Jones here confessed his
monstrous villainy to Plank, and stated, that a
man named,Riehards had advised him to ask cha-
rity in the presence of Jordan, ,who would take
hint into. custody, and that alter his release be
should charge. him with the alleged robbery.—
. Jones confessed this upon his knees before the
Magistrates on Saturday evening. He was com-
mitted as arogue and vagabond.