The Sun.
London, England, 1829-08-29 00:00:00

BOW-STP,EET.

Yesterday Thomas Tulle, an itinerant hawker of
tracts and pamphlets, was charged by Mrs. Sophia
Coleman, of Turnham-grecn, with killing her dog
with a pitchfork, and attempting to stab herself with
the same weapon.
Mrs. Coleman having been sworn, deposed that
about three days ago the defendant came to her
house, and coming round to the back door, where
she was standing, asked her to purchase some of his
pamphlets. She told him she did not want any,
and he then wanted to force his way into the house,
saying that she had no right to prevent him from
ranking an honest penny. At this moment her little
dog came to the door, and began to bark at the de-
fendant, upon which he kicked it with his foot. The
animal-became enraged at this, and bit him in the
leg. The defendant ran at the dog in a great fury,
and, to save the poor little animal from the effects of
hi; anger, she (the complainant) caught it tip in her
arms, and ran into the house, closing the door after
her. The defendant muttered some threats of future
vengeance, and went away. She saw no more of
him until that morning, when he came armed with
a pitchfork, and running at the dog, which happened
to be playing in front of the house, he stabbed it
three times in the side with the pitchfork, and killed
it upon the spot. She (the complainant) endea-
voured to interpose, upon which the defendant made
a thrust at her with the pitchfork. Fortunately,
however, the blow fell short, and merely grazed her
handkerchief, or else, in all likelihood, she should
have shared the fate of her dog. She then sent for
a constable, to whom she gave charge of the de-
fendant.
Sir RICHARD BIRNIE observed that the defendant
had been guilty of a most wanton and cruel act, and
wished to know if he had any thing to urge in his
defence ? Your Worship (replied the defendant)
in a puritanical tone of voice, at the same time ele-
vating his chin, and extending his right arm after
the manner of a field-preacher, I protest to you that
every word which this woman has spoken is as re-
mote from truth as the Poles are asunder. I never
attempted to force my way into her house, and as
for a premeditated attack upon an helpless animal, I
declare, upon the word of an upright Christian, that
I had no such intention.

Sir R. BIRNIE—Then you deny having killed
the dog? Not so, your Worship, but self-defence is the
first principle of nature, and upon that I acted. The
animal attacked me with all the fury of its species,
and how could I tell that it was not in a rabid state
at the time, and that my life might not have been
sacrificed to its vengeance ?
Sir RICHARD BIRNIE—But what do you say to
the blow which you aimed at this lady ? Defendant
—Upon my credit and veracity I do not think I
made any attempt to strike the lady with the pitch-
fork ; certainly I had no thought to harm her.
Sir RICHARD BIRNIE—I can tell you this, that
had the blow which she has sworn you aimed at her
taken effect, you would stand before me now in a
very different situation.

The constable who brought the charge to the
office said, that the defendant had been to a smith's
forge in the morning, to get the prongs of the pitch-
fork sharpened, in order the more effectually to put
his design into execution.

Sir RICHARD BIRNIE asked the defendant if he
had any licence for hawking books and pamphlets ?
The defendant, after some hesitation, admitted that
he had not.

Sir R. BIRNIE—For that you are subject to a
fine of 10/., under the Hawkers' and Pedlers' Act ;
and for your assault upon the lady, with a murder-
ous weapon, with which you had previously des-
patched her dog, I shall call upon you to find good
bail, and to give notice of the same, in order that it
may be inquired into.
The prisoner was then removed from the bar, and
locked up in default of bail.