The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1839-04-26 00:00:00

EXAMINATION AND COMMITTAL OF THE PRISONER.

(FROM OUR OWN REPORTER.)
New Bailey, Salford, Wednesday.
It being generally known that the wife of the prisoner,
George Whittaker, was so far recovered, from the effects of
the late atrocious attack on her life, as to be able to appear
and give evidence against her husband, the neighbourhood of
the New Bailey and all the avenues leading to the court were
densely crowded, and the interior of the court was crammed
to suffocation with spectators, all anxious to obtain a glimpse
of the prisoner, and his unfortunate partner. In the latter
respect, however, the crowd was disappointed, as the evidence
of Mrs. Whittaker was taken by D. Maude, Esq., in the
Grand Jury-room, it being considered that the crowded state
and heat of the court would, in her weak and delicate state of
health, have an injurious effect; the poor woman was brought
in a coach from the Infirmary by Diggles, the officer ; she
appeared exceedingly pale, and was in a very weak state, but
gave her evidence in a clear and composed manner ; she spoke
in a weak tremulous tone of voice ; she was accommodated
with a seat, and was placed near the magistrate ; she was
dreadfully mutilated and disfigured, herhead and hands being
bound up. Her evidence was gone into, and is precisely the
same as has already appeared in great length in the papers,
immediately after the committal of the deed, a recapitulation
of which is at present unnecessary. The magistrate, D.
Maude, Esq., then returned into open court, and the pri-
soner, George Whittaker, was placed at the bar; he was
dressed in a black body coat and fustian trowsers ; he is of
light complexion, very slender made, and about 4 feet 4 or 5
inches in height ; there is a sullenness in his countenance,
which bespeaks him of a bad and irritable temper ; he ap-
peared to he about thirty-two years of age. The evidence
against him was to the following effect :
John Bolton stated, that he was in the house of Robert
Whittaker, the prisoner's brother, at the time of the assault.
Both the prisoner and his wife were there, and had retired
into an inner room. Immediately afterwards he heard the
cry of " Murder !" Witness rushed into the room, when
he saw the prisoner with an adze in his hand, striking at his
wife, and he then threw the adze on the floor. The prisoner
was partly undressed.—John Allen, another witness, deposed
that, hearing dreadful shrieks he ran into the room, when
he beheld the prisoner and his wife : the latter was at the
time lying on the floor, covered with blood, and witness saw
three of her fingers lying in different parts of the room.—
Daggart, the constable, deposed to having been sent for, and
described the shockingly mangled state in which he found
the wife of the prisoner, who repeatedly exclaimed, " Oh !
he has done it, he has done it !—he said he would murder
me, and he has done it !" She was immediately conveyed
to the Infirmary, and witness took the prisoner to the lock-
ups.—The prisoner's mother-in-law said he was quite sober
at the time, and she was corroborated by Diggles.—The adze
was now produced, the head of which was stained with blood.
On the production of this murderous instrument, a thrill of
horror pervaded the whole court. The prisoner gazed list-
lessly at this formidable weapon of destruction, and appeared
unmoved. The magistrate directed it to be removed. It
was a short-handled adze, and such as is generally used in
chopping wood.—The officer had the mutilated fingers in
...
court, but Mr. Mande said there wa no necessity for pro-
ducing them.—The gown the unfortun \e Woman had on at
the time of the assault, was completely aturated with blood.
The prisoner was asked if he had any questions to put to
the witnesses. He replied in the negative.
Mr. Maude.—Do you wish to say anything in your de-
fence ? _ .. . . _ _ _

The prisoner then handed in a written paper to the bench,
which he wished to have read. Mr. Maude cautioned him
that it might be used against him as evidence at his trial.
The prisoner replied that he was guilty, and wished to say
nothing but the truth. After the prisoner had been repeat-
edly cautioned by the worthy magistrate, the paper was read
by the magistrates' clerk. We give it verbatim :
" Sir,—lt is with feelings of the deepest regret that I have
occasion to lay before you the statement of facts, knowing
very well, that upon my examination in the presence of my
wife, I shall not be able to speak in that way that I could de-
sire. I therefore humbly beg that you will pardon the liberty
I have taken in handing to you this statement. Ido not for
one moment deny the atrocious act with which I am charged.
But I beg to state most seriously, at the time I committed it.
I was not in my proper senses; my wife herself has too often
said, that when I have drank ardent spirits to the degree I
had upon this occasion, I know not what I do. As to the
reason of my committing such a wanton act, I am really un-
able to account for it. But so far as lam able to recollect,
even an outline of the circumstances as it occurred. On
Wednesday morning, prior to the Sunday on which it oc-
curred, I went out and took the eldest boy with me, with the
intention of getting a little brandy, as I felt unable, from the
quantity of spirits I had been drinking the day before. I
was not more than five minutes away ; upon my return I
found that my wife had gone away, taking with her her
youngest child, and leaving the other with me. We having
had no previous quarrel to my recollection, only upon my
continual drinking, and my wife never having before left me,
I felt greatly agitated, which caused me still to get more
drink. I went at three o'clock in the morning to her father's
house, I knocked them up, the father came to the window
and positively told me she was not there. I met her mother
on the Thursday morning, and asked her if she had seen my
wife, she also denied having seen her. I then became nearly
frantic, broke up my house, took the furniture to where I do
not know, being in a complete drunken state. I kept con-
stantly sending up and down inquiring after her, but could
hear nothing whatever till the Sunday morning, when I went
to one Mrs. Edwards, who told me that my wife had called
there on the Saturday night, and taken the shirt up to some
one of her relations at Pendleton. From thence I went
again to her mother's; I saw her mother coming out of the
house. I again asked if she had seen anything of my wife,
but she again denied her. After a little conversation, and
me treating the mother with a glass of gin, she at length
said, that she would, if her husband would allow her, inform
I me where my wife was ; she then fetched some rum and ale ;
her husband then got up and gave consent to fetch my wife.
My wife's father then said that it was their intention of send-
ing her into the country for a month unknown to me, if I
had not come that morning. We continued at the father's
house till after dinner, I being a great deal put out of my
way, and keeping continually taking more drink. I asked
the father if he would allow us to remain at his house all
night, but he gave me no answer. We then went to my
brother's in Newton-lane, and after this time I know not
what took place.
" To D. Maud, Esq."
The prisoner listened with the greatest attention to the
reading of the document, and in a very firm and audible
voice corrected the clerk in the perusal, where the writing
was not very legible. The worthy magistrate then asked the
prisoner if he wished to add any thing to the written state-
ment, giving him at the same time another caution, and asking
him if the document was in his own handwriting, and whe-
ther he had any objection to sign it? The prisoner immedi-
ately replied, that it was not in his handwriting, and added,
" but I acknowledge to what I have done, I have no wish to
conceal any thing, and have no objection to sign my name."
The paper was then handed to the prisoner, who, in a very
legible hand signed his name "G. Whittaker." Up to this
moment, the prisoner appeared totally unconcerned at the
proceedings, and at the dangerous situation in which he
stood. At the conclusion of the business of the court, the
depositions were read over to the prisoner, and he was fully
committed to the next assizes, for this division of the county,
to take his trial on the capital charge of cutting and maim-
ing, with an intent to do some grievous bodily harm.
Mr. Maude now asked the prisoner again if he had any
thing further to say. The prisoner for the first time seemed
agitated, and said he wished to inquire after his children ; he
was told they were in the custody of his father-in-law, and
would be taken care of. The countenance of the prisoner
now became deadly pale. and in a tremulous voice be replied,
whilst a tear rushed into his eye, " I have always loved my
children, and have done well by them until now, he (pointing
to his father-in-law) is addicted to drink as well as myself,
and I would wish them to be removed into the workhouse."
The magistrate then assured him that his children would be
taken care of. The witnesses were then bound over in the
usual way, and the prisoner was removed. He was sent to
Kirkdale by the five o'clock train.

ALDERMANIC PUGILISM ! !—A certain alderman of the
ancient borough of Woodstock, who distinguished himself so
much by his impartiality on the hearing of a charge made
against several respectable inhabitants some short time since,
has discovered by the charter of the said borough, that he is
privileged not only to enter public-houses at any period be-
tween sun set, and sun rise, but to use language "unfit for
ears polite," insult individuals therein, and as conservator
of the peace, to challenge to fight such individuals upon their
showing resentment for his unjustifiable conduct. We ad-
vise this great (who has so strong a dislike to blue co-
lours) to refrain from painting the faces of his neighbours
with those tints which he has such an antipathy to himself.
—Oxford Herald.
EXECUTION AT GLOCESTER.-011 Saturday Wm. Davis
underwent the extreme penalty of the law at Gloucester, for I
the murder of a labourer named Butt. The culprit stated,
previously to the day of execution, in reference to his crime,
that he did not go to the cow-house for the purpose of mur-
dering Butt against whom he said he had, at that time, no
feeling of malice, nor had he any intention of robbing him ;
but while in the place the remark of Butt, that he was no
good there, excited his passion to so great a degree, that he
could not control it. He thought he exulted over him from
being in the same situation he had lost, and he waylaid him
for the purpose of being revenged. An immense crowd had
assembled, among which, as usual, were many females and
children. The wretched man was silent but firm, his only
observation, besides bidding adieu to the reverend minister,
who so meritoriously and unremittingly attended him, being
a request that that gentleman would convey to his friends the
expression of his hope of God's forgiveness.
YANKEEISM—BRUTAL ATTEMPT TO ASSASSINATE WITH
A BOWIE KNIFE.—On the night of Friday, the sth inst., a
most brutal and ferocious attempt was made in Coothill, by
a man of the name of James Bran, alias Brannon, assisted
by one Leonard Lucas and others, all of Cornary, to deprive
a very highly respectable young man, of Carrickallan, of
life by inflicting not less than fifteen or sixteen incised or
punctured wounds, with an American bowie knife, on his
body, five of them about the region of the heart and abdomen,
two on the arm, and the remainder on other parts of his
person. His life was in imminent danger, and in conse-
quence of Surgeon Thomas Horan, his medical attendant,
being unable to certify until Wednesday last that he was out
of danger, three of the persons charged with the offence have
been detained in custody ever since.--Monaghan Stcaidard.

POLICE INTELLIGENCE,—Tuesday.