The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1835-10-13 00:00:00

ROBBERY AND ATTEMPTED MURDER.

On Thursday night, as the patrol, Robert Shaughnessy, was
going his rounds in the district called Windsor, he found a poor
man lying upon the ground in a state of insensibility and nearly
covered with blood. From ail appearances, he had been robbed,
and an attempt had been made to murder him, we fear the
sequel will prove too successfully. On Friday Mr. Parlour stood
up before his Worship the Mayor, and said that, from some cir-
cumstances which had come to his knowledge, he caused a per-
son, named John Maginnis, to he apprehended. The injured
man, who is called James Hurst, he had caused to be sent to
the Infirmary. The prisoner, Juhn Maginnis, was then placed
at the bar. Shaughnessy, the patrol, stated that he was going
his rounds, when he met a lady and gentleman who told him
that they had heard faint moans proceeding from a certain spot,
which they directed him to, and they requested that he would
go and examine into the cause. Ile went, and found Hurst
lying on his back, beaten ha a most horrible way, and covered
with blood. lime jaw was broken, and he: was beaten out of all
resemblance to humanity, so that witness was doubtful as to
whether he would live till he arrived at the Station-house. Wit-
ness searched him at the last-named place, and found on him a
watch, a snuff-box, and one shilling. His right-hand pocket
had been cut entirely away. tie (Hurst) was incapable of
speaking, and no hope was entertained of his recovery. He
examined the place. where he found him, hut' coulckdiscever no
marks of a struggle having taken place there. Ann Hurst, the
wife of the injured man, mounted the witness-box, absoibcd in
grief; she said that her husband and herself bad conic from
Bristol about two months ago, with the intem ion of proceeding
to America. They had for some time lodged at. the house of
Mr. M'Kerin, in ltedcross-street, where,also,the prisoner lodged.
She and her husband had subsequently taken a cellar opposite,
where they resided.. At about seven o'clock on the preceding
evening the prisoner had called upon her husband, and induced
him to go out with him, by saying that he wished to show him
some cheap furniture in Vauxhall-road. They went out together,
and she did not see her husband again till that morning. Her
husband had eleven pounds and one shilling about him when he
went out, and two watches in his pocket. Her husband had
with great difficulty spoken to her on that morning, and had
told her, in direct terms, that it was the prisoner at the bar who
was " his murderer." The prisoner said that he had been in
his lodgings at eight o'clock, and hail, with his wife, gone to
bed at nine. Jane Brown testified that she knew Hurst, and
that he was in the habit of showing his purse very frequently,
on which subject she had remonstrated with him. He did not
come in on the preceding evening until near ten o'clock. The
scratch now aisible on his face was not there on the preceding
day. Eliza M`Kcan, Redcross-street, said the prisoner and his
wile bad lodged with them for the last six weeks. On the pre-
ceding evening he had not arrived at home till some time after
nine o'clock. The prisoner said that he had met Hurst in Red-
cress-street on the preceding evening, but that he parted with
him .almost immediately. The scratch had been given to him
by his wife. Margaret Reece stated that she had passed for the
prisoner's wife, but she was not so. The prisoner lett her at a
quarter past six o'clock on the preceding evening, saying that
he was going to see his brother. lie returned home at a quar-
ter past nine. • Had not seen any scratch on his face till that
morning. He had not told her where he got the scratch. On
Satuidav, his Worship the Mayor, accompanied by 'Aar. Par-
lour, visited Hurst at the Infirmary, where he still is in great
danger. -As he was capable of speaking, though faintly, his in-
formation was taken in presence of the prisoner. It was to the
effect., that the latter had called upon hiin with a request that he
would go with him to look at some furniture in Vauxhall-road.
Hellion led him to a lonely part of the town, which he was un-
acquainted with, and asked him (deponent) to lend him some
money. This he refused, when he hninediately received a blow
from the prisdner which stunned him, and he fell insensible
The prisoner was remanded.