The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1848-05-30 00:00:00

POLICE INTELLIGENCE.

THROWING STONES.—About a dozen boys have been
fined 2s. 6d. each for throwing stones in the streets.
SERIOUS CHARGE.—A young woman, named Ellen
Griffiths, was committed for trial, on Wednesday, by Mr.
Rushton, for having attempted to drown her illegitimate
child, and afterwards herself. The unhappy woman made
the rash attempt at the canal, but herself and her offspring
were rescued by the exertions of a wheelwright, named
Burns. _ _

PERMITTING DOGS TO CO AT LARGE.—On Friday,
no fewer than thirty-se; en persons appeared before Mr.
Rushton, for having permitted their dogs to go at large in
the streets. In every case a fine of five shillings or up-
wards was inflicted, and Mr. Rushton expressed his deter-
mination to carry out the proclamation of the Mayor.
Mr. Rushton : " It is not of the least use putting a muz-
zle on,—it only makes the thing worse ;it makes no dif-
ference whatever in the law. It is a matter of cruelty to
put on a muzzle : they perspire through the tongue."
A MAN STABBED.—CHARGE OP MANSLAUGHTER.—
On Friday, about noon, a manslaughter was committed
in Simpson-street, corner of Kitchen-street, by Parker
Unsworth, a butcher. It would appear that the wife of
Unsworth had been giving evidence that morning, before
Mr. Rushton, against two boys who had been fighting on
the previous evening, and creating a disturbance in the
street. On her evidence the boys were convicted. and
the neighbours were so exasperated that they collected in
large numbers round the shop of Unsworth. This so pro-
voked him, that he roughly desired them to disperse ; but
as they paid little attention to his request, he threatened
them with serious consequences if they continued to annoy
him. Amongst the crowd so collected, attracted by curio-
sity to see what was taking place, was a person named
John Clarke, a stevedore. Unsworth, greatly excited at
the refusal of the bystanders to move on, rushed from his
shop, armed with a knife, and coming in contact with
Clarke, plunged it into his side. The man staggered a
few paces, fell, and was taken to the Southern Hospital,
in the vicinity, but was found to be quite dead on his arri-
val. Unsworth was much agitated when he heard of the
consequences of his rashness. On Saturday the inquest
was held before the borough coroner, and the court in
Lord-street was crowded to excess. Mr. Blair, barrister,
appeared for the prisoner. A witness (Vallaly) said he
caw prisoner in his shop on Friday, and talked to him
about the two lads. Prisoner said he could not help it.
Deceased came up, and asked witness to " come away.
The prisoner said, " There is another Irish scoundrel
there now." He lifted a large knife off the bench, came
outside of the door towards Clarke, and ran the knife into
Lis bowels. Deceased said, " God have mercy; I'm
killed !" He walked some way up Bridgewater-street,
supported by the people, but dropped down dead on the
way to the Southern Hospital. The prisoner immediately
returned into his shop, and witness observed him wipe
the blood off the knife with his finger and thumb, and
then cut some meat with it. Another witness said that
he was present, and that Vallaly was violent and insulting
to prisoner, calling him "an Orange b—." Deceased
came up to get Vallaly away, and soon afterwards the
prisoner came out of his shop, seized hold of Clarke, and
stabbed him in the right side. The knife was produced.
Vallaly appeared to be intoxicated. Other witnesses spoke
as to the prisoner having been exasperated by Vallaly and
a crowd. The prisoner, in a voluntary statement, said,
I was in my shop yesterday, when Vallaly and two other
men and some women came in. Vallaly said arfirst, " I
will take your life !" and threatened me, and a crowd col-
lected. He and some women cried, " Pull him out and
smash his brains." I said I could not help what had oc-
curred with my wife. Some one came rushing into the
shop. I was cutting something at the time. I turned
round, hut how the man got the stab I cannot tell. I
neither saw deceased before nor after he got stabbed.
Mr. Morris, surgeon, stated the wound might have been
inflicted by a person turning round suddenly. The Coroner
very ably summed up, an the jury, after some consi-
deration, brought in a verdict of manslaughter, and the
prisoner was committed to take his trial for the offence.
The Jury coupled with the verdict their conviction that
Vallaly's evidence was unworthy of credence.