The Sun. — 1857-11-19 (London, England)

EXTRAORDINARY CHARGE OF CRUELTY AGAINST A  HUSBAND.-IN BE WILLIAM KEMP.  Mr. Power applied on the part of Anna Maria-Kemp that she might be allowed to exhibit articles of the peace against her husband, William Kemp, ironmonger, of Woodbridge, Suffolk, for cruelty. The articles stated that applicant was married about 9 years ago to the defendant, and that for two years past he had treated her with great cruelty, frequently during that time he had laid ♦iolent hands upon her, and had threatened to take away her life. In July and August last, and on  several eecaeions whilst in bed with him, she had been  awoke by feelings of suffocation. On one occasion she found one of his hands over her mouth and with the other he was pressing her nose, to prevent her breath inn. In 1855 her husband, whilst she was in bed with  him asleep, attempted to strangle her by violently pull ing the string of her night cap. He threatened also to smother her and otherwise injure her. Oa the night of  ,he 26th October last she went to bed with her husband,  and in the course of the night she was awoke from her sleep by finding that he had ♦iolently grasped her arm with one hand, and with the other he was pressing her  head with great force on her chest, so as to prevent her breathing, and thus strangle her. She, however, sue (*.dad in breaking away from him, and took refuge in tho servant's room, where she remained awake the remaining portion of the night. In the morning, en complaining to him of his conduct, be threatened to garotte her. On the 29th October she  informed her parents of her hisband's cruelty, and ou their advice she applied to a magistrate for protestioa  from her husband's ♦iolent conduct, and he recommended her to leave him aad Munk and live with her  parents, who resided at Hadleigh, about 17 miles from Woodbridge. She did so, bat returaed to him agabt  •n his promise never again to hurt her. She, however, had scarcely returned home before he 'sized her violeatly by the arm, and bending her finger so as to  sauce her great pain, he tore her wedding ring from her finger, and had refused to give it hew again. The same night he seat the only female domestic servant that was in the house away, and she had to remain with him alone ; he, however, went eat, and did not return hems till near two o'clock in the merning. Applicant, in the meantime, being afraid to 'lisp with him, went and laid dowa in a room adjoining her hasband's bedroom, and on kis return she overheard him talking to himself, as he was in the habit of doing, saying that he would take her geld watch from her and murder her. He threatened her several times, and being afraid of her life, she sat up all that night, She then went home to her parents, who agreed to support her if her husband would contribute 101. a•year to her support, but he would only give her 2s. id. per week. which being too little she was obliged again to return to him. On the let of November she applied to the same magistrate as on a previous occasion for his proteotion but he refused to entertain her application and bind her husband over to keep the peace, advising her to separate from him and return and live with her parents. ♦pplicant stated her belief that the magistrate had been improperly influenced by some parties and attributed to that his declining to call upon her husband to provide eareties of the peace. She was in daily bodily fear of her life. Lord Campbell—l ♦ery muck regret the magistrate referred to did not order, when applied to, the husband to find sureties of the peace, so as to render it unnecessary for the applicant to have applied to this court. We think she is entitled to our protection, and we grant the application. I don't think the magistrate, in refusing to call upon the husband to find sureties, acted from improper motives, bet he was certainly wrong, according to the wife's statement, in refusing her application. Mr. Power—Then your lordships order a writ of attachment to issue. Lord Campbell—Yes. The writ was accordingly issued.