The Sun. — 1823-12-10 (London, England)

WIFE.  tl TT n ot-G Att t) 1.1,4 .-Yesterda y. Thos. 11, osapay, residing at Geoige-strat, Battle-bridge, was brought up in the custody of James Smith, patrol at Burton-crescent, charged with wilfully and maliciously firing a pistol, loaded with slugs, at his wife, with intent to murder her, or to do her sonic grievous bodily harm. Blake, a constable, deposed, that about eight o'clock the preceeding evening, Dr. Macdonald, of Constitution-row, Gray's Inn -lane, called on him, and informed him that a mahin eorgestreet, Battle-hridge, had shot his wife with a horse pistol (here he produced the pistol.) Witness went immediately to the prisoner's house, and found that the woman, who had received the contents of the pistol, which was loaded with slugs, in the thigh, was taken to the Middlesex hospital. Witness took the prisoner into custody, and lodged him in the watch-house that morning. He called At the Hospital tojeara the state of the Woman, when the house surgeon informed him that the cont nts of the pistol were lodged in the thick part of her thigh ; that as yet none of them were extracted; and that she.must undergo amputation. [Here the prisoner, who was in the box, gave a deep groan, and exclaimed—" Aly wife, my poor wife !"I Witness produced a certificate from the surgeon as to her dangerous state. Elizabeth Melburn deposed, she is aunt to the prisoner ; she lives at 4, George-street, Battle-bridge, next 'door to the pri.: loner; the prisoner is an .engineer-smith, and worked last for Messrs. l'ontifex, in Shoe-lane; Martha, his wife,, was a straw •honnet-maker, and about 26 years of age; they were married about three years, and had one child, which is six months old ; prisoner had lived in the house,about nine montbS,,to which he came from George-street, Hampstead-road; the prisoner, having no lodgers in his liouse and being lonely, kept that pistol for his protection, which was generally hung up over the chimney. piece the prisoner beingout of work, both he and his wife, after breakfast yesterday, wentout to look for employment; the prisoner came home at dusk,'and not finding his wife before him, he came into witness's house, and she made him sit down to have a cup of tea ; his wife came in at the time, and she said to him—" Here you are, comfortably seated, feasting yourself; why not be at home and have the fire lighted and tea made ? you ,know I am tired carrying the child, all. day."—He an, swered he was tired of walking about, and wanted refreshment. The wife went home, and the prisoner fisllowed'; and shortly after, she heard the report of a pistol ; and immediately the prisoner came in and said,--." Aunt, I have 'done mischief, though I meant it for myself."—l went, and found his wife lying on the floor weltering in her dood. Dr. Macdonald was sent for, and lie ordered -her to be taken to the Middlesex Hospital. The prisoner, in his defence, said that he and his wife had some aggravatinn• words, while he stood with. his back to the fire-place ; he took down the pistol, which hung over the mantlepiece, cocked and loaded ; he held it in his hand down .by his side, for a minute,' while she kept aggravating him ; and, in a fit Of desperation; while in the act of raising his hand with the pistol, with intent to destroy himself, the pistol exploded.; but she received the contents, and tell on the floor with the child in ter arms.  The MAO &STRIAE said, that he had no reason to believe but what the prisoner said was true ; still he found it his duty to remand bun for further examination.—The prisoner was re. mended accordingly.  ON