The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser. — 1840-04-07 (Liverpool, Merseyside, England)

CHARGE QF WOUNDING WITH INTENT TO MURDER.  Robert Jenkins, aged 18, was charged with having in August last wounded William Mackenzie, with intent to murder him. Several counts in the indictment charged the crime as having been committed With various other intents. Mr. Armstrong and Mr. Preston for the prosecution ; the prisoner was undefended. It appeared, that on the 20th of August the prisoner was passing along a part of Toxteth-park, near Liverpool, with a dog. A man named Hessam Small, who was with Macken-, zie, claimed the dog. The prisoner attempted to strike this person. Mackenzie took hold of the dog, and the prisoner told him that he would stab him if he did not loose the dog. He took out a knife. Witness held the dog, and the prisoner stabbed him in his left breast. He was taken to a surgeon, and continued ill about 16 weeks. The statements of Mackenzie were confirmed by other witnesses. The surgeon who attended him described the wound as a severe one. If the knife bad taken a lateral instead of a central direction, immediate death would have ensued. The wound was a very dangerous one, and the surgeon was apprehensive during several days that he would not survive. The jury found the prisoner guilty of wounding with intent to do some grievous bodily harm. He was sentenced to transportation for life. Emanuel Routcliff, aged 43, was charged with having maliciously wounded Terence Ward.' Mr. Perry appeared for the prosecution, Mr. Murphy for the defence. Terence Ward is a car driver in this town. On Thursday night, the 27th February last, he was standing with his car in Williamson-square, when the prisoner came out of James Ward's public-house and indecently exposed himself in the footwalk. There were females near, and witness called him a dirty fellow, and told him to be off—and that he ought to be ashamed of himself. The prisoner resented this and put himself in a fighting attitude. Witness sparred back and struck the prisoner the first b'ow, upon which he retired back into Ward's public-house. In a few minutes he returned—asked witness if lie were the man who called him a dirty fellow. He replied in the affirmative. They had another sparring bout, and the prisoner threw Ward down and stabbed him in the neck and arm. Several persons, among whom was the policeman on duty, who saw the transaction, confirmed the above statement. Mr. Chambers, a surgeon, who attended Ward, stated that he had received three wounds on his neck, one of which went very near to the carotid artery. Mr. MURPHY set up in defence, that in consequence of an injury formerly received in his head, the prisoner on the occasion of any excitement, had not the perfect command of his reason. It was stated, by witnesses for the defence, that five years ago, when the prisoner was at work upon the steamer Liverpool, his skull was fractured by a beam falling upon it, and that he had been easily excited by a slight provocation ever since.  The jury retired. They returned in about twenty minuers, and delivered a verdict of wounding with intent to do grievous bodily harm. They recommended the prisoner to mercy. The prisoner was sentenced to two years' imprisonment.