The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser. — 1841-11-12 (Liverpool, Merseyside, England)

ASSAULT ON THE HIGHWAY.—On Wednesday an Irish reaper was examined before Sir Thomas Braucker and Chas. Birch, Esq., charged with having assaulted a female named Ann Green, on the highway between Garston and Aigburgh, on Monday night. The complainant, who is a servant out of place, residing with her brother in Hughes-place, Robertstreet, Toxteth-park, stated that about five o'clock in the afternoon she was returning from Garston, when the prisoner met her upon the road near the place where three lanes meet. She attempted to give him the way, but-he stopped her, took hold of her hands, and said—" B—y cud to your soul if you go a foot forward, or say a word, I 'll murder you." She replied to him—" You are mistaken man, I have done you no harm, pray let me go, I am going home." He rejoined— " You b—y b—h, I'll murder you if you say another word." She screamed out—" Oh, don't murder me," and " John, pray come back," several tunes, in the hope that the apprehension of some one being near at hand would induce him to quit his hold of her. This produced the desired effect, and she ran away. In doing so, he made an unsuccessful attempt to trip up her heels, after which he threw a stone at her, but she was not struck with it. She ran to the end of the lane, and told a man named John Bate what had happened : whilst she was speaking with him, Mr. Lawrence, the omnibus proprietor, came up on horseback, and undertook to-protect her. When they had arrived at a cottage near the Roman catholic chapel, the prisoner darted out of a small garden at the road side, and said to the prosecutrix, " Oh, you are returning." She immediately told Mr. Lawrence that he was the man who had assaulted her. Eventually, Mr. Lawrence caused the man to be apprehended, and lodged in the toll-gate house till the arrival of the police, who had already been sent for. Whilst be was in the house the prisoner asked for a basin full of water anti some salt. 'When they were given to him he put the salt into the water, and pronouncing some unintelligible words over the mixture, he drank it off. The next instant he rushed like a maniac to the fire-place, seized the tongs, and saying, " May God protect me from my enemies," he rushed on Mr. Lawrence, swearing he would sink them into the skull of any one who should apprehend him. Mr. Lawrence avoided him by running into the road ; he was followed by the prisoner, uttering frightful imprecations, when one of Mr, L.'s servant men fortunately threw him down, and he was secured. In reply to questions from the magisti ate, the prosecutrix said the prisoner had not demanded any money from her. The prisoner, in his defence, told a long, rambling story of Mr: Edwards, for whom he had been working, having detained his wages, 35., because he was Catholic, that he had seen the prosecutrix in the fields there, and did not like her, and that she was the cause of his earnings being detained. The sum of £3 15s. was found upon him. The magistrates fined him £5 for the assault upon the prosecutrix. In default of payment he was committed to the House of Correction at Kirkdale for two months.