The Telegram. — 1895-02-19 (Weymouth, Dorset, England)

THE CHARGE OF ATTEMPTED MURDER.  At the Weymouth Borough Police-coon on Tuesday, before the Mayor (Mr. T. H. Williams), Mr. C. J. Freeman, and Mr. J. E. Robens, John Pearce, alias Leonard Cooper, wee again brought up on remand, charged with attempting to murder Sarah Avriss by stabbing her in the neck with a pocket knife, at Weymouth, on the 28th January. The poor woman, who has been in the hospital ever since, had sufficiently recovered to be able to givs evidence. Mr. Chase prosecuted. . _ .  Sarah Avrisa said she was not married to prisoner but had been living with him live years, during three of which they lived at Springbourne, Bournemouth. On Monday, the 28th January, they came to Weymouth from Bournemouth by the 8.40 train in the morning and went to a publichouse on the other side of the bridge. They tried two houses for drink and they would not serve either of them, but said they had had enough. There had been no quarrel between them in the morning. When they came back over the bridge they began to quarrel because they could not get any lodgings. They then bought some bread and meat and tried to get some beer to take with it, but could not get any. They then came on to the front, and she put her food away. but her husband kept eating his. She thought to sit down on a seat on the Esplanad., and he asked her if she was going to stay, and said it was not the same road. She replied that it se" as she could see the monument. He was calling after her and a crowd collected. He afterwards came up and took hold of her and she turned her head, and she supposed it was then it was done. She fell down. She saw him take something from his pocket. She got up and went to the opposite side of the road where she saw the people. She was not unconscious from first to last until the doctor Game. As he came up she thought he was going to take hold of her by the throat and sim turned away. He was eatinbr his food at the time. When he CRII ke to her he said, " Sarah, are you going to etay ? " but she did not hear him say anything else. She was taken to the lady's house and afterwards to the hospital. They had two noggins of whisky each at the Hare and Hounds, Springbourne, before they started ; they brought two with them in bottles niche train, and had three at the public-house over the bridge, at Weymouth. She did not feel the effects of it until she gut outside. Her husband was very drunk. She was net so drunk as he was.  Prisoner said what the witness had said was righs enough, and he had not a word to ask her. Hubert Du Doubly said the woman had been in his charge at the hospital since her adruistion. He found a clearly cut wound about three inches long on the right side of the neck. It had been sewn up outside by Dr. Carter, he believed. It was a wound from which the woman might have died if she had not been attended to. The wound had been inflicted by a sharp instrument of some sort. The skin was now nearly healed up, and the interior part was healing by degrees, but would take a little time. She was not in any danger unless anything unusual happened. Dr. Carter confirmed the evidence he had previously given, and added that when he saw the wound it was necessary to enlarge it on the surface an inch or more in order to secure certain vessels. James Lowther's evidence was also read over, and confirmed by the witness. Evidence was also given by P.C. Burt, who said prisoner was brought to the station by Chaddock and Lowther. Prisoner said it was done in a temper, but he meant to do for her. Prisoner was then formally charged, and in reply said: Whatever was done was done without any intention. Which way it happened I can't think. I knew no more about it than a chin unborn, but I was brought to my senses when I saw She blood. Mr. Chase said the women had asked him to express her sense of the great kinduess she received from Mrs. East, from the boy who staunched the wound, and from everyone connected with the hospital. Prisoner was committed for trial at the assizes.