Northern Times. — 1857-08-04 (Liverpool, Merseyside, England)

DIABOLICAL ATTEMPT AT RAPE AND MURDER  HEIR CBE3TER.  Yesterday, at the Chester Town Hall, a man, named John Woolley, was placed before the magistrates on a charge of committing a murderous outrage on the person of a young woman, named Mrs. Williams, whose husband is in the employ of Mr. Woods, of the Saltney Foundry. The prisoner was also charged with stabbing a girl, named Jane Wainwright, who was in company with Mrs. Williams at the time. The particulars of the case will best be gathered from the evidence which was given in support of the charge against the prisoner. Mrs. Williams, who appeared in a very weak state from loss of blood, in coaseqnence of the wounds she had received, was the first witness examined. The poor woman was unable to walk, aid was supported on her entrance to, and departure from, the court. She said that on Saturday afternoon, about halc-past four o'clock, she was returning from Chester market to Saltney, in company with the girl, Wainwright. They had passed through Curzon-park, and when getting over a style in a footpath leading into an adjoining field, the prisoner canoe up, and s-ruck at the girl, who ran away. He then seized hold of witnes3, and threw her down. She thought, he wanted to rob or murder her, and she cried out to him, "Have mercy on me for the sake of my child, and I will give you all I have got—l will give you my pocket." He then attempted to take improper 1 bertias with her, and she resisted. A struggle took place between them, and when she refused to allow him to take liberties with her, he pulled out a large pocket-knife and stabbed her several times about the breast and neck. In the struggle, she managed to get hold of the knife. She screamed as loud as she could, when a man came to her ass'stance, and then the prisoner ran away. Jane Wainwright said that on Saturday afternoon the was in company with the, last witness, when they were going across the footpath beyond Curzon-park, on their way to Saltney. As they were gluing over a style they met the prisoner, who made a stab at witness. She was very much alarmed and ran away, screaming, towards Saltney. Some time afterwards she returned, and met Nlrs. Williams, who had been stabbed in s,veral places, and was bleeding about the neck and breast; her clothes were all over blood. William Rowlands, clerk to Mr. Williams, tobacconist, of Chester, said, that between four and five o'clock on Saturday afternoon, he was going along the footpath towards Saltney, near Curzon Park, when he heard the screams of a female. He ran towards the spot from whence the screams proceeded, and meson r n • • - ev'Ts gcreatiel ng and struggling very much, and bleeding about the neck. Witness got hold of the prisoner aid pulled him off the woman. He then ran away pursued by witness. Witness overtook him, and the prisoner then jumped into a ditch, aed attempted to hide himself. Witness then said to him, "It's of no use you stopping there, because I will follow you up until you are taken." In a few minutes afterwards Police constable No. 10 came up, and witness reeve the prisoner into custody. Mr. Weaver, surgeon, of Chester, deposed to having examined the wounds which had been inflicted en Mrs. Williams. Teey were six in number, one above each breast, one on the breast, and three in the neck. They were of a dangerous character, bat he was in hopes that she would recover. Police•constable No. 10, produced the knife with vshich the prisoner inflicted the wounds. The blade was covered with blood. The clothes which the poor woman had on at the time were produced, and were saturated with blond. Mr. Massy, solicitor, appeared on behalf of the prisoner, and, acting upon his advice, he declined to say anything. The Mayor then stated that the bench had decided to commit him to the assizes, on two separate indictments—one on a charge of attempt to murder, and the other charging him with an attempt to commit a rape.