Northern Times. — 1857-11-17 (Liverpool, Merseyside, England)

NORTHERN TIMES.-LIVERPOOL, TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 1857.  charged with having robbed Ann Malloy of 6s 7d., in Chapel street. Mr. Atkinson appeared to-day on behalf of the prisoner, having been instructed by some of the prisoner's friends for that purpose. Ann Malloy stated that she was an unfortunate girl, and lived in Nsrman-street, off London road, Liverpool. That on Friday last she came over to Birkenhead to see a friend. Between 11 and 12 o'clock et night she was returning home by way of Chapel-street, when rho was suddenly attacked by the prisoner, who struck her two severe blows in the face, one on the left eye, and the other on the mouth, cutting her lip in the inside, which knocked her down, and no sooner was she down than the prisoner knelt on her chest, and commenced tearing her clothes to get at her pocket. She screamed " murder, robbers, and police," when a yostug man andwoman came up, and the prisoner ran away. The prisoner tore both her petticoats to pieces, and while doing so she heard money rattle, which consisted of two halfcrowns, some other silver, and copper. She had never seen the prisoner before to her knowledge, neither had she been drinking with him. All she drank was one glass of ale, and, at the tires it happened, she was quite sober. Thomas Feehan, a boat builder, living in Birkenhead, said that, at the time mentioned, as he was going down nice-street, he heard the cries of " murder !" " robbers !"—"police !"—and when he had got to the corner of Chapel. street, he saw a man running towards him, followed by a female, who still continued the cries he had previously heard. At the s Imo instant, a policeman came running up, and took the prisoner into custody. William Thompson, one of the Birkenhead police, said that, about eleven o'clock on the night in question, he was on duty in Price-street, when he heard cries of " murder !"—" robbery !"—" police !" Running in the direction from whence the cries appeared to come, he saw the prisoner coming towards him, and some person shouted. " Stop him." Directly after the female came up and charged him with having assaulted and robbed her. On the way to the police station, the prisoner called the female a b—y whore, and that he had been drinking with her nearly all the afternoon at Shaw's, the Market Inn, in Market-street, and at Rhoden's, the Bird in Hand, in Chapel-street. Upon getting him to the police station, be was searched, and 184. 8d was found on him, amongst which were two half-cro wile one of which the girl identified as being one of those she had previous to the robbery. On the fol'owing morning he went to the spot where she said she had been knocked down, and there found two half-penny pieces, and the ground very much disturbed, as if a severe scuffle had taken place. He produced the two petticoa.s, and also further stated, that when the female came up she was bleeding very much from the mouth. Mr. Atkinson endeavoured to prove the prisoner's assertions, that he had been drinking with the female, but upon cross-examining the police officer, he elicited that he, (the officer) had taken the girl to both houses named by the prisoner, and ascertained that she had been into Shaw's for a glass of ale, but no one was with her, but she had not been at Rhoden's. Shortly after Mr. Rhoden came into court, and, upon being put into the witness box, he stated that he stood at his bar the whole evening, and was quite certain that neither the girl or the prisoner had been there. There was every appearance of the truth of the girl's statement born out, in a degree, by her bruised face and mouth, and torn garments. Mr. Atkinson wished to call witnesses as to character, but none being in attendance, tile worthy magistrate said he had quite made up his mind, as the greater part of the girl's evidence had been corroborated, that it was a very brutal assault, and he should send the prisoner for trial at the next Knutsford sessions.