The Stockton Examiner, and South Durham and North Yorkshire Herald. — 1879-05-31 (Stockton-on-Tees, Cleveland, England)

EXTRAORDINARY CHARGE OF ATTEMPTED  MURDER.  At the Central Criminal Court, a few days ago, before Mr. Justice Grove, George Gardener, 28, a well-dressed man, described as of no occupation, was , indicted for feloniously discharging a revolver at his wife, Annie Gardner, with intent to murder her. Mr. Poland and Mr. Montague Williams prosecuted , for the Treasury; Mr. Mead defended.—The case was one of a very painful character. The prisoner and the prosecutrix resided at Hillingdon, and he ' appeared to hare been addicted to intemperate habits, and had suffered in consequence from delirium tremens. On May 6 the prisoner's wife and the servant were engaged in the top room of the house in some domestic duties, when the prisoner went up to, the first floor, and cal!ed the servant by name, and' when she went down to han, the prisoner appeared to; be very excited, and exc'aimed "What are von lan ghing at me for He )lad a revolver in his kind, and he ran past the servant, saying, "I'll shoot your mistress." He then went into the room where his wife was and deliberately discharged the revolver at her, and two of her teeth were shot out by a bullet. She received other injuries, but, fortunately, not fatal. injuries. It was stated that for several days previous' to May 6 the prisoner had been drinking freely, and seemed to be in a very wild state of excited condition, but there did not appear to have been any quarrel be tween the prisoner ansi his wife, or any apparent motive for the commission of such an act on the part of the prisoner. It was stated that when he was not under the influence of drink the prisoner always behaved kindly and affectionately to his wife, and after the act had been committed the prisoner appeared to he quite unconscious of what had taken place. In addition to these facts, it was proved that, while the ! prisoner was being conveyed to Uxbridge for examination before the magistrates, he told the officer that he had some recollection of having dropped the revolver among the feathers his wife and the servant were engaged in picking at the time; that he looked for it, but could not find it, and if he had, it would have been a bad job for all who were in the room, as he intended to have killed his wife and the servant, and then to have shot himself.—Mr. 111ead, in addressing I the jury on behalf of the prisoner, remarked upon the painful circumstances connected with the charge, and he endeavoured to show that if they did not feel themselves justified in acquitting the prisoner on the ground of insanity, they might, at all events, fairly come to the conclusion that the prisoner was in such a condition at the time from drink that he was incapable of forming any definite intention of discharging the pistol at his wife, and on that ground find him guilty of unlawfully wounding only.—The jury after deliberating for half an hour, out of Court, found the prisoner guilty of shooting at the prosecutrix with intent to murder her.—The learned judge said the prisoner had. committed an offence which amounted as nearly to murder as possible, and the only excuse that was made for him was drunkenness+, which was no excuse whatever, and he sentenced him to be kept in penal servitude for twenty years.  A Quebec paper says :—" If wo are to believe rumour, Rideau Hall is expecting a long-desired sv/mt, but one which is not political. Once realised, it would explain the refusal of the Princess Louise to take part lately in several balls and la üblic celebrations oriranised in her honour."