The Sun. — 1845-03-10 (London, England)

TEMPT TO MIMDER.—Danzel Baker, aged 39, and Charles Cricks, aged 26, were indicted for feloniously assaultleg 'and wounding Sarah. Sewell, with intent to murder her. This case came on before-Lard Denman on Thuyeday afterrand-wee not concluded-until nearly ten o'clock at night. The offence was of* ver.yaggravated description. It appeared that the prosecutria is in the service of a gentleman named Vila, Who reajdes at Great :Bursae:4 and she had occasion to Appear at tin quarter Pao= at Chilmstal, as a witness  against a man named Martin Crick, a brother of the prisoner Charles, who was charged with robbing her master, and the trial ended in his conviction. While she was in waiting near the Shire Hall to be examined, the prisoners abused her very much, and threatened her. About two o'clock on the morning of the 10th of January, which was about a week after the trial at Chelms ford, the prosecutrix, who slept in a back room, was awoke by some one in the yard calling upon her to get up, and when she went to the window to see what was wanted, a voice called out that one of her master's horses were ill, and that the farrier was coming to bleed it, and that she must bring down a piece of string. She went up accordingly, and 1, went with a piece of string to the back door, which she opened, and held out the string to the parties who were outside, and who turned out to be the prisoners. She was immediately dragged into the yard, and a most brutal attack was made upon her by the prisoners, who knocked her down, one of them striking her with such force upon the stomach that the blood rushed out of her mouth ; and, whilst she was lying in an almost insensible state, they, with apair of shears, such as used for shearing sheep, cut her hair off close to the head. inflicting, in so doing, a wound upon her neck. They then attempted to drag her to a pond in a field close by, she praying that if they intended to kill her they would do it on the spot. The sound of some one approaching being heard, they threw her down, and, with a brutal expression, said she might die there and be --. Upon assistance arriving, the poor girl was found in a dreadful state, and it appeared from the surgeon's evidence, that for a considerable time it was very doubtful whether she would recover the injuries and fright she had received. The defence attempted to be made for the prisoners was that they were not the parties who had attacked the prosecutor, and some witnesses were called for that purpose, but their evidence was very far from satisfactory. The jury found the prisoners guilty of an aggravated assault. The prisoners were again arraigned this morning, upon a charge of stealing foar fowls, the property of Mr. °lnn, and, upon a verdict of guilty being returned, the Lord Chief Justice, after commenting upon the atrocious character of the offence of which they had been convicted on the previous evening, sentenced the prisoner Baker, for the first offence, to be kept to hard labour for three years, the last fourteen days in the first and second years in solitary confinement; and for the second offence, at the termination of the former sentence, that he should be transported for seven years. The other prisoner was sentenced to eighteen months' hard labour, seven days in the first year, and at the expiration of the sentence, to be passed in solitary confinement, and that he should then also be transported for seven years.