The Sun. — 1848-01-22 (London, England)

ATTEMPTED MURDER. Yestei'clay morning a cold-blooded and deliberate attempt to murder an aged woman, named Wilks, was made by a man who has absconded. Mrs. Wilks resides in a small tenement in Norman's-buildings, Cannon-street- road, St. George's-in the-East, and her daughter had been keeping company with a man of the name of Mason, who wished her to leave her parent, and live with him. At the instigation of her mother, she refused to cohabit with Mason, and he repeatedly threatened the most deadly revenge against Mrs. Wilks and her daughter. At one o'clock yesterday morning the inhabitants of Norman's-buildings were alarmed by cries of murder proceeding frcm the house inhabited by Mrs. Wilks. Upon Entering a room up stairs an appalling scene presented itself. Mrs. Wilks lay stretched on her bed, weltering in her blood, which proceeded from a deep wound in her throat, and cuts on her arms and hands, while by her side was a little girl, three years of age, who appeared the very picture of terror, and was clinging to her grandmother. Mr. Broadwater, a medical practitioner, was soon in attendance, and ascertained that she had received no fewer than eleven wounds. There was one cut nearly penetrating to the carotid artery on the right side of the throat, two inches in extent. It appeared that Mrs. Wilks had received the wounds on her hands and arms while they were uplifted, and in protecting her grandchild, whom the villain attempted to stab. The wound on the neck is the only dangerous one inflicted ; and there is no doubt he thought it had completed his deadly purpose, for he immediately afterwards left her and made his escape, leaving his shoes and hat behind him. The unfortunate woman now remains with very little hope of recovery. In the course of the day she was enabled to describe to the police the murderous attack made upon her. She stated that she was just dozing off to sleep, when she was made sensible of a man being in the room, and at the same instant received a " job" with a knife upon her arm. She was raising herself up in bed and distinctly saw Mason before her with a knife in his hand, and he repeated the blow, and cut her across the hand. She called out murder, and her grandchild screamed and clung to her. She was afraid that Mason would kill her daughter's child, and covered it with the bed clothes. Mason continued " jobbing" at her with the knife till she became insensible. The poor creature bled profusely from the wounds she received ; her grandchild's face and neck were also covered with blood when the police entered the:apartment. Search was made for the weapon used by Mason, and it was found upon the floor. It is a common black-handled table knife. The blade of the knife was covered with blood up to the hilt. On searching the house the police found Mason's hat and shoes in the lower room. In the course of the day the officers ascertained that Mason had called at his own lodgings, No. 9, Felix street, Hackney-road, at an early hour yesterday morning, and after changing his coat went out again. The coat he left behind him was seized by the police. There are stains of blood upon it. The man did not speak a word during the time he was in the room, and it is somewhat singular, as he had to walk from Cannon-street-road to Hackney without hat or shoes, that he did not attract the notice of the police.