Denton and Haughton Examiner, etc. — 1879-01-11 (Denton, Greater Manchester, England)

ATTEMPTED WIFE MURDER.  At Lambeth Police Court on Tuesday Joseph Baker, aged 49, watchman, living in Bowles road, Old Kent road, was charged with attempting to murder his wife by striking her several times on the head with a chopper.—Lney Jane Baker. who appeared to be very ill, stated that she had been twenty years married to the prisoner. On Monday week he sent their daughter out to take a letter, leaving them in the house by themselves. The prisoner shut the street door after his daughter and came into the kitchen where she was. He said, "Your time is up now. I mean to Fettle you. You have no protection now." He then unbuttoned his coat and took from underneath n chopper and rushed at her. She tried to open the door leading to the yard, but found it fastened. He then struck her several blows on the head with the chopper. She acreamed "Murder," and shortly afterwards there was a knocking at the street door, and the pri.ner ceased to strike her. She then got out into the yard and bolted herself in the closet until a constable came. The prisoner had often assaulted and threatened her. On one occasion .he swore he would murder her, and after a deal of trouble she got a razor from his hand and threw it on the fire. He had also struck her on two occasions with a hammer, and on the 2d of December he blackened her eyes. She had taken out summonses, but had not appeared against him.—Sarah Culley said she called at the house and heard the cries. After she got in she saw the prisoner, and asked him why he did it, and he replied, "if you dared what I dared you wouldn't ask me why I did it."—The prisoner's daughter showed that the letter she was sent with by her father was addressed to a person at Bermondsey square, but no such person lived there. Constable 194 P said he was called to take the prisoner into custody. When told the charge he said the chopper must have slipped. He found the woman with her face covered with blood. On the floor he found the woodchopper produced marked with blood, and there was blood about the floor.—Mr. J. lingers, surgeon, stated that he saw the woman, and found her suffering from two wounds on the head about nn inch and a half long. The wound was a clean incised wound, and the other partly jagged and partly contused. They were wounds likely to bare been caused by such an instrument as the chopper. There must have been conside,ble violence used. Such wounds could not have been produced as the prisoner said by accident.—Mr Chance said it was a case of attempted murder, end he should send it for trial as such.—The prisoner, after being cautioned, said they had a struggle, and in the midst of it she got struck with the chopper by accident. She wanted to get rid of hitt and have the house to herself. They let lodgings to single men, and he had complained to her about certain matters. The wife, in answer to Mr. Chance, said there ',VAI no truth whatever in the prisoner's statement. —Mr. Chance fully committed the prisoner for trial for the attempted murder.  Friday vas the thirty-ninth anniversary of the establishment of the penny post in this country. Fir Arthur Phsyre, in resigning the governorship of the Mauritius intends to retire permenently from the Cot nisi service.  ItUUIAW