The Sun. — 1865-06-01 (London, England)

STABBING. —A dreadful murder was committed at Middlesborough about midnight on Saturday night. A young man named Francis Coates, a moulder, was stabbed by an Irishman named Henry Hughes, and died soon after from the injuries he had received. Some persons had been watching Hughes, who was in company with a woman of loose character, near Albert-bridge, Marton-road, and this had greatly exasperated him. As Coates was passing him he rushed upon him and stabbed him in three different places with a dagger knife. The prisoner and the woman aro both in the custody of the police. Coates was a native of Thirsk, in the North Riding, and war a young man of good character. His dying deposition was taken before a magistrate, Mr.H. Thompson, at the police station. Several persons witnessed the murder, but the attack made upon Coates by the prisoner was so sudden that they were powerless to render assistance. Coates in his deposition distinctly speaks as to Hughes, with whom he was slightly acquainted, being the murderer. He says he was passing along the street when Hughes, who was standing against the railway station wall with the woman, named Elizabeth Goulding, rushed at him and stabbed him in the abdomen, saying, " You're one of the —that's been watching me— take that." The woman at the same time challenged the other persons that were about "to come up to the scratch," sa3 ing that. " her man would servo the best of them as he had done the other fellow" (meaning Coates). Coates died about 3 o'clock on Sunday morning, as he was being removed to the Infirmary in Newport-road. If is wounds, three in number, were dressed at the police station by Dr. Fawcett, assistant to Mr. Dickenson. They were (one) a superficial cut on the right side of the neck, three inches long and a quarter of an inch in depth; (two) a deep wound in the abdomen, left side, penetrating, it is thought, to the stomach, and through which the bowels protruded ; and (three) a deep cut just above the right thigh. The officers who took the prisoners into custody were Inspector Read and Police-constable Peacock. The male prisoner was arrested in a street on the north side of the railway, and when taken into custody had the knife in his hand. Tho murder was of the most cold-blooded character, and the officers state that none of the parties were the worse for drink. A more revolting case of deliberate murder it is impossible to imagine. The prisoner does not seem to exhibit the slightest remorse at the part he played in the transaction. He is a strong muscular fellow, of dark complexion, about sft. Sin. in height. He has been in the town for a number of years. He represents himself as a single man, but it is known that he has a wife and family in Ireland. Coates was a young man, about 22 years of age, and unmarried.—Leeds Mercury. Yesterday morning a large pleasure van, belonging to Mr. Briggs, of Union-street, Southwark, filled with persons of both sexes, was crossing Wandsworth Common, on the way to Epsom races, when it was discovered to be on fire, through some of the smokers having dropped their lighted tobacco amongst the loose straw spread at the bottom of the vehicle, which blazed up and set some of the females' apparel on fire, and one or two were severely burnt. The flames communicated with the curtains round the thlc and the awning, and no water being at hand the van was rendered a complete wreck. Another accident of' a more serious nature happened to Mr. Leggett, engineer and die sinker, Caledonian-road, Islington, in company with Mr. Anseii and Mr. Pearse, noighbours,who set out in a dog-cart forEpsoni, to witness the race for the Derby. They had crossed Westinisssterbridge and were proceeding towards Bennington, when the horse, a vicious animal, which had been hired at a livery yard, became unmanageable and went off at atere rifle pace. Mr. Leggett, who was driving, lost all controlilision over the horse, and the dog-cart came in violent ticto,d. the with a heavily laden van, the force of which Thhi • , three gentlemen a considerable distance. hey w, re taken in an insensible state to the hospitsl, sv ere Mr. Leggett expired. Mr. Ansell and Mr. Pearse remain in a precarious state.