The Sun. — 1865-01-14 (London, England)

ATTEMPTED WIFE MURDER AT BATH.—At Bath, on Monday, a young man, named Geo. Preston, was charged with attempting to murder his wife, a domestic servant, living at Harley House, the residence of Mr. Alderman Cook. Elizabeth Preston said—At nine o'clock yesterday morning, I heard the knock of the postman and went to the door. As I opened it the prisoner rushed in upon me, and caught me by the throat, saying, " thee, I'll do for thee. He pressed me against the wall, and held me tightly by the throat and the hair of the head. He released his hands from my throat and knocked me down on the floor, when he got upon me, and again took me by the throat and the hair of the head. I have no recollection of anything that took place afterwards, until I was pulled away from him. He came to me on the 21st of last month from Southampton, and asked if I would live with him. I told him I would upon the condition that he treated me better than he did before, and would work and maintain me. He came to the house on Saturday, but I refused to see him, as I was afraid of him.—James Barnes, a postman, deposed—l was at Harley House with some letters yesterday morning, and after I had knocked Mrs. Preston came to the door. Before she could take the letters from me, the prisoner rushed ,by and said, " Here, my hearty, I want to speak to you." At the same time he seized the prosecutrix by the hair of the head, and kept continually working his hand up towards her throat and face, as if to strangle her. This he did until he had forced her back against the wall, when in the struggle Mrs. Preston fell upon her back in the passage, and the prisoner on the top of her. I then stepped into the hall and hallooed out, " You rascal, what are you about here ?" He made no answer, but kept working his hand into his wife's throat. My hallooing brought up one of the servants, who pushed the prisoner's arm away from his wife's throat, and assisted in removing her. The prisoner then ran out of the house. The prisoner, who assumed a very insolent demeanour, said, in his defence, that when he saw his wife on the 21st Dec. she promised to live with him, and on the platform of the railway station he left her with that understanding. When at Southampton, a day or two afterwards, he received a notice from his wife, threatening to have him punished for things which he knew nothing at all about. He came to Bath on Satur-: day, and went to Harley House for the purpose of seeing his wife, but she refused to hold any communication with him. To prevent any disturbance he applied at the police station that an officer might accompany him, and be present at the interview, but did not succeed. His wife had been living at Mr. Cook's as a single woman, although they had been married five years. Six months after their marriage she was delivered of an illegitimate child, and in consequence of that they separated ; but ho loved her dearly, and as she promised to live with him and be make him happy he was glad to reconciled to her. n r l 3 ei was sentenced to six months' hard labour. The.p rise on being removed from the dock, said to his wj do something for you, my lady, when I come back;  my fingers upon you."