The Sun. — 1846-11-12 (London, England)

THAMES. John Middleton, a combmaker by trade, and who resides at No. 22, Philip-street, St. George's-in-the-East, was charged with assaulting his wife, Mary Middleton, in the following brutal and unmanly manner:— The complainant, who appeared in an extremely delicate state of health, and whose head, neck, face, and jaws were all over discoloured, with marks, as if from recent violence, stated, that on the night of Tuesday, the 3d instant, she returned home with her husband after having been out for a night's amusement. She knocked at the door a little more loudly than usual, upon which he said, " What is that for?" and instantly struck her to the ground. When she got up they went into their own apartment, and her husband having locked the door, renewed the attack upon her. He first dealt her a heavy blow on the face, which stretched her on the floor almost senseless, and whilst down he seized her by the hair and dashed her head against the ground several times. Not satisfied with this, he fell to kicking her on the head, face, and arms, while she screamed out " murder" as loudly as she could. She perceived that she had four wounds upon the head, from which the blood flowed profusely. The police hearing her cries came to her assistance, when a surgeon was sent for, and after that she remembered nothing more until she found herself in her bed. Police-constable Thorogood, IC 340, healing cries of distress, went to the prisoner's house, and, having knocked, Middleton came to the door. When questioned as to the doleful cries, he said, some words had occurred between him andhis wife, whereupon she struck him several times ; that he then knocked her down, and he further admitted that he had kicked and beaten her with the poker. On entering the place, accompanied by a brother constable, he found complainant lying senseless in the middle of the floor, in the midst of a pool of blood, and thereupon instantly sent for a surgeon, who was in prompt attendance, and dressed her wounds. Police-constable Rowbury, K 347, deposed to the same effect, and added that whilst he (witness) was outside the door he heard the prisoner say "You —, I'll show you Lancashire."' A student of the London Hospital, named Lilly, saw the prosecutrix about three o'clock in the morning of the 4th inst. On examining her he found three severe wounds on her head, and a fourth on her forehead. She seemed to have been severely injured, and terribly bruised and beaten about the head, arms, and neck. She was for a considerable time in a dangerous state, and had been confined to her bed up to Sunday last. The injuries which presented themselves might have been caused by kicks from a heavy shoe, or from some blunt instrument. In answer to the Magistrate, as to whether any instrument had been used by the prisoner, the prosecutrix said that she believed such was the case, but could not say what the instrument was. The prisoner, in his defence, endeavoured to throw the whole blame upon his wife, who he said was a woman of very violent temper, and that being in liquor at the time she struck him several blows. This conduct irritated him, and he certainly struck her in return, but he strenuously denied having admitted to the constable that he had kicked her or used a poker. He was committed to Newgate to take his trial for feloniously wounding.