The North-Eastern Weekly Gazette. — 1891-03-21 (Stockton-on-Tees, Cleveland, England)

THE ATTEMPTED MURDER AT NEW SHILDON.  THE WIFE AGAIN ATTACKF,D.  The Shi:dons were thrown into great uproar on Friday w.-eit when it was made known that George Meynell, living in Gardiner street, New Shildon, had made a second attempt to murder his wife. It will be remembered that on the 30th of January last Meynell made a brutal attack on his wife, striking her several times on the head with a poker,- and afterwards cut his throat with a knife. Up to last Saturday a policeman had been in constant attendance on the unfortunate couple, but as they appeared to be out of danger they were left to themselves, with this exception—a widow named Mrs Baker, of Old Shiidon,- has dame the house weak. Mrs Baker wars in the house when the sad affair took place, and she stated that about 11.30 she took Meynell up some tea. Meynell asked her if she would tell Mrs Meynell to go up stairs to bun after John Mayne% of Brusselton, a biother, had gone away for his dinner. This Mrs Baker did, and afterwards assisted Mrs Meynell up stairs, where she left her beside her husband. When the wife entered the room Meynell shoa handavith her, and asked her how she was, to which Mrs Meynell replied, " little better, thank God." Mrs Meynell then observed to Mrs Baker that she might go down stairs, and that if anything were wanted she would knock down stairs. Mrs Baker was busy with some further refreshment for Meynell, when ' she was startled to hear a heavy thud; and, on going up stairs, found Mrs Meynell lying on the floor, and Meynell standing over her with the poker in his hand, raised in a threatening attitude. Meynell, on being asked.what he had done, lifted the poker to dram /ilßaker, but as eha sprang back to avert the blow, Meynell brought the poker down upon the head of his wife, who was lying helpless on the door. He lifted the poker again, and Mrs Meynell seised hold of Mrs Baker's skirts and said, "Oh, dear, Mrs Baker." Mrs Baker was terrified, and ran across the Boor to go down stairs. She stumbled through catching a chair with her dress, but managhg to get out of the room she ran Out of the house, and told a neighbour, Mrs Cooper, what had taken plive. Next she saw a young man named Angus pasiing, and shouted to him. He ran into the house, and picked up the poker from the fireplace in the kitchen and hurried up stairs. As soon as Meynell saw him he jumped into bed. Constable Scott was in the house in about five minre.es after the outrage, rendering what aid be could to the poor woman, and Sergeant Clay was soon on the spot, but by this time Meynell bad resumed his old air of inoffensive composure. Dr. Swaddle shortly ate], wards came and dresi-ed the wounds. The poor woman was afterwards removed down stairs again.--Dr. Smeddle, son., said all the wounds, four in number, were incised, and were immediately above those indicted on the 30sti of January. He wasof opinion that the blows had been delivered very forcibly, the bone being exposed where the blows had bsen given. Mrs Meynell had had strict injunctions from his (Dr. Smeddle's) son, who had been attending her husband and her since the last attack, not Logo up stairs to her husband, but in spite of this she had been beside him oace a , day for the last three days. Meynell has been I removed to Sedgefield Asylum.