Stockton Herald, South Durham and Cleveland Advertiser. — 1869-03-19 (Stockton-on-Tees, Cleveland, England)

DANGER OF FLIRTATION.  At the Chelmsford afteliZ"B. George Collins, aged 21, a farmer's labourer, was indited for cutting and wounding Ann Francis with a knife, with intent to kill and murder her, at Great Leighson the sth of December last The prosecutrix and the prisoner, to use her own expression, had known each other all their lives, and for some time they had kept company, with the intention of being married. The girl lived with her parentsat Great Leighs, but she worked at a silk factory at B-aintree. The prisoner seemed to have been devotedly attached to her. He made her presents, and gave her half his wages during a large period, when she was out of work. He had also honeht furniture for their married home, atid he had likewise provided the wedding dress. however, for stone time previous to the occurrence, the subject of this indicts' nt, he had beenmejealons of advances male to her by other nfen. and particularly in regard to a certain bricklayer. A week pr •viously to the sth of December he reproach:4 her with her conduct, and also charged her with saying things against him. She said she would do just as she pleased and that she would go with the bricklayer or any other 'siting man; to which he answered she might do so if she returned him the things he gave her. The result of the interview preyed upon the man very much, ard he gave up the following week to drinking, in order to drown his grief. On Friday, the 4th, he WKS seen to sharpen a large clasp•knife, and in the following afternoon. about the time that he knew the prosecutrix would be returning home font the factory, he stationed himself at the corner if the lane off the main road; and when she reached the turning, being in company with her sister and two other girls, he came up to her and again reproached her with going with other men, and she again answered hat she would do as she pleased, ad that "to rile him she would go with the bricklayer." He then knocked the girl down, and, pulling out his knife, he gave her two gashes, one from underneath the jaw up the side of the face. and the other from the neck up through the ear. Atter that he stabbed her behind the nape of the neck The other girls did not attempt to interfere, but one of them ran away frightened and called for help. Two men, one of them a neighbouriug farmer, were immediately on the stint, and the girl and the prisoner were both removed- The girl bled a ..freat deal, but she has since recovered. Whilst the counsel for the prosecution was opening the case, Mr Pearce had a private conference with the Lord Chief Justice, the ol ject of which, as subsequently transpired, was to endeavour to stop the proceedings, that the prosecutrix an I the prisoner might get married, she declaring her desire that the matter might thus terminate. However. his lordship, after conguitatiou with Mr Baron Bramwell, decided that it we's then too late to act upon such a suggestion, and that the law must take its course. The prosecutrix, when in the witness-hex. stated that she freely; forgave the prisoner, and that she was anxious to marry him. 'The Lord Chief Justice having directed the jury that upon the evidence it was competent to acquit the prisoner of the grosser charges, and to find him guilty only of unlawfully wounding. they returned a verdict to that effect. The prisoner was sentenced to twelve months' imprisonment.