The Miner and Workman's Advocate. — 1865-07-08 (London, England)

THE ATTEMPTED MURDER AT HACKNEY.  At the Worship street Police Court on Saturday FranI cis Moretti, an Italian. aped 21 years, in business as a confectioner, at 105, Hackney-road, was charged on remand with attempting to murder his wife, Eliza Moretti, and also with. an attempt on his own life. On the 9th of May the police were called to the prisoner's house, where they found him in bed with his throat •ut, and a knife and razor were found on the ground. • to the bed blood was running from his wounds rte.! e-ns traced to a room in which Mrs. Moretti had been. inizabeth Moretti now appeared and gave evidence, Tbis unfortunate woman, who is only twenty years or age, and has been the prisoner's wife but a few months, was seated while giving evidence. She could speak only in whispers, and thf.,se were so inaudible as to be scarcely heard by Mr. Safford, the clerk, and those close to her. It was manifest that she suffered most acutely from the wound, and the gurgling noise occasionally emitted from the throat was most painful to hear. She stated: My husband is a pastrycook, at 105, Hackney-road. About tvfo months since—l don't recollect the dat3, but it was on a Monday night—we went to bed, I thinkabout eleven o'clock. We were both sober. He had been quarrelling with me during the day. He had not made use of 'any threat, but he had struck me a little on the head. I think I struck him first. It was in the afternoon. He had called me names that made me strike him ; when in bed I went to sleep. I awoke from feeling something at my throat. It was I like a rat gnawing it. I fancied what was the matter. 1-There was no light in the room. I jumped up, and found ' blood streaming from my throat, which was cut. My husband was standing on the floor. I could see that he had something bright in his hand, like the spoon. (The Ice spoon spoken of.) I don't know if it was broken. It was kept up in the room because unfit for use. He was holding it up. He did not say anything. I rushed into %little room at the back,opened the window, and jumped into a cistern ; got out and fell into the yard. I looked up and saw my husband at the window. I then tried to get aver the palinn, but could not • went to the top of the garden, tumbled over, and went the next house. The doctor came, and I was sent to the hospital. The prisoner, who sat in the dock silent during the whole having, and apparently absorbed in reflection, made no answer to the charge when called upon by Mr. Safford so to do; and the witnesses were bound over in r sureties to attend at the Central Criminal Court when the trial took place. A difficulty, howaver, existed in this respect with regard to the wife as .she, on learning the result of the examination, declared she had no deelm to punish her husband, she having been equally to blame.—Mr. Thos. Young, her father, who had offered to be bound over for his daughter's attendance, asked whether, in the event of her being absent at the trial from any cause whatever, he should be held answerable; and on hearing that he would be so, declined the responsibility.—Mr. Ellison said some person must be found who would be answerable, or the wife could not he parted with.—The prisoner was immediately afterwards removed to Newgate in a cab.  A movement is on foot for erecting a monument over the remains of the peasant poet Clare, in Helpston Churchyard.