The Miner and Workman's Advocate. — 1865-04-15 (London, England)

MURDEROUS ASSAULT BY A PUDDLER.  At the Hanley Police-court on Monday, John Corfield was charged with feloniously cutting ard wounding Thomas Mountford, with intent to do grievous bodily harm. Mr. Heaton appeared for the prosecution, and Mr. E. Tennant for the prisoner, a man of burly form and great apparent strength. The prosecutor, a muscular-looking man, was in attendance, but was in a very weak state, and had to sit while giving his evidence. The front part of his right cheek was covered with blood and plaster, and had a horrible appearance. The prosecutor stated that he was a collier, and lived at Smallthorne. On Saturday night he was retur fling from Burslem, and was half way along the Moorland road, when he overtook prisoner and a woman. Then a man, named Charles Sherratt, came along, and this man and prisoner had "some words," which ended in the latter striking Sherratt and repeating the blow. Witness said, " Give over, lails; let's go home," whereupon prisoner turned, and struck him in the breast with his fist. Witness said to him, " Juhn, don't hit me; bound over to keep the pace; " and walked on. Prisoner fwilowed, and struck him again on the breast, and knocked him down. When he rose he saw prisoner fumbling about his pockets, and directly after he came close to him, and knocked him down again. They had a tussle on the ground, and prisoner stabbed him in the hip, in the shoulder, in the lower part of the arm, and then dog the knife in his right eye and nose, and, drawing it downwards, cut open a large portion of the cheek, and next plunged the knife into his left side. All this time prosecutor was on the ground, struggling with the prisoner, who was on the top of him, so that he could not strike in return. Seeing a man named Steele—called " Tank " in Smallthorne—come up, he said to him, "Come and take this knife off him—he's stabbed me." Steele took hold of prisoner's arm, and forced it up, and drew the knife out of witness's side. Witness then saw the knife in prisoner's hand, and it appeared to be nine or ten inches in length. Assisted by Steele, prosecutor then went to the Smalithorne Police•odice.—Mr. Tennant de-, ferred his cross-examination of the prosecutor.— Charles Sherratt, collier, of Smallthorne, said he was going home from Bursletn a little after twelve o'clock on Saturday night, and passed the prisoner and a woman in the Moorland-road. As soon as he passed the prisoner called out, "Jim," and made a remark, to which witness replied, "Ab," and went on. Prisoner then came to him, and asked him who he was, and what he wanted, and struck him. Mouutford, who was behind, then came and said to prisoner, "Don't strike him; let's go home." Upon that Corfield turned on prosecutor and struck him in the breast, and repeated the blow, knocking him down. Prisoner knocked him down again, and they tussled together on the ground. Witness stood at a distance and did not interfere. Prosecutor said two or three times, "lie's stabbed me." Then Steele came up, and being appealed to by prosecutor drew prisoner's arm up, and with it the knife out of prosecutor's side. Prosecutor asked Steele to take the knife from prisoner, whose arm he was holding up with both his hands, but Steele said, " I dare not loose his arm;. he'll stab me. Cross-examined—Witness knew the prisoner was a roller in the employ of Mr. Heath. He did not know he was a union man, and one of the men who had returned to work since the lock-out. He did not hear " knobatick" called out. Nothing was said about prisoner's wife. The woman who was with prisoner he supposed was his wife. She was very drunk.—Tlaornas Steele, collier, Edgfield, near Norton, a very powerful man, deposed to the assistance he rendered the prosecutor. He added that the knife was a pocket-knife, and the blade, which was nil he saw, was about four inches long. The woman took the knife out of the prisoner's hand. Cross-examined—Herhad known prisoner three years. He knew he worked at Mr. Heath's. He heard nothing about " knobstick" said. He did not know whether prisoner-was a " knobstick" or not. The prisoner was at this stage of the inquiry remanded to this day week.—Birminghaas Post of Tuesday.