The Birkenhead News and Wirral General Advertiser. — 1879-12-27 (Birkenhead, Merseyside, England)

VIRAGO IN COURT. —Ann Lacy Roberts, a middle. aged woman, was charged with stealing a basket and towe and glasses, the property of Thomas Hamilton, Shop eeper, Egerton- street.—Prosecutor said the value of the articles was Is. 6d., and they had been taken out of the house by the prisoner, who had been a lodger.—Prisoner denied the theft, saying the basket had been given to her.—Mr. Thomas said that was not 80.—Prisoner excitedly: You nasty varmint; you keep nothing bat a knocking shop ; you bitch of a nasty blackgnard. (Langhtsr.)—Mr. Preston said there seemed to be a doubt in the case, and gave the prisoner the benefit of it. MURDEROUS ATTACK ON A GENTLEMAN IN TRAMmeas.—Tames Wyatt, a fitter, living at 46, Beckwith. street, was brought up in custody charged with breaking and entering the house of Mr. Boydell, 23, Fountain-street, Tranmere, and with unlawfully wounding him —Mr. Moore prosecuted, and in opening the ease said the prosecutor was the son of Mr. Boyden, solicitor, of Chester, and would himself ' shortly be admitted. He kept two servants, and to one of them—the cook—the prisoner had been paying his attentions for some time past. The girl, stating that his intentions were honourable, got his permission to go into the kitchen on Sunday evening, as it happened to be raining. Going down a litile while after he had been there, Mr. Roydell found the prisoner sitting alongside the °oak smoking, the other servant having left. Mr. Boydell sain the kitchen just as much belonged to the servant as it did to the cook, and prisoner must stop smoking. Wyatt, in reply, said that he thought he (prosecutor) smoked sometimes, and that he was very sorry. A little while afterwards prisoner and the cook went out by the (toot door, and Mr. Boydell asked hr to be in by nine o'clock, as the family, were going to bed early. About ten o'clock there was a loud knocking at the front door, and the pro. secutor put his head out of the window and saw Wyatt and his cook. He went down stairs to ld her in, and the prisoner made an excuse for keeping his sweetheart out 80 late, and bade him good night and went sway. Shortly afterwards Mr. Boydell, hearing a noise at the rear of his house, found the prisoner had broken into the back yard, having taken the look and part of the woodwork of the gate away. He went out to him, and salted him what he meant, but prisoner only ran after him trying to "bat" him with his head. Getting into the honse, he ran after Mr. Boyden with a knife and stabbed him in the eye. Several neighbours were called to Mr. Boydeli's assistance, and they brought sticks and well trounced the prisoner, who was subsequently locked up. Prosecutor and Mr. Porter were called, and corroborated this statement.—Mr. William John Mercer said he was called to Mr. Boydell'a assistance the previous evening, and he took a stick. He kond the prisoner in a great state of excitement, making a loud noise, and wanting to get up into Mr. Boydell's bedroom. He had a knife in his hand, and witness prevented him from going upstairs. He *fade an incoherent statement to witness to the effect that after the girl had got in he looked through the Iv y-liole of the door and saw something improper going on between her and the prosecutor. Witness, finding him running at Mr, Boyden, struck at the hand with a knife in it, and prisoner was also hit on the head with a stick. Prosecutor went away for a polioeman, and witness calmed the prisoner down, and, as he was bleeding, took him into his own Louse, bathed his head in hot water, and let him out by the baok door. The police officer spoke to apprehenriing the prisoner, and to seeing the prosecutor bleeding from a wound on the eye. Cu the way to bridewell prisoner said he was glad he had not injured anybody. Prisoner now made a statemeat similar to that he made to Mr. Mercer. Be alleged he got to the back window, the light went out, and be could not see what was done, but the proseoutor did something to the girl which made him feel that he would like to chastise him, or else see Mrs. Boydell and tell her. Re. batting evidence was called, and the prisoner was committed for trial at the sessions,