The Sun. — 1850-01-02 (London, England)

WORSHIP-STREET.  Jeremiah Donovan a powerful Irish labourer, and Caroline Donovan, his wife, were placed at the bar for final examination before Mr. Hammill, charged with the following murderous outrage upon an elderly man named David Murphy, living in Castle-court, Whitechapel . The complainant, who exhibited the cicatrices of two dangerous wounds in his head, and was extremely debilitated, notwithstanding that more than a fortnight had elapsed since the injuries had been inflicted, stated, that whilst turning into Goulaton-court, Whitechapel, to visit his son, at ten o'clock on the night of the l'ith ult., he heard loud cries of "Murder," and on turning round to ascertain the cause of them saw a young man named Sullivan, who was a stranger to him, flying down the court in great terror, pursued by the two prisoners, the former of whom had a thick bludgeon in his hand, and who levelled a violent blow with it at Sullivan's head. The blow fortunately missed its aim, and Sullivan having called to him for protection, he ran between him and his assailant, in the hope of facilitating his escape, but the instant he had done so Donovan struck him such a terrible blow on the skull with the bludgeon that he instantly dropped to the ground insensible, and upon recovering consciousness, several hours afterwards, found himself in the London Hospital, in which institution he had remained ever since, in extreme pain and suffering. Townshend, a constable of the H division, stated that, upon hearing the cries of " Murder," he ran to the court in question, and found the complainant supported in a sitting position upon the kerb-stone, bleeding profusely from several wounds in the head, his clothes completely soaked with blood, and still perfectly senseless. He immediately raised him from the ground, and conveyed him to the London Hospital, the pri• soners in the meantime having been captured by another constable and lodged in the station. The young man Sullivan's description of the transaction accounted for the other injuries the plaintiff had sustained, and from him it appeared that, having occasion to call upon a relative residing in the same house in which the prisoners lodged, he was informed by the male prisoner from an upper story that his relative was not at home, but, not believing this assertion, he continued knocking at the door, upon which the two prisoners rushed out upon him, the first armed with a bludgeon and the female prisoner with a hammer, and that after the complainant, who had simply interposed for his protection, had been struck to the pavement by the male prisoner, who dealt him such a blow with the stick on the side of the head that he " bled wonderfully" from the effects of it, the female prisoner ran up in a fit of ungovernable rage, and exclaiming, "There, then, take that, you -," dealt him, senseless as he already was from the effects of the first attack, two other blows upon the head with the hammer, and both instantly ran into their house and fastened themselves in.  The prisoners in general terms denied that any instrument had been used whatever, and called three Irish witnesses, named Honora Harnett, Bridget Donovan, and Anne Wray, two of whom acknowledged that they had not witnessed the only material part of the transaction, and declared that though the male prisoner had certainly struck the complainant with his fist, they had seen no weapon of any description used, whilst the third attempted to prove that great provocation had been offered to the prisoners by Sullivan, from whom she (Wray) was obliged to seek protection in the apartment of the prisoners, and that whatever did take place, though she (lid not see it, was done in her justifieation, though the injuries were inflicted by mistake upon the wrong person. _ _ _  Mr. HAMMILL said that it was a most scandalous outrage, and another specimen of the heedlessness by which some of the lower classes were characterized. But for the interposition of the complainant, who was anxious that the case should be summarily dealt with, he should certainly have sent it to the sessions, but, under the circumstances, he would consent to refrain from so doing, and should, therefore, sentence each prisoner to pay the full penalty of 51., or, in default, they must each stand committed to the house of Correction fora period of two months.  Neither of the penalties was paid, and the prisoners were therefore removed in the van.