The Sun. — 1857-11-23 (London, England)

THAMES.—John Richmond, a man about 55 years of age, was brought up on remand before Mr. Yardley, charged with attempting self-destruction by cutting his throat with a knife. The prisoner's history is a very singular one. His second wife, a most respectable and intelligent woman, who was in court, was nearly murdered by him in 1848. He put his arm round her beck and asked her to kiss him, and while she was in the act of doing so be cut her throat with a razor, and she fell weltering in blood. The unfortunate woman was for a long time under medical treatment, and her husband was convicted at the Old Bailey sessions for the attempt to murder his wife, and was sentenced to fifteen years' transportation. He served six years of his time in a convict prison, and was then liberated with a ticket of leave. His wife received him with kindness when he returned from prison, and he lived with her for about twelve months. In the course of that time he behaved with the greatest brutality towards her, and his tyranny at length becoming insupportable she left him and songht refuge with her husband's daughter by his first wife. Mrs. Richmond was then in a bad state of health, and her head and face were much swollen and bruised from the effects of blows inflicted upon her by her brutal husband. Since he left his wife he had frequently threatened her. The prisoner was livinc, with Mr. Isaac Richmond, his brother-in-law, at No. 4, Church-street, Poplar, ten weeks ago, and the attention of the prisoner's relative was called to him by a woman, and the prisoner was found lying upon his back with his throat cut. He appeared to be almost dead, and was covered with blood. A surgeon was sent for, who sewed up his wound, and he was removed to the London Hospital, where he remained until Saturday the 14th inst., when he was brought before Mr. Yardley, and, after a short examination, remanded for a week. _ _ . _  The prisoner was now committed for trial. Samuel Wildbore, surgeon, of No. 1, Back Church-lane, Whitechapel, was charged with assaulting Benjamin Bonfield, his assistant. The complainant and another assistant stated that while they were making up the books in the surgery, with the gas lighted for the purpose of sealing up the parcels of sand used as " dummies" iu the shop window, as well as of warming the room, the defendant entered, and abusing the complainant for burning the gas, told him to go into the shop and pack up his things and go. On complainant's going into the shop, defendant followed him and beat him violently over the head with the handle of a long clothes brush, inflicting several wounds on his head and laming one hand which he held up to protect himself. He then threw► him out into the street, where a crowd had collected in consequence of complainant's calla for help. The defendant denied the assault ; and his solicitor called Geo. Macgregor, defendant's errand boy, who said that his master had only told Mr. Bonfield to shave himself, and on his refusing " walked" him to the other end of the shop, when Mr. Bonfield struck him, whereupon defendant turned him out of the shop. Mr. Tardley said he was afraid the boy had not told the whole truth, and he should sentence the defendant to pay 51., the highest fine he had the power to inflict. The defendant paid the penalty, and left the court.