Blandford, Wimborne and Poole Telegram. — 1878-12-20 (Blandford, Dorset, England)

BLOODTHIRSTY LOVER. At the Central Criminal Court, on Wednesday, Andrew Wyness 33, hairdresser, WAS indicted for shooting John Jeffries, with intent to murder him. The circumstances were remarkable. The prisoner was tried in February, 1877,, for the murder of a man named Cole, but WAS acquitted. C. lee widow, for whom the prisoner was said to have an infatuated affection, though it was not returned in any way, then married the present prosecutor, and the prisoner wee now accused of attempting to murder him also, and the attempt was only defeated by the merest accident. The principal witness was Jane Jeffries's, the wife ef the prosecutor, who said on the evening of the 26th of November the prisoner came to the house when she was alone. She asked him what he wanted, unite replied, "You.' She replied, "Then you will not hare me." She requested him to go sway, hut he refused. He then nulled out a revolver, and said he had a great mind to lay her dead at his feet. She begged him not to shoot her and ordered him to go away, as she had suffered enough through lim. The prisoner said that she would never slip him again. She said she expected her husband home to supper: upon which the pritioner said, referring to her husband. :hat he would never have another supper there. At his urgent request and being terrified of him, she accompanied him to a neighbouring beerhonse, where they had some beer. The prisoner there again pro iuced the pistol from his breapncket, and said that either she or her husband or he himself must die that night. Ultimately she escaped and got home, and found that her husband bad gone out for the slipper beer. Fearing he miglet mestkhe prisoner, she went after him and cautioned him agaisst the pri-mner and F. sk,i berhiiah.nd to shake hands wits him, which he declined. The prisoner then said he wargoing to Colehesternext day tojnin the Artiliery, whereupoi her husdand said he di i not know shoot that, as he intended to give him into custopy of the first policeman he aim Henn that the prisoner t aid: the pi 4°l from the waistland of his trousers and fired two !Ante at her husband. He Was about to lire /resin when she knocked his hand sway. She then seized the pistol and held its muzzle pontupwarts until assiqtanne Caine. when the prisoner was disarmed. In cross-examination by the prisoner. sae denied giving him any encouragemet whatever, saying, on the contrary, she had ton lunch horror of him, as hliilel her first husband. He had annoyed her ! very freoently, and she and her laueband had been obliged tie dilate their kriging,. over and over again to ! escape hisannoyance. John Jeffries, the husband, gave I corroboratve evict. nee. lie Was not wounded seriously I by the ehtte, bit he was probably caved by one bullet/ coming incintart with a button. Other witnesses were called, wilco stated that after the shots were fired the prisoner replied, "I have done it, and I will not rnn away. I worked :lard for her for two years, and I will die for her" Union him ii hall cartridge were found, and on his being arrested the prisoner said, "I am the man who shot her husband ; what she told me I went and did like a man. That woman should have been shr t long ago, and I'll carry the game ell., and when I am gone another shall take it up." He also said. "I don,t want others to suffer by it. I W rship every hair of her head, an iii she has got a .vound she led me to do it.- The prisoner, in his defence, mode e og, rambling speech, asserting that the wife of the complinimant was constantly sunning •hout, mei had thus driven him nearly out of his senses. The jury found the prisoner guilty of wounding with intent ti murder. Baron lluildleston ex pressed concurrence with that verdict, and sentenced the prisoner to be kept in penal servitude for 20 years.