The Sun. — 1840-03-17 (London, England)

WOMAN SHOT IN HER BED.  (From the Manchester Times.)  Between five and six o'clock on Sunday morning the deceased was awakened by a noise in her bedroom, and saw Fleming in his shirt and trowsers beside the window, stooping down beside a bag which contained some mono) belonging to her. She asked him what he was doing there, and, without speaking, he approached her, and immediately shot her with a pistol. She called out, " Oh, Fleming, you've shot me." He still ~id not speak, but put his hand on her mouth, threw her hack in bed, and tried to strangle her. She tried to put his hand away, and called out " Hannah," that being the name of his wife, who came, and said, "Oh, Catherine, he must be guilty, or he would not have done this." The poor woman then said, " Oh, Fleming, take me to the Infirmary, you've shot me ;" and he replied, " I will if you will not tell who it is, and say that it is a man with a white coat." One of them then threw her cloak over her head, and Fleming went with her to the Infirmary, she walking there, and having only, besides her cloak, her chemise and nightgown on, and one stocking. e believe that, when they arrived there, neither she nor Fleming stated how the injury was received ; but when he was gone she told one of the nurses that he had shot her, but no information was sent to the police-office. On Tuesday she sent for Ann Shore, a neighbour who washed for her, related to her the circumstances under which she had been shot, as given above, and requested that Fleming might be taken into custody. This woman gave information to the police, and Acting-Inspector Austin, we believe, went to the house were Fleming lived at the time the circumstance occurred, but he had removed, and no one knew whither. On Thursday, however, Inspector Lipsett, by employing a person to trace his sister from the Infirmary, found him in lodgings in Fetter lane, near Portland-street, and he and Superior Sergeant Burton took him in•o custody. On Thursday night, when they went to apprehend him, the people of the house denied him, but they found him up stairs ; and when isked if his name was Nicholas Fleming, he said his Christian name was John. On Friday he was brought up at the Borough Court, when Lipsett stated the circumstances above related ; and the prisoner, on being asked what he had to urge in his defence, stated that on Saturday night he went to bed with his wife, and went to sleep as usual, and he recollected no more till tae found himself by her (Denmanist's) bedside, and that he had fired a pistol, upon which he said, " Oh ! Catherine," lifted her out of bed, and said, " Come to the Infirmary." He did not recollect what he had done, nor did he know anything about it till the report of the pistol awoke him. She said at that time that she did ,ot think he was in his senses. He added that they aad lived together like brother and sister, and never lad a word in their lives. The prisoner was remanded ill Monday, when he was again brought up, and fur;her remanded for a week.  An inquest has since been held, when, after a lengthened inquiry, more than once adjourned, the Jury brought a verdict of " Wilful Murder" aiainst the prisoner.