Stockton Herald, South Durham and Cleveland Advertiser. — 1880-03-06 (Stockton-on-Tees, Cleveland, England)

MADMAN AT HAS WELL.  A miner named James Cowans is in custody at Castle Eden Police Station on a charge of attempting to murder his wife and four children at an early hour on Sunday morning last. Cowans is a middle.aged man, and has resided in Haswell about nine years, having come there from Hetton shortly after his marriage, and five years ago, whilst labouring under a fit of insanity, he cut his throat so badly that his life was for a considerable time despaired of. Lille has now a family of four children, the eldest of whom, a girl, is about eight years of age, and the youngest, a boy, is about two, the intermediate children being a boy and a girl, aged six and four years respectively. On Saturday night Cowaus appeared cheerful and all right when he retired to rest at ten o'clock, and his wife was awoke by his getting eut of bed about four o'clock on Sunday morning. In answer to her enquiry, he said he had got up to make the fire on, and after lighting the sticks and matches he got into bed again. ' He, however, immediately afterwards commenced to toss his arms and legs about, and said," It's all over ;" and Mrs Cowans, becoming alarmed at his movements, got up and lighted the lamp, after which she returned to bed. On his repeating the exclamation, she asked him, " What's all over," when he replied, " I am tired of my life; everybody's grumbling at me." She reproached Lim for such thoughts, and reminded him of his young children, on ,which he appeared to grow calmer. Suddenly he exclaimed, "Lord have mercy on my soul," and Mit Cowans had just time enough ta see that he was armed with a rolling pin, about the thickness of a man's wrist, which he had evidently secreted beneath his clothes when he was lighting the fire, and had fetched to bed with him, before he dealt her a terrific blow over the mouth with it. He re. peated his blows as he scrambled out of bed, belabouriag his wife about the head. She succeeded, however, in reaching the door after a terrific struggle, and the man looked as if about to overpower her, when the cries of the children in a back room attracted his attention, and he allowed the poor woman to escape from the house. She ran and apprised theneighbours, one of whom brought Sergeant Appleton, who was followed to the house by P.C. Dobson. On the arrival of Sergeant Appleton he at once entered the house, and saw Cowans in the act of attempting to escape by the back door. Appleton at once rushed upon the man, who, taken by surerise, offered no resistance, and merely remarked that he was tired of his life. It was then found that the mad fellow had attacked the four children with the rolling-pin after his wife escaped from the house, and they were all very severely hurt about the head, the eldest boy, whom he had struck I three times, having one eye much injured, his nose broken, and other injuries. It was also found that Cowans had inflicted considerable injuries upon himself by apparently pushing his head into the fire. Dr. Fothergili was speedily in attendance, and was for some hours engaged in dressing their injuries, which he pronounced to be severe on all hands, but not dangerous. Cowans was removed to Castle Eden, and Mrs COWMIS had so far recovered on Monday as to be able to give an account of what had occurred to Supt. Scott. Cowans was on Monday brought before the Castle Eden Magistrates, and formally remanded on a charge of attempted murder.  The Standardsays: —"The Select Committee • appointed to consider the Bankruptcy Bill met for the first time on Wednesday, and after some discussion upon the general principles of the measure adjourned. At the next meeting a number of amendments will be considered, but it is probable that the Bill will in a few days be reported again to the House."