The Sun. — 1842-11-11 (London, England)

FEROCIOUS STABBING NEAR ELLESMERE, SHROPSHIRE. (Abridged from the Shrewsbury News.) A most barbarous and cowardly assault was perpetrated in the neighbourhood of Ellesmere on the evening of -Wednesday last, by which two human lives were nearly sacrificed, and for which the miscreant is now awaiting his trial in our county gaol, The circumstances as far as we have been able to ascertain, are as follow : On the evening in question, the prisoner, whose name is Edward Williams, and who was a sawyer, and resided at Penley, near Ellesmere, and a party of countrymen, among whom were the two sufferers, Thomas Judson and Thomas Mason (both labouring men), went to witness the performances of Van Amburgh, who had pitched his tent in that town. On their return home a quarrel took place between the prisoner and Mason, in which the former made use of violent imprecations, but no blows were struck. Judson, who was a friend of the prisoner, seeing him so much excited, endeavoured to persuade him to go home peaceably, but he turned suddenly round, and with a clasp knife stabbed his friend in the lower part of the abdomen in so dreadful a manner, that the bowels protruded from the wound. The prisoner, undismayed by his first attack, instantaneously inflicted two other stabs on the breast of his victim, near the heart, the last of which would undoubtedly have proved fatal, had not the knife struck against one of his ribs. The prisoner then inflicted a wounds about four. inchea long and half an inch deep, at the back of the neck, and another severe wound from the crown of the head to the forehead, where the knife glanced against the bone. The hands of Judson were also dreadfully lacerated in endeavouring to parry the murderous thrusts which were made at him by the prisoner. Shortly after Judson had fallen to the ground, the prisoner started on his way home, and v. as followed by Thomas Mason, who told him he was no man for stabbing the wounded man in the cowardly manner he had done, and for having made use of the knife at all in a quarrel. The prisoner, without making any reply, turned round, and stabbed :Mason in the stomach. ,Mason' the moment he found himself stabbed, knocked the prisoner into a ditch, but he ' jumped up immediately afterwards, and ran away; and while doing so was observed to throw something away. The place was searched, and a knife was found at a short distance from the spot where Mason was stabbed. The knife is a clasp one, very sharp, and the blade was much bent, supposed to be from striking against the ribs of Judson. The cut in Mason's thigh has divided the scrotum, and was within an inch of the femoral artery.  The wounded man, Judson, was conveyed to the house of Mr. Moseley, surgeon, who considered his life to be in imminent danger, C. K. Mainwaring, the nearest Magistrate, attended, and took down the depositions of the woundedj man.  Williams was captured in Ellesmere the following morning. He was taken the same day before C. K. Mainwaring, Esq., and fully committed to take his trial at our. next Assizes, on two distinct charges of stabbing with intent to kill and maim. He is a very powerful fellow, standing upwards of six feet high, and was taken to gaol on Saturday last.  The hop duty is backed freely at 158,0001. A few days more and the matter will be at rest for the present year.—Kentish Gazette. The Earl and Countess of Granville have arrived at Florence, from Germany. The Lord Mayor's ball at Guildhall on Wednesday evening last was attended by nearly 2,000 persons. At ten o'clock dancing commenced to Adams's fashionable band of 30 performers, which played in their usual style. of excellence. Several of Adams's new quadrilles were encored, and the dancing was kept up with great spirit until an early hour in the morning.