Brighouse & Rastrick Gazette. — 1882-03-11 (Brighouse, West Yorkshire, England)

CHARGE OF SHOOTING WITH INTENT TO MURDER. In London, at the Central Criminal Court, on Monday, Emil Fanselow, 24, a waiter, was indicted for shooting at Clara Annie Byford with intent to Murder her. Mr. G. S. Griffitlui conducted the prosecution; Mr. Horace Avery appeared for the defence. The oPening stettment of eounisel went to show that the prisoner in December lest was in the employment of Mrs. Caroline Furney, at a boarding-house in Southwick-crescent, Paddington, London, as a waiter. The prosecutrix was in the same service as housemaid, and had been so for two years. It seemed that the prisoner bad conceived an affecticn for the girl, but she gave him no encouragement, though there was no actual quarrel between them. On the 13th of December he borrowed a five-chambered revolver from a friend, and bought some cartridges, and he showed them to the prosecutrix. On the evening of the 19th, while the prosecutrix was in the kitchen preparing the tea the prisoner attempted to kiss her. She resented it, arid he then placed the revolver against her left side, just above the heart, and fired twice, both bullets entering her body, and they had not yet been extracted. A Mr. Scott, who was a boarder in the house, beard the shot, and met the prosecutrix, whe fell into his ants. He noticed that her dress was on fire, and he extinguished it, and went for a doctor and a policeman. When an officer arrived he found the prisoner lying upon his bed with his thrOat cut, a razor in his hand, and a pistol lying on a chest of drawers with three chambers discharged, and it was further discovered that he had shot himself in the breast, the bullet injuring one of the lungs. The prisoner stated that he shot her because he loved her, and he handed the constable a letter' couched in the most extravagant language in which he expressed his grief at the affection he entertained for her not being reciprocated, and in a further statement he asserted that he had suffered from pains in the head, and at the time in question had been drinking to excess. Mr. Avory submitted that the prosecution had not made out that the prisoner had any intention to take the young woman's life, and consequently the case was merely one of unlawfully shooting her. Mr. Justice Hawkins, in summing up, expressed a wish that there WSB some law in existence which would prevent the facility with which revolvers were obtained and used. The jury found the prisoner Guilty of shooting with intent to murder. Mr. Justice Hawkins postponed sentence.  On Tuesday the prisoner was brought up to receive judgment. Mr. Justice Hawkins, in passing sentence, said he believed that the act was not the result of long premeditation, and, taking into consideration all the airenmstanoes. he saw a wide difference between the prisoner's case and the case of a man who had been guilty of long premeditated brutality, and he, therefore, sentenced the prisoner to five years' penal servitude. The prisoner, who had been very much affected daring his Lordship's remarks, which were translated by M. Albert, asked whether after having been in prison some time he might be allowed to petition Her Majesty, with a view to a mitigation of the sentence. Mr. Justice Hawkins replied that he might if he chose present such a petition, and he had no doubt that it would be considered in the proper quarter. The prisoner was then removed.  A aratoga lady fell the other day while walking pn a street in that village. She was rendered unconscious, and when restored to consciousness it was found that two hairpins had been driven Into the back at her head, inflicting a -trete w vaw,L.