Denton and Haughton Examiner, etc. — 1885-10-10 (Denton, Greater Manchester, England)

LION-TAMER STABBED TO DEATH.  At the Worshlp-street Police-court London, Thomas Hewington, 26, labourer, of Star-street, Spite Melds, has been brought up, on remand from the 6th Sept., charged in the first instance with having caused the death of Alexander Hugh Monroe, a negro lion-tamer, by stabbing him with a knife. Mr. Sims, from the office of the Solicitor to the Treasury, appeared to prosecute. He said that there had been several remands, but the only evidence given up to the present was as to the prisoner's arrest. He then stated the facts of the case as follows The deceased, Munroe, was a pugilist, &c., 35 years of age, a man of colour, and he had lodged in the same lodging-house with the prisoner, who was a boot-maker, at Little Pearl-street, Spitalfields. Up to Sept. 5 the deceased and the prisoner had been on friendly terms. About twenty minutes to twelve o'clock on the night of Sept. 5 the prisoner was sitting at a table in the common room cutting tobacco with a knife (produced), the blade of which was about seven inches long. Other men were in the room, and the deceased entered in a state of extreme intoxication, exclaiming, " You English are dirty dogs," which was repeated once or twice, and the prisoner seemed to take offence at the remark, and jumped up from his chair, saying, "We're not dirty dogs; we are all toffs here." He then walked round the table to the spot where the deceased stood, and deliberately stabbed him in the abdomen with the knife which he had been using. The deceased was taken upstairs, but as his wound bled severely, he was removed to the London Hospital, where he died two days afterwards. It was then found that the knife had penetrated the intestines. Prisoner absconded from the house, but was arrested by Sergeant Rolfe at a sister's house in Star-street. The prisoner said to the detectives, "I'm glad you've come to take me. I'm sorry for it, but it was quite an accident." Although the coroner's jury had given a verdict simply of manslaughter, the prosecution would ask that the prisoner should be committed for the wilful murder of the deceased, inasmuch as there was no provocation in the case, and there was no evidence of any struggle. Although the case had excited considerable indignation through the sympathy for the negro, the prosetion had had much difficulty in procuring witnesses, and a warrant was now granted against one who had been summoned. Evidence was then given by three men, fellow lodgers with the deceased, who were in the kitchen at the time of the alleged stabbing. They agreed in stating that the deceasel, while walking through the passage, shouted out that, " White men were dirty dogs," as if he had just been quarrelling with Englishmen outside. He was described as of a peaceable and amiable disposition, and was liked by his acquaintances, by whom he was familiarly known as "Aleck." The witnesses deposed that the deceased staggered about a good deal before he was wounded, and that he collided with prisoner just at the moment he was cut. Neither of the lodgers would go so far as to say that the injury was accidental, and was caused by the deceased falling on the knife. There appeared to hive been no word spoken by the men concerned towaids one another, except the remark of the prisoner that "they were all toffs there ;" and it was admitted that there was no struggle which might hive caused the knife to be accidentally used. The prisoner was spoken to after the deceased was removed by the "deputy," and he told him he had "done it," but that "it was accidental,' and he was sorry. The prisoner visited deceased before death occurred, and told the nurse that he had caused the injury, which was accidental. The deceased admitted in that interview that he was drunk at the time. According to the evidence of Dr. Illaaland, of the London Hospital, the knife had entered the intestines, and must have been used with much force. In answer to the prisoner, the doctor admitted the if the deceased had been attended to oarlier his life might have been saved. Police-serjeant Rolfe gave evidence cf the arrest, and this being the case for the prosecution, the prisoner was cautioned, but made no defence. Mr. Hosack committed him for trial at the Central Criminal Court