The Birkenhead News and Wirral General Advertiser. — 1886-11-24 (Birkenhead, Merseyside, England)

ALLEGED COWARDLY ASSAULT.  At the Borough Police Court, on Monday, before Mr. Preston, John Langan, 25, Back St. Anne-street, was charged with unlawfully wounding Catherine Gilfoyle, by stabbing her with a knife.  Mrs. Gilfoyle, who appeared with her face and head all bound up, said she was the wife of Patrick Gilfoyle, 29, Back St. Anne-street. Prisoner lived next door but one to her. On Saturday night she went to his house to ask for some money which his wife owed to Gilfoyle. Prisoner said he had no money, and if he bad, she was not going to get any. He then struck her and knocked her down; he shut the front door and knocked her down again. He had a knife in his hand when he struck her, and when knocked down in the lobby he kicked her. Prisoner's wife then came in and began to pelt her with mugs and pots, and the neighbours hearing the noise and the screaming burst open the door and rescued Mrs. Gilfoyle. Prisoner: I never raised my hand against her.  Gilfoyle: Aye, ye did! And yer feet, too. _  In answer to Mr. Preston, she said she had her head broken while prisoner was kicking her in the lobby, and the cuts on her face were caused by his hitting her in the mouth. The prisoner had some sort of instrument in his hand, for she saw it gleaming. The Prisoner: Did you not get my wife by the hair and strike her with a poker. Mrs. Gilfoyle: No, I neve]. did. Prisoner said his wife had to go to the hospital on account of the injuries Mrs. Gilfoyle had inflicted on her. Complainant must have cut herself with weapons. Mary Cunningham, also of Back St. Anne. street, gave evidence of seeing a crowd around the door, and on being told that Mrs. Gilfoyle was inside being murdered, she got the door burst open. Mrs. Gilfoyle was on the floor, and prisoner's wife was pelting crockery ware at her. She also had a big jug in one hand and with this she was smashing Mrs. Gilfoyle. While getting Mrs. Gilfoyle out witness had her arm severely cut with the crockery ware. She beard some people say prisoner had a knife, but she did not see a knife. Ann Carey, 3, Havelock-street, said she was in the crowd when the door was broken open, and she saw her mother (Mrs. Gilfoyle) lying in the lobby. Langan, when he saw her, drew out and struck her behind the ear, knocking her down. Witness saw Langan strike her mother with something, and her mother begged for mercy, he replying, I will have no mercy." Prisoner again struck witness and knocked her down, the crowd dragging her out of the lobby. Dr. Richardson stated that on Saturday night at a few minutes to ten Mrs. Gilfoyle was taken to the hospital. She had on the right side of the upper lip an incised wound cutting almost through, and on the top of the head there was another wound an inch and a half long, from which there was a good deal of bleeding. He had to stitch both wounds, which appeared to have been done with a knife. He did not anticipate any danger from the wounds unless erysipelas set in. Gilfoyle appeared to have had some drink. Cunningham went to the hospital at the same time, and she had three wounds on the right fore arm; they were half an inch, an inch, and an inch and a half long respectively. They were clean cuts, but two of them were only skin deep. One of the cuts was right to the bone and caused a great deal of bleeding, as one of the arteries was divided. Prisoner's wife had also a wound about an inch long on her head. She was the first of the three to get to the hospital. The wound was an incised one and was an inch long, but not deep. Both Mrs. Langan and Mrs. Cunningham were sober, but prosecutrix was drunk.  P.C. 19 (Coathnp) said that about twenty minutes past one on Sunday morning he apprehended the prisoner at his residence. He took him to the North End bridewell and chaeged him with the offence. In answer to the charge he said, " I did not interfere with the women." Prisoner's wife was there, drank, and she said she had been stabbed. Prisoner himself was drunk.  The prisoner was remanded till Friday.