The Sun. — 1841-07-16 (London, England)

COLERIDGE.) William Eden, aged 19, was indicted for maliciously shoot. ing at Hannah Rachel Reeves, alias Emma Bennett, with ir. tent to murder her.  The prisoner was a printer's apprentice residing with his parents in the city of Oxford, and the prosecutrix, who at the time of the transaction passed by the name of Emma Bennett, who was of almost the same age as the prisoner, and was one of that unfortunate class of frmales who infest the suburbs of all large towns. It appeared that on the 20th of April last the prisoner, accompanied by another young man, called, between 4 and 5 o'clock in the afternoon, at the residence of the prosecutrix in. Jericho, a disreputable locality, in the parish of St. Thomas, in this city. He was at that time a good deal intoxicated, and after some romping between them, a very trifling pi ovoeation on the part of the girl induced the prisoner to give here,a blow on the eye, whioh knocked her down. A girl named I%Li y Ann Bryant, who lived in the house, and passed for the sister of the prosecntrix, hearing the altercation, came into the room where the prosecutrix and the prisoner were, and a scuffle ensued between Bryant and the prisoner, which terminated in his gettirg a broken head. The prisoner then left the house, and sent the hostler at the Prince. Albert public-house to buy him some powder and flints, and he was seen about half-past six by two persons in the taproom of the Prince Albert, ramming some paper into a pistol, but no witness was called who could speak to his having charged the pistpl either with powder or ball. While, however, he was ramming the paper into the pistol, he was heard by one of the persons in the tap-room to say, " I am d—d if I do not go and shoot that woman." From the Prince Albert the prisoner went. to Jericho, where he again called at the house of the prosecutrix at eight o'clock, and where he was so far from carrying the intention which he had expressed into immediate effect,: that he sat down, sent for some beer, had his wound ,washed, antl.,was apparently on very friendly terms with his late,,a,ritagonists. At ten o'clock he went away with Bryant toward this home, but shortly afterwards Bryant returned, and theoprosecutrix by her desire denied her to him when the prisoner 'knocked at the door. The prosecutrix was at this tithe at the first floor, window with a candle in her liarid; arid 'on his demanding that she should open the door, and her refusal, he said, " If you do not open the door I will shoot you, and immediately presented a pistol arid fired. The next day a hole, which appeared freshly made, was found at the top of the window-shutter of the parlour, just below the place where the prosecutrix stood, and a bullet was discovered, together with some splinters, on the Aviaow-sill, between the window-frame and the windowaffiffer: 'The bullet, however, was nearly as new as when it cams from the mould, and the evidence which bore on that part of the caw left it very doubtful whether it was pos Bible fei: a ballet tO pass between the window-frathe the slAuter. Time - pistol was not produced, as the iNZ!rsou who tool; it from the prisoner on the night of the trans' lion was foolish enough to return it to him ; and the Dogbet.ty, who searched the prisoner's pockets and found seven or 'tijgbt bullet's there, did not recollect that it m'ght be essential to the ends of justice that they should be kept in safe custody until the prisoner took his trial, and therefore let them remain where he found them. There were, therefore, no mans of ascertaining W Lether the bullet produced fitted the barrel of the pistol disebarged by the prisoner, or whether it corresponded in size with ththe found in his pockets. It should be added that al! the parties were more or less intoxicated at the time, and the prisoner so much so that he was hardly able to walk properly. Mr. F. V. LEE, for the defence, suggssted that there was no evidence at all that the pistol was loaded; and, assuming that it was, still there was nothing to show any malice on the part of the prisoner, who merely intended to frighten the girl. Witnesses were then called, who gave the prisoner a good character for humanity. Mr. Justice COLERIDGE summed up, and the Jury acquitted the prisoner. The business of the Assizes terminated at three o'clock. .  HOME ClRCl7l7:—Hertford, July 15.