The Northern Daily Times. — 1857-02-27 (Liverpool, Merseyside, England)

CASF.—Yesterday at the morning sittings before Mr. Mansfield, at the police court, the following strange case came on for hearing. William Lownds, a sailor, belongiog to one of the Belfast steamers, was brought before his worship by Inspector Duggan and officer 444, on a charge of attempting to murder his wife. The inspector's statement was, that he was passing along Scotland road, about one o'clock on Wednesday, when he heard screams of " murder !" by a woman who eame running into the street in a most fearful state of excitement, with her hair bite " quills upon the fretful porcupine." She rushed out of Ben Ledi street, followed by the prisoner, who wielded an axe and appeared quite frantic with rage. Officer 444 made a grasp at and seized the prisoner, who pulled out his knife and swore he would cut his (the facet's) head off. He was captured, when it was ascertained that the quarrel arose out of the following singular circumstances. The woman (prisoner's wife) is a stout good looking Scotch woman, about 40 years of age, was well dressed, but dirty, and it appeared that the prisoner and his wife lodged at the house of Joseph Wright, 37, Ben Ledi street. This Mr. Wright is a widower, 55 years of age, having one daughter. The parties lodged in the house for three years, and it seemed that great good feeling existed between them. Some short time ago this happy family was clouded, as the countenance of Lownds fell, and his suspicions of bad conduct, on the pot of his wife, ripened into jealousy. Frequent bickerings took place in consequence of this green eyed monster, and in order to end those domestic calamities, the widower offered to purchase the woman from Lownds. To this he readily consented, thinking it a good opportunity of getting rid of the annoyance ; and it further appeared that Mrs. Lownds expressed the utmost satisfaction at the proposal. A bargain, after some " higgling," was arranged, and Wright gave Lownds a sovereign, in exchange for which he took possession of the fat, fair, and forty Janet. This memorable traffic took place on the 17th February, in the year 1857. Mrs. Lownds assumed the office of Mrs. Wright, and Lownds was treated as a lodgar, and all went " merry as a marriage bell" until Wednesday, when the prisoner repented of his bargain, and wished to have the woman hack again. He therefore demanded her, but she stoutly refused, saying she was perfectly satisfied with her position, and that Mr. Wright was "a very nice old gentleman, very," and that Lownds was not fit to bo his shoe black. This caused Lownds to get into a furious passion, and he menaced her life, and it was stated that he would have killed her with the axe, but for the interference of a person named John Crow, a clock cleaner, who fortunately happened to be in the house at the time. This interference allowed the woman time to escape into the street, where the prisoner was arrested as described. The woman took the Inspector to the house in order to explain to him the nasty habits of the prisoner. The daughter of Mr. Wright also preferred a charge against the prisoner, who had threatened to slaughter her with the axe, and she was in dread he would do her bodily injury. Mr. Mansfield said the case was an extraordinary one, and such as raised a doubt in his mind of the sanity of the prisoner, and, therefore, he would remand him for a week, in order to ascertain the opinion of a medical man on that point. Soon after, Mr. Bluck entered the court, and said he had just bee❑ retained for the prosecution, but ho found the case had been disposed of for the present. Mr. Mansfield said the case was sucll a strange one, that he was of opinion the man was insane.