The Sun. — 1855-09-24 (London, England)

THAMES. • SAVAGE ASSAULT ON A WIFE BY HER HUSBAND.— William. _Bourne, a seaman, aged 42, of No. 35, Hardinge-street. St. George's-in-the-East, was brought before Mr. Yardley, charged with violently assaulting Elizabeth Bourne, his wife, who is far advanced 113 pregnancy. The complainant, who is n'•any years younger than her husband, and who was in a weakly condition from the effects of her husband's savage treatment, and whose face was i❑ a frightful state, said she had beers married to the prisoner for six years. Her husband had been away in the barque Corona for about five and a-half ninths, and he came home last Monday and joined her at her lodgings, No. 35, Hardinge-street. He Lad been quarrelling and threatening her ever since, and he was instigated to threaten and assault her by an old woman, living at No. 18, Chapel-street, with whom he had lived, and who brought him up. On Wednesday he said the old woman had informed him she was going to Australia with her child, and he taunted her, and said, in a very sneering tone— " You will go to Australia, will you," and he struck her in the face, and accused her of keeping him without his dinner. She told him there was food in the cupboard. A female named Ellen Murray interfered and prevented further ill usage. On Saturday he went to Green's Sailors' Home to receive his wages, and she followed after him with his child, and asked him for some money to purchase food. He refused to give her any, and uttered the most dreadful oaths and imprecations, and refused to go home with her. He also said he would help himself, and he had got money and would keep it, and when she asked him for money a second time he told her to go upon the town as many other women did and prostitute her person. He then went to the old woman's house in Hardinge-street, and he gave the old woman ali the mosey.. She asked the old woman for some money, and that person sneered at her and said she would keep it, and not give her any. She endeavoured to take some money from the old woman's hand, and that person held her by the hand and the hair of her head, and the prisoner hit her in the face with his fist, and gave her a black eye. The old woman called out, " Don't Lit her in the face, Bill, for your own sake ; give it her about the body." The prisoner then beat her with great violence about the shoulders, neck, and body, and said he would kill her. She called out "murder," and became quite senseless.  Ellen Murray said she went with the complainant to the old woman's house, and soon afterwards heard screams of "mureier," and saw Mrs. Bourne come out of the house covered with blood, and her face marked. The prh.oner bad beaten his wife on his return from former voyages, and he quarrelled with her and beat her on Friday, and then left her and went to the old woman's house and slept there all night.  Mrs. Ann Baines, an aged woman, said she lived in Chapel-street, St. George's, and had brought up the prisoner from his infancy and looked upon him as her son. She accused the wife of infidelity and general bad conduct, and said the complainant had a child by another man while her husband was at sea.  Sarah Nicholls, a south-wester maker, said the complainant attacked Mrs. Haines, and that the prisonerdefended her and struck his wife.  Mr. Yardley, after a long investigation, examined the defendant's certificates, and said he was very sorry that a man whose character for ability and conduct was described as very good should have committed such a savage assault on his wife, especially as she was at the present time five months advan?.ed in pregnancy. The prisoner was not to blame for an attachment to the old woman, but his wife had a  prior claim upon him. If the wife had been guilty of adultery the prisoner could leave her, and was not bound to support her ; but he would say, in parsing, there was no evidence that she had been faithless. He  was afraid the old woman had too much influence over the prisoner, and had poisoned his mind against the wo man he was bound to cherish and protect. Re sentenced the prisoner to three months' imprisonment and  hard labour. The magistrate, in conclusion, said, " lie hal to thank you for that, Mrs. Haines."