The Kenilworth Advertiser. — 1881-01-08 (Kenilworth, Warwickshire, England)

ENQUIRY.—At the Solihull Petty Sessions, on Saturday, before Mr. H. H. (Mattock and Dr. Kimbell, William Stanley, Palmer-street, Birmingham, was charged with stealing, on the 17th December, four ducks and eighteen fowls, of the value of £2 55., the property of John King, farmer, Oulton.—After giving evidence, the prosecutor said he wished to ask the magistrates a question. He wanted to know whether, if a man came prowling round his premises, as the prisoner had done, he was at liberty to shoot him ? Mr. Sidney Mitchell (magistrates' clerk) said he had better be careful what he did, or he might find himself in an awkward position. There was a great deal too much shooting going on just now.— Dr. Kimbell said the prosecutor must clearly understand that he had no right whatever to shoot another, except in self-defence. If he did so he would render hitnßelf amenable to the law.— Superintendent Yardley stated that the amount of fowl-stealing within a radius of ten miles of Birmingham had been something enormous of late.— Prisoner pleaded guilty, and was sent to prison for three months.  On Monlay morning a shocking murder was committed at Sheffield, by a man named Charles Henry Sampson, whilst in a state of delirium tremen.s. Sampson is a file-forger, and is 28 years of age. He had been married eight years, and up to Monday morning he had flue ohikiren, the youngest of whom was six montlis old. He had been drinking heavily during the Christmas holidays, and on Friday he was seized with delirium tremens. On Saturday evening he became more excited than ever, and his wife sought for medical assistance. The surgeon advised that an order should he obtained for his removal to the Work. house, where he could be placed under special restraint; but although the wife went to the residence of the medical officer twice on Sunday, she was unable to find him in, and as she could not otherwise obtain an order for her husband's admission to the Workhouse, nothing further could be done. At an early hour on Monday morning she left the bed-room in consequence of his restless manner, and was soon afterwards followed by her husband, who implored her to fetch a little brandy. She went out of the house for that purpose. Almost immediately afterwards Sampson had a violent struggle with his wife's brother. The latter succeeded in getting away, and ran out with the intention of preventing the wife bringing in the brandy. Whilst he was absent Sampson took up his inf....nt child by the legs and dashed its brains out on the hearthstone. He then broke every pane in the window, and did the same in a room above. He afterwards made his way to the garret, in which four of his children and his wite's father were sleeping. After smashing all the window panes with his hands, he went to the old man, but Ildid not injure him. Next he went to his children's bed, but on his eldest boy asking him not to hurt them he said be would not, but that they would not see the baby any more. Then running downstairs, he jumped through the kitaben window, and ran into the street in a state of semi-nudity. He wandered about the streets for some time, and was at length seen by a polio emati, who took him to the Workhouse. He was there placed in a padded room. Whilst in the streets be had several *fights with walls, and was found in a state of exhaustion.