The Telegram. — 1895-02-05 (Weymouth, Dorset, England)

CHARGE OF ATTEMPTD MURDER.  Before the Mayor, Mr. T. J. Templmam Mr. J. Flagg, Mr. Rowe, and Mr. J. Vincent, on Tuesday, John Pearce, alias Leonard Cooper, described as a rag and bone collector, and a stranger to Weymouth, was charged with wounding with intent to murder .Sarah Asia, by cutting her throat with a pocket knife, at Ltninswick Terrace, Weymouth, on the previous day. Mr. Chars appeared to prosecute, and first called Thomas Chaddies, stone mason, of St. Leonard's Road, who said that about half-past two on Monday afternoon he was in St. Thomas Street, when he saw a man and a woman wrangling. He followed them up the frond and a man named Lowther was with him. If hard the woman tell the man to go about his liminess. The man and woman went up Royal Terrace, where they bad a bit of a scrimmage, awl the woman struck( him a time or two. She told him to go his way and said she would go hers. Prisoner halted for some little time opposite the Gloucester Hotel, and the woman proceeded past Gloucester Row and up the Esplanade. Prisoner then crossed over to the Esplanade and hurried after her, passing witne-ss and Lowther. He overtook her near Brunswick Terrace, where they hut other words. All at once 11141IeILS heard someone call out, " He's killing her.' fle saw something glisten in the man's hand, and at once ran across the road and pushed him down and took the kade front him. (The knife was here produced in court, and there were ruarks of blood on the blade.) The knife was shut when lie took it from prisoner. The woman struggled across the road and fell, and he heard her cry out "Oh 1' Prisoner said, " to dead ; for I meant to do it, and I give myself U. The woman lay on the ground bleeding, awl a young man put his handkerchief to her throat. She had a wound in her throat. Witness and Lowther took the man to the Police station, and handed loin over to P.C. Burt. He also gave the knife to the police. There was some blood on the knife. Prisoner was cautioned and charged by Inspector Stickland, and repeatedly said that hi had killed his wife, and intended to do it. When he gave up the knife to the police P.C. Burt remarked that the knife was ha rather good order, and prisoner replied that he had kept it for the purpme. Prisoner had been drink. log—Being asked if he wished to ask the witness any questions, prisoner said, "No doubt what the man said in quite right. I had been drinking beer and whisky all day from the first thing in the morning." Dr. Roland Carter said he was called to see the woman shortly after three o'clock on Monday afterI)(1011. His son rushed into his room and told him there was a woman bleediag on the Esplanade, and witness took his instruments with him, and found the woman had been removed . .  into Mr. East's house, in Brunswick Terrace. He found that a boy had taken a handkerchief out of his pocket and stuffed it into the wound and kept it there until the doctors arrived. If it had not been for that he believed the woman would have died. Witness anu Dr. Lawrie hound up the wound, which was a penetrating wound in the left side of the neck, and might have been caused by the knife produced. It was a very deep wound, which severed several blood-vessels, and there had been a great deal of hemorrhage, which was very hard to subdue. It was a dangerous wound, acid in a most vital part of the holy. He should not say she was hi a dangerous condition so long as they had the vessels under c mtrol. After binding up the wound, witness believed the woman was removed to tile hospital, 13 he instructed the chief constable to take her there. He had not seen the woman since, hut, jadging from her condition on Monday, he thought she would nut be fit to be brought to the court for a fortnight. The wound was of such a nature that he considered her life was still in 41auder. Prisoner was remanded for a week.