The Sun. — 1841-07-15 (London, England)

COLERIDGE. . . .  Killian' Eden, aged 19, was indicted for maliciously shootir tg at :Hannah Rachel Reeves, alias Emma Bennett, with its. to murder her. The prisoner was a printer's apprentice residing with his pal 'en is in the city of Oxford, and the prozecutrix, who at the tim e of the transaction passed by the name of Emma Bennett, who •I, vas of almost the same age as the prisoner, and was ono of thi t unfortunate class of females who infest the suburbs of all 3 arge towns. It appeared that on the 20th of April last the pr isoner, accompanied by another young man, called, be-tweet 4 and 5 o'clock in the afternoon, at the residence of the prose atria in Jericho, a disreputable locality, in the parish of St. comas, in this city. He was at that time a good deal into,: hated, and after some romping between them, a very trillir ig provocation on the part of the girl induced the prisoner to gil to here a blow on the eye, which knocked her clown. A girl I tamed Alaty Ann Bryant, who lived in the house, and passel 1 for the sister of the proseentrx, hearing the altercations came into the room where the prosecutrix and the prisoner were, and a Scuffle ensued between Bryant and the prisoner, which. terminated in his getting a broken head. The priobesret, t ro am buy m in soner then left the house, and sent the hostler at the Prince Albert publiehgimsosmomee powder and flints, and he was seen about half-past six by perrons in the taproom Albert, of .t two he :Prince paper into a pistol, but no wi';ocss was called who could speak to his having charged the Tlmo' either with powder or ball. While, however, he was re .mming the paper into the pistol, he was heard by one of the persons is the tap-room to ray, .‘ lam d—d if Ido not go ark shoot that woman." From the Prince Albert the prisoner 'went to Jericho, where .he again called at the house of the pro, iecutrix at eight o'clock, and where he was so far front carrying. the intention which he had expressed beer had his wound effect, ti tat he. sat down, sent for some terms with his late autag washed, And was' appareitlT very friendly into immediate vnists. 'At' tenßryant returned, towards home, but shortly afterwardsdenied her to him when and doe prosecutrix by her c!esire The prosecutrix was at ten °clock ha went away with Bryant the poisoner huseked at thedoor.. hand, and on his demanding that she should open the door, .-g If you do not open the door I this time at the first floor window with a candle in her and `]ter refusal, he .aaid, will shoot you," and , immediately presented a pistol and fired. The nett day a hole, whichappeared freshly made, place where the prosecutrix stood, and a just below, thetogether with some splinters, on the discovered, was fund at the top Of the window-shutter of the parlour, bullet was window-all,tnThe between the window-frame and the windowhte bullet, however, was nearly as new as when it came from the mould, and the evidence which bore on that part o , f the case left it very doubtful whether it was possible for a bullet_ to pass between the window-frame and su the shutter. The pistol was not produced, as the person who took it from the prisoner on the night of the transaction was foolish enough to return it to him ; and the Dogberry who searched the prisoner's pockets and found seven or eight builds there, did not recollect that it might be essential to the ends of justice that they should be kept in safe cultody-until the prisoner took his trial, and therefore let them remain where he found them. There were, therefore, no means of ascertaining whether the bullet produced fitted the barrel of the pistol discharged by the prisoner, or whether it corresponded in sin with those found in his pockets. It should be added that , all the parties were more or less intoxicated at the time, and the prisoner so much se that he was hardly able to walk properly. Mr. F. V. Lax, for the defence, suggssted that there was no evidence at all that the pistol was leaded; and, assuming that it was, still there was n hing to show any malice on the part of the prisoner, who merely intended to frighten the girl. Witnesses were then called, wbo gave the prisoner a good character for humanity. Mr. Justice Coeteinax summed tip, and the Jury acquitted the prisoner. The business of the ,A-ssisN terminated at three o'clock.