The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle. — 1883-09-29 (Stourbridge, West Midlands, England)

THE ENCOUNTER WITH A BURGLAR NEAR ST. ALBANS.  At the St. Albare County Petty Sessions, on Saturday, Thomas Murphy was charired, on remand, with breaking and entering the dwelling•house of Samuel Grimwood, at St. Stephen's, near St. Alban'', on the 16th Inst., with intent to commit a felony. Prisoner was also charged with wounding Samuel Grimwood with a knife; and he was further charged with breaking into and entering the house of Walter Crook, at Elstree, on the night of the 14th September, and stealing various articles value £1 10s.—On Sunday morning, September 16, about two o'clock, Grimwood, hearing a noise downstairs, got up, and found prisoner in his kitchen. A struggle between the two ensued, and Mrs. Grimwood, startled by the noise, rushed downstairs. Prisoner was stabbing her husband with a pocket knife, and she caught hold of the poker and hit prisoner on the hand with it, to make him loose the knife; as he stuck to the knife Mrs. Grimwood struck a heavier blow on the hand, and as this was not effectual she hit him on the head, which brought him down and nearly stunned him.— Prisoner: I used the knife to save my own life; I did not take out the knife till I had been hit on the head with a poker.—Grimwood: You used the knife before you were touched with a poker.—Prisoner made a statement to the effect that he might have used the knife, but he did not until he had been nearly stunned by the poker. He did not want to hurt the prosecutor, but only to save himself.—Grimwood said the prisoner stabbed him on the head, on the arm, and on the hand.—Mrs. Grimwood said that when she went downstairs she heard prisoner say he would murder her husband; be was stabbing him at the time.—Mr. Henry James Penny, surgeon, of Shenley, described the nature of prosecutor's wounds, and said there was a wound on the bead, one on the arm, and one on the left hand—a very serious wound, his thumb being nearly cut off. Prosecutor would not be able to use his hand for several weeks to come.—Prisoner : Is that a knife (produced) for stabbing ?—WUnese : I do not think so.—Prisoner: Any one getting a stab with it the blade of the knife would close, wouldn't it Y—Witness : I do not think so—Prisoner: Could the wounds of the prosecutor have been made by stabs ?—Witness: Yes.—Prisoner: A wound with a knife must be a clean cut ?—Witness: Sometimes.— Prisoner was committed for trial at the Assizes, on the ehargee of burglary at the house of Samuel Grimwood and of stabbing Grim wood. The other charge of burglary against him was then taken.—Walter Cronk, gardener, of Eletree, said that on the night of the 14th September his house was breken into, and a coat, a clock, and other articles were stolen, value 30s, in all. —Constable William Sparkes, stationed at Park. street, near St. Albans, deposed to finding Cronk's property on prisoner when he took him into custody on the previous charge.—Detective Walter Alexander, of the Metropolitan Police, also gave evidence.—Prisoner said he bad bought the things from a tramp he had been drinking with,—He was co' mitted for trial also on this charge.