The Miner and Workman's Advocate. — 1865-01-14 (London, England)

ATTEMPTED WIFE MURDER AT BATH.  At Bath, on Monday, a man named George Preston, was charged with attempting to murder his wife, a servant, living at Harley Rouse, the residence of Mr. Aid. Cook. Elizabeth Preston said: At nine o'clock on Tuesday morning, I heard the knock of the postman, and went to the door. As I opened it the prisoner rushed in Upon me, and caught me by the throat, saying, " thee, I'll do for thee." He pressed me against the wall, held me tightly by the throat and the hair of the head. /le released his hands from my throat and knocked me down on the floor, when he got upon me, and again took me by the throat and the hair of the head. I have no recollection of anything-that took place afterwards, until I was pulled away from him. He came to me on the 21st of last month from 'Southampton, and asked if I Would live with him. I told him I would upon the condition that he treated me better than he did before, and Would work and maintain me. He came to thelhouse on eaturday, but I refused to see him, as I was afraid of him.—James Barnes, a postman, deposed: I was at Harley House with some letters on Tuesday, and after I had knocked Mrs. Preston came to the door. Before she could take the letters from me, the prisoner rushed by and said, "Here, my hearty, I want to speak to you:" At the Fame time he seized the prosecutrix by the hair of the head, and kept continually working his hand up towards her throat and face as if to strangle her. This he did Until he had forced her back against the wall, when in the struggle Mrs. Preston fell upon her back in the pas. age, and theprisoner on thetop of her. I then stepped Into the hall and hallooed out, " You rascal, -what are rou,abouthere ?" He made no answer, but kept working his hand into his wife's throat. My hallooing brought up one of the servants, who pushed the prisoner's arm away From his wife's throat, and assisted in removingher. The Prisoner then ran out of the house. The prisoner, who assumed a very insoi,ent demeanour, said, in his defence, that when he saw his wife on the 21st Deoember she Promised to live with him, and on the platform of the railway station he left her with that understanding. When at 'Southampton, a day or two afterwards, he received a notice from his wife, threatening to have him punished for things which he knew , nothing at all about. He then came to Bath on the Saturday, sod went to Harley House for the purpose of- seeing his wife, but;she refused to hold any communication with bin. To prevent any disturbance he applied at the police station that an officer might accompanfhim, and be mesent at the interview, but did nat succeed. His wife had been living at Mr. Cook's as a single woman, althougli they had been married five years. Six monthsafter their marriage she was delivered of an illegitimate child, and Lr consequence of that they separated, but he loved her dearly, and as,she promised to live with him and make hi sa happy he was glad to be reconciled to her. Ho was sentenced to six months' hard labonr.--;-The prisoner on being removed from the dock, said to his wife, "I'll do 14Wellhing for Pall, my, lady, when .ceme laaek ; l'll,put 'Cily fingers upon