The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle. — 1884-09-06 (Stourbridge, West Midlands, England)

CHARGE OF ATTEMPTED MURDER.  In London, at the Clerkenwell Police-court on Monday,William Costello, 38, described as a labourer, living at 153, Bemerton-street, Islington, was charged with feloniously and maliciously cutting the throat of his wife Emma with some sharp instrument, with intent to murder, on Saturday night. Police-inspector Ruff informed the magistrate that the insured woman was still in the hospital, and he was informed that she could not leave for some days. Police-constable Parish, 215 Y, said that at five minutes to nine o'clock on Saturday evening he was on duty and was called to 153, Bemerton-street, Islington. He went there and entered the back parlour on the ground floor. There he saw the prisoner sitting on a bed, and a woman lying on the floor with her throat coat. She said, "My husband has cut my throat." The prisoner said, "I did not; she did it herself;" and the woman answered, "You did it." Witness sent for Dr. Slater. He found a table-knife under the table. There was no blood upon it, but it was wet. Another knife was on a shelf in the room. Prisoner was taken to the policestation and charged. He said nothing in answer to the charge. Cross-examined by the Prisoner: fle could not say whether the prisoner sent for the police himself. He did not see the prisoner holding a cloth to his wife's throat. He found the knife under the table near the woman. The boy who called him did not say who had sent him. TllO Prisoner: My wife did not speak a word to you or anybody else till the doctor came. Dr. John St der said he was called to the house in question on Saturday night. He found the prisoner's room in great disorder, and the prisoner and a woman sitting on the bed. The woman had.a wound upon her throat. He said, "How was this done?" She replied, "My husband did it." Witness asked the prisoner if that was so. The prisoner did not answer. The woman had also a deep WFulid between the thumb and the forefinger of the left hand. He sent her to the hospital. In reply to the Prisoner: YO-u did not say "I did not do it." The Prisoner: I say I did. When you came in was I not holding my handkerchief to her throat? Witness: I did not see it. The Prisoner: I was, and that was the cause of the blood on my left hand that I showed at the station.  In reply to the chief clerk, the witness said he thought both the knives produced were too blunt to have caused the wounds.  Dr. Stokes, house surgeon at the Great Northern Hospital, gave evidence as to the nature of the wounds. There was a lacerated wound across the neck five inches long. It was not necessarily a dangerous wound. There was also a deep wound on the left hand between the thumb and forefinger. The woman would not be free to leave the hospital for some days. Inspector Ruff asked the magistrate to recommend legal aid for the prosecution, as it was believed that the prisoner's friends might influence his daughter, of whom evidence would be required. Mr. Barstow decided that legal aid was unnecessary. He would not take bail. The prisoner was remanded.  Tun burning question in the East.—Shooting Cole at Dalston.—Funny Folks. "The meanest man I have seen in all my practice" said a doctor, "is a patient of mine in the West End. I waited on him for ten years, furnishing medicine and everything, and could never collect a cent, and the other day he sent a great big basketful of bottles to my office and wanted me to buy them ?" "Well, what harm was there in that ?" asked his companion. "Oh, none to speak of, only' the bottles were the same ones I had been furnishing him with for the ten years I had attended him."