The Sun. — 1858-09-01 (London, England)

MURDEROUS ASSAULT.—John Knox, a cigar maker, aged 40, was brought up on a warrant, having refused to appear to a summons served upon him, and charged before Mr. Selfe with committing an aggravated assault on Ann Moulstead, an elderly woman, the wife of a sugar refiner, employed for many years at the manufactory of Hall and Boyd, St. George-in-the-East. Mr. Stoddart, solicitor, of Arbour-street East, Stepney, in opening the case for the prosecution, described the conduct of the prisoner to be most base and cowardly, and calling for severe punishment. The complainant, who was very lame, and suffering from the brutal treatment cf the prisoner, said she lived in Pell-street, St. George-in-the-East, and the defendant was her next door neighbour. He was in the practice of insulting her when he was intoxicated, and upon two occasions he had beaten her very severely, and without any provocation. On the evening of Sunday, the 22d August, she was seated at a foot-stoat at her own door while the people were going to church and chapel, and the prisoner, who was inebriatel, used the most opprobrious language towards her, and made use of some taunts relating to a soldier and his wife who formerly lodged in her house for fire weeks. She replied to the prisoner, "John Knox, why. do you disgrace such a name as that? Why do you insult me in this manner? I never asked you for the money you owe me." He immediately knocked her down by a blow on the jaw, and when she got up he felled her to the ground again, and said " Take that, you —." He then kicked her about the legs and body, and left her senseless on the ground. She had frightful bruises on her person, and had been lame and ill ever since. Mr. Stoddart—And you have been assaulted twice before by this man The eotnplainant—l have sir, and can now scarcely walk. Mrs. Bolton, a respectable woman, confirmed in full the statement of the complainant as to the last assault, and added that after Mrs. Moulstead had been insulted and called very bad names, she said the prisoner was a thief. The female searcher at the station-house was sent for by the magistrate to examine the complainant, and she deposed that she found severe bruises on the person £f Mrs. Moutstead, who was in a state of greatsuffering. The prisoner in his defence said that Mrs. Moulstead had accused him to his employers of being a thief, which was denied, and he then said that the complainant had demanded money of him to compromise the assault, and put in a document written by an illiterate fellow, named Taylor. Mr. Selfe, after perusing it, said it was the most extraordinary piece of composition be had ever .read. Taylor was endeavouring to make a business of this matter, and framed an agreement which, if it meant anything, meant this—that the complainant was to pay Knox 1:1 and expenses, and Taylor three half-crowns and expenses. Mrs. Moulstead said that, when Taylor called upon her, she would have nothing to do with him. Mr. Setfe said the prisoner hal got drunk and committed a brutal assault on the complainant. He could not say it was a deliberate assault, and that there was no provocation, but the prisoner gave the first provocatisn. Such brutal outrages as these must be repressed by a vere punishments. He sentenced the prisoner to on month's hard labour in the House t f Correction.