The Sun. — 1842-07-29 (London, England)

PATTESON.) EXTRAORDINARY CASE.—John Radford, jun., aged 16, was charged with having feloniously and maliciously cut and wounded Ann Hicklin, at the parish of Walton-upon-Trent, on the 17th of March last, with intent to kill and murder her. The case excited extraordinary interest, as well from the connexions of the prisoner, who is the son of a gentleman farmer, as from his extreme youth and the romantic details of the case. Mr. MacaULAY, having addressed the Jury, called the following w itnesses : Ann Hicklin, the prosecutrix, a fresh good-looking countrygirl, said—l am in my sixteenth year—(the witness looked more like five-and-twenty.) I was in the service of Mr. John Radford, of Walton, in March last. I went into his service last Christmas, The prisoner is a son of Mr. John Radford. He lived at home. He became acquainted with me, and frequently spoke to me. He asked me if I was willing to talk 'to him, and to have him. I said his father and mother would not be willing, and I would much rather he would let me alone. He several times afterwards asked me to have him, but I always refused. He said if I had any conversation with any one but him he would cut my throat. He struca me with his fist several times on different occasions. He has struck me on my side till I could not breathe. About three weeks before he committed the offence with which he is charged I was in the kitchen ; the rest of the servants were out, and the family were in the parlour. The prisoner came in, and asked me if I intended to have anything to say to anybody else. I told him I should have nothing to say to him. I then saw a razor in his hand. I don't know where he got it from. He told me he would cut my throat, and then he opened the razor. He laid my head on the side of the table, and held the razor over me, when Mrs. Radford (his mother) came out of the parlour, and he 19t my head go. Soon after I went out in the evening, about seven o'clock, to get some fuel. He came to me, and asked me if I intended to talk to any one beside himself. I made him the same reply as I had before. He then took a razor from his pocket, and, taking hold of me, said he would cut my throat unless I would promise to have no one but him. He was in a great passion. He took hold of me round the shoulders, and I promised him what he wished. The same evening he came to me in the house, and asked me if I would do as I promised ? I said I should not. He then struck me several times. Mrs. Radford came in, and I told her what I had promised. I cried out, and I suppose she heard me. Some time after he knocked me down in the yard. On the evening of the 17th of March, I was cleaning a room up stairs between six and seven o'clock in the evening. The prisoner came into the room, and asked me again what he had before. I said that I should have nothing to say to him, whether he cut my throat or not. He said he would cut my throat if I would nut promise him, and keep my promise. He then opened a razor and asked me if I wanted any repentence. I told him I did not, because I thought he would not do it. He then took me round the shoulders with his left arm, and put the razor to my neck. I remember feeling it touch my neck, but Ido not remember anything after. Mr. Sharpless, a surgeon, was sent for. I had recovered my senses when he came. I had never given the prisoner any encouragement at all. My neck is now quite healed up, hut it is very tender. At times I have a great pain it, and it swells much. lam not now in Mr. Radford's service. Cross-examined by Mr.