Middlesbro' & Stockton Gazette and General Advertiser. — 1868-01-31 (Stockton-on-Tees, Cleveland, England)

ATTINPTED MURDER IN COURT.—The Washington Star of Friday, the 10th, says: —This morning a very exciting scene took place in the Criminal Court, such a one as, fortunately, is but rarely witnessed. The first case called was that of George McCauley, the coat thief, who was arrested several weeks ago by Detective McDevitt and Lieut. Kelley, and who subsequently made his escape from the cell at police headquarters, where he had been confined, but was afterwards recaptured. He had been previously tried and convicted in one case, and in the case tried this morning he was charged with the larceny of an overcoat belonging to Mr B. Severson, of which offence he was found guilty, the principal witness against him being Thomas Tilney, a boy about twelve years of age, whom he had used as one of his tools in his coat-lifting operations; his course, as was testified before the committing magistrate and the court, being to spot a house, and send the boy in to get all the eusts he could and bring them out, when he, as an accomplice, would take them and make off. The jury having found him guilty in this case, he was called up for sentence, when Judge Olin addressed him, remarking upon his previous course of conduct, and gave him some good advice, expressing the hope that during his imprisonment he would make up his mind to lire a better life when he was released. He also stated that there was three other indictm,nts against him, which he had advised the District Attorney to hold over, and if he lived out his sentence and returned to his evil courses, he could be arrested on them. He then announced the sentence to two years and six months confinement at hard labour in the Albany Penitentiary in each case, and remarked upon the stolid indifference with which the prisoner se, rued to take the sentence, saying that he must indeed ce a very obdurate man who could thus take the sentence. McCauley, who during the remarks of the judge was standing about the centre of the large green table in front of the clerk's desk, was motioned back to the prisoner's dock, and seemed for a moment to falter, but soddenly rising to his full height, drew • knife and made • lunge with it at the boy Tilney, who was standing at tbe south end of the table by the side of Lieut. Johnson. Tilney immediately dropped under the table, and got out at the other e 4 seemingly much frightened, and Detective McDevitt i Look him under his care, whilst Lieut. Johnson grappled McCauley round the arms and Detective ' ley seized him by the throat, and there was a tussle, wlma Messrs Chandler and King came to the rescue, sad one of them *renched • small whise-handled knife, with a well sharpened blade, about two ischestt from the prisoner's grasp. The crowd in the e room became greatly excited. McCauley made 11009 desperate struggles with the officers, but soon the tram were on his wrists and he was takes before the judim who remarked, "I don't west to see youi" sad to the District Attorney, "send time wiimesess buten the Grand Jury, and let him be Witted kw ea mum* sag battery with intent to kill," and to the *leek, Kr Middleton, "Let Mr Howls know that the prisoner is not yet to be sent to Albany." While being tekea out of the room by Mr ?dcDevitt and bailiff Kin, McCauley exclaimed defiantly, "I may be gone, but all are not gone yet," which remark may be Wier understood by another made by him before he wee placed in his toll at the gaol, viz., "There are twentyone men sworn that that boy shall not live." On hi return to the gaol, Warden Henske immediately placed him in heavy irons. There seems to be some mystery as to how he obtained the knife, and the officers at Fie gaol are under the impression that while he was betag taken to the pr. oner's dock at the court-room some one of his chili-, slipped the weep= into his head,  amm..emp.p.moun  . . •  1  1 3% .vb 41 , ' A ' „ V. am/ 414 • \ I  /  -,'