The Sun. — 1862-05-30 (London, England)

THAMES.—CHARGE OF WILFUL MURDER. George Cochrane, a man about 25 years of age, who has been in custody a fortnight, and appeared very ill and dejected, was brought up on remand before Mr. Woolrych, charged with the wilful murder of Thomas Courtenay. The prisoner and the deceased were both labourers in the employ of the Grand Surrey Canal Dock Company, and were on good terms with each other until the morning of the 16th inst., when the affray which resulted in the death of one of them took place. imel Bolas, a Waterman and was the principal witness, stated ithatig hht ee r 9ma awn 1C whoochrane, Courtenay, and two other men coming down Old Gravel-lane, towards Wapping-dock Stairs, Adjoining the Thamesm annel entrance. They were  all intoxicated and quarrelling. The prisoner an Courtenay pulled off their jackets and began fighting. After a good many blows were exchanged, and Ccchrane had been twice knocked down, he got up and said he had lost a sixpence, and that he would fight all the harder, providing he found it. The money was not found, and Cochrane said he would fight no more. The deceased, however, struck at him again, used very bad language, and said, " You are bound to fight me, and fight me you shall." Some more blows passed between them ; the prisoner got the worst of it, and was anxious to cease fighting, but the deceased, who pummelled him unmercifully, would not allow him to do so. Cochrane also twice said, "I'll allow you to be the best man." At last the prisoner said, "If lam to fight it shall be with this," and put his hand in his left trousers pocket and took from it a knife, with which he struck at the deceased, who staggered ten or twelve feet and fell. A police-constable, named Edward Bishop, 506 A, saw the deceased struck with the knife, and saw him fall. He caused the deceased to be conveyed to St. Thomas's Hospital, where he died a few days afterwards. Mr. Daniel Biddle, house surgeon at St. Thomas's Hospital, stated that he saw the dead body of Courtenay. There was a wound two inches in length extending downwards from the breastbone and upwards. The pleura was wounded to the extent of half an inch. Inflammation extended over the whole pleura. There was profuse hemorrhage, The internal mammary artery was punctured. The wounds described were the cause of death. Bishop, the constable who had charge of the case, produced a sharp clasp knife which he took from Cochrane. There was fresh blood upon it when he first saw it.  The prisoner, who was deeply affected, said that what the witnesses had stated was quite correct. The deceased provoked him to fight ; and although he gave Courtenay the best of it, be fought again and knocked out one of his (Cochrane's) teeth, and knocked him down twice. He gave the deceased the best of the fight again, but was again beaten and knocked down. His ankle was sprained and very weak, and he took his knife from his pocket and thought to stop the prisoner. He had no intention of using the knife or to strike the deceased with it, and the first time he struck at him with the knife it was shut. He was very sorry indeed for what had occurred.  Mr. Woolrych said the offence did not amount to wilful murder. There was no malice prepense, and it appeared that Cochrane did want to leave off fighting more than once. He felt bound, under all the circumstances, to commit the prisoner for trial at the next Old Bailey Sessions for manslaughter.