The Express. — 1852-06-10 (London, England)

DREADFUL ATTEMPT AT MURDER AND SUICIDE. —Yesterday morning one of the most determined attempts at murder and suicide (not immediately terminating fatally) which has happened for sonic time took place at a house No. 11, Devonshire-place, Broadway, Westminster. An old man, named Martin White, aged (18 years, who is an enrolled out-pensioner of Chelsea hospital, occupied the front room on the second floor in the above house, where a woman named Eliza Hurley, aged 30, formerly cohabited with him ; but, on account of his brutal treatment of her, she left him, and went to reside in the neighbourhood of Soho. On Tuesday evening last she visited him again, and remained all night. About a quarter to three o'clock yesterday morning Sergeant Buchanan, S B, whilst passing down the street, suddenly heard piercing screams of 'Murder, murder," and " Police," proceeding from the house in question, and, on running hastily to the spot, met the young woman Hurley at the street-door in hi r night-dress, which was literally dripping with blood on the pavement. She was in such an exhausted state that she could only point up stairs, and utter a few incoherent articulations. The sergeant immediately despatched her to the Westminster Halide', and proceeded up stairs. After knocking at the door several times, and receiving no answer, he burst it open, when a dreadful scene presented itself. The Aor of the room was covered with large patches of blood, and the man White was lying across the bed copiously bleeding from a wound in the throat, apparently but recently in flirted. On recognising the police be motioned with his hand under the bed, whereupon search being afterwards made, a large black-handled razor, clotted with blood, and the handle broken in pieces, was discovered. Sergeant Buchanan immediately sent for Mr. Budd Painter, jun., surgeon, whose assistant soon arrived, when the bleeding was staunched, and the wounded man conveyed in custody ' to the Westminster Hospital, where he still remains under the surveillance of the police, with little hope of recovery. Upon the examination of the female by Mr. Halford, the house surgeon, she was found to be dreadfully cut about the neck, face, and arms. Her hands were also very severely lacerated. Alter the wounds bad been dressed she was placed in bed, and, having rallied a little, she stated that White Originated a quarrel with her relative to her having left ham, and, she replying to his epithets, he got out of bed and, taking the razor off a shelf, swore she should not do itagain. Seeing the blade glittering in his hand, and knowing his desperate character, she jumped out of bed to get away from bins, when a terrible struggle took place, White holding her by the hair of the head and aiming the cuts of the razor at her throat, in defending which her neck and arms were dreadfully gashed. He also tried to cut her fingers away, but being the stronger she was able to save herself, until the noise of the police running along the street alarmed him, and she was providentially enabled to get out of the room down stairs, where she was met by Sergeant Buchanan and the constables, as already deseeibed. White was at the review of the pensioners in Hyd.-park on last Wednesday week, and his accoutrements, which should have been given into store at Chelsea Hospital yesterday, were lying about the room in all directions, covered with the blood of his intended vietim. The police have locked up the place in its present eonditioo,lest farther events should require its inspection, as the woman Hurley is in a very low and dangerous state.