The Central Glamorgan Gazette, and General, Commercial, and Agricultural Advertiser. — 1876-12-01 (Bridgend, Mid Glamorgan, Wales)

MURDEROUS ASSAULT IN A RAILWAY CARRIAGE. TERRIBLE RIDE WITH A LUNATIC. The passengers by the 11.45 express train from Lime street, Liverpool, to Chester, Nov. 24th, to *etch the Irish mail, were alarmed as they were slowly rounding the sharp curve just outside Frodshum station by hearing the driver blow the three sharp shrill whistles intimating danger, and the hasty stoppage of the train in • short tunnel on the Liverpool side of Frodsham. Among the passengers was Mr. Unwin, a commercial traveller, and on looking out of the carriage to ascertain what IMO the matter. he saw a manwithout hat hurriedly bolt through a carriage window, scattering the glass in all directions, followed by another fellow, who ran down the footboard, and endeavoured to get into another carriage just as the guard came up and pulled him back. Ile eluded the grasp of the guard, and dodged round to the other aide of the carriage and threw himself on the metals but the train came to a standstill at that moment. The guard endeavoured to raise him, but the fellow grasped the rails so tenaciously that it WAS found absolutely impossible to pull hint away without the aid of three other men. He screamed and shouted like a madman, and then the passengers were horror-stricken to observe an elderly well-dressed gentleman, with his face, hands, and breast covered with blood, gesticulating violently at the same window. When they went up to him and he was liberated, he swooned, and he was carried off to Dr. Robinson's surgery, at Frodsham, where his left thumb was amputated. In the meantime, the wan who had endeavoured to commit suicide was detained in custody of the stationmaster at Frodsham, and it then transpired that the two men in the compartment were Thomas Helms, of No. 3, Schofield street, Wigan, and his son, Thomas Helms, of No. 3, Vulcan street, Gersten. When the gentleman got better he said his name was Mr. A. J. Ellis, lithographer, 27, Ratcliffe street, Liverpool, and gave the following particulars of what had happened'. I got in at Lime street with two men, And we proceeded all right till we were just entering Frodsham station, when the younger man jumped. on his feet with an open knife to his hand, and Called out to me, "You --, I will put this into you." He seised me by the coat, and made a desperate plunge at my throat with the knife. I thought that his object was robbery, so I handed him my puree eontaining .£5. 10s, in gold, which he pitched through the carriage window. I then knew that I was struggling with a madman. He continued to attempt I to out my throat with the knife. I was underneath I him at full length on thil seat. He knelt on my breast, and as he was thrusting at my throat I laid hold of the hand that contained the knife and kept him at bay for • minute, and than his father got behind him and held his 'hand, and it was at that time within an inch of any throat as be stood over me: lie then got up and struck the knife out of his hand, and he turned and struggled with his father, whom he forced into a corner of the carriage. He hen went to a window, smashed it all to pieces, caught use by the middle, and attempted to p4eh in, through. He carried me to the window, but liefaited, and then he got my left-hand thumb into hiseuthJ bit right through the glove, and nearly Bevel" i', any 1 thumb from the hand. He turn leaped throiVe: the carriage window, hut I caught him by the 1* is and , held him hanging out of the deyr for about mile,' till I fainted from lose of blood, just as the trailscame to a standstill outside Frodshntn. I do not reeellect any more after that.. The prisoner, who is evidently & lunatic, was detained at Frodsham, in cotupatiy with his rather, who was in liquor at the time.  The whereabouts of some of our season's favourite* may be of Interest. Patti has left for Rassia; Nilsson io touring about Gotland and Belgium, and IF vAreot.ed to winter at N ice; Faure is touriug about France previously to lul fit ling his engagement at the Paris Opera Coniteue; Lucca is at Drii,sels, anti is expeeted in London next year; Nicolini is at Nice with his family ; Albani, Thalberg, Gbiotti, Piaegs, Feeler', and others are on the Gye tour in the Euelieh proviuees, but Mdlle. Albani is shortly to leave to sing at the Paris Bonen. ; aipoul is in Paris; Titian., Trebu:li, Mario Rose, Valeria, Behrens, Gillandi, and aldosel are in the provinces; the rest of the uovent Garden artistes are thus distributed :-1 Angers and Marini are at the I Berlin Kroll .theatre, Soalehi and Cotogni go to the San Carlo of nples, Bagaitiolo goes to the Milan Scala, Bolis and Rossi are at Lisbon, Be :tir.e• is at the Apollo of Rome, and Bianchi in Switxerlard. Mies Emma Abbott is in town. Campanini is in temporary retirement with his family on the Lake of Conio.