The Sun. — 1861-08-29 (London, England)

LEEDS.  A shocking attempt to commit murder and suicide Iva!, made on Tuesday night, by a man named Anthony Rayner, residing in Holmes's-yard, York-street, Leeds. Rayner had been in the habit of treating his wife—who bore the character of an honest industrious woman—with disgusting brutality. He accused her of infidelity, and as she lay in bed on Tuesday night, he assailed her with the foulest abuse, and then announcing his intention of murdering her, plunged a knife into her right temple. The poor woman called loudly for assistance, and struggled as well as she could with her husband, who in the meantime got hold of a razor, and attacked her with that instrument. The daughter hearing her mother's screams, ran down stairs and let in some of the neighbours, who had been aroused by the noise, and who succeeded in snatching the unfortunate woman from her husband's clutches. She was taken into an adjoining house, and shortly afterwards removed to the Infirmary, where it was found that she had received a deeply incised wc und on the right temple, a small incised wound on the right side of the nose, and a very deep gash right across the palm of the left hand.  Police-officer Garforth went to Rayner's house, and found that the fellow, after his wife had been rescued, had locked the door. The officer demanded admission, but received no answer, and was compelled to break open the d Rayner lying on the Onbed entering frinisththerohaotuscue,t. Ghefaorfoohrth took him into custody, and charged him with attempting to murder his wife, whereupon Rayner remarked--" Is she dead F" Upon being answered in the negative, he said, " I am sorry she is not dead and myself also." He added that he had been to Goole to get a knife on purpose to do the job, but found it was too weak, and then he got a razor. The razor, he said, was under the bed, and on looking there, the officer found a razor open, and smeared with blood. He also found a bloody knife in the room, and the bed and bedclothes were saturated with blood. Another razor, ; closed, and not marked with blood, was found in a hat on a chair in the room. The prisoner—who, it may be observed, was perfectly sober—was taken to the Infirmary on his way thither he again expressed his regret that he had not completed the deed. He stated that he had got the wrong razor, by mistake ; and that if he had got the one which he had in his hat, and which he had sharpened for the purpose, he would have done for his wife and himself too. The razor found under the bed was a very blunt cne, but the one in the bat had been recently sharpened. The knife had also been recently sharpened, but the blade was not vet! strong, and the point was rather broken. The woman is the more seriously injured; but, fortunately, neither husband nor wife is in immediate danger. The wound which Rayner had inflicted on his own throat—done with the same razor with which he attacked his wife—is about an inch long, but not deep, and has not affected any vital part. Mr. Jessop, the house surgeon, thinks the man must have hacked at his throat with the razor five or six times. The only reason Rayner gives for his murderous deed is, that he was buffering from hunger.