The Forest of Dean Examiner : — 1875-08-20 (Blakeney, Gloucestershire, England)

ALLEGED ATTEMPTED MURDER IN WOLVERHAMPTON.  At the Wolverhampton Police Court, on Tues. day, before W. Edwards (Mayor), and W. H. Jones, Esqs., Elizabeth Owen, a fine-looking young woman, of about 32 years of age, was brought up in custody, charged with having attempted to murder her husband, Theodore OWen, a railway clerk, residing at No. 10, Grim stone-street, Springfields.—The prosecutor said the prisoner was his wife, and he had been married to her two years and three months, and they had two children.-rMr. Barber (Deputy Magistrates' Clerk) : What happened last night P—Owen : We were having a domestic broil at about ten o'clock—Mr. Barber : Were you quarrelling in the house P—Owen : Yes. sir, and she lashed herself into an ungovernable fury and great passion. As she was clearing the tea things off the table she picked up a knife and began throwing her arms about, and in doing so she caught me with the knife on the side of neek.—Mr. Barber: By accident, or not P—Owen By accident, I believe. I got up to go out of the house when she began to throw her arms about, and it was then that she caught me with the knife. —Mr. Barber Did she cut you P—Owen : Just a slight graze, that was all.—Mr. Barber Now tell the truth. You Fay it was by accident and not wilfully P—Owen Yes, sir, only accidental. I don't believe she had any murderous intent whatever. —Mr. Barber Did you fetch the eon. stable P—Owen: No, I went out of the house and remarked to one of the neighbours that say wife was in an ungovernable rage, and whilst threwieg her arms about she caught me en the side of the ' neck with a knife. A great crowd of people collected together—Mr. Barber: Is she jealous of you P—Owen No, sir; she has a very bad temper, and when she gets into a violent passion she cannot control herself.—Mr. Barber: Has she ever shown any signs of insanity P—Owen: No, sir; she is only uncontrollable when in a passion. She was an attendant in the Stafford Lunatic Asylum before we were married, and while there she was struck several violent blows on her head. —Mr. Barber: 'Have you not noticed any other peculiarity in her manner ?—Owen: No, sir; nothing no harm.—The Mayor I suppose the blood ran freely P—Owen: No, sin—The Mayor How long did you know her before you were married P—Owen Three yeare—Mr. Barber Was she passionate then P—Owen No, sir. She has been very violent almost from the time we were married. I don't wish the case to go any further, as it is nothing more than the result of her violent temper—Mr. Barber: Are you not afraid of her P—Owen Oh, no; she never intended to do me any harm. I wits going out of the house because of her temper, when she cut me—Mr. Barber Are these quarrels often Owen: We have a few words sometimes.—Mr. Barber: You should try and avoid the:lL—Owen : I I generally go out of the house when she is in a passion, and I Was going away last night wh len she caught me. She cannot control herself when! she is in a violent temper, for which she is ! always sorry afterwards. She is sorry now.—The prisoner said she had nothing to ask her husband. Police-constable Cummings was then called, and stated that lie arrested the prisoner at twenty minutes past eight o'clock that morn. ing. He brought her to the poliemstation, and charged her with having attempted to murder ' her hustaind by cutting his throat. She made no reply. Witness afterwards received the table. knife produced from the prisoner's husband as the one with which She committed the offence. She was afterwards searched by Mrs. Deans, the female searcher at the station, when the following letter was found upon her:—" As you think more of other people than you do of me, it is mere mockery for me to try to live- comfortable i with you. I cannot. So to put an end to the ! bad business, I have made up my mind to end it by my death. Anything before a hfe of misery. Perhaps some kind friend will tell you the rest. So farewell and drink, to my death in a bottle of brandy." The letter was written in lead intuit on two slips of yellow railway paper —The prisoner said it was her husband's handwriting.—Mr. Barber: Then he contemplated suicide t—Prisoner No, I am not afraid of that.— Owen, on being recalled, said the letter was in his handwriting. but he had no recollection when it was wiitten. It was written some montlii: ago, and ought to have been " pitched" into the fire. —Mr. Barber: But it is very aggravating to your wife to write a letter of that kind.—Mr. LOPS, the police surgeon, said the prosecutor was brought to his surgery, and, on examining him, he found a superficial mark about 11in. in length on the left side of his neck, laver the course of the large vessels. If it had been deeper it would have been a dangerous wound.—The prisoner, in her defence, said she found the letter on the table after her husband went out last night, and he absented himself from home till half-past nine. She was very sorry for what she had done. She had never done it before, and she would not do it again.—lnspector Thomas, in reply to the Bench, said the prisoner's parents, residing at 'Mori:ter, had been telegraphed for.—The Mayor (to prisoner) : It is all very well for you and -- your husband to tell this fine tale. It seems he ACILLENIIA, r.