The Express. — 1852-12-20 (London, England)

ATTEMPTED MURDER AND SUICIDE AT PLYMOUTH.-COMMITTAL OF THE PRISONER.  An enquiry took place on Friday before the magistrates of Plymouth into the circumstances of an attempted ernassinatiou of a young woman in that town. The prisoner's name Is Pierre Adolphus Augustine Sebire, the young women's name is Emma Hillyer. Sebire is the owner of a smack named the Medians, lately trading between this port and Jersey,and about three months since advertised his vessel for sale. His intimacy with the proeecutrix appears to date from Thursday the 26th of November, that being the day on which ho first became acquainted with her, be being then introduced to her by her mother, at the house of her uncle in Devooport, where she resided. The prisoner described himself to her as a captain, and an unmarried man, and expressed a strong desire to have her company in a walk, to which she consented, accompanied by the mother, whose character will not, it is said, bear the strictest investigation. From that time a de. tided understanding seemed to have been come to between the girl and her suitor—who is a robust looking fellow, apparently about 36 years of age. On the day of his first introduction, the prisoner, without further parley, asked " whether she would lite to have him for her husband ?" to which she replied in the affirmative, and the Yargaia being thus struck, he gave her a gold watch and chain, with a proviso that he should redeem it on condition of marrying her, saying,to her •. I will make you my wife on Tuesday next, or 171 forfeit the watch." 'The condition, however, was not fulfilled, and on the following' Monday, intimated his inability to perform the ae.. rent, assigning as his reason a disappointment in selling his vessel. Matters went on smoothly until Saturday, the 11th inst., when the prisoner visited the girl at her mother'. residence, in Bath-place, and induced her to accent- I pony him for a walk, saying he had " bought the ring," and said something about going to church to bay the license. After calling at several places, he called at Stephenson, Brothers, in Old Town-street, Plymouth, where it sub'cquently transpired that he bad purchased the pistols and ballets—the girl waiting outside the door the while. Subsequently, she accompanied him to his lodging in Park-street, but in cousequence of a suspicion that he had some design upon her person, she escaped from the house. The mother and daughter returned and took up their abode at the prisoner's lodgings ou the same night, with the intention of staying there until the prisoner and her daughter were married. The outrage, to which the inquiry more immediately refers, appears to have taken place in the front parlour of this house, whilst the prisoner, the girl, and a female friend were assembled at the tea-table, about 8 o'clock on the tenoning (Sunday) evening. The girl, we would observe, had meanwhile become acquainted with the tie- I eumstance of the prisoner being a married man • and, therefore, on his then ukiog her to go to walk with him, she refused to do so, whereupon he mid, " I am not ashamed to look at you," to which he received a similar answer. The prisoner sat opposite her, on the other side of the table, facing the window ; and, upon. her refusiag, ' said, "Than', one for you and one for me.' On looking up, else peresiesti that be bald a pistol in his head, whisk he pedaled twee& ler heed, mad inneedisiely feed at her ; bet his diabsibd peeps.. w frustrated, fee he missed We aim, and the belief, loretad of striking her pared dila over her bead, and easseitiag Weigh the blind and window pea', lodged is the shutter. hats which it Bemuse's' obese es We bop The did Armand, reshot hem the mem. ea& wegielj the pump, heard the report elf a emend hem whist' woe subsequeetly discovered Cantiki the wen. The primmer shortly afterwards left the hat lehematien was oven at the statism-hoe" end fie pdearer wee apprehended on Maeda by Impulse Demerol at She King's Arms, Lower Natterstreet. He at Let &Med, but eventually aeltamd, that he wee the rem bei were seeking, and on en: kr isp4 him two Odds leaded-with powder sad ball, awl were fouled la bit wheal sewed pews, and a War addressed to his will, were dee hand, and a Wetly 'Halmstory letter wee emeleed is.. him by Miss Hillyer ft Mon!matt ins=bedeliseded the prisoner, instituted a severe oldie witeesess with a view of showing that the Owner was addicted to habits of intersperses,. In a leap end lagettions defence, be seatendsd that medical stisoay Gould_ be positing to thew that the prisoner had been—only by medied Wileament saved from all the horrors of Minim tremens, and muted that no prods had been predated te skew tat prisoner intended to shoot the girl. The Booth said they felt it their painful duty to commit the primmer far trial at the neat Devon assizes. ILp• pl motion for bail was refused.  Tan CONVICT Hou.r.a.—For a considerable time after the wretched man fierier, who was convicted at the Central Criminal Court on Thursday of the murder of his wife, had bees removed to his cell. he continued in a state of the greatest excitement, similar to that he exhibited when the sentence of death was passed upon him. He states that, after his mother-in-law had left his apartment, with the understanding that ale was to come the next morning, at ten o'clock, to fetch her daughter, and take her into the country with bar, he and the unfortunate deceased talked together in a very friendly and affectionate manner; but, although he repeatedly urged her to forego her determination to go with her mother, she would not listen to him. H. also states that he and his wife went to bed about eleven o'clock, and that the unfortunate deceased very soon fell asleep. Neither of them were undressed; and the prisoner states that during the night he got up several times and paced about the room, considering what he should do to prevent his wife from being taken away, and suddenly the thought came into his head to destroy her; and he went to the place where Is kept his razor, and while his wretched wife was fast asleep ho drew the razor violently same her throat; and he mays that she did not utter a souad, but appeared to be dead almost instantaneously. The prisoner, who is only twenty-three years old, appears still to entertain some hope that his life will be spared. Should no reprieve be granted, the elocution will take place on Monday, the 3rd of January.