The Sun. — 1841-02-22 (London, England)

DESPERATE ATTEMPT OF A HUSBAND TO MURDER HIS WIFE.  An occurrence of a tragical character has taken place within the last few days at Mitcham, and which has very naturally created a great sensation throughout the whole neighbourhood. It appears that a young man named Thomas Potts, a calico printer, who has only been married about eighteen months, from some do mestic disagreements conceived the horrible project of destroying his wife, and afterwards committing suicide, and his design was only frustrated by what would almost appear to be an act of Providence. It was observed in the early part of last week that be appeared to be low-spirited and melancholy, and seem: d much exasperated against his wife ; and on Tuesday he left home and did not return until nine o'clock at night, and he immediately went into the room where his wife was sitting with her mother, and without saying a word he pulled a pistol from his pocket, presented it at his wife, and fired it off, and the greater portion of its contents passed through her check. The shrieks of the women fortunately attracted attention, and a labouring man who was passing, came irate the house and seized hold of Potts, nod, after a struggle, forced him into a chair, and held him there until West, the beadle of Mitcham, arrived, and secured him. The prisoner then said, " 1 have done it—l have done it. I haVe murdered my wife, and I hope I stall be bun,e." The constable asked him what he had done with the pistol, and he produced the• one he bad just discharged at hi;. wife. West then searched him, and in one of his pockets he found another pistol leaded to the muzzle, and in his coat pocket a razor ; and he asked Pctts what he was going to do with the razor, and he replied that he intended to have destroyed himself with it after lie had killed his wife. Mr. Tipper, a medical gentleman, of Mitcham, had by this time arrived, and he ascertained that the woman had received a very severe injury, and he administered to her the necessary assistance. On Thursday the prisoner was taken before S. Elyard, Esq., a Magistrate for the county of Surrey, at his residence at Streatham, upon the charges of feloniously discharging a loaded pistol at his wife, with intent to murder her, but as she was not in a condition to attend and give evidence, the charge was briefly gone into.  West, the officer, was examined, and he produced a certificate horn the surgeon, to the effect that the prosecutor had been severely wounded in the chick by a pistol shot, and was not in a fit state to give evidence before the Magistrates, in consequence of the injury he had received.  Mr. Elyard, then addressing the prisoner, who was apparently nearly unconscious of what was going forward, said that he was charged with a most serious offence. He had heard the statements that were made against him, and if he pleased he was at liberty to say anything he liked in answer to them ; and he thought it his duty to inform him that all he said might be used as evidence against him, and he cautioned him to be careful in what he said.  The prisoner replied, " I have nothing to say." Mr. Dyard then said that it was his duty to remand him until his wife was in a fit state to attend and give evidence. He was accordingly remanded for a week.