The Sun. — 1847-07-02 (London, England)

THAMES.  Caroline Mitchell, a young woman who has given much trouble to the magistracy, tl-e police, and the surgeons of the London Hospital, by her repeated attempts to commit self-destruction, was brought before Mr. Yardley, charged with making another attempt of the same kind, in which she bad very nearly succf eded. A respectable woman named Clark stated, that on Monday night, at half-past eight o'clock, she saw the prisoner running towards the swivel bridge, over the London-dock entrance in Old Gravel-lane, exclaiming. " I will—l will do it." In a moment the prisoner slipped under the chains on to the pier head, and plunged into the water, which is there more than twenty-four feet in depth. IN itness was thunderstruck, but as soon as she recovered from her surprise she screamed aloud for help, and the servants of the dock company and others procured the drags, and threw ropes towards the prisoner, uho sank twice, and came up again, when the prisoner caught hold of one rope, and a Young sailor was lowered down by the side of the perpendicular wall, and, while she faintly held on, he seized her round the waist, and saved her. The prisoner was taken to a public-house near, and after some time had elapsed she was restored. When the prisoner came to her senses, she raved and said, " Why did you not let me go to the bottom ? I will destroy myself." John Putt, a police-constable, 177 K, sad the prisoner once threw herself into the Thames, and after a great deal of trouble was resuscitated, and since then had made other attempts on her life. On Monday night ho met the prisoner in Old Gravel-lane. She was then drunk, and said "I intend to do it, I will ;" and ran away from him. The prisoner was a woman of the town, and had just come out of prison, after being confined in default of finding sureties to keep the peace, in consequence of her having attempted to commit suicide. Ile knew that she had made, similar attempts repeatedly. James Wittleton, a police constable, No. 173 K, stated, that the prisoner was charged with attempting to drown herself about three months ago. She then selected the same place as she had done on Monday night, and was with difficulty saved by the medical attendants and others. after she was locked up in the station-house, he heard a rattling in the throat during the night, and upon opening the door of the cell in which she was confined, he found a lump of oxalic acid in her mouth, which he took from her, and he had got it now. She was taken to the London Hospital, where she remained for several weeks before she was cured. The prisoner, who treated the affair with much unconcern, said she had nothing at all to say. Mr. YARDLEY doubted whether the prisoner was a fit person to be at large at all, and said, that the public ought not to be shocked by these repeated attempts on the part of a woman to_commit suicide without taking some measures to restrain her. He should commit the prisoner for trial for the misdemeanour in attempting to commit self-murder. SOUTHWARK, Thomas Buckly was. charged with breaking into the premises of Mr. William Jenkioson, leather merchant, of York-place, Kent-road, and stealing forty-five dozen of dressed skins. On the night of the 16th ult. the complainant's premises were forcibly entered, and forty-five dozen of dressed leather skins carried off. Two days afterwards nine dozen of the skins were discovered in the house of a man named Armfield, a tailor in Bermiedsey, who with his son, a young man in the leather trade, was taken into custody on suspicion of being concerned in the robbery. After undergoing two examinations, however, the Armfields were discharged, it appearing, that three days subsequent to the robbery the prisoner Buckly met the younger Armfield, told him that he had forty-five dozen.of dressed skins to dispose of cheap, and entreated him to become a purchaser. The latter, how?ver, by his own account, declined having any dealings with him, and they separated on that understanding. The prisoner, however, not deterred by the refusal, the same evening conveyed nine dozen of the skins to the house of the elder Armfield, informing him that he had had one interview with his son, who agreed to become the purchaser of them, and adding that he should leave them there for him, to be paid for on another opportunity. Armfield senior expressed his unwillingness to have the skins deposited in his house, but the prisoner hurried away, and, as already described, in a day or two afterwards they were traced to the place by the police, and both father and son were apprehended on the charge. When they were taken before the magistrate they related precisely the manner in which the skins came into their possession, and gave such information on the subject that they were admitted to bail until means were devised for the apprehension of the real offender. This, however, was not effected until within the last few days, the prisoner since the burglary and robbery of the complainant's premises having r; need himself from his usual hani4t*. He, howevw, fell into the hands of the police by havin4--tittemptett to piz-La gentleman's pocket, and, when tie was taken before a magistrate at one of the West end police -conrts, he was identified by a constable who happened the man who had absconded and was to won b.e predsent as site." upon the present charge. When the prisoner was asked what be had to say in answer to the charge, he admitted taking the nine dozen skins to Armfield's house and leaving them there by the desire of his son, who, from the price he (prisoner\ offered them for, must have known they honestly come by.. The prison,. was not concer,-1--•,  ..ere not “Lso asserted that he 4n ine burglary, and in accounting for we way in which the stolen property came into his possession, said that on the I'th ult., as he was standing nearliereiondsey Church, a young man whom he met asked him to sell the skins for him, and offered to pay him for his trouble; that be (prisoner) at once assented, and knowing the Armfields to be persons not very par ticular as to *hat they bought, so that they had it cheap, he concluded a bargain with the son as already described. Both the Armfields, however, repelled the insinuation,' cast upon their characters 4 And declared that the; : sion oi the transaction was precisely "het, occuried o yer n *le occasion. Mr. SEcs committna the prisoner, and bound ove the Amitelde witnesses on the trial.