The Birkenhead News and Wirral General Advertiser. — 1882-04-29 (Birkenhead, Merseyside, England)

ATTEMPTED SUICIDE.  kr the Borough Police-court, on Saturday, before Mr. Preston, Ebenezer elements, a retired chief engineer in the Royal Navy, was charged with attempting to commit suicide by stabbing himself on Thursday afternoon in Clanghton-road. Mr. Moore watched the case on behalf of the 1 prisoner's family. P.C. 45 stated that about one o'clock on Thursday he was on duty in Clanghton-road, when he saw the prisoner sitting on the steps of No. 167 with blood coming from his side. He asked him what he was doing, and he replied that he had just taken his life, and was dying. He had plunged a knife into his heart'. Witness asked him what made him do it, and he said it was a family affair. Witness unbuttoned his cost and saw a large amount of blood. Witness asked him to stand up, and, as he said he was kardly able to stand, witness helped him up. He asked witness where he was going to take him to, and he said he was going to take him to the hospital. He asked witness if he would let him see his dear, dear wife before he went. On the way to the hospital he said he did it with a large pockdt knife, and on witness asking him where it was he handed him a razor: Witness said it could not have been done with that, when he said that he did it with a knife, but that if unsuccessful he had intended to cut his throat with the razor. When they got to Exmouth-street the prisoner sank, and said he was very weak, so witness called a cab and took him to the hospitaL P.C. 56 (Reynolds) said that on Monday evening he saw a crowd round the prisoner's door and went up to it. There he found the last witness with the prisoner, and assisted him to the hospital. Witness went back to defendant's wife and she gave him the knife produced. Mr. Bernstein, M.D., senior house surgeon at the Borough Hospital, said that at about half-past one on Thursday the two officers came with the prisoner to the hospital. His clothes were stained with blood below the region of the heart. Stripping him, witness found a small wound just below the region of the heart, going about 2i inches obliquely under the flesh, but not diiectly inwards. Witness asked him how he did it, and showed him the razor, but he said he never intended to cut his throat and that it would be a disgrace to him as a naval man to do so. He I had seen men killed at once by a wound where he had stabbed himself, and he had hoped to do the same. He appeared to be in a very depressed state, and exprebsed regret that he had not succeeded in his endeavour. When asked if he had any questions to put to the doctor, he replied, "No more than that you will allow me to thank him for his extreme kindness during the time I was in the hospital.,, Witness considered that the prisoner was I not in a fit state to be left alone, as he might possibly repeat the attempt or make one on somebody else. Mr. Preston announced his intention of sending the prisoner for trial, and, haviug been cautioned, the prisoner made the following statement :—" I beg to state that I have been suffering from extreme domestic unhappiness, brought on by my eldest daughter and daughter-in-law, who have influenced my wife.' The prisoner was.then committed for trial at the next Quarter Sessions.