The Herald of Wales and Monmouthshire Recorder. — 1885-12-26 (Swansea, West Glamorgan, Wales)

REMARICA.BLE DEFENCE.  On Saturday a young man named Edward Payne, 18, barman, was charged at tile Central Criminal Court with malicionaty wounding Charlotte Bench, with intent to muter her. There WAS a second count in the indietnieut eaitrging the priooner with attempting to CI mini:. Poland, for the prosecution, smug) the Meta of the cam as afterwards proved in e: idence. The prisoner was • barman at •public-houre at Bromley, and up to the time of this occurrences he had borne • good character. He had formed an immoral intimacy with Charlotte Dena, an unfortunate, and for some sir montba they lied lived together as man and wife. According to the scitengint of the prooecutrix she was in bed asleep, whou one was awakened by feeling a pain in her throat. which ate then torrid was cut. At the same time icier i.aw the pi iooner standing on the floor with a knife in his hand in the act of matting his own throat. She i-houtel, and the landlady of the house clone. On the landhidy of the house entering the room, the prisoner said, " Fetch • doctor' I have done it. '' The police were called, and the parties weie removed as speedily as possible to the hospital, where they both fortunately recovered. There was a discrepancy in the woman • testimony as to the knife. She mated that the prisoner flung it on the flour, whereas, when the police arrived and searched the room, the knife way tound on the drawers. It was a cla•p knife, and it was shut, but the woman say. it was not shut when he threw it from him. Tic defence was that it was the woman, and not the man, who committed the offence, jealousy being alleged as the motive. Evidence was then given by the prieernisix, the landlady, the police, arid the medical marnTee medical evidence was to the effect that the wound on the man was much more severe than th,t on the w mien, and that both ' wounds might have been self.inflcted. The officer who arrested the prisoner, on bong charged by the pressman:, lasted that he (prisoner) said, "I knew nothing about it until the landlady came into the room, when 1 round blood running down my thr mt.”--Courneh haring addressed the jury for the defence, witnesses were called, who desee.ad to the prosecutri: having, on a previous atiempted suicide, and to having threatened. in the bearing of several persone, that she would stick s knife inte the prisoner.—At ter a speech from Mr. Poland and the numminr up of the judge, the jury, without I a moment's hesitation, acquitted the prmoner.  cc ion,  The annual return giving the statistics of this II Clyde shipbuilding trade of 18-4si chews that 241 I ve.sels of a total tonnage of 193.458 WM launched, SIS compared with a tonnage ot 296 8 4 last year. The retui a skews a decrease on the outpnt of 1884 -the big year--of 220,203 to., and of 198,476 on the total , for 1882. The tonnage for the year 1877, when the last most serious depression prevailed, was 169,710, 23,748 less than the present year. Ati important announcement wait mad, on Sitar. day by Mr. Stanbope, of the Bo or Trade. Tim Hoard have, after long deliberation, decided nnt to entree light dune in the case in ateamerA calling at Channel and other pea to embark blinker coals for use on the voyage. This vexed giceition al.. Welt the subject of many a and k'oloitations, and will have • beneficial elf- tCu the coaling trade; ae steam. ships have been taking in bunker coal at foreign ports mince the enforcement ol light dues commenced 18 moothe ago. A return was issued on Saturlay by the War ()Mc, of the number at general &dna; or garrisiin and rttris mental courts-martial, 10,1200 traui,innenta, desertine, &c., in 1b.5.1. It raved the fa:lowing totals : General courtstuartial, 79—iirop stion to average atrength, *O4 ; district garrie.in regimental courts. martial, 12,592—proportion ti average strength, 72; minor punishments, :rinl;)—innrortion to average strength, 1463; desertions, 4,473—proportion to sewage strength, The remains ot D-an Howson were, by special per. mission of the Home Secretary, interred at noon on Sattirday in a grave dug in the south-eastern angle of the cloister-green of Chester Cathsdral. Among those present were Mr. and Mrs. Gladstm,e, , the Duke and Duchess of Weatminster, the NMI) , of Chester (who lead the Burial Service), the Mayor awl Corporation of Chester, the Deans of Gloucester . and Manchester, and an immense gathering of clergy ' and laity of the diocese. The Duchess of Westminster Iplaced • wreath upon the coffin.