Brighouse & Rastrick Gazette. — 1890-08-09 (Brighouse, West Yorkshire, England)

ROMANTIC INCIDENT AT THE OLD BAILEY.  At the Old Bailey, on Tuesday, before Mr. .Tust ice Grantham, William Stock, 22, a labourer, who had been employed in the telegraph department of the Great Eastern Railway, was indicted for attempting to murder Mary Ann Capper, and also with attempting to commit suicide. It appeared that the prisoner had formed an attachment for the girl, and had been maintaining her for some time, es well wilier family, on his wages of El a week,taking her father, her brother and sister out of the workhouse. She left his mother's house on the 2lst of May, and he met her on the 23rd, and asked her ' to go back, and be would marry her. She ' replied that they had better look iound a bit, whereupon he drew a razor and cut her thwat and then cut his own. The prosecutrix admitted that she did not now go in fear of the prisoner, and when he came out of prison she would marry hum—Mr. Hutton, who defended, agreed that at the time of flue action the prisoner was not in a sound mind, and that be did not intend to kill the woman. He asked the jury to say that the prisoner acted upon impulse, and merely convict him of unlawfully wounOing,—The judge coincided with the suggestion, and told the jury they would not be justified in coining to any other conclusion.—The jury immediately returned a verdict of guilty of unlawful wounding, and very strongly implored the judge to exerciee the utmost clemency. The prisoner was given an excellent character.— Mr. Justice Grantham said this was a remarkable ease. He had rarely heard of such devotion on the part of anyone as unquestionably the prisoner had shewn to the prosecutrix, and be was happy to testify to the fact that this case was another proof of the existence of men of noble minds in the bumbler spheres of life, lie sentenced the prisoner to one week's imprisonment, the effect of which was that the prisoner was immediately released. In passing this sentence Mr. Justice Grantham said the prosemarls was desirous of recompensing the prisoner for his devotion to her. It was only her feeling that she was not inc position to do justice to him, having put him to so much expense,that prevented her accepting the offer of his hand and heart. He was instructed to say, and was happy to say, on his own behalf and on behalf of those sitting on the bench with him (Alderman Savory and Sheriffs Stuart Knill and Harris), that a sum of £lO would be handed to the woman, partly providtd by those who were sitting on the bench and also by the sheriff's fund, which would enable her to assist in providing a home for them, and the chaplain had instructed him to say that he would feel only too glad f the two would allow him to perform, after a proper interval, the service which would make them man and wife. Further, he was quite sure the Great Eastern Railway Company would take him into their service again, and he hoped that at the end of a very long life he would still be in their employ, that he would make a happy home for the woman, and he was aura she would be good to him. The prisoner was deeply affected during this impressive scene, and before he left the dock a juryman handed him a half-sovereign, saying it would be "something to go on with."  A concert singer named Weiss has committed suicide in Baden by shooting himself because an attack of influenza had ruined his voice. A young French officer on the staff of the Minister of War, named M. de Sirotka, has lost his life in the course of some pyrotechnical experiments at VersailleA. M. de Sirotka and several brother officers were upon the shooting grounds witnessing a discharge of rockets, when one of them burst upon his head cleaving the skull. M. de Sirotka died as lie wee being removed to the hosuital.  Owmg to the terrific heat, the deaths from otiolent in Madrid are rapidly increasing. Of the 42 persons stricken, no fewer than 22 died. All Valencia is now itafected,as also au e Murcia, Alicante and Tarragona, and the Government are afraid to publish the number of deaths which have occurred, as it is 80 large. An accident has occurred at Belfast, whereby a young man named Matthew Brown lost his life bg oval balancing himself an working at an angina adjacent to the water. Hie foot slipped, and before an &harm was raised he was drowned. On the same day another case of drowning was reported to lb* wilice. Thomas Parker, a young man, apparently v pil turftd bevend his depth while bathing with eons and WIN li, wureol.