852. JAMES SLATER (32) , Feloniously wounding Jane Slater, with intent to murder. Second Count, with intent to do her grievous bodily harm.
MR. HUTTON Prosecuted, and MR. GEOGHEGAN Defended at the request of the COURT.
JANE SLATER . I live at 14, Osborne Cottages, Acton—the prisoner is my husband—lie had been away to South America fourteen months—on Monday, 22nd August, I was awakened by my hand being out with a knife—I was undressed, and in bed—the prisoner was standing by the bedside over me, with the knife in his hand—I said, "Good God, Jim, what have you done?"—I was so frightened—he turned round to the table and out his throat—I called the landlady, who opened the door, bat was so frightened she ran downstairs, and I ran after heir—I went in next door, where the policeman came.
Cross-examined. The prisoner walked over to the table—he has been a soldier—he went through the Zulu war—I did not go to South America; I did not know where he had gone—I have one child three years old next month—the prisoner had had some drink that night—I never gave him any provocation—I did not hear him say anything about Deeming.
GEORGE HEATH (477 X). On 22nd August, about ten o'clock, I was called to Osborne Cottages, Acton—I went into No. 13 first, and saw the last witness—she had a large cut between the thumb and first finger, which bled very much—after I had washed her hand and stopped the bleeding, in consequence of what she told me, I went into No. 14—I saw the prisoner held on the bed by three or four men, who said he had tried to cut his throat—that was downstairs—I sent for Dr. Jolly—I searched the room, and found this knife at the bottom of the bed—I showed him this knife, and said, "I shall take you to the station and charge you with stabbing your wife"—he said, "Very well"—at the station he made this statement; I made a note at the time he was charged: "My wife was in bed; I said to her, 'I am going to have a game at Deeming to-night'; I took the knife from the table and went towards her, and said, 'Jennie, are you prepared, like Deeming's offspring?' I then pointed the handle of the knife to her throat. She threw her hands up, and then said, 'Oh, Jim, see what you have done. 'I then caught hold of her wrist and saw it was bleeding, and said, 'Mate, it is an awful cut. 'I then turned round and cut my own throat with the same knife. "
SAMUEL LAIRD JOLLY . I am a medical practitioner, of 19, Gold' smiths' Gardens, Acton—between ten and eleven on 22nd August I was called to 14, Osborne Cottages—I saw the prisoner—he had two small incised wounds in his throat two-thirds of an inch in length, slight wounds, only through the skin—I saw his wife in No. Id—she had an incised wound on the back of the hand, the dorsal surface between the finger and thumb extending into the superficial faciæ and into the muscular tissue; it was bleeding much—that could have been caused by a knife similar to this produced—it would require great force to inflict the wound, which was two-thirds of, or nearly, an inch in depth—I have attended her since—she has recovered.
Cross-examined. The wound was deeper in the centre—he asked me to attend to his wife first; he was in drink—I said to him he was a foolish fellow to drink so much—the woman throwing her hand up, and its coming in contact with the knife, would not cause the wound; the force would not have been sufficient.
The prisoners statement before the Magistrate: "It was an accident, that is all; it was no intention on my part. "
Guilty of unlawfully wounding.— Six Weeks, Hard Labour.
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