Five Years' Penal Servitude.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XI, Issue 3432, 11 February 1890, Page 2

Five Years' Penal Servitude.

At.tlio Liverpool Assizes on Deo, 9, before Mr Justice Grantham, James Chandler, twenty-eoven. an ougine fitter, was oliarged with having maliciously wounded John Thomas Thompson with intent to murder bira,. The. case .for the proseoution showed that Thompson, ' who lived in New Zealand had soma ' money left him by a relative at _ Blaokbnrn, and came over to this Cr country to get posseßuion of it. : In August last ho visitod Liverpool for '' the purpose of purchasing a stock of goods to trado with on hie return to New Zealand, and he hired a room from the prisoner in Great George for the storage of his goods. Tho latter suggested that he should take , out with bid a nuiabor of good l4pkj£ of which he (the" piißonerj was tHs patentee, and ultimately tho two men went to Birmingham, to arrange for the manufacture ot the look's, the prisoner stating" that ha himself had no money to work tba patent. On their return from Birmingham, tho prisoner spoke of a new motor which ho had* patentedand which he said'was down in tha' coal cellar m the house. Prosecutor agreed to look at it, andthe prisoner Wok him down into tha cellar, and giving him a oandle told him to go along a passage aucl ho would see tho machine, Thompson went on in advance, when he was suddenly struck a terrific blow on the back of the head with Borne heavy instrument. He fell to the ground and the light went out, and he then felt soveral other blows being aimed at him, buthe managed to slightly to ova his position in tho dark, and mo3t of . the blows missed him. As soon as the attack ceased Thompson got up , and, and rushing past his assailant gained the street, whero he told a policeman of the affair. He and the officer wont back to the cellar, out}

there found a heavy hammer with which the Wows were supposed to have beeii inflicted. The prisoner was apprehended ahortly afterwards, and the allegatioufor the prosecution was that. Chandler was aware that Thompson was in possession of a large Bum olmouey and that ho bad attempted to murder him to get it, The defence was that it was a case of mistakon lhentity. Prisoner was found " Guilty" of wounding with intent to do grievous bodily harm, and was Bentenced to five years penal servitude,

- The following h from tho Fdliiwj Tlio following unique history ofJlotteris intHiesting as showing the ctrefulnoia unit business-like stylo in .which some of our Colouial Post Office offictrtld discharge their duties, and the despatch wiih which some correspondence reaches its dnstirmtion:—A letter, the envelope of whidi has been shown to ns, aud which is addressed as plainly as postikle to "Birmingham, near Feilding"' wan posted at Mustertonon July 12,1889, Notwithstanding that it only burn a stump, it wived at Birmingham, England, 011 August 20, JjJ)d no (ku is charged'far delicicni ' Wlilajiil. There it was opened, and riposted lYoni un to Lauluii on Augn.-t 28. In London it was 6tini,ieduC lliu dead letier oflic.: on AuaiiS'- 80, and sent un to Weil igion again forwarded to Must'ilon, find leached ihe address at "Biriiiiiigliiiin, near Feilding," on Thursday |«sj. , j

Thrrti in-# ironclads will, as toon as jiosj iht e, lie in Italy's Itaet of 1-1,000 tons and 20 (.O'J hoi , se-|iniver. Vess :Is, arm jrguns, and all are to be made in Ift/v.