ATTEMPTED MURDER OF A WIFE BY HER HUSBAND.—On Saturday night last, a man and his wife, who travel the country attending fairs, took lodgings at a beer-shop in Dragon-street, Petersfield, kept by James Parker. About the middle of the night the man made a desperate attempt on the life of his wife by cutting her throat. He then proceeded to the station-house, and gave himself up to the police, stating that he had just killed his wife. It proved, however, that the woman was not dead. Surgical aid was procured, and she is likely to recover. The man was brought up before the Hon. J. J. Carnegie, on Tuesday, and remanded until the wife shall be able to attend to give evidence.—West Sussex Gazette.
Hampshire Telegraph - Saturday 13 October 1860
PETERSFIELD
Agent—Miss DUPLOCK.
ATTEMPTED MURDER.—In chronicling from week to week the passing incidents of our quiet little town it seldom falls to our lot to record any deed of violence. A painful exception, however, marks the present week in the form of a murderous attack on a woman by her husband, which took place about the middle of the night of Saturday last (Heath fair day). A young man, named Thomas Hampton, who, with his wife Emily, travels the country with earthenware, &c., attended the fair, and after the business of the day was over he and his wife went to their lodgings at a beer-shop, in Dragon-street, kept by James Parker. It appears there had been some wrangling between them in the course of the day, and on retiring to their bed-room the quarrelling was renewed, and soon after the inmates of the house were startled by screams and cries of ‟murder!” On proceeding to the room the man rushed out in a state of great excitement and left the house. The woman was found on the floor, with a fearful gash, her throat and head bleeding profusely. Surgical aid was immediately procured, and we hear there is hope of the poor woman’s recovery. The husband on leaving the house went direct to the police station and gave himself up, stating that he thought he had killed his wife. He was brought up on Tuesday, before the Hon. J. J. Carnegie, at the Magistrates’ Clerk’s Office, and the wife not being in a fit state to give evidence he was remanded till Tuesday next.
Portsmouth Times & Naval Gazette - Saturday 13 October 1860
ATTEMPT AT MURDER.— On Tuesday, the 9th inst., Thomas Hampton, a licensed hawker, was brought up before the Hon. J. J. Carnegie, at the Police Office, charged with assaulting and beating, with intent to murder, his wife, Emily Hampton, on the night of the 6th inst. It appears that Hampton and his wife, who are hawkers of toys, had been married about 12 months, and that from some cause, the woman had left her husband for some months; that about five weeks ago she was confined of a child. Hampton came into the town on Friday, the 5th inst., the day before the fair, and took a front room, on the ground floor, at the beer-shop and eating-house of Mr. Parker, Dragon-street, where he deposited a large quantity of toys. On the following day, Saturday, he went into the fair, where he met with his wife, who was in attendance, with her mother, at rather a superior toy standing. It appears that throughout the day several quarrels took place between them—the man being anxious for his wife to live with him, and she, on the contrary, being determined not to do so. It is known that the wife kicked Hampton in a dangerous part, and that the father knocked him down, but, however, between 11 and 12 o’clock p.m., she was induced go with him into town to his lodgings. Parker, the landlord, then retired to rest, but had scarcely taken off his clothes, when he was alarmed by awful screams of murder from the room below; he instantly ran down stairs, opened the front door, and called loudly for the police. Hampton then pushed past him, and ran off down the street, and afterwards went and delivered himself up to Mr. Superintendent Fey, at the police station. The woman was then taken to the house of R. S. Cross, Esq., surgeon, completely covered with blood, when it was discovered that she had received several very severe wounds, from a life preserver, on the head, and one in the face; also a stab on the side of the neck from a knife. Mr. Cross lost time (assisted by Mr. Huntley) in dressing the wounds, after which she was carried by the police to her father’s caravan, but has since been removed into the town. We hear she is going on favourably. Prisoner was remanded until Tuesday next.