The Proceedings of the Old Bailey

 

458.   ELIZABETH WILLIAMS (22) , Feloniously wounding   Matilda Lacey, with intent to do her grievous bodily harm.

MR. HAGGARD Prosecuted.

  MATILDA LACEY . I live at 6, Little Pearl Street,  Spitalfields—one Sunday, about a month ago, about twenty minutes past 12 at night, I was with Harris and another witness whose name I don't know—I was bidding them good night when the prisoner came up and said "You are the little bleeder I want to see; take that"—she struck me in the face with her hand and walked away; two or three minutes afterwards she ripped me down the face with something in her hand—I said nothing—I went to Commercial Street Station and had the wound dressed at a quarter to 1 the same night—this is the scar of the wound—I had had a drop—I think the prisoner had had some—I wash, or scrub, or do anything—I am single.

Cross-examined by the Prisoner. I did not give you in custody on the Saturday night because I did not know what house you lived in till the Sunday morning—I knew you were living in the court opposite me—a woman who lived next door to me told me where you lived—I could not see what you had in your hand—I did not see a baby in your arms—you said to me "You have slept with my old man," when you struck me the first time with your hand.

By the COURT. I did not suffer very much pain—the wound was sewn up with six stitches—I went to the hospital and had the stitches taken out.

Re-examined I went to the station at once and informed the police of the offence.

By the JURY. I know nothing of sleeping with her man, I am innocent of it, I don't know what she means—she lives at Vine Yard—I had never had any words with her before—it was at twenty minutes past 12 at night on 1st April that it occurred, and I went to the station at a quarter to 1.

  JOHN HARRIS . I live at 7, Crown Court,  Spitalfields, and am a toy maker—on Saturday night, 1st April, I was standing outside the Prince of Wales with John Phillips and Lacey, about half-past 12; Lacey was bidding me good night when the prisoner came along and said "That is little Tilly; that is just the little bleeder I want to see," and she walked across and hit her with her fist, and then went away; she returned two or three minutes afterwards; I and my friend were then talking at the post, and we had our backs to her, and Matilda Lacey holloaed out "I am stabbed"—the prisoner said "That is for giving my old man 6s. to sleep with him"—I saw a wound on her face.

Cross-examined. I saw her face Was bleeding—I did not see you stab her—I did not tell the inspector at the station that I had gone home—I did not see the instrument, you went away too quickly.

By the JURY. I did not see a child in her arms—I daresay she had had a drop, I won't say she was quite sober, and the prosecutor was about the same—they might have had a little bit of a tussle before Lacey said she was stabbed, in between the two blows—they held up their hands and squared up to one another—Lacey did nothing, she did nothing after she was struck, only picked up her hat—they only had about one round—no crowd collected, no people were passing.

  JOHN PHILLIPS . I live at 4, Pope's Head Court, Quaker Street, pitalfields—early one Sunday morning about a month ago, I was standing outside the Prince of Wales, between 20 minutes and half-past 12 with Harris and Lacey, when the prisoner came up and said "Halloa

Tilly, you are just the one I want"—I did not want to listen to the conversation, I was walking: up and down; I did not observe what took place—I saw Lacey was like falling on the pavement, and I held her from falling—I said to the prisoner "Don't hit her, she is drunk"—I did not see any blow struck—the prisoner went away and returned again in four or five minutes—I was talking to my friend, and Lacey said she had been stabbed—I did not see anything in the prisoner's hand—I did not think there would be any more quarrel—I did not take any notice for two or three minutes, and then I saw blood flowing from her face—the prisoner was talking to another woman then—I never heard any bad expression, nothing about the old man—they were both the worse for liquor.

  PERCY JOHN CLARK . I am a surgeon, of 2, Spital Square—on Sunday, 1st April, I was called to the station about 1 a.m., where I saw the prosecutrix; she had an incised wound on the right cheek, extending outwards in a slanting direction—it was three-quarters of an inch in the deepest part, it gaped about three-quarters of an inch—I stitched it up—it could have been caused by some fairly sharp instrument—it might have been caused by an instrument of this description—these are blood-stains on this knife; I have examined it—I cannot say whether they are human or not—the wound is healed now; there will always be a scar, but it will not always be as prominent as it is now—I only saw her on the one occasion; my impression is, there were more than six stitches.

  THOMAS MASON (Policeman H 186). About half-past 10 a.m. on let April I went with Constable Duke to 5, Vine Yard, Pearl-Street, and to the first-floor front room, where I saw the prisoner in bed—I searched the room and found this knife, shut, on the sideboard—I opened it and saw some mark on it that appeared to be blood—I said to the prisoner "How do you account for the knife being here?"—she said "I don't know, it does not belong to me"—nothing more was said in my hearing—I was there all the time Duke was; I was searching round the room to see if I could find any marks of the violence.

  WALTER DUKE . I am a plain-clothes constable—on 1st April about half-past 10, I went with Mason to 5, Vine Yard, where I saw the prisoner in bed—I told her I was a police officer, and said "I shall take you into custody for stabbing Matilda Lacey early this morning"—she said "I will give it to her for this; I will make it hot for her"—she was taken to the station—Mason was searching the room at this time, I told him to do so—at the station the prisoner said something about "I did hit her, but not with the knife"—I saw Mason show her the knife; she said it was not her knife, she did not know how it came there—the knife was closed—there were other people in the house; the prisoner only occupies one room.

Prisoner's Defence. "I acknowledge hitting her with my fist, as to using the knife I did not."

GUILTY of unlawful wounding.— * Fifteen Months' Hard Labour.