Launceston Examiner (Tas. : 1842-1899) Tuesday 15 December 1885 p 3 Article
THE ATTEMPTED MURDER
(FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.)
At the Police Office Fingal, on Monday, 7th instant, before Mr. S. H. Grueber, Mr. Senr., J.P., the prisoner, John Beckett, was arraigned on the charge " that he on the 23rd day of, November, at Fingal aforesaid, did feloniously with a certain razor which he then held, cut and wound one Maria Shepherd, with intent in so and doing then and thereby, feloniously, wilfully, and of his malice aforethought, to kill and murder the said Maria Shepherd, contrary, etc."
Mr. Superintendent Smith conducted the examination of witnesses for the prosecution. -
Maria Shepherd deposed-I am the daughter of Henry and Mary Ann Shepherd and reside with them at Fingal; know the prisoner John Beckett, now present; he was living at our house for about 5 months; remember 23rd November last. At abcut 25 minutes to 5 that morning Beckett called out to me "It's all 25 minutes to 5, Maria, and time you were up; " I replied "Its time you were out was and at work ;" He said "it's not 5 yet, the alarm has not gone off." No other conversation took place then; I got up at once and dressed; my mother whispered to me not to light the fire, it was too early; I then sat on a chair and fell asleep; some time afterwards I woke, went to the door to see if Beckett had gone to his work, but saw him lying on a sofa; went to sofa, picked up his hat and asked him if he was asleep; He said "no." I then went outside to drive the ducks from the door; 'Beckett followed me out; I came back with some wood to light the fire; he told me "to make the fire and quick;" he had his hat turned up all around his head; I told him that "he looked a fright in it;" he said " anything would do him this morning;" he asked as I was lighting the fire "does Mr. Oliver keep geese ?" I said " yes ;" he said look at them;" I replied "I have seen geese all before;" I said " you look ill Johnny, what's up with you ?" he turned round sharply, saying, "Perhaps you're ill," at the same time catching hold of me, he tried to push me along; I fell down; then he tried to drag me, and then tried for five minutes to choke me; then he pulled a razor out of his pocket,
opened it, and, drawing the blade across my throat, said "I'll be hang for you yet;" then he made away towards the street; it was about twenty yards from barn-door, and near the back door where he cut my throat; I have had no previous quarrel with prisoner; at times he has been sulky; I was not engaged to be married to him ; he never proposed marriage to me; never went walking with him alone; he never has attempted to take liberties with me; have seen him shave himself; he had only one razor; would recognise that razor again if I saw it; the razor now produced by Mr. Superintendent Smith is prisoner's, and the one he shaved with; I recognise it by this notch in the blade, and believe it to be the one he cut me with; since 23rd November I have been, and still am , under the treatment of Dr. Hoskins; did not call out or scream as prisoner had hold of me by the throat; as soon as he left me after cutting me I called out "Mother!" at the same time running into the house; mother then came from her bedroom to the kitchen, where I was, and asked what was the matter; I fell on the sofa and said, " Johnny has cut my neck ;" prisoner was not present then.
Cross-examined by prisoner-You caught me first by the neck ; you did not knock me down, my dress tripped me ; after cut my throat I called out " Oh, mother,"
and asked you, " Oh, Johnny, what did you do it for?" you replied "Never mind."
Mary Ann Shepherd deposed-I am wife of Henry Shepherd, and live at Fingal; so the previous witness is my daughter, and in was 16 in September; remember 23rd November last; know prisoner, John Beckett; for he resided with us for four months prior to said 23rd November; my daughter Maria usually gets up to light the fire in the mornings. At about 25 minutes to five. On the morning of 23rd November prisoner got up and dressed himself; I was awake and heard him get up; heard him call Maria, and tell her it was time she got up; she replied, "It's time you got up and went to work;" he said; "I'ts not quite five yet," Maria then got up and dressed, leaving me in bed; I said it was too soon to get up, so she sat on a chair near the bed and went to sleep; I also
slept again, and on waking heard a scream and jumped out of bed; broke open bed room window and saw prisoner running away. I called out to him, " Johnny, you - wretch" I said this because I heard Maria, scream, did not see her at the time; she did not reply to me; on going out of my, bedroom I saw Maria come into the kitchen staggering and fall on the floor; she did not speak before falling. After she fell I asked what was the matter; she replied,"Johnny has choked me and cut my throat with a razor;" saw that her throat was cut and bleeding. I placed her on a sofa and screamed for my neighbours to come to my house to help; Mrs. BLair came; I then sent for Dr. Hoskins, and went myself and reported the affair to the police. Prisoner used to shave every Sunday; I have seen the razor he used to shave with; razor now shown to me is the same; recognised it by the notch in the blade. During whole of the time prisoner resided with us I never know him to quarrel with Maria; he never asked my consent for him to marry her; Maria and he never went out walking alone; to my knowledge he had never threatened her; they were always on good terms and he always
behaved well towards her.
By prisoner-When you called out to us Maria to get up, you were in the kitchen; I did not see you get up.
By Bench-The first time I saw prisoner on morning of 23rd November was when he was running away after I heard the screaming; after I called out "Johnny, you wretch !" I heard him say "I will give myself up." During his stay with us he has never been unsettled in mind.
By Superintendant of Police--My husband was not at home on 23rd November,
He was at Frodsley, seven miles from Fingal.
Thomas Hoskins deposed-Am a duly qualified medical practitioner, and reside at Fingal; did so on 23rd November last; I was called at about eight on morning of that, day to see Maria Shepherd. On examining her, found her throat cut from below the right ear across the windpipe;" a wound was about five inches in length and three-quarters of an inch at the greatest depth; the girl was faint and sick from loss of blood; I sewed up the wound.
On a subsequent examination I found finger marks on her throat as
if she had been choked, and marks on her chest as if she had been knelt upon; the razor now shown me would be a likely instrument to make such a cut as was on the girl's, throat; the notch in the razor may have probably have prevented it from cutting deeper. The wound is a dangerous one; Maria Shepherd is still under my care and is likely to recover; her life was in danger for several days.
John Dineen- deposed-Am a constable in Fingal police force stationed at Fingal, was so on 23rd November last; know prisoner Bleckett, now present; at about 8.30 on morning of said 23rd November he came to me at my residence and said he had come to give himself up for killing Miss Shepherd; I asked him how he had killed her; he replied "by choking her" I asked him if she was alive; he said she was; afterwards he said he had cut her throat with a razor; I remarked that was- very serious and cautioned him about the statement he was making; he said, "That's correct, and you will find her dead;" I thereupon arrested and took him to the gaol; he told me he had thrown away the razor with which he cut the girl's throat ; the distance between Mrs. Shepherd's house and mine is about three-quarters of a mile; on arresting prisoner I told him the charge on which I arrested him was for attempted murder; he replied that in his opinion the girl was dead, and I would find her so, and remarked that " he would rather see her dead than living with her mother"
John Smith, deposed-Am Superintendent of police for Fingal, and was so on 23rd November last. At about 8130 a.m. that day Mrs. Shepherd came to my house and
reported to me that Beckett had cut her daughter's throat; I at once sent a constable for Dr. Hoskins and proceeded to Mrs. Shepherd's myself; on arrival there found Maria Shepherd lying on her back
on a sofa with her throat cut; Dr. Hoskins was then present; and sewed up the wound. From a statement made to me I went to a barn, 23 yards from the house, where I saw a pool of blood, and there were stains of blood leading thence to the back door of Mrs. Shepherd's house; later on same day I conducted search for a razor, and found the one I now produce in a briar hedge one-quarter mile from Mrs. Shepherd's. It had blood stains on the blade, and has been identified to-day by previous' witnesses, Maria and Mary Ann Shepherd, as being the property of prisoner.
This concluded the case for the prosecution, and the prisoner being asked if he had anything to say. and having had the usual caution read over to him, made the following statement :-" The reason why I did this deed was I was courting Miss Shepherd at Mrs. Shepherd's house, and this girl used to be illused every day; her mother was jealous of her; the mother wanted me to carry on with her instead of with the daughter; the girl was threatened every day of her life; if I was to lark and go on with the mother that was all right; I did not like to see the girl illused; the girl told me she wished she was dead many a time, and threatened to make away with herself."
Prisoner was committed for trial at next Criminal Sittings to be held in Launceston.
Fingal, Dec. 10. 1885