StPT.] 



CHRONICLE. 



89 



at noon, a Welchman, named 

 David Owen, a cow-keeper, came 

 to town from Edmonton, and 

 proceeded to the house of one 

 ^ones, his brother-in-law, who is 

 also a cow-keeper, resident in 

 Gibraltar- row, Prospect- place, St. 

 George's-fields. After knocking 

 at the door he was admitted to the 

 room on the ground floor, where 

 Jones, with his Avife and maid- 

 servant, was at dinner. After 

 sitting for a few minutes, he start- 

 ed up, and with two knives, (with 

 which he had provided himself be- 

 fore his visit,) he rushed to the 

 execution of his execrable pur- 

 pose. He first attacked the man 

 Jones, whom he wounded dread- 

 fully in the belly and the head, so 

 as for some seconds to deprive 

 him of sense and motion. He 

 then flew at Mrs. Jones, his own 

 sister, and inflicted upon her se- 

 veral shocking wounds : he stab- 

 bed her in the forehead, cut her 

 severely though not dangerously 

 between two of her ribs, and 

 having thrust his knife in her 

 mouth, drew it clean through the 

 face to the ear, lacerating her 

 tongue, and laying the cheek 

 completely open. The ruflian 

 last struck at the servant-girl, 

 whom he seriously cut in the face 

 and one of her hands, besides di- 

 viding the main artery of her arm. 

 The poor wretches, though faint 

 and almost insensible with terror 

 and loss of blood, contrived to 

 make their way into the street, 

 where they were immediately ob- 

 served by their neighbours, and 

 were carried into the adjoining 

 houses till medical assistance could 

 be procured. In the mean time 

 tlic assassin lutd fastened the door 

 of Joneg's house, and with loyd 



imprecations threatened to destroy 

 any person who should dare to 

 approach him. This threat, to- 

 gether with the impression of the 

 horrible scene before them, and 

 the circumstance of Owen (who 

 is a remarkably large and power- 

 ful man) being armed with two 

 knives, completely deterred the 

 multitude, though soon consisting 

 of many hundreds, from attempt- 

 ing to enter the house. Police- 

 officers, however, were sent for, 

 and on their arrival and after the 

 interval of nearly an hour, it was 

 determined to break into the 

 house and seize the desperate vil- 

 lain. For this purpose a great 

 number of persons armed with 

 pokers and crow-bars, some with 

 ladders at the windows, and some 

 on the ground, made a simulta- 

 neous attack on the house, and 

 bursting it open above and beloAV, 

 rushed in with great force. They 

 found Owen on the first landing 

 place, standing with an air of de- 

 fiance, and whetting his knives 

 one upon the other, as if for the 

 purpose of rendering them more 

 effectually murderous. One of 

 the officers, however, without a 

 moment's delay, struck him a 

 violent blow with a crow-bar on 

 the head, which knocked off his 

 hat and staggered liim ; and ano- 

 ther instantly took ad\'antage of 

 his tottering, seized one of hi« 

 legs, and threw him on the 

 ground. Still the ruffian was able 

 to resist, which he did so obsti- 

 nately, that the officers were com- 

 pelled to beat and even wound 

 him severely about the face and 

 body, before he was subdued to a 

 state of accpiiescence : they then 

 put him into a hackney-coach, 

 uuJ conveyed him to the prison in 

 Horsemonger- 



