The Morning Post, in its edition of Thursday the 9th of March, 1854, gave details of a court case that had caused a great deal of excitement at the Guildhall Police Court the previous day:-
JAMES TUCKER ATTEMPTED MURDER
Great excitement prevailed yesterday in the neighbourhood of the Guildhall court, in consequence of a rumour having gone forth that one of the most determined attempts at murder had been made at the Smithfield Police-station on the night previous, and that the young man whose act had endangered the lives of two persons was to be examined before the magistrates during the day.
The court was crowded early in the morning, and at the usual hour for commencing business, Mr. Alderman Muggeridge, the presiding magistrate, and Mr. Alderman Wilson, took their seats on the bench, when, a few trivial night charges having been previously disposed of, the prisoner, whose name is James Tucker, was brought up and placed at the bar, charged with embezzling various sums, amounting in all to about £60.
He was further charged with shooting at his master, Mr. Umpleby, with intent to kill him.
MR. UMPLEBY’S TESTIMONY
Mr. G. W. Umpleby, who is a woollen-draper, residing in Holborn-hill, stated that the prisoner was formerly a traveller in his employ, and that, having met him yesterday in the Kingsland-road, he accompanied him to the Smithfield Police-station, where he gave him into custody for embezzlement.
While making the charge, the prisoner discharged a pistol at Mr. Umpleby, the ball from which grazed the head, and, passing through a window, struck the wainscot in the passage.
The prisoner was then secured.
TUCKER SPEAKS OUT
Evidence of the fact having been given by the police officers present, of whom one, Inspector Teague, had a narrow escape from death by the discharge of the pistol, Alderman Muggeridge asked the prisoner what he had to say.
The man, in reply, answered:-
“I have only to say this, that I was at the West-end yesterday, and purchased the pistol with no other object in view than because it was cheap.
I took it to a gunsmith to get it repaired, and it was returned to me loaded. I had not the slightest intention of committing murder, but being in the station with a loaded pistol in my possession, I thought I would discharge it.
If I had wished to have taken the life of the prosecutor, I had ample opportunity of so doing long ago; but I had no such intention, and I can produce both the person who sold me the pistol and the person who repaired it for me.”
REMANDED IN CUSTODY
Alderman Muggeridge:- “That is no defence to the charge against you; I shall, therefore, commit you for trial upon the charge of attempting to murder Mr. Umpleby, by firing at him with a loaded pistol, but will remand you upon the other charge for further evidence.”
The prisoner, whose confidence never left him throughout the whole of the proceedings, was then remanded for a week.
TUCKER’S NEXT COURT APPEARANCE
The Morning Post, on Wednesday the 15th of March 1854, reported on the proceedings of his next court appearance:-
James Tucker, the young man who was remanded from Wednesday last, upon the charge of shooting at Mr. Umpleby, his late master, with intent to kill him, was again brought up and placed at the bar before Alderman Muggeridge for farther examination, relative to several charges of embezzlement.
WITNESSES TESTIFY
Mr. Lewis appeared for the prosecution, and tendered the following important evidence to complete the charge of attempt at murder:-
Thomas Prior said:- “I am a cab-driver. I drove the prisoner on Tuesday last from the cab rank, opposite the Eastern Counties Railway, to the Smithfield Police-station. The officer who had the prisoner in custody was the only other person who rode in the cab with him.
In the morning, while searching my cab, I found under the seat this Spanish clasp knife, two pairs of bullet moulds, and a tin canister, containing some bullets and pistol nipples.”
THE LOCKMSITH’S TESTIMONY
Richard Davis, of 2, Henrietta-street, Manchester-square, said:-
“I am a locksmith.
On Tuesday last I sold the pistol produced to the prisoner. He asked me if I had any more pistols and some bullets, and on my replying in the negative, he said he wanted them because he thought of going to Australia. The pistol has had a nipple put on it since I sold it.”
JOHN STEVENS THE GUNMAKER
John Stevens said:-
“I am a gunmaker, carrying on business at No. 11, Hackney-road-crescent. I know the prisoner.
He brought this pistol to be repaired, on Tuesday afternoon last.
It had a new percussion nipple put to it, and when he came again for it, he bought a pair of bullet moulds, marked No. 54.
The other pair produced I know nothing of.
The bullet produced by Inspector Teague fits the pair of moulds No. 54.
When I returned the pistol to the prisoner there was a bullet lying about, and as I was removing it the prisoner said:-
“You need not put that away; just give me a load.”
I accordingly loaded the pistol with powder and ball, and having put a percussion cap on it, I delivered it in that state to the prisoner, and he then went away.
THE BULLET THAT WAS FIRED
Inspector Teague said, the bullet spoken of by the last witness, as fitting No. 54 moulds, is the same that was discharged from the pistol by the prisoner while in the police-station.
AN OPPORTUNITY WAS GIVEN
Evidence was then given with reference to the embezzlement of several small sums of money; after which, a previous conviction was proved against the prisoner, by which it appeared that he was imprisoned for eight months for embezzlement, and on his being released from prison, Mr. Umpleby, knowing that fact, took him into his service, at 30s. per week, with the view of giving him an opportunity of reforming and retrieving his lost character.
THE PRISONER SPEAKS OUT
The depositions being completed, they were then read over to the prisoner, who, in answer to the charge of attempting to murder his master, said:-
“It was quite an accident, and not at all a premeditated thing.
In taking the pistol from my pocket to lay it down on the bench, it went off quite unawares.
I never told the inspector that I meant to shoot Mr. Umpleby.
What I said was, that I did not mean it for the inspector, neither did I intend it for Mr. Umpleby.”
The prisoner was then fully committed for trial upon all the charges.