The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1862-11-18 00:00:00

TRH WAY OF' 13RATEL

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MURDER AT COSELEY.—AnOtIier murder has to be
chronicled in addition to the list of such occurrences
that have of late taken place in South Staffordshire.
The name of the murdered man I Hepry SWinnertou,
who was bil ei occupadian shinglee, Arid liked in the
Darkhoupes n neat. Deepfields. His age is about
3,1, al:id his death, which occurred on Monday, took
place under very shocking circumstances. It appears
that the deceased on the night of Tuesday week went
have "a drink" at the Three Horse Shoes, at Lady.
moor, and the result of his nocturnal indulgence was
that he got intoileated, 04 returning homewardp he
was Waylaid and most bretelly shied by Berardi ruffians,
Who attacked hilt Oh the /Slue Butten.Bridge:, They
fitst Of all ttlisr,blni igt4 a Wedge ,tlferi dragged him
ottttaitesek" ptarketS, bettered his head With life
preseriers an sticks, clasped his throat in order to
strangle him, and finally left him completely insensible.
They also abstracted from his pockets money amount-
ing to between eleven and twelve shillings. Before
leaving him they threatened to throw him into the
canal, and were apparently only deterred hem potting
cie finishing stroke to their costar* *Mk Hy I pefscin
*he often, lip k the Moment, drying chit that they,
Vide knbwil, whereupon they, ecanipered 'nay as
speedily as they could. &Trent costelle heard iog the
cercumstsuice And with abaracterietitiprOMPtdesi he at
pneeiviint in'sotirch or the ,gang, And eApiti6wl nt
he tine the Who erenilig. On bnnging them be-
fOre e deceased the latter recognised them as those
who had been concerned in so dreadfully assaulting
him. Their names are Jesse Wilkes and Wlllillllll Hen-
shaw, both low characters and residents of Bilston.
He also apprehended two women as being concerned in
the savage attack, Swinnerton *mid not completely
in-dentate, hot he plainly thowed by signs he tecog-
'deed the tlerennAwbb hzd
Skiteixtt, Al art prtserri,—A rriddir Wottlail, flamed
Arlie Watne tsjs been harbaronely murdered at Rib.
chatter, A Innen place between Preston and Blackburn.
he was a small farmer and beerseller, and on Tuesday
morning was found dead in her bed by a man in her
employment. She had been fearfully beaten about the
head with a churn staff, and then suffocated with the
bedclothes. It is supposed that, the murder was hem.
mitted in order to got uhniey., , A Man has heed taken
ipto edetielY, oil !Wilda& or being the perpetrator of
thh reel deed.
A man named James Stuart, of Anaharine, Forgne,
Banff, on Saturday cut his own throat and then
attempted to out the throat of his wife. He had been
insane for some time. The wounds are not expected
to prove fatal.
In • squabble in a shooting saloon at Olszgow pn
Monday, a man named Leonard Wile accidentally
shet in the heed by acildier. Leonard is ekpeoted
tbkeidver.
BARIiAOOOB MURDER IN WALES. Circtimstances
have come to light which prove that an atrocious and
cold-blooded murder has been committed in one of the
mining districts in the Rhendda Valley. On Sunday,
the 2nd inst., • young women nanied_Llane Lewis, aged
23, a servant at 'rigidly, palish of Ystradyfodwg, left
her master'e heatsli ibout six o'clock in the evening for
the MirlOse of going to chapel. As she had not
retUrned at • late hour the inmates of the hedge
hecanie uneasy, and proceeded to Make A search for her.
They had tot proceeded far front the heti* when they
*ere horror-strtiek at fieding the body of the young
womap lying &eras the footpath in an adjoining wood,
With her throat cut from ear to ear. A railer
covered with blood was found near the body, and it was
at first conjectured that the unfortunate woman had
committed suicide. It was subsequently, however,
ascertained that the razor was the property of • fellows
' servant, named Thomas Sdnionds, and lie was appre
bonded on the eharge of murder. A coroner's inquest
I was opened on the 4th inst., at the Star Inn, Tyntily.
Cad after a preliminary inquiry was adjourned till
Wednesday. The interest of the public had not abated,
but, on the contrary, apparently increased, the jury
room being inconveniently crowded during the day.
After the examination of a number of witnesses, whose
evidence did not throw any light upon the mystery
that surrounds the diabolical murder, Thomas
Williams, collier, the reputed sweetheart of the
deceased, was examined. He saidthe had been courting
the deceased for the last eighteen months, and that they
had been engaged for some time. The last time he
walked with her was on the Friday before the murder,
when they arranged to meet after evening service on
the following Sunday. They intended to have been
married in a fortnight or three weeks and deceased had
arranged to leave her service on Saturday. She had
expressed her satisfaction at the prospect of being so
moon in her own house, although she said she felt coin-
' fortable in her service. Deceased had complained
frequently of the importunities of the prisoner, who
was in the habit of making advances to her, which she
invarishly repelled. He saw her on the fatal morning
as she was going into chapel, and asked how she was
was. She replied pleasantly; and appeared to be in her
usual health and spirits. He went to chapel in the
evening, but, finding that deceased was not there, he
concluded that she had been kept at home, particularly
as her master was in chapel, and because she had been
out in the morning. He, therefore, went up to the
house and knocked at the window, as described by the
master and mistress in their evidence. Deceased never
told him that the prisoner had used threats, but that
he often wished her to accept of him as her suitor.
Prisoner once interfered with him (witness) while walk-
ing with deceased, and, referring to having seen them
together in the cowhoune on one occasion, threatened to
expose them. He never heard deceased say that she
was afraid of anyone. Richard Wise, the police-con-
stable who first saw the body, was examined at great
length. Ile said th 3 body was lying across the foot-
path about 22 yards from the stile at the top of the
wood. At the request of the jury, Mr. Davis, surgeon,
in answer to the foreman, said that even on the suppo-
sition that the last wound inflicted was the one which
!separated the arteries, it was impossible that the cuts
could have been made by the deceased. He never
heard of • similar case where the wounds had been self-
inflicted, even in the case of • manaio committing
suicide. The Coroner asked the jury if they were
anxious to be satisfied upon any point. Several of
them said they were desirous to have further medical
evidence to satisfy their minds whether it was possible
that the young woman had committed suicide. The
Coroner said he was quite agreeable to adjourn the
inquiry for that purpose, and would summon Dr.
F.dwards, of Cardiff, who had assisted at the post
mortem examination, to give his opinion of the cage.
He had no doubt, however in his own mind as to the
fact, from the positive evidence of Mr. Davies, The
*lest was thee adjourned for a week.