The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1876-04-15 00:00:00

SENTENCED TO DEATH.

At the Norwich Aesizes, Henry Webster, 62, labourer, has
been charged with the wilful murder of his wife, Sarah
Webs te r.

Mr. Blofeld and Mr. Middleton prosecuted; Mr. Wren-
fordeley, at the request of the learned judge, defended the
prisoner.

The prisoner and his wife lived together at Cran-
worth, with one child, their granddau,hter. The de-
ceased had been in the habit of going out nursing, and,
shortly before the murder, she had been absent from
home for about three months. Quarrels had
arisen between the prisoner and the deceased with
regard to her frequent absence from home. On
the 15th of September the prisoner went to Hing-
ham, where the deceased was then engagod in a job of
nursing. He brought her home and on the way home
they stopped for a short time at the house of their son,
James Webster, who gave evidence of the renewal of
their disagreements and of threatening words having
been previously used by the prisoner with regard to his
wife. It was proved that the prisoner tried to induce
the deceased to go home by a lonely road called Put-
tock's-mare, and that the deceased had refused, saying
that if she went that way she should want to take a
policeman to take care of her.
Next morning the prisoner rose at six in the morn-
ing, leaving the deceased in bed and their grandchild
in the room with her. He went, according to his
own statement, to a shed ad sharpened his knife.
Then 'She thought he would wear it off," and he
went to a neighbouring house and had a pint of
beer. Then be returned and called to his wife up-
stairs, and asked her whether she would stay at home
to-day end bake a pie for him and how many currants
he should get. She said she was going to Hingham that
day and would take her granddaughter. He repeated his
question and she again refused. He then came upstairs
and asked whether she would stay with him or not.
She refused again rather roughly, and he replied,
"then you shan't stay with no one else," and struck
her with his knife. She got out of bed and said, "Oh,
Harry, I will stop with you." But be said, "It is
too late now," and went round the foot of the bed,
pulled her down by the hair, and struck his knife
through her throat, causing almost immediate death.
After that he returned to the publichouse and
told the landlord what he had done, and then
went to the parish constable and gave himself
up, giving a detailed and accurate account of the occur-
rence. The prisoner was a man of quiet and respect-
able appearance. Though counsel had been assigned
to him he could not be induced to plead not guilty, for
he said he would not tell a lie. But when called on to
plead he said that he wished his trial to proceed, which
was taken as a plea of not guilty.
For the defence it was urged that there had been
great provocation; that the repeated absence of the
deceased from her husband, combined with her hasty-
temper, had made his home unhappy; that their dif-
ferences had been unhappily fostered by the son; and
that the act was the result of a sudden fit of resent-
ment.

The jury found the prisoner Guilty, and the learned
Baron pronounced sentence of death, without holding
out any hope of mercy.