The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1859-04-05 00:00:00

THE MURDER AT WESTBRObIWICH.

FRIDAY A FTER NOON.

The murderer, John Corbett, yet lingers, notwith-
standing the severity of his self-indicted injuries.
It will be remembered that after he had killed his wife
he, with the same weapon, gashed his own throat so
dreadfully as to entirely sever the windpipe, but leaving
the carotid artery uninjured. The wound thus occasioned
is of the must frightful character. Through the horri-
ble gap it is easy to perceive the minatory movement of
the windpipe at the point where it is severed. Indeed
the ligaments of the centre of the throat along • line of
four inches are laid bare quite beck to the spine through
• wound the gaping sides of which are in some places
nearly two inches apart. Here there is • considerable
amount of soughing, but as yet no inflammation, and the
outer dissevered ligaments are making great efforts to
meet. They will never, however, do so. for to aid them
by the use of the needle would be to kill the man in a
very brief time. In indicting this extensive wound the
murderer took off into the mouth the delicate and beau-
tiful valve which guards the windpipe, and conducts the
food to its proper channel. In the event of the wound
being sewn, therefore, a portion of the food only would
enter the stomach, the greater part falling into the lungs,
with speedy death as the result. At present life is sus•
tained by liquid food being injected into the stomach by
a force pump applied through the wound. In this way
the murderer is fed sometimes twice • day, • pint of
warmed ale with two eggs beaten up in it, and a pint of
broth sometinies forming a sueal. As, however, the
seats of thirst and taste are in the mouth, the culprit
often asks to be given food that lie can taste, and drinks
to allay his thirst. These—in the form of tarts, oranges.
brandy,ginger-beer,coffee,ortomit-and-water—arealways
given to Lien when lie asks for them. They seem to afford
him gratification, although they all ooine back through
the wound, falling in • vessel prepared for the purpose
and the use of which always accompanies the taking of
the food. So great., comparatively, is the refreshment
which this practice gives to him thralle always expresses
himself relieved by it, and imagines that wine portion
of what he thus takes into his mouth passes into his
stomach.
The murderer does not appear to realise the awful
position in which his crimes have placed him, by virtue
,of the decision of the coroner's jury. This (although
there are two policemen in attendance upon time day
I and night) seems to be kept in abeyance by the fact of
his being in the house of his sister aid receiving every
attention. Even the policemen are his merciful attend-
ants. By these lie is constantly nursed by night and by
day, and the men seem to filed • melancholy satisfactiou
in their employment. The sight is indeed a lad one,
and the work most cheerless, for if it were possible for
the attention thus paid to him to produce his recovery,
he must eventually expiate hie crime upon the scaffold.
The Mall is under the impression that lie will
recover, Ile teems fully aware, however, that his
injuries are too severe to enable him to prosecute his
calling as a miner, and has already devised a mode of
gaining his livelihood. To Mr. W. J. Kite, his surgeon,
who one morning asked him bow be felt he made a circle
with hill band, and a half-gurgling half-snorting sound
frosn his neck, which one of the officers who had accus-
tomed himself to interpret the prisoner's tigns and
sounds, read as " I shall get round." The correctness
of the interpretation was approved by Corbett, himself,
who, when he was asked if this was what he meant,
nodded an assent. Afterwards he intimated that he
should vend oranges for a living. Still be receives
thaukfully and in • becoming manner the ministratioes
of the Bev. Mr. Bradshaw, the incumbent of Christ
Church, with the prayerful attentions also of pious lay.
Wen of the Methodist persuasion. While they are with
hisn reading or praying his gam is intently axed upon
them to the close. He is fully conscious, and his
emotions of vie( on account of what he has done are
of ten very powerful. He said • day since that he
" loved his wife with all his heart." On another occa-
sion, to the Her. gentleman before named, he remarked
pointing to the region of his heart, that he was " eerl
from the bottom of his heart for what he had done.
pin his contrition found vent in the following min•
imitative expression. Lifting his right arni, be said that
he would "rather have had that cut off than have killed
his wife." Being questioned upon the motive which
had prompted him to the horrible deed, he rejoined that
it was "on account of what William Evans had said to
him in the pit during the day." To evince his sense of
the injury which the man had done him, and the crime
which lie had committed, Corbett by putting his hands
round his neck, and pointing them to the ceiling, inti-
mated his feeling that the man in question ought to he
"hung up."
Corbett a grief was the moot intones' on Wednesday
afternoon, when his wife was buried from the house of
her mother, not more than 40 yards from the sick chow
her of her husband and murderer. The ceremony !imi
called into the street nearly 4,000 persons, nnlinth.
standing that during the time a heavy snow 40110 pry'
veiled. Corbett understood the meaning of the excite.
went which reigned without. His attendants, by loud
talking and by other meatus, tried to drown the noee
and divert his attention, but in vain. The oncenni
were attended by 11011)tl young women, members.
the murdered woman, of a sick and burial club.
as is the custom on such occasions, sang • hymn kb"
leaving the house with the corpse. re. strain asght
the murderer's ears. At this time he was sitting el,
bed. He threw up his hands, upturned his face. bew...
ing an expression of uniningled grief, brought down his
halide upon hie pillows, turned himself completely num'
in his bed, and buried his face in his hands, sod lsy '°
I this posture of mourning for some considerable time.
He bestows the warmest attention upon his two 505'
when they are brought to him, and begs that they met
be taken care of. The elder (six years of age) owll/..;
the maternal grandmother, and the younger (four lo`''
old) is in the same house with the father.
Corbett has expressed see aversion to see no one °
has yet been allowed to enter his room.but strict /
enjoins his friends not to admit the man Evans before
referred to. This is the man who connected los eel,
criminality and shame with that of (.'orbett's wife.
•Ele,
is • married man, with three children. To the credit `I
his employers (Mesas. W. H. Dawes) he was dismisse°
from his work immediately that those gentlemen hes"
of what be luel been guilty. If be does not soon les"
the neighbourhood, there is little doubt but
people of Weetbronswich will imitate those of iles4lg,
and administer healthy Lynch law upon the fellow.
If Corbett should survive, and is then sulli°enlll.
recovered to admit at it, he will early nest week
removed to Stafford Gaot and placed in the infinite:l
there. The culprit is a well-built tall young num, yl
24 years of age on the 30th of last January, 55
has been in the Staffordshire Militia.

HoLLOITATII PlLLS.—Debilltated Cootltofiona Inconkr"..l
Limn, Bile, an The idiocy of this medicine, and the I'l,
effects produced on La/lents stilesing front the slime
points, would appear hicreditable If It were not rookrw_ww
the dally proofs of the curet effected by than The
tine properties of these Invaluable Pills bob& 01
~an from the apneas and strengthen the stonsich, thee",
promoUng digestion; &so persons sullerlng leolo dIl
should use these Pills, as they a,. the mo.t caw.
remedy for that malady. In fact, all diseesthozicririN4
irregularity of the stomach or linen they eu"'
It may be profitable to our lair readers to know that the
auurrinut PATRIOT WARM, which Ms been exclusively used n°
HER MAJESITY% LAUNDRY for many ion, may now he
tbe
obtained from all respecoble Grocers aintowt to
most common kinds made, for sithowb It neeroar2.,Y
theta mote, the loge quantity sold yield., In the
larger poet then the Inferior kinds, and moreorer7l4.l_,
bans the IlletCtiOn of selling au ands which they knOw
please their antitumor% and are at the name time the Dld
of supplying the middle and working cimem wkh she
article as is wed in the EMI/ft up of the Wm end Linsino.
HER HAJ MITT sad the Row. FAMILY. and Uldge
Quenit's Launches., with her groat experlowe and
at her command tor procuring the MI best of
ha prewomeed
ito he no Tam ham MMUS Ilan PM oole.