The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1872-08-10 00:00:00

THE STOTTRBRIDGE OBSERVER.

said to her, "On into house. Where's your mother ?"
He was told she was in the house, and replied, " 1
make you both prove your words." The eldest daughter
then left on an errand on which she was engaged, and
the prisoner went towards his house, through the
garden, and to the entrance, which was at the back.
He met his younger daurliter at the corner f the
house, and to her he said:" I'll kill all the 1— lot
of you." He then went into the house, and said to his
wife, who was there with the two younger children.
"Y; u've been out in the hundred acres with a hundred
fellows a month ago." 'the wife replied " I don't
know -.hat you mean," and he said, "I'll let you
knows. I will kill you." He then took her and threw
I her, still with the child in her arms, against a dresser.
She escaped out of the house and into a; cottage under
the amen roof, where there was at the time a Mrs.
rheas, the wife of a labourer, who was expecting
her confinement. Here she was follows dby the pri-
soner end the daughter of 12, and he ordered her to go
home. On his promise not to strike her again she left
that house, but went up the gatlen and across the
road to another cottage, in which there was a woman
named Heriing, via had lately been confined, and a
nurse and some little children. She was again fat
lowe 1 by the prisoner and the daughter and again
I ordered to go to her own house. She asked what
it was for, and he replied, " You know." The
nurse told him not to beat his wife any more, and he
said he would not if she would go back, but she
was always running about "newsing,." She then
left, he followed, and directly they got into their
own garden he struck her, knocked her down,
and kicked at her. At this time the little girl
took the ha i .and went into Mr. Phony's cottage,
and thence by ter direction to find assistance. In the
meantime a eon of Mrs. Herring, a young man of 18,
who was called as a witness, had arrived at his mother's
cottage. The deceased once snore escaped from her
own house, and went towards the Herrings', followed
by the prisoner, but the door was locked against her.
She returned towards her JWD house, and when again
within the garden was knocked down and kicked and
dragged round the corner of the house and into the
' door. This was seen by those in the Herrings' house,
and George Herring said that he unlocked the door
and went out, that he saw the deceased knocked down,
andkicked four times, and then went away upthe road
to bring home the rest of the things he had to bring. He
returned five minutes after, and saw the prisoner fetch
three pails of water, but hearing nonoisehe and his father
went in to supper. In the meanwhile the alarm s had
been given by the little girl, and a Mr. Wood, a farmer
near, came down himself, and sent at the same time
for a surgeon and a policeman. The little girl met her
sister on her way back, and the two went in home be.
fore any one else had arrived, and found their mother
dead on the ground, with her clothes nearly. off and
covered with blood and water. Even at that time the
prisoner took her np and threw her against the dresser.
The elder girl cued out" Don't, father ; she is dead,"
to which he replied, "She is only. dewl.drunk." The
prisoner went in several times to Mr. Pheare either be-
fore or immediately after this, and said be had killed his
wife, and some people would go and commit suicide,
but he was ready to give himself up. A short time
after Mr. Wood arrived, and then the policeman and
Burgeon. To them the prisoner said much the same as
to Mrs. Phears, but added that he had done it in a
passion. The injuriee sustained by the deceased were
detailed by the surgeon, who said there were ten or
twelve jagged wounds in the ecalp, and that repeated
and great violence must have been used, which were
quite sufficient to account for death. The case was
rendered the more painful as the principal witnesses
against the prisoner were his two slaughters, whose
evidence, with that of the other persons above named,
established the facts above narrated.
- - -

For the defence it was urged that there had been no
intention on the prisoner's part to take life.
The learned Judge, who commented severely on the
conduct of the neighbours, summed up the ease
minutely, and the jury returned a verdict of Gudty,
and he was sentenced to death.