The Express.
London, England, 1855-10-02 00:00:00

FATAL CASE OF WIFE BEATING.

On Saturday afternoon an inquest waa held at
Wigan, on the body of Bridget Benoit, • young woman,
reported to have died from injuries inflicted by her husband.
James Ascroft, the husband, was in custody.
The deceased and her husband had been to a funeral on
the Slot ult., and afterwards spent the eseeing at the Angel
Ina, where they remained drinking with other company
till turned out at midnight. They took away with them
some drink to a neighbour's house, and deceased was after-
wards accompanied home toy another woman. James Aseroft
had gone home before his wife, and haying taken an infant
from its bed, ke heat the mune girl, and sent her home.
The wife was afterwards sees in a passage leading from
Wellington street to her own house, with the infant in her
arms, and her husband wee beating her. The child was
dropped by her, and the husband took it under one
arm, whilst he knocked his wife down, and then
kicked her. She got up into • sitting posture for a
time, and he continued to strike end kick her till she
became insensible, and lay on her back bleeding from the
mouth and nose. A policeman and other persons afterwards
came up and helped to remove the woman to her own
house, out she remained in • state of unconsciousness until
Thursday last, when she died. Mr. Beaton, surgeon.
said he made • post-snort-ea examinetion of the bpdy, and
was of opinion that death resulted from inflammation of the
brain, arising from blows on the head. The jury found •
verdict of manslaughter against the husband, who was ems.
milted to Kirkdale gaol, for trial at the winter seamen.

OPENING OF THE BRANCH BANK OF ENGLAND.—
Yesterday the new branch of the Bank of England, destined
to accommodate the inhabitants of the west end of the me-
tropolis, was opened for the first time for the transaction of
public business, in Uxbridge House, Burlington•gardene,
formerly the town residence of the late Marquis of Anglesey,
which the directors have purchased for the sum of nearly
60,0001., and converted and adapted for that palpate at grist
additiouol expense. A doorway has bun opened is that
part of the premises fronting Burlington-gardens, when
there was none before, and over this, which will form the
public latrine, to the bane, a handsome portico of Port-
land stone has been erected, harmonizing with the general
foods of the building. The whole of the ground floor
is to be devoted to the business of the bank, and the
upper put of the house will be appropriated to the
residences of Captain Tindal, E N., the maaaper, cod Mr.
Miller, the sub•maoager of the establishment. The spacious
and lofty apartment which was formerly and as the evils
cipal dining-room of the house, has been converted into the
principal Ales of the bank, and two others of the largest I
rooms on the ground floor are intended to be used as the
mugger's private room and a general waiting room. no
necessary alterations in the building have been exec sited by
the firm of Messrs. William Cubits and Co., from designs
furnished by Mr. Philip Hardwicke, the architect. The
whole of the works, which are extensive and complicated,
are not yet completed, but such of the changes as were
required to enable the directors to open the establishment
yesterday (the time appointed) have been executed in lees
than two months.
CRUELTY IN THE HARVEST FIELD.—At a petty
sessions hell on the 26th inst., at Yelverton, a cue was
brought under the notice of the junior s, John Kernels, Esq..
and the Rev. Edward Pestle, which had excited a cord-
datable sensation in the neighbourhood. Two labourers,
Thames Drane and William Gowiag, were charged with
Laving assaulted Mary Roper, a poor woman, whilst gloati-
ng, ea the 12th inst., in a field in the parish of Yelverton, in
the occupation of two farmers, William sad John Carr,
who were also charged with aiding and abetting these la
boaters in the act. It appeared In evidence that the latter
were employed by their masters to clear the field of the
gleaners, who had assembled is the usual course to gather
a few handfals of corn; and to effect this expulsion the men,
sedan under the orders of their employers, attached to two
powerful horses a wmrgen roper, fastened at each end to their
collars, and then the annuals, several yards apart, and at
their utmost speed, were ridden by these labourers, is the
presence of their masters, urea the lead, sweeping before
them every object with which the extended rope came in
contact, including this poor woman, who, while endeavour-
ing to save her child, was forcibly struck down, &culla*,
bruised, sad became insensible. She was removed theme %o
her bed, where, under the surgical care of Mr. George Qil'.ett,
she was sufficiently restored at the end of a fortnig),t to
appear before the magistrates. Drane was Said ks. ed.,
and Glowing Is., with costa, and the masters were a djudged
to pay, for aiding and abetting this eggressitnt, the following
sums, viz., Wm. Cann, V., and John Cans, IL, with come,
an be imprisoned in default for six weeks Gar, one month
respectively. The penalties, with the *arm, amounted
altogether to 71. 111 s. 6d. Norwich Mercury
HERTFORDSHIRE.—The Barrister's', Courts for the
districts of Stevenage and Hitchia were, held on Friday.
Mr. Bantams attended for the liberals, and Messrs. Veiny,
Hawkins, and Paseingbana for the t arise. The following
is the result :—Tory claims allowed.. 29 ; liberals stench off,
; total, 40. Littoral dams ear* Ind, 18; tories struck off,
19 ; total, 97. Tory Lain, ;, ditto broeght forward, 49 ;
serried forward, 62.
BUSHY Peas,—At the meeting of the Manchester
Zat=Society, held Ter terday, a letter was read 'neck-
simendigg or behalf et visitors so Busby Park. A oor-
Ms the footpaths, which were entered by
60,4 existed dross a time hermit memory. The
wiohetS were fonalle‘y of Wood, elevated on platforms q•'
F"'"2.l ot•P , and secured by a simple latch.
=Wswickets have lately been removed, and tell ism
_ _
_salstitat A, furnished with locks. A repreesseedsa
Wade to Sir William Mole/worth about theme
who said " It was not Intended that the gates'
501094_, lie locked ;" bat they were looked. The oorrespoe.-
wows la*,s the same spirit of esermushent and egoleAes
ASS teas tees active at Windsor and Balmoral is new let
loM at Bushy, " it Wag the rssimusd intention to oaks
11111101 mo yaw teen en abode of royalty."

MURDER OF TWO CHILDREN-SUICIDE OF
THE MURDERESSES.

BILSTON, Ociossa

About six o'clock this imorning, Mr. Win. Ramie%
of Bilges, a confidential clerk in the employ of Hears
Perry and Bons, iron founders, of High Fields, was aroused
from sleep by the shrieks of his children, who were in bed
in an adjoining apartment. Finding that his wife had left
his side, he instantly rushed to the children's room. There
he was horrified at perceiving his sou Joseph, aged font
years, writhing with a frightful wound in his throat, from
which the blood was flowing profusely. At the same time
he saw his wife dropping upon the floor with a large knife
in her hand, which alter having been used by her in taking
the life of her child, had been drawn scrota her own throat
with so much determination, that her head appeared to be

nearly severed from the body.
Mr. W. H. Hums, surgeon, was speedily in attendance,l
but the boy died half an hour after his arrival.
The woman ravovesed eenceiewthare only, win" *a Inc
.l Shoal In bed, mad *ea by a Movement of her bands.
she indicated that she wished to be allowed to die without
any attempts being made to restore her to life. In a stete
of partial stupor she now (6 p.m.) lien, but she cannot pos-
sibly survive more than a law hours.
There wrists but little doubt that the woman intended
to take the Svcs of ell her children, but was p ed by
the alum raised by the two other children, one of whom
was 11 years of age. The only assignable amuse for the
dreadful occurrence is a depression of spirits from which
the poor woman has been recently suferiog—not, however.
to ea eztent to occasion alarm, as the has gone shout her
customary duties, and attended church last evening appa-
rently in better spirits than usual. She was devotedly at-
tached to her children; the lose of one of whom about 12
mouths ego has occasioned her considerable grief at inter•
vale since.

A similarly sad affair has taken place at Wednesbary,
near this town. An inquest upon the bodies has been held
today. The evidence was to the following effect: Joseph
Budd, a puddler, had for some time past entrusted to his
wife, Mary, small stuns of money, which be desired the
would keep for him till last Thursday night, when be should
r. quire the whole. Previously to Thursday he inquired if
the money would be ready for him when he should •equip
it, and she replied in the affirmative. It is 'conjectured,
however, she bad spent it, as on Thursday evening she at.
tempted to borrow some from a neighbour, but she was
unsuccessful ; and it is supposed, that rather than encounter
the rebukes which her indiscretion would provthe from her
henbane!, she determined upon suicide. After embracing one
of her three children, and seeking the second in the house of
a neighbour, she caught op her youngest child (two years
old), wrapped it to her bosom, and was seen last near to the
canal, where on the next day she was found dead, herldelme
infant still fast in her embrace.