The Express.
London, England, 1863-09-25 00:00:00

THAMES.

Matilda Purdy, a tall and strapping wench, aged 25, of
No. 2, Sarati.street, Poplar, was brought before Mr. Par-
tridge charged with sing Si. 10e. in gold from the person
of Captain Edward Hood, of Time-street., Newcastle, and
master of the ship Jobe, lying in the river.
It appeared from the statement of the proeseator, a M-
imed, weather-beaten north country mariner, that he arrived
here on Sunday last with bar ship. Oa Wednesday night be
came on shore for • cruise end mat with the prisoner. He
treated her with grog and • supper He was a " little by the
bond,* and he agreed to stop ell 'night with the prisoner.
They went to No. 2, Sally.strost.
The prieener—Sendvetreet.
The Captain—Well, it was Sarah-street, Poplar; sod
bears I went to bed I stowed sway my gold is a piece of old
newspaper, and pat it in my pock morning my
rkbt sovereigns and half sovereign weep
e.
Mr. Partridge—Arid was the prieouer goes ton!
Cantu" Hood—No, sir; she stuck by me all night sad
sever left me.

The-prisoner mid the prosecutor declared when he mimed
his gold that he had (net it ardor the carpet of the room in
which they slept all night, and mused the carpet to be taken
up. She never saw hie gold.
A policemosetable used the prosecutor stated to him that
his gold was deposited under the carpet. and after a search
was made be said he stowed it away in his pocket.
The Captain—l am sure it was stowed away is my pocket.
Mr. PAS tridge mid the prosecutor was Intoxicated op Wed-
aseday sight, and he could plates nadepesdasee ma what he
said. HeMvied the peoretnitim who was the =Air of a ship,
and ought to Ma Mister example, not to pick up with such
company m meditates in future, and to avoid a plain like
Ilaralistrues, Poplar, whoa he came to this port agate. He
dh
Catherinzed ohat the primmer.
e Drifooll, • bloated and dissipated woman, of
violist temper, wee biased before Mr. Partridge, Merged
with violently moulting her Weekend, Cornelius Driscoll,
with a poker.
The preamitor, a little Welt tailor, wept to the station-
home is Poplar with the blood streaming from wounds
as the head. He presented a frightful appeal-ism
aid said hie wife had murthered him wid a poker. A eon.
stable named Henry Heyward, 401 K, ma despatched with
the poor fellow to Bury's-000rt, Web-street, Poplar, where
be found Mrs. Crime quarrelling with a nsioar, sad
may mush Intoxicated. The amenable abarpd the pri-
soner with wounding her husband, sad she said she had
only given him "three slight tape on the heed." She was
taken into custody. The poor fellow. her hatband, mid
when he taros home his "old woman" was dreak her
mar-
»Moe and when he expostulated with her " belly-
ramel4 him and "bate him wid a poker."
The ',idiom of other Mimeses west to • show that the
primmer had meamiteed a violent and unprovoked assault
cm the eamplainent, who last a good deal of blood and
whom head was covered with a surgical piaster.
The priaooer, in defence, said her husband threetesed to
rip her open with a knife, *ad sbe took up a poker to
belied herself sod gave her husband some tape with it.
Mr. Pastridge was satisfied the priscaor we. a very violent
woman indeed, and that she bad weatesly sad maliciously
beaten her husband end dime him veep serious ion)e
sentenced her to two maths' imprimsmeat and bard.

THE MURDER O TWO CHILDREN BY THEIR
PATHER AT WEST BROMWIOB.

On Wednesday afternoon Mr. Hooper held an
Inquest at Wed Bromwich, Bleffardshire, on the bodies at
the two unfortunate children, Mary Jane end Joseph
Beojarain Holding. The hoed at which the ioqairy took
place was surrounded with • large crowd of panicos, and
the ted excitenumt *peered to prevail in the *lab-
ile* first wider *Bed was Haan* Holding, who dated :
I am the mother of the two children whom died bodies the
jury have deo. My husband's nand is Benjamin Holding,
and he Is a bundler. We reside at Hell End, and have been
married id:years. Mary Jane, ose of the demand, wee 4i
ye... of age, and the other, Joseph Benjamin, was 14 months
old. Yesterday (Tuesday) afternoon a little before five
o'clock I left home, leaving the two children in the house,
for the purpose of goieg to my husband's father's. At the
time I left Mary Jane wee sidle( in her little chair in the
kitchen, and my ho band was nursing the baby on his knee.
Before I went out I said I will take the baby with me, to
which my Inabend replied," You had better leave them and
you was t stop." I did not take the sided out with me, es
I mid she had better day et home. se it ruined at the time.
I had buss at my hughtedb father's house sheet five minutes
wham my husband cape there to me, and said. upon my ask-
log when the children were." YOU clan go up now, they are
I there. make the NM of them." Feeling frkeletesed at hi.
sot leaving*. children with him, I ran keine. I found the
home deer that, and open **suing it I saw the yomegeet child
lying apes the sofa en its beak, and the eldest lying by the
chair seer the lid. They bad their heeds *early cutoff. They
were quite dead. My husband has always bee, very food of
the children, Le doted upon them. We always Odd casket-
ably together. About eve midden after finding the chil-
dren my husband came to the bowie. He *peered much
excited. I then added soma spore of blood, I think upon
hie kit hand. When be came into the hoses he did not
ma* any remark.
Mr. Pitt (for the prionner)— Had yen naked anything
peculiar in your husband's manner lately ?
Witness-1 think be him seemed dull end demanding.
The Cdoeser—How lone have you noticed this?
Wieder—lt might be three or four weeks.
Mr. Pitt —Do you know of any mamba of the family
baring been imam*!
Witame—There sass waded the primer's in an asylum
twice.
The Corooer— I saw« yea have never dissevered say.
this, in hie weds* to bead you to be Mena of him?
Witness--No,
Elisabeth Herrin seld—l ea • married wassa, sad my hus-
band's name is George Harris. He is a dal miner, and
we reside • few yards from the prisoner's bowie. I
have known the primmer far the past twenty years, and have
lived sear their house for the peat eight yews. About
five o'douk ea Tuesday night, whilst in my bon* I heard
the midden mother and hie wife cry out " Murder." I
I opened my house dam:, end ran into the prisoner's house. I
saw the deceased child Mary Jane lying on the Boor. neer
the sofa. A little chair stood by the sofa. The other child,
Joseph Benjamin, lay on the ode. The child mar, Jane
lry me her few. I picked leer sp sad pat her is my /an.
She wee quite dead. Her throat was cot. I then looked
the ether WM Joseph Benjamin, and foiled hie throat
was also ant. There was • great deal of blood as the
floor, and under the table I law a large carving knife.
It was covered with blood. I had ant Wee in many
minutes before the father came into the hoses He did
sot speak to me. but I mid to him mast' times,
" What do you think of yourself for murdering your
chiklreo." At last be mid. • I thought my time was rem
abort, nod I should like to see them go before me.° He
did sot say any more thee and his condo coming in, took
Dim to his mother's hone:. I never heard the children my
oat, We did those wishbone, who live darer to the pri-
mmer's hones. He has always bees' • good father, and was
very Undo( hie &litres—no ace more so. I have ones
sotto* anything peculiar in hie mode*
By the Comer —I am quite certain that I never head
the *Bares ery out.
By • Jeror—Then the arid of murder must have been
when the mother discovered the children murdered ?
The Corner to witness—Could you have heard the
*Wm my nab if the beam deer bed hees Mod ?
Witness—No, sir ; not unless they stood at their gown
door.
The Cormier —What health did the WM Miley 1'
Witness—Very good beaks.
Mary As. HA M& mother el the grimmer, said—My
husband's segmeis Joseph Holding. He is• blaeimealth by
trade, and waive & at Hall Bed Torero, Oa Tisestisy
evening, about five (Meek. he to our bows in • very
excited ate* He said, " I have done it ;" and his
wife, who was *gee, at ewe ma out ci the kw&
I kid hold of him and mid, "What bow you dose ;
the children acelded. et whet?" He said, t'Oh. meter, I
seated to me my We ;Andres e• to heaves Wore woe ; I
know they lave Jew the*" He very wild, sad
dark( the past few weeks he hes ward
ed reef
Be has said to his was. "Ily hoed feels genter.sr=
know whet ts the metier.* I west up le my web hew*
ea is gompaer with hie wile sad SIP•ii111, wont* went to
the haw. OAK hurts the law I law the baby fygew es
the br. *Wiese * ether .11114 168
Ws. The yaw (Os Low acobedi. feet
and. piAing it up. *pew II wpm the and thepa*
auk lea Imo bib. I ail am* sifts my vim ik

hot I was much put about. My brother's daughter mid my
father's mister have bees in asylums. I never knew that my
moo was deranged.
Ann Williams sail—l am • married woatan. My bus-
bead's same is William William/. We reads at Hall
Pad, sear the prisewer's house. I wee at home about I
o'clock on Tuesday afternoon. when • little girl came to
our door and said, "Mr. Holding has killed the two chil- '
drop." I then nu into the house, and saw Mrs Adams
with the youngest Child os her lap, and the other lying li
upon the sofa. They bad their throats cut and were quite
deed. I saw • knife lying upon the table, and picking it up
rut it on the chest of drawers. The knife was covered with
blood, which was wet. I handed the knife to the pollee.
(Police-sergeant Lester here produced a large knife, about
Mama lochs. long, such as need by butchers. It appeared
to have been sharpened. It was stained with blood.) I
have known the prisoner and his wife for twelve years, lad
he has always been most kind to his wife and children.
Policanergeant Lester said—About half-past five o'clock
on Tuesday night, • boy came running to the station.
Louse. and said a man had murdered his two ohfidren
a. Hell End. I went there with Inspector M'Crve, sod
Upon getting to Hall End, I saw theruioner walking down
the rood in company with the pariah constable William
Wilson. Upon our getting to them, Wilms gays the
prisoner into our custody, and we took him into • public.
house. The inspector having cautiooed the prisoner in the
natal way, charged him with the murder of hie two ebil.
dun. He nodded his head and said " Yea." I then went
I to the prisoner's house and saw the two children lying on the
sofa with their throats cut. I asked some of the pnuaas
there if there wee a knife about, sad the witeess Mimes
headed me a large knife which she said she bad
.picked off
the table. It was covered with blood. There was also a great
deal of blood oe and under the sofa.
. .

Mr. Pitt—When the prisoner was formally charged did he
seem to understand the nature of the charge,
Witness—Be seamed much excited, and was crying, I
believe he understood the charge.
Mr. Pitt—Did the inspector amigo him with murder or
simply with killing his children!
Witness—Be charged him with murder.
At this point of the proceedings the coroner said he should
take no further evidence in the case at its meant stage, as
he found it neomeary to obtain some further evidence not in
their possession at present.
The inquiry was then formally adjourned until Tuesday
next. . . . . . .

The prisoner was present during the inquiry, mud was
accommodated with a chair. He est with Inn head buried
in his hand., and appeared deeply affected. sod lee took sot
the slightest notice of anyone in the room. We ondsrstsild
that skim he has been in custody two police mutable@ an
emostantly in attendanoe upon hi en is his oell.—BirsniegAsss
Gazette.