The Express.
London, England, 1864-08-17 00:00:00

THE

ASSIZE INTELLIGENCE.

MIDLAND CIRCUIT.—LEEDs, ACCOST 16.
(Mare /Ir. Julio. Kestisg.)
was 11171DILl AT BRIFTIZI.D.
. . _

J.isty)A dyers, taNs bails nder, ;as placed at the bar,
charged with the murder of his wife, Nancy Myers. He
was evidently very week. breathed heavily and suffered from
a slight cough. la a weak 'Moe be pleaded guilty" to
the indictment Whilst the jury were being sworn, he was
supported by a turnkey, but ass afterwards accommodated
with a meat.

Mr. V. Blackburn and Mr. Barker coodacted the prosecu-
tion ; nod, at the request of the learned judge, Mr. Middle
ton defended the primmer.
Mr. Blackburn said the prisoner had been married
for some years to Nancy Myers, and they lived
together at Sheffield. He was about forty-three years of
age, and at the time of her death, the deceased was about
forty-four. They bad several children, hut at the period in
question only two of them resided with them. It would
appear from the evidence that for a long time they bad
lived unhappily together, and this reached its climax on
the 10th of June, which was a day to which the atten-
tion of the jury was especially called. On the morn-
ing of that day, about Moe o'clock. the deceased went down
stairs dressed, with the exception of one boot. Shortly
afterwards, her husband went down with the boot in his hand,
and threw it at her feet. The deceased made use of en ex-
pression to the effect that if he did not like it be might out
the boot down his throat, and this appeared to be the oaly
angry expreesioe made use of by her. Nothing further was
then said, and the prisoner went out. Presently afterwards
his little girl entered the house, and in consequence of some-
thing she said, Mrs. Myers went out. The prisoner was in
the yard attached to the house, and appears to have desired
to see his wife. She went to him. but ultimately returned
to her own house, and was seen by a neighbour stooping
down by the Maltese' leading from the house pert
up to the chamber. The priaooer was seen to ga
into the house and to stab his wife suddenly
and rapidly two or three times. The poor woman was
on the ground, but she jumped up, and a venom li
named Hook, attracted by the cries and the scuffle, observed
that the deceased was bleeding from the throat and lama and
that the prisocer was cutting his own throat with a table
knife. The deceased was taken by Mrs. Hoole to the home
of Mrs. Marshall, but died in a few minutes. The primmer
was taken into custody by • police-officer, and although
bleeding from a wound in his throat, he was able to speak,
and asked.., is she dad; I have done it. and I hope (using
• foul expression) she'll die." The weapon with which the
fatal wound was inflicted, the prisoner himself told the police
officer, wee a scissors blade. On the name morning the prisoner
had been seen with a pair of scissors eodeavogring to take •
Gail from his boot. The scissors were whole at that time, but
the demend apparently was stabbed by one of the blades
after they were separated. The blade was afterwards found
in a tab in the boon, where it bad evidently been thrown
by the prisoner, and the other blade was found, • day or
two at ter wardsin the neighbourhood. There wee only on
Other fact which it was coronary to lay before the jury.
On the evening of the 15th of June the deceased went to
Mrs. Marshall's, and made some communication to her.
Shortly after, her daughter Polly went there, but in came-
queom of what the deceased had previously told her, the
little girl was sent away. Later the same evening the pri-
mmer went to Mrs. Marshall's, and asked her to lead him •
pair of razors, but owing to what had previously been told
her, she refused to do so. . . . .

Soma. vrituesses having proved the shove facts.
Mr. Middleton addressed the jury for the prisoner, with
the view of inducing them to find the prisooer guilty of
uumslaughter only.
The jury, however, found the prisoner Civilly of murder.
The prisoner having been asked in toe usual form whether
he had any thine to say why sentence of death should not
be parsed, replied, •• I was drunk the niAt before. I bad
had snout of ale the morning I committed the deed. My
wife mid she would throw my bond up, and have 020 com-
mitted to prison. I aid not know what I was doing, or I
should not have killed her.

His lordship than passed sentence of death is the usual
form

The intoner was !emoted, apparmitlt little affected by
his awful positios.

THE RI7DDEISFILLD Y I'RDLE.

Jomph Hai;/A, sired 31. cotton toaster, .as indicted for
the Iselinl murder of Joseph Pomo. at Huddersfield, on the
ith of May, 1864.
The prisoner pleaded not guilty.
Mr. Wed.'s and Mr. Bettye were counsel for the prosecu-
ting, ; Mr. Vernon Blackburn and Mr. Wand foe the
. . .

Mr. Weekly stated the case, tad he expressed an opinion
that the facts which would corm out in evidence would
leave no doubt whatever tie the minds of the jury that on
the 7th of May the deceased, Joseph Person, met his death
at the hands of the primmer at the her. The main questioo
would be the state of the mind of the primmer. He lived
at Coln. Bridge, two and a-half miles from Huddersfield,
and worked there with Samuel and Jonathan Haigh. His
family consisted of himself, wife, two childreu, and an old
man, his uncle, the deceased, who was 61 pats old, and
very weakly and diminutive, and had been • widower twelve
years. During the whole of that time be had resided at
the hoe of the prisoner, paying him for his board and lodg-
ing. No doubt for a considerable tiros they had lived together
on teems of the greatest friendship, and except with regard
to what appeared occasional delusions on the part of the
prisoner they lived together on the best terms. At least
that would awes: to have beau the case until some short
tiroe before the terrible occurrence into which the jury had
to inquire, when the poisoner conceived reasons for wishing
that Pugsou should leave his house. He thought something
was going on to his prejudice—that • plot was being ester-
Lined in which Porton had • part, and be was anxious that
Pogrom should go away. He appeared to have mentioned
this to his wife, and also to witnesses who would give evi-
dence in the case. When he was told that there would he
no use in Popon going away he threatened that he would
go to America. sod that took place • vary few days before
Pogsoo was killed. The learned counsel believed that
Popo!) had treated the prisoner with great kindoess,asd that
no motive in the world could be suggested for the murder.
Pompeii, indeed, bad made Ida will, and left all he had to the
prisoner. Perhaps that was not knows to the prisms', but
such was the cue, and the way in which the deceased had
ever regarded the prisoner was of the kindest and moat
affectionate character. In the house of the prisoner there
lived two daughters, Alice and Francis, who slept in a
little room on the right hand side of the passage. Om the
other side of the passage Popon, the deceased, slept, and
downstairs the prisoner and his wife slept in the house
place. OD the morning of &Duthie, the 7th of May, all
the family bavicg been in bed, sod all having been quiet
up to that time, the children were awoke by • scream,
and immediately after the wife rushed into the children's
room, and turning rapidly round endeavoured to fasten
the door. She could not do so because the primmer burst
She door open. and rave her two severe blows on the side
of the heed. What had been the beginning of the quarrel
was not known, and it did not affect the question. The
wife sod one daughter endeavoured to prevent the
prisoner from going on in this way, and tried to hold
him down, when Pogsoo, who was alarmed at what was
going 00, cues from his room into the room where the
struggle was going on, and immediately the prisoner burst
away from his wife and the girl, rushed upon Pogsoo,
knocked him down, and as he fell Porsou's head came in
contact with a chest of drawers ; the prisoner then planed
his foot capon his head, and from that time be (the leased
counsel) should tot be able to give • clear account of what
took place. After that a little girl tried to stop Lim
from doing Linn to Popov, but be threatened her,
and then it appeared that all left in fright, and called
for assistance. A brother of the prisoner. Thorns. Haigh.
then came in, whet he ran midair., and found the dammed
!Meg on the floor in a great quantity of blood—blond from
the moreb—and be was moaning and appeared to he
dying, whilst he noticed also that the naked legs and feet
or the prisoner were splashed with blood. The brother
took the prisoner dowirstaire sod Joshua Drabs, • polio*.
man, having came in, he gave the pr moose to him, and told
him to take charge of him. He again went op stairs sod
Lit Poison to bed, where he was seen by the surgeon. hut
recovered, sad in three hones after was deed. The
surgeon would tell them that be died in conseonsoce of the
severe wounds upon the bead, the shall, he (Mr. Waddy)
believed, being battered in. Vibes the primmer was takes
down stairs and washed • conversation look plane, and
statement. wars made by the prisoner which would leave
Do doubt whatever as to the mode in which he attacked
the deceased, or as to the means by which he aims LI his
death. There would be sbandame of prime facie evidence
to substantiate the crime of murder. There was not the
Semi provocation suggested, nor any means by which the
crime could be reduced to maualaughter. But there would
be • question as to the sanity of the prisoner, and there
was not the slightest desire on the part of the poor
cation to press the cue unreasonably mallet the pri-
mmer. If it should be made out, either by the withemes he
(Mr. Waddy) might call, or by those the prisomer's counsel
might call, that the prisoner was imam, and that his
insanity amounted to sufficient in the eye of the law to
axoevrate him from criminal responsibility, then the jury
must give him the benefit of it, mod no persons would be
more delighted than the parties to this preemie-lon if they
could couscieniiously and honestly 6iol their way to such a
merciful verdict. Bat at the same time, while the prosecu-
tion desired to deal honestly and liberally with the prisoner,
it was their duty meet before the jury those facts which
appeared to have • bearing in an °meads direction, and to
set before them those statemeota of the prisoner which ap-
peared to intimate that be did at the time know the caterer
and quality of the crime he perpetrated. About sixteen
months beforethia he had been for • short time odder the
care of Mr. Clerk, surgeon, end be had melancholia and
delusions. At various times, too, be had had delusions of an
inoffensive and harmless character. They would hear from
• higher authority than himself (Mr. Waddy) what the
nature of those delusions must be to entitle the ma. to an
acquittal. With regard to the qualities of insanity generally.
probably they might be toll that it consisted in • man
not knowing the oatureor quality of the crime be was emu-
In this case, unfortunately, there were eminences
which would indicate • peeled knowledge of the act which
the man committed. When asked by the police what he
had dare it fur, Le replied "Oh they know : we should
have hoes separated two or three days sines ;" and 11111•13
asked what he had done it with, he said " I knocked him
dove .I.'l stamped Moo him with my heel." Moreover,
be said, "Are you not going to bike me to Haddonfield ; I
know I shall have to go ;" mid be said " I hare killed the
old ruse. I followed my wife upwards. Payola mine into
Sherwin, and !threw him downandetamped,opes his head.'