The Express.
London, England, 1864-12-20 00:00:00

[TWOPENCE

MURDER IN DURHAM.

Since the dreadful murder of old Mrs. Halliday,
at Hobbletrot, near Chester-le Street, the county of Dur-
ham has happily been free from any crime approximatiog
to deliberate taking of life. A shocking event, however, has
just occurred which has put an rod to this impunity from
crimes of a capital nature. A dreadful wife murder has
taken place at a small colliery village of The Spen, eau
Winlatoo, county of Durham. This village is situated
about a couple of miles from Winlaton, and is on the
borders of the Cherwell plantetion. The Cbopwell
estate, some few years ago. was brought wider the at-
tention of parliament, and some curious revelations as
to its injudicious maaagemeet came out in the dia.
cession on the subject. The estate on which the planta-
tions are was formerly the property of the unfortunate
Earl of Derwentwater, and was confirmed to the crown in
1713, and is now under the charge of the Greenwich
Hospital Commissioners. The village of The Spen, and
the colliery attached to it, which bean the welbknown
name of the Ganafield Colliery, is situated on the borders
of these plautation. The colliery is the property of the
Marquis of Bute, and is worked by his agents. It was
sunk about leoo, and has continued working ever sines.
It produces • famous coking COO, and the coke made from
it is recognised as the best made. The colliery is
managed with much ability by the viewer, Mr. Gress.
Amoegot the pitmen employed at this colliery was
• hewer named Matthew Atkiusoe, aged about 45. He
had worked there for several yews, and lived in a small
cotter, in The Spen with his wife, Ellen Atkinson,• woman
aged 43. She was better known in the village and neigh-
bourhood as Nally Athlone. They had oo family. Atkinson
appears, from all we no learn, to have been a quiet, decent,
orderly conducted man in his daily intercoune with those
around him. lie was unfortunate in his wife. His life was
embittered, his comfort destroyed, his home rendered
miserable, by the dissipated habits of his wife, the unhappy
murdered woman. We are informed that he had found
kindness and severity alike ineffectual for her reformation.
Comer and disturbance, arising out of Mrs. Atkioson's dis-
sipated habits, became at length so frequent, that when the
neighbours heard them they ceased to repel them as of
any importance. On one occasion Atkinson was brought
up by his wife for assaulting her. This will account for
none of them interfering to prevent the perpetration of
this dreadful and afflicting cue of wife murder. We
may mention here as a most remarkable circumstance that
the pitman Smith, who was hanged at Durham shout four
years ago for the murder of Leary, a slater, near Winlatom
lodged with Atkisson and his wife, who at that time lived
at Blaydon-on•Tyne. As in the present ease, Hatay had
been at a shooting match, rot was murdered by Smith
on his return from it. Os Situnlay, Matthew Atkinson
was present at a shooting match held at Hopson, a small
colliery village on the other mile of the river Dement,
and situated between Tanfield and Buraoptield, the latter
famous as the MOO of the mysterious murder of
the young surgen, Mr. Sterling. Atkinson appears,
unfortunately, to have taken too much drink while
present at the match, and when ho set out for home
was undoubtedly the worse for liquor. Had this
not been the can there is reason for supposing that
this unhappy and painful effair might nit have taken
place. lie reached his own lean between ten and eleven
o'clock. Oa getting inside be feutd his wife in bed, sod
from what has since transpired there is good reason for
supposing she had been 'tricking. The miserable man
would seem to have lost commend e himself at the sight,
aoi infuriated by this sal the drink he himself had
taken, he commenced • furious sled tunnierons assault
upon his wife. Shrill screams issued from the cottage.
At first the neighbours did cot pay touch attenties to
this ; but the uproar at length became so terrible and
fierce, the shouts of some one within the cottage
so agonising, that the affrighted neighbour gathered
around the door of the unhappy couple to ascertain the
cause. The sounds they heard elineed that ;nee one was
using the fire irons, and giving within tierce and deadly
blows, while at frequent intervals groans Red cries were
heard from some one within the room. The neighbours
were of course dreadfully alarmed at what they heard, and
knocked at the door to ascertain the cause, and bedew that
no attendee was paid to the commons, they attempted to
open the door. Atkinson called out in tones of anger that he
would shoot Nish:Moos that attempted to come in. They then
I left the neighbourhood of the door, and sot long afterwards
Atkinson himself came out sal walked about outside for
about a quarter of an hour, talking to some of the neigh-
: bours. At the end of that time he esed to Gee of them,
" go back and finish the —." No one seemed to
attach any weight to the dreadful threat ; or at least if
they did, their conduct would seem to have been shook.
ugly callous and indifferent in not preveetiug the miserable
man from completing the horrid tem:tidy. Ile returned to
the house, sad recommenced his savage Ree..ult upon the
unfortunate woman, and continued it until he became
alarmed at seeing that his wife was really dying from his
brutal treatment. This appears to have somewhat sobered
him, and he would thus seem ern to have in some degree
realised the dreadful positron in which his blind and
drunken fury bad placed him. He called the neighbours
in. They found the poor woman lying on the floor a shock.
in mass of blood mad bruises. They lifted bee upon the
bed, but the only gays two sighs and then entered. Infor-
mation of the horrid crime was immediately given to the
police, and P.C. Harrison, who is statigurd at Winlaton,
was soon lon the spot, and apprelierded Atkinson for the
murder of his wife. lie was :rf,erwards conveyed to the
Blaydon lockup by Sergeant Wood, where he now remains.
When the police entered the house the scene which pre-
sented itself was truly horrible. The floor of the dwelling
apartment where the murder Lad bees committed was lite.
rally covered with the blood and Bair of the murdered
woman, aa if she had been drswged about while the tragedy
was being enacted. The poker, the there, and the coal-rake
were bent is such • manner as to render them toeless as
weapons, and they also were covered with clotted blood sad
matted hair. The fire shovel too had Leen used by the
murderer, and from its appearance some tbaatly work must
bay, been dope with it, Its handle wee smelled sad the blade
coated with blood ; and not satisfied with the weapons he
bad already used, the murderer bad taken up the handle
of the house brush, and in striking his victim had broken it
twice. The body of the murdered woman, when Dr. Callender
arrived, a short time before the police got to the spot. pre-
sented a shocking appearance. It was on mom of bruises
and wounds. She was then dead. On the left temple was
a large wound two inches long and of the same width ; her
left arm was broken, and four Seger, on the right hand
were also fractured. The features were completely hidden
by the cuts sad wounds inflicted, and the back part and top
of the bead wen also maimed and mangled. On her legs
were cats and bfUlsolt, and whether teen had beeo
tn-
dicted by kicks or by the firedroris canoes be said. There
was one large wound on the right leg which it is a wonder
did not fracture the limn.; ea it war, it cut deeply into the
flesh, leaving • hole as if. piece had bees hacked out.
Since the removal of the murderer to the Iff.ydoe lock-up
he appears deeply to feel the awful nature of his position,
and exhibits signs of groat contrition and prostration f
mind.—Neweasik CAromick.

SINGCLAR ACCIDENT ON THE LONDON, CHATHAM,
AND Loren HAIM...T.—The frost which set iu oe Saturday
night caused the main water-pipe immediately adjoining the
railway-bridge of the London, emitham, and Dover sad
Loudon and Brighton Railways, situated in the Battersea.
road, to burst, and so great wee the force of the water that
though the mein was fully ail feet under the ground the
water burst through the roadway, throwing the ch iris eas an
sides, and washing the hedgerows which protect the fields
tooling to the railway away, rushed down the wheat held,
which is of a sloping astute, on to the lines of railway,
and in the course of a few hours the four hoes of rails,
extending for nearly 700 yards, were covere,l with water.
It was some time before the tail extent of the calamity
could be areartained, and La-:..re steps were takes
to arrest the progress of the watt r considerable
damage had been done, and it was rat nos time
feared that the sleepers would be washed away.
It also appears that when the main pipe burst it broke the
gas main adjoining it, and the consequence •as that all the
water which was discharged was impregnated with gassed the
pipes were filled with water. As soon as the nature of the
eccident had been ascertained a large bode of men were
sent to the spot, and by diot of great exertiOn succeeded is
clearing the main lines of the water by digging trenches.
kc. Thee were engaged in rep drier the dama.,e all day,
and yesterday the main pipes were repaired and the toad
was tilled in. Yesterday the entire Niece was cleared, but
it was quite evident that the permanent war bad been is
many places washed away on the shunting lines leading to
the aegis. sheds of the Brighton Company. These, of
course. will have to be repaired before they can be used
tar traffic.

---
COLLISION AND Loss OF FIVE LivER IN Tae
Abnat 7 o'clock on Friday ev.ning last the
smack lemon, Flutobinp muter, of Pods ,w, came into
collision sine miles south by east of the Liz;nl with the
schooner Catherine, Roberts master. of Bannouth. The
latter vessel was so much injured that she rink immediately,
and with her the whole of the crew, live in number. The
captain, however, clung to • rope, and was picked up by
the Lemon after being 20 minutest in the water. The
captain's son was one of the crew. The Lemon had bee
bowspnt and topmast urn"' away, and put into PODZ4IIOII
on the following day. The Catherine was bound from
Portmados foe Milton, with • canto of slates; and the
Lemon was from Cork for Plymouth, cargo not stated.—
IVestern Morning mess.

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..--
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