The Express.
London, England, 1853-09-16 00:00:00

THE ALLEGED MURDER AT SHEPHERD'S

BUSH.

Yesterday evening Mr. Brent, the deputy-coroner
for the wasters division of Middlesex, held an inquiry at
the Black Bull Ins, lisinoscraraith, into the circumstances
attendant upon the death of Elisabeth Hayes. alleged to
have beet =unloved by her husband, Jima Hayes, near
the Shepherd's-bush market, on the night of !Worthy last.
A fall account of the transaction, as it transpired in evi-
dence given at the Hammersmith Police-court, was given
in the Ezpreas of Tuestlsy last, when the husband was
remanded until after the past martens examination.
The jury, viewed the body, which was lying in a low
dirty horse is the neighbourhood. The upper part of the
poor weasan's body was covered with bruises, and oa the
throat were marks which seemed to indicate that the de-
ceased had been choked.

Policeman 261 T (Starling) said—On Sunday morning
last, as he was going on duty, his attention was attracted
by a large number of people near Shepherd'obush market.
On inquiry he heard that a woman, drunk and insensible,
was lying behind some buildings there. He found her
lying on her aide. She opened mut of her eyes, but the
ether was so bruised end swollen that she could not open it.
Her clothes were not torn, but her bonnet string was un-
tied arid her shawl unpinned. She did not utter a word.
She was conveyed on a stretcher to Brook-green station,
sof aftcrwaids to her sister-in-law's house.

Policeman 6l T (John Searle) corroborated the evidence
of the lest witless", end added that he saw Hayes standing
near the place where deceased wee afterwards found.
By the Coroner—The deceased woman came to him on
Saturday night, about eleven o'clock, while he was on his
beat, and asked him to accompany her to her husband, as
she wanted to speak to him. She said there was another
woman with him, and she was afraid of going to him with-
out protection. She was perfectly sober then. Witness
recommended her not to have anything to do with a drunken
man. She said the advice was very good, and thereupon went
away. He did not hear the woman groan when he was
persuading the man to leave the spot where he saw him.
If she had groaned he must have heard her.

Thomas Taylor, a labouring man, said he knew the de-
was. d woman, having seen her come with Hayes'.: meals
while he was working with him. He had known Hayes
some years. lie saw the deceased woman with Hayes
about 11 o'clock on Saturday night. She asked him to go
home. He said nothing to her, but knocked her down.
She got up, and he knocked her down again. She 'Asp
again and ran behind witness. He told hat to get away last
her husband should think they were harbouring ►er.
There were several Irishmen near at the time, and I was
afraid of them.

The Coroner—You would not audit the woman for fear
the Irishmen would be bitter against you ?
Witness—Yes. Hayes then kicked at her, and said he
would kick her brains out. Deceased then ran down the
market, and Hayes followed her, remarking, " I will do
for you to-night."
Edward George, a labouring man, said that on Saturday
evening last dammed came with her husband into Shep•
herd's Bush market. Hayes said something to her, and
then knocked her down. Deceased was perfectly sober,
Hayes was not. When he knocked her down a second
time, he said " I will knock (or kick) your brains out."
After deceased was knocked down the second time, she
could not run away—she was too feeble. She came to wit-
ness for protection, but he would not have anything to do
with her, for there were many Irish people present, and
they were a ram lot of people to get into a row with.
(Laughter.) They would hit one with a stick or a pickaxe.
Mr. John Brown, surgeon, of Hammersmith, said he had
known the deceased woman two or three years, and bad
occasionally attended her professiocally. He saw the de-
ceased at the police-station on Sunday. She was in en in-
sensible state. She had received a severe blow on the
right eye, and on the right jaw. Those were the chief ex-
ternal injuries. He saw her again later on Sunday, aid he
found she was rapidly sinking. Ile ordered her removal to
her sister's honer, and there she died. On making a poet
=oriel.* examination, he found that the woman had died
from en effusion of blood on the brain, caused by a blow or
• fall.

- --
Taylor reealled—Said he did not see where the deceased
woman was struck by her husband, but it was not on the
face. When she fell she fell on her back. Hs wu sure
she fell on her back both times.

Emily Shirley, residing at Shepherd's Bush, stated that
she did not know the deceased very well. She saw her on
Saturday night, near the Royal Hotel, Shepherd's Bush.
She asked her if she (witness) was going down the market.
Same time after witness saw her knocked down by her
husband. She got up and went down the market, but
Hayes stood still. Afterwards she turned down to a place
called " The Island." There were two or three steps to go
dews, sad she called out " Jena, Jena." Afterwards one
saw Hsyes knock the deceased woman's head against the
wooden railings of fur. Robinson's gate, exclaiming, " You
take that; I will do for you soon." Deceased
said nothing, and witness was too muck frightened
to give en alarm. What she witnessed occurred within a
few yards of the spot on which the body was afterwards
found. Witness knew Hayes, and could swear to his per-
son. She saw him last on Sunday morning.
Edmund Lines saw deceased and her husband together on
Saturday evening at six o'clock. They then appeared to be
on very good terms together. He had known Hayes to thrash
his wife frequently. Ho had \lessen her before they got
married. He did not think she deserved it. They cohabited
before they were married. Witness had often heard Hayes
say that he would be his wife's botcher.
The inquest was adjourned.

MELANCHOLY AND DETERMINED SUICIDE
BY A SURGEON.

DORCHESTER, THURSDAY.
Tho town of Dorchester was this morning greatly
shocked, and thrown into a state of despondency and gloom,
by the perpetration of an act of determined suicide by,Mr.
John Edwards, surgeon of this town. The unfortunate
gentleman appears to have been labouring under some
pecuniary difficul•no, and between nine and t s o'clock this
morning the sheriff's officer appeared at the house to put in
an execution. Mr. Edwards's man servant, who bad been
just engaged in assistiag him to dress, informed his master
that the officer, calling him by his name, wished to speak
with him; upon which Mr. Edwards desired his servant to
leave the room, saying ha would be down stain directly. It
then appean that the man who accompanied the officer, for
the purßof remaining in pommies, fancied he heard
a gull kind of noise, and, appreheading on the
momentat something was wrong, rushed up stairs
sad found Mr. Edwards lyin4 on his bed gasping, and
in the 'gouda of death. He famed an alarm, and medical
assistance was immediately seat for, bet the unhappy man
expired in a very few minutes. On a search being made, a
small bottle, which bad contained prussic acid, was found
by hie bedside, and there was no doubt that he had de-
stroyed life by swallowing a very tarp dose of that deadly
poison. It is remarkable that the deceased's father, like-
wise a surgeon, who for many years enjoyed a very exten-
sive and superior practice in this town and nelhbunrhood,
came to an untimely end, between thirty an forty years
ago, by deliberately opening the jugular vein before a look.
ing-glass.
The deemed was a very kind sad humans man, and
rendered many gratuitous and valuable services to the poor
and needy in this vicinity. He was a widower, about 64
years of age, sad has left a daughter, about 16, to mourn
his loss.