The Express.
London, England, 1853-04-12 00:00:00

ASSIZE INTELLIGENCE.

NORTH WALES CIRCUIT.--thiesun, APRIL 11.

Barmen Ma. Juries Wieurnsx.
THE GODLEY Mraixa.
Horrid Thornlev and Robert Thornky, were charged II
with poisoning James Brookes, at Godley.
Mr. Davison and Mr. Swetenharn conducted the prose- i
cution ; Mr. Mackintyre defended the prisoners.
This murder was alleged to have been committed in
February, 1847. The deceased James Brookes lived with
his wife, the female prisoner, at • farm, at Godley. near
Ashton-under-Lgne. Ile was • collier, working chiefly in
a coal mine, at Dunkirk, but for a short time previous to
his death be had worked at Pendleton, near Manchester.
He used to leave home for Pendleton on the Monday morn-
ing, and return home on the Saturday evening. During
the hay harvest of 1846 he had employed the prisoner
Thorneley on his farm, and discharged him at the latter
end of the year. An attachment sprang up between
Thorneley and Brookes's wife, and Mrs. Brookes had fre-
quently been heard to say that she would rather have
Robert Thoruely'a little finger than her husband's whole
body. Thorneley had been heard by several parties to
threaten the life of Brookes, and he entertained a resent-
ment against the deceased fur having discharged him.
Belden)* was given to prove that an adulterous inter-
course had been carried on between the two prisoners before
the death of James Brookes. Oa the 27th of February,
James Brookes died after being ill for a few days, and suf-
fering from frequent vomiting'. An inquest was held upon
his body, but as he had recently been wounded in the coal
mists it was thought that his death had resulted from the
wound which was received on the temple. H., was buried,
and in the May following the prisoner Thorneley married
Brookes' widow. They continued to litre together until the
summer of 1851, when they quarrelled. Thorncley told off
the furniture, and separated from his wife. In May, 1852,
Thorneley went to a Lancashire police-officer, named
Thune, and stated to him that in February, 1847, he
had purchased poison for the purpose of procuring
the death of James Brookes • had given it to
Harriet Bro,,kes, who administered it to her husband.
This statement war thought to be the result of a strange
fancy, and no notice was taken of it. On the 22nd of De-
cember last Thorneley made a similar statement to another
police-officer named Leash. That was taken no notice of,
and on the 27th December the prisoner volunteered the
same statement to the superintendent of police at Staley-
bridge. It was then committed to paper, signed by the
prisoner, and he testified to its truth on three or four',
successive occasions when examined before the magistrates.
In consequence of this Thorneley was taken into custody,
the coffin of James Brookes war exhumed, its contents ana-
lysed, and the presence of 94 grains of arsenic discovered in
the remains of the tissue, glandular, and ligamentous por-
tions of the body.
The cue for the prosecution being closed,
Mr. Macintyre addressed the jury, going through the
whole of the evidence, and contending that, as respected
Harriet Thotneley, the ease was very slight.
The learned counsel was proceeding with his address
when our parcel was despatched.

MIDDLESEX SESSIONS.—YESTERDAY.
The April General Quarter Session of the Peace for the
county of Middlesex commenced this morning at Hicks's
Hall, Clerkenwell, before Mr. Serjeant Adams, Assistant-
Judge, and a full bench of magistrates. There are 43 pri-
soners for trial, allot whom, with one exception, are charged
with felony.
The Assistant-Judge briefly charged the grand jury, ex-
plaining to them the nature of their duty, which was simply
to ascertain in each case whether there was sufficient evi-
deuce to put the accusedon trial, and not go into the merits
of the cues that would be submitted to them.
Mr. William Gilpin, Mr. Benjamin Williams, and Mr.
J. Turnley, took the oaths of qualification as Justices of the
Peace for Middlesex.