The Express.
London, England, 1867-09-26 00:00:00

THE LIMEHOUSE MURDER.

The trial of John Wiggins for the murder of Asa*
Oates, was resumed this morning at 10 o'clock.
The case for the prosecution was proceeded with.
Mr. Poland and Mr. Collins again appeared for the
prosecution; and Mr. PAM.= and Mr. Streight for the
prisoner.
The following witnesses were examined:
Mr. Not ion, the surgeon, was re-called, and in answer
to questions put by the learned judge he said that be did
not observe any marks on the back of the head of the de.
ceased to indicate that she had fallen down backwards.

Mrs. Smith, • witness, who had been exam: nod on the
previous day, was also re-called, and she stated that when
she went into the room there was • can half full of beer
1 and • plate with bread and meat upon it on the table. All
the bed clothes were thrown off, and she was unable tansy
whether any one had slept in the bed.
Edward Dillon, • police-sergeant, said he was on duty
at the nation whin the prisoner was brought there,
I charged on suspicion of having murdered Agnes Oates.
He made • long statement to the effect that he was inno-
cent and knew nothing about it. He said he could swear
before God and man that he never had the knife in his
hand to cut her throat or hie own. He then pcooseded to
make the same statement he did to the stable
who was first called in. He said that e exact time
when it occurred was shortly after 4 o'clock.; He said
that his father and mother first went into the roonidand
his father called out " My boy, she has eat her throat!"
Gross-examined—The mother of the prisoner warn a very
old woman. He could net say whether she was seventy
years old—hut he had no doubt that she was over sixty.
The prisoner made this statement after there had been an
inquiry before the coroner. Witness took down the state-
ment made by the prisoner in writing, which was the
usual course in snub cases. Witness did not invite the
prisoner to make any statement. He did so quite volun-
tarily.
Mr. James Richards, the deputy-coroner for the county
of Middlesex, proved that the lint meeting took place on
the 26th of July, and it was adjourned to the 9th of
August. The pimoner at this meeting represented through
his solicitor, Mr. Young, that he wished to make a state-
ment, and he desired to do so upon oath. Witness told
trm he saw no objection to his doing so, but he cautioned
him that he must do so quite voluntarily, and that be was
liable to be questioned. The prisoner was then sworn and
examined. _ .

The statement of the prisoner was precisely the same as
the one just referrectto. He represented that the deceased
asked him to forgive her, and she promised to tall him all
she had done with the money, and he refused, and lay
down and went to sleep, and he was awoke by something
tickling his throat, sad he found that the deceased was
cutting his throat. He then said that be went to his
mother's room, and when he returned he found that the
deceased had cut her own throat, and he ran into the street
and gave an alarm.
Cross-examined—The prisoner's father and mother were
both examined at the inquest. The latter was a very aged
woman. They were crossexamined by the primoner's
solicitor. Several other witnesses were examined, some of
whom had not been called on the present occasion: Among
them was a person named Elizabeth Hampton.
Mr. Ribtoc submitted that he was entitled, on the part
of the prisoner, to have the evidence of the prisoner's
father and mother, and that of the witness Hampton, laid
before the jury, as wall as the statement that was made by
the prisoner.
The learned judge, however, ruled that sea evidence
was not admiassible, and said he was clearly of opinion
that the statement made by the prisoner before the coro-
ner did not let in the depositions of the other witnesses
who were examined.

ThisWiti);;;Zensaid that the prisoner was in custody
when he made the statement refired to. The verdict of
the coroner's jury wag " Not Proven."
By Mr. Poland—No professional gentleman represented
the crown at the coroner's inquest.
Inspector Brady proved that when he apprehended the
prisoner, and told him that he was charged with the mur-
der otlignes Oates, the reply he made waa " Just so,"
and he made no otherobeenation.

Dr. Alfred Swayne Taylor was the next witness. He said—
I have been in court dui mg the whole of the trial, and have
beard the description of the wound upon the neck of the
deceased, and I agree with Mr. Horton, that • woman in
• state of frenzy or delirium might have inflicted such a
wound upon herself. I have seen the knife that has been
produced. In mreopinion the injury was done to the
spinal bone in the first instance, and that this injury
could not have been inflicted after the vessels had been
cut. The deceased might have, to some slight
extent, the power of motion after the injury was inflicted,
but death must have followed in a very few seconds from
each • wound as this was. I paid attention to
the evidence as to the sate of the body, and it is
my opinion from the age of the woman, the state of
the weather, and other circumstances that she must
have been dead two hours when Mr. Horton saw
her, and, under ordinary circumstances, I should say from
three to five hours. I• do not think the lees of blood
would in any way affect the cooling of the body. When
• person in perfect health dies suddenly with all the
warmth of health about him, the body would be longer
cooling than In the case of • person who died from disease.
I think it quite impossible for the deceased to have
moved • chair after receiving the wound. She might have
moved for a short distance, and would then fall forwards
dead. Dr. Taylor then went on to state that be had
examined the clothes of the prisouer, and had ascertained
that there wan was no blood upon fourteen of the cuts
in the folds of the handkerchief where he should
have expected to find it, if the wound in
the priso.mr's neck had been caused by cutting through
the handkerchief. He also said that be believed that 'one
of the cuts that was on the shirt , which appeared to be
quite clean must have had blood upon it if the wound in
the neck had been inflicted by the knife passing through it.
He examined the stockings of the prisoner, and he
observed an appearance as though blood had fallen on the
top of the foot while the boots were off. He did not
observe any blood on the inside of the prisoner's boots,
although the part of the stockings were completely satu-
rated with blood. (It should be explained that the object
of this evidence was to show that the blood on the
stockings must have been dry when the boots were
put on.)
In cross-examination, Dr. Taylor said that walking
about on • dry floor would of course tend to absorb and
dry up the blood that was in the feet of the stockings. He
did not see the body, and he formed his opinion from the
evidence given by Dr. Horton, which, moreover, appeared
to be very clearly given. There were exceptions, of
course, in all medical cases, but he had had a great deal
of experience in eases of violent death, and he formed the
opinion he bad expressed as to the period that would be
required for this body to be in the condition in which it
was found es the result of his experience.
In answer to questions put to Dr. Taylor, in re-examina-
tient he stated that with reference to the power of loco-
motion after receiving an injury of that character, it made
a very great difference whether the windpipe was severed
or not ; in eases where the windpipe was severed, death
was almost instantaneous from the blood from the artery
rushing into the aperture and causing almost immediate
suffocation.
_____

Dr. Wilke., one of the principal physicians of Guy's
Hospital, said that be had paid particular attention to
the subject, and be was of opinion that the deceased
had been dead for at least two or three hours when
the body was seen by Dr. Horton, and he had never
known an instance where the vigor mortis had com-
menced under a shorter period than three hours.
He also expressed his opinion that it was only
barely possible that the deceased could have inflicted the
wound upon herself. He had seen • case where an injury
to such an extent, in • case of suicide, had been caused by
a man, but never by a woman.
William Dunn, one of the former witnesses, waare-called
by the learned judge, and in reply to a question put
to him, be said that when be fiat went into the pm.
goner's room be observed that the bed appeared to have
been laid on but he was unable to say whether by one or
two persona. He also said that he low some articles of
woman's clothing lying about the room, but he did not
notice what condition they were in.
Mr. Poland said this was the case for the prosecution.
Mr. Ribton said that the name of another witness,
Fanny Wiggins, was on the back of the bill.
Mr. Poland said that as the counsel for the crown he
should exercise the discretion vested in him, and should
not call the witness referred to.

Mr. Ribton submitted that the usual course was to
plans the witness in the box, and allow the prisoner's
counsel to examine him or her if he thought proper to
do so.

Mr. Justice Lush said that this was his impression, but
he would consult Mr. Justice Smith upon the point and
left the court fur that purpose. Upon his return, and
before he could state the revolt of the diacus-
aion, Mr. Poland said that rather than there
should be any difficulty he would call the witness.
Fanny Wiggins was accordingly placed in the box. She
said—l am the wife of the elder brother of the prisoner,
het I did not live in the cottage, and I know nothing of
the circumstances connected with the case.
Crossoxamined— I helped to lay out the body of the
deceased, and in moving her I tore her shift in the way in
which It now appears. I tore it all down the front, and
nearly to the bottom. I never heard the deceased say that
she felt as if she could make away withhereelf.

In answer to • question pat by one of the jary, the et ;t-
-ame maid that the dsoewd was • very fine, strong young
women. . _ _

then announced that he did not intend to call
any witnesses.
Mr. Poland consequently proceeded to sum up
the /sae for the prosecution, and he commenced
by obeerving that although his learned friend bad
stated on the previous day that he should call
witnesses, he had now, in the exercise of his die.
cretion, declined to do so, and he had left the cams for the
prosecution unanswered and without say explanation. He
then proceeded to state that the Mae was undoubtedly •
remarkable one, but it was his pahlful duty to ask them
to come to the conclusion that upon the evidence
that bad been laid before them, they were bound to end
the prisoner guilty of the murder of which he was accused.
He then called the attention of the jury to the facts, and
urged upon them the utter improbability of a young woman,

only 22 years of age, and who was proved tOhateve o of
happy disposition, committing such • desperate act of
suicide es was suggested by the prisoner, and that she
should have previously attempted to destroy his life with.
out any apparent motive or object whatever. He then
argued that it was deer that the body had been arranged
in the situation in which it was found by sot"
one or other after the unfortunate young woman wee
dead, and that if it had been an act of enable
as was suggested, elm could not possibly have been in the
situation in which she was found. He then remarked Upon
the fact that the place where the cuts appeared Upon the
priaoaer's handkerchief was quite • different spot to
that where the injury appeared on his neck, sod
said that, although the prisoner had attempted to account
for this by stating that he had moved the handkerchief in
order to staunch the blood, this could not have been the
case, or else there must have been a much larger quantity
of blood upon the handkerchief, and the fact being that
very little blood indeed was upon it.
The prisoner here interposed, and asked to be allowed to
make some explanation, hat Mr. Bibton told him be had
better not say anything.
Mr. Poland then proceeded with his summing up of the
evidence for the prosecution, particularly comment*:
upon the fact that when the witness Dunn went
into the room the blood upon the floor and
the blood upon the wall was perfectly dry, and
that upon the shift of the unhappy woman was in the
same state. The blood in the wound also bad coagulated.
and when Dr. Horton arrived the rigidity of death had
commenced, and this, from the evidence of the two
eminent medical gentlemen who had been examined (Dr.
Taylor and Dr. Wilkes), could not have taken place am
less the death had occurred at least two or three hours be.
fore. This evidence, he argued, strongly suppotted the
case for the piosecution that the murder was actually oat.
witted about two o'clock in the morning, which was
the time when the alarm was first heard, and that
when the prisoner found that people had begun to
move about, and that it was necessary that some.
thing should be done, he resorted to the et.
pedient of attempting to show that the deceased
had committed suicide, and inflicted • slight hi.
jury upon his own throat in order to support the
suggestion that she had previously made an attack 'pen
him, but he submitted that the whole of this proceed.
ing was nothing more than • sham, with the object
of endeavouring to escape from the dreadful coo.
quencea of the crime he had committed. The
learned counsel then proceeded to call the attention
of the jury to the frightful character of the wound
that was inflicted upon the deceased, and be
argued that it was almost impossible for any sensible man
to some to the conclusion that the deceased had caused such
an injury herself. He said it had certainly been stated by
the medical man that • penes in • state of franned
excitement, and determined upon committing suicide,
might have caused such an injory,but there was not a tittle
of evidence to show that the deceased was in this *on&
tion, and, on the contrary, the prisoner himself merely
represented that she had calmly requested him to
forgive, and he never represented that she was in
a state of frenzy or excitement. The learned counsel that
referred to one or two other facts in the case, and am
eluded by expressing his opinion that the jury would, on
the result, feel that they had no alternative but to say that
the prisoner was guilty of the dreadful crime that was laid
to his charge.
[The trial was not concluded when our report Wt.]

(Before Mr. Justice Smith.)
In the case of Rape lifottAelos, indicted for the wilful
murder of her male child, Mr. Montagu Williams applied
for • postponement of the trial till next sessicess, in muse.
quence of Mr. Ribton, who was retained for the defence,
being engaged in the Liardsoase murder case which esi
going on in another court.
The learned judge thought it was premature to postpone
the case altogether, but he would let it stand over ill
later in the day to see whether Mr. Ribton could attend.
A similar application was made by Mr. Streight in the
case of Patrick Morgan, who is charged with the wilful
murder of Benjamin Graves ; Mr. Ribton was also retained
forMthir. rwnostice.rSmiintrissaimie.d this difficulty must have bees
foreseen and arrangements made for other counsel to at.
tend. He then ordered the case to stand over till the
afternoon.

THE FORORRY oa ran nisi or mourn.
Williams Henry Hodgson, who yesterday pleaded frailty
to two indictments charging him with forging arida
treaders for stock of the Bank of England, was brought
up to receive sentence.
The prisoner on being asked if be bad earthing to
say why sentence should not be passed upon kma, stated
that his father had been confined in a lunatic asylum fa
15 years, that his mother's brother had been imbecile he
ten years, and that he himself had suffered from temp*
ran fits of insanity.
The Judge said the prisoner had shown considerable
ingenuity in the manner in which he had imposed upon
the stockbrokers, and as the offence was a serious one, the
sentence would be seven years' penal servitude.
(Before the Common Berjeent.)
THE CRT BURGLARS.

James Roans, John Robinson, and John Daru were
brought up to receive sentence for baring been in the
unlawful possession of a number of skeleton keys.
John WKenzie, machinist, said he had known Eno
in the year 1833. In that year Enna, who wee known by
the name of Dan Donovan, was tried at the Central
Criminal Court for burglary.
A previous conviction and sentence of nine months'
imprisonment in 1838 was proved against Robinson.
The Common fierjeant said as there was an admitted
conviction against Robinson, the least sentence he could
pronounce upon him was seven years' guns servitude.
The sentence upon the other two would be five years' penal
servitude.

MIDDLESEX SESSIONS.
(THIS DAY.)

SZOOND COURT.
(Before the Deputy Assistant Judge.)
• MOTH= u THZ DOCK.
Elisabeth Bowers, a poor looking woman, was indicted
for stealing • dress, value is., the property of Gems
Klepaian.
Mr. Wright prosecuted; Mr. Serling defended the pri.
sonar.
It appeared from the evidence that on the evening of
the 22nd inst. the dress was hanging up outside the glop
of the prosecutor, a general dealer, in Central•street, St.
Luke's. The drew wee missed, sad the prisoner was Mel
in company with another woman running away. She me
overtaken, and the dress found conosaled under her aim.
line.
The prisoner said her husband had been the cause of all
her misery.
The jury found her Guilty.
The prisoner wee then charged with baring been foh
manly convicted.
Two officers then got up and swore another conviction
against her, which the prisoner strenuously denied.
The Judge ordered her to be put back until ouch times
inquiries might be instituted as to the truth of the state
meats of the offichda.
The prisoner then begged bard to be allowed to embrace
her child before being sent to prison.
Tho judge said certainly she might.
The child was then banded to the prisoner, and bee
show of affection towards her child caused some sensation
in court. It was thought she would almost have de,
voured it.
Sentence deferred.