The Express.
London, England, 1867-09-11 00:00:00

THE TRAGEDY IN LLVEHOUSE.

Yesterday, John Wiggins, a lighterman, was
brought up on remand before Mr. Paget, a* the Thames
Police Court, Stepney, charged with the wilful murder
of Agnes Oakes, aged ?a years, at No. 1, Temperance-
oottage, Lower North-street, Linaehones, on the morning
of the 24th of July last. He was also charged with at-
tempting to oonmeit suicide by cutting his own throat, at
the same time sad place.

Mr. Poland, barrister (ins, rooted by Mr. Pollard, clerk
to the Treasury solicitor) conducted the prosecution ; IMr.
Charles Young, solicitor, defended the prisoner.The prisoner and the deceased woman, it will be remem-
bered, bad cohabited as man and wife for six months.
On the 24th of July, at 10 'abutter before 2in the morn-
ing, cries of murder were heard to proceed from the direc-
tion of the prisoner's dwelling, and at 10 minutes to 5 the
same morning the prisoner emerged from his house into
the street with his throat cut, and said his wife had out
her own throat. Many persons entered the house, and
found the unfortunate woman lying on the floor dead, her
head covered with a chair, an extensive wound on her
throat, and a blood-stained table knife on the table.

Mr. James Horton, surgeon, of High-street, Stepney,
who was called in to see the deceased, said, after describing
the nature of the wounds—The deceased was healthy, and
appeared to be well nourished. I should think she was
from 26 to 30 years of age. Portions of the body not
covered over were cold when I entered the room. The
arms and legs were cold. The body was becoming rigid,
but not completely so. lam sore rigidity bad com-
menced. Taking all the appearances together, the drynees
of the blood on the throat and shift and on various parts
of the room, I should say that death must have taken
place two or three hours before I saw the body. I was led to
the supposition it was two hours—it might be more. lam
sure that it could not have been so recent as three-quarters
of an hour. I see no reason to modify the opinions I have
expressed on the whole transaction.
In cross-examination by Mr. Charles Young the witness
said he was not aware that the appearances on which he
founded his opinions were a disputed point with the pro-
Union. The hemorrhage was very considerable from the
wound on the throat. He wee certain, taking all the
appearances together, the deceased had expired more than
an hour when he was called in.
Dr. Alfred Swains Taylor, M.D., and professor of Me-
dical Jurisprudence at Guy's Hospital for more than 30
years, said—l have heard all the evidence of Mr. Horton,
and the description of the large wound on the deceased's
throat. I cannot my it is impossible she could have in-
flicted such a wound herself, but it is highly improbable.
Death would have immediately followed the severance of
the carotid artery and jugular vein, and her cries would
have ceased on the division of the windpipe. From the
direction of the wound, the knife or instrument
with which it was inflicted must have been plunged
first to the spine and then drawn from left to right.
The wound began on the left side. Immense force must
have been used to have carried such a wound with that
knife, assuming it was inflicted with that knife. I gather
from Mr. Horton's statement that there was a general
coldness and stiffness of the body. My opinion is, taking
the case of an adult woman in the month of July, and in
a close room, that two hours bad elapsed between the time
of death and Mr. Horton seeing the body at half-past
five o'clock in the morning. It is more consistent with
the condition of a deed body like that described that four
or five hours bad elapsed since the time of death. Some
dead bodies became rigid while warm, but here was the
case of a healthy young woman. The loss of blood would
make no material difference in the cooling of the body.
Coagulation of the blood might take place in
a few minutes, but the drying of the blood
required time. The quantity of blood on the knife is
small, but a thick layer of blood on it might have taken
a longer time to dry. All that has been stated by Mr.
Horton is corroborative of my opinion that death had
taken place more than two hours before he was called in.
Dr. Taylor then referred to other cases in which he had
been called upon by the government to give an opinion,
the teats he and Dr. Wilkes had made to discover the
time rigidity and coldness of bodies commenced, and
other matters in confirmation of his opinion.
Mr. Charles Young cross-examined the professor, but
elicited nothing materiaL
Mr. Paget salted Dr. Taylor if he had ever beard of
case of suicide like this.
Dr. Taylor—l never did, sir.
Dr. Wilkes, a physician of Gel's Hospital, and exami-
ner in medicine of the University of Loudon, confirmed
Dr. Taylor in every particular, and added—When I heard
Mr. Horton give hie evidence I had a strong impression
the deceased must have been dead from three to five hours.

Mr. Paget—After auffenng ouch an extensive wound on
the throat wee it possible for the deserved to have placed a
chub. over her heed on the floor ?

; I will not say It is
absolutely impossible.
Mr. Paget then read the whole of the voluminous evi-
dence of twenty witnesses, which occupied two hours.
The only alteration in the written depositions taken by
Mr. Nairn, the second clerk, in a very careful manner, wag
at the Instigation of Professor Taylor, who wished one
portion of his testimony, in answer to the prisoner's
solicitor, to appear as follows:—I have known oases of
suicide, where the wound had been inflicted by the person
himself, penetrating as far ea the anterior ligaments of the
spine, where a sharp instrument like a razor was used
cutting through the soft parts of the lower parts of the
neck by a drawn cut. Such • ease was extremely rare.
The prisoner having received the usual caution, said—l
am entirely innocent of the charge against me. I have
witnesses who can oome forward and speak for me, but as
you are determined to send me for trial would rather that
they should speak for me on my triaL
Mr. Paget then ordered the names of the witnesses to be
called; nineteen answered, and it was stated that the
twentieth was too ill to appear or leave his room.
Mr. Paget—Then he cannot be bound over. If he is
well enough when the sessions commence he can be taken
there, and the judge in his discretion may allow him to
give evidence or not.
The witnesses present were then bound over in the
usual recognisance* to appear at the next sessions of the
Central Criminal Court, and, after a six hours' investiga-
tion, Mr. Paget committed the prisoner for trial for wilful
murder.