The Express.
London, England, 1860-07-18 00:00:00

NUBIAN OP A WIFE AND 111 CEILDRIN IN THE ME ON

WIOHT.

William Henry a soldier, aged 39, was
WhitwMti,
in-
dicted for the wilful murder of Martha, his wife, and
Frederick, William, Robert, Mary Ann. Elisabeth, and
Ellen Whitworth, his six children, at Sandown, in the
parish of Breding, Isle of Wight.
Mr. W. M. Cooke appeared for the prossention ; Mr.
Cole for the defence.

It will be remembered that Whitworth, who was • sertggeeaannt
in the Royal Artillery, was the master gunner at 9aodosn
Fork in which his quarters were situated, there residing '
with him his wife and six of his children, the seventh being
absent. On the 18th of May Whitworth ran acrouthe parade
Catiand threw hinuelf upon his knees before Captain
on, and exclaimed, " For God's sake, sir, save me!"
He handed to tain Robinson his watch, some papers and
money, and ad " Re's used medreadfully ! Flers held •
Odolat my bead, and swore he'd shoot me if I didn't cut
my throat. He then opened the collar of his coat, exhi•
bated his throat cut and covered with blood, atd said—
" There's awful work down there ! Pray go down !" He
was sent to the hospital. On entering the house bloody
footprints—some the unfortunate children's, others those of
Whitworth's stocks were observed to cover the floor,
showing that tho children had escaped from their bedroom,
and had been punned downstairs and driven up spin by
the murderer. The Boor of the upper room was covered
with blood, papers, clothing, and among other articles found
were the razor and cutlass with which the murders had been
perpetrated. There were two beds in the room. On the
outerside of that nearest the door was the body of Mrs.
Whitworth, dressed, with the exception of her boots, and
her neck so horribly gashed that the vertebras of the neck
WWI plainly visible. The wound' of the six children were
all of the same dreadful character. Across the mother lay
an infant, which had evidently been at the bract, and they
had clearly been murdered before they awoke ; near them
were a boy and • girl, whose bodies bad been thrown
upon the bed after their murder. On the bed
nearest the window were two girls, and at the
head of it a little boy—all were quite dead.
The pillows showed that they had been used to 'tide the
cries of the unfortunate victims.
. . .

The prisoner, when placed at the har, stared vacantly
about the court, muttered •mme incoherent sentences, and
was apparently eating something.
A jury was empanelled to try the question whether the
prisoner could understand the pleadings to an indictment,
and
Dr. Lyford, the surgeon to the countygaol at Winchester,
stated that the prisoner's mental powers were almost en-
tirely extinct, arising from softening of the brain a dis-
use which had apparently been going on for some time.
The prisoner, w o had placed his arm round the neck of
the turnkey who had him in charge, smiled at and pointed be
his lordship, and appeared to be much amused at the ap-
pearance of the court.
After an explanatory address from his lordship,
The jury found that the prisoner was unable to plead.
His Lordabip aaid then he should direct the usual order
to be made.
The gaoler motioned to the prisoner to leave the bar, but
be appeared quite unable to comprehend the meaning, and
when at length ho was led away by the arm, he exclaimed,
in a loud tone of voice, " Gracious God, look down upon
you all, miserable sinners."
ATERMPTED MURDER MID SUICIDE.
Robert SIMMOOM, aged Zi, was indiesed for wounding
Sophia Rowe, with intent to murder her, at Winchester.
Mr. Gunner prosecuted.
It appeared that Rowe, who had been a domestic servant,
is the daughter of a brialunaker, named James Rowe, re.
siding at Stowmarket, in Suffolk, and on the 24th of last
December, being out of a situation, she went to the Pain-
ters' Arms, a public-house in Sussex-street, Winchester, to
assist the landlady, who is in health, and there she re-
mained until the morning of Saturday, May It Previously
to this she had Weenie acquainted with the prisoner.
On the Thursday and Friday nights preceding the 12th
they slept together, and on the Friday morning the man
saints was tired of soldiering, he should cut his thrust, and re-
quested that Rowe wouldget him anizor. Masan' she would
not burrow one, upon which, according to the girl's &would,
be became so unhappy that she gave him eighteen-pence to
purchase a razor. He bought one, returned to the Painters'
Arms, and remained there fur the mot of the day, giving
the razor to Rowe, who locked it up la her box. At night,
when they went to bed, at the prisoner's request Rowe
took the razor out of the box, and placed it under the
bolster. In the morning, about 7 o'clock, Sinsraon took the
razor from under the bolster, and Rowe desired kin. to cut
her throat ; he replied that he had not power to do it, and
Rowe declared that if be did not cut bars he should not cut
his own. Simpson asked her to lay her arm down for him
to put his head on, and she then laid her arra down, and he
laid his bead upon it ; at that tirue he had the razor in his
left band, and with it be first cut Rowe's throat and then
his own. Mrs. Watlen, the landlady, heard some
noise, and od running upstairs found them both
lying on the bed with their throats cut and
bleeding. Mr. Buckle, a surgeon, was called in, and on au
examination of the wound discovered upon Rowe a very
large incision in the neck, dividing N portion of the trachea,
attended with much hemorrhage. The prisoner's nark was
not so seriously lacerated.
The jury convicted the prisoner of the attempt to murder.
His Lordship characterised the conduct of the parties as a
foolish and wicked act, an offence apnea morals, religion,
and law, and ordering sentence of death to be recorded
against the prisoner, told him that he would lave to suffer a
long term of imprisonment

MIDLAND ClRClJlT.—Laiceirraa, JULT 17.
(Beam Mr. Justice Wightman.)
Hamm% Haws, 18, domestic servant, was indicted far
the wilful mailer of Samuel Wells.
Preamer had been domestic aervant to the deceased
Samuel Wells, and they hadhad daily disweements. She
had been heard to say that she hated him (deoeaaed), sod

that " she wished the old devil was dead." Prisoner was
sent by her muter to the house of Henry John Wells, a
son of demised, for some wheat and some weenie. A small
bag of wheat was given her, and a packet of arsenic con-
taining 4 lb. Afterwards the packet was returned to the
son's house, and it was found that the packet then
contained but two-and-a-half ounces. On the following
night Samuel Wells wished to have some gruel for supper,
and prisoner made him some. On taking It he remarked
that it was thick, and he could not "get through it."
Shortly afterwards be was seized with vomiting, which coo.
tinued all night, and he kept his bed next day. On the
of that day his daughter-in-law ordered prisoner to
wising
en"
some thin gruel, and which w taken up to deceased,
but he could not touch it. The daughter then ate some of
it, and also gave some to her little boy. The prisoner tried
to persuade them not to eat it, and proposed that
it should be kept hot for the deceased for another time.
They both fell ill with vomiting and burning
puny in the mouth and throat, but ultimately recovered.
/Samuel Wells continued ill, and died in a week after taking
the gruel. Some hens and chickens had pecked the vomit
and died. The medical evidence proved that deceased had
died from the effects of arsenic. Letters were put in,
written by prisoner' expressing sorrow for what ahe had
done, and stating that she did not mean to kill her master.
For the defence Mr. O'Brien urged that the prisoner was
young and did not know the consequences of ber act. There
was not sufficient motive proven for the commission t,f
murder, and he submitted that it could only bn considered
a case of manslaughter.
The learned Judge having mimed up,
turn nine jtourYcoUrtretirtVeykfour tutverhdailL"of Gabourilty. , w(?flthea strongirre
PecOinmendation to mercy.
The Judge then put on the black cap and pronounced the
sentence of death in the us al

iiie----pra;o net -I,7l;eXinve—yod from the dock in a fainting fit.

MIDDLESEX SESSIONS.
SECOND COURT.
(Before lir. Payne.)

Joseph William Colley, 21, hawker, was convicted of
stealing sixteen silver spoons and other articles, value 181.,
the property of William Hockin, at his house, 1, Devonshire.
terrace, Victoria-park-road, where he called to sell hearth-
stone. A former conviction was proved.
Deeble, the officer who had the case, and who recovered
the property, produced a letter which bad been mint by
some of the prisoner's associates to the prosecutor's wife.
It was headed—"Deth, deth, deLh," and otos-
mental with representations of • revolver and •
knife, and was written on • ?beet of deep mourn-
mg paper. It ran. as follows : Now Minus, you
add better not go against our Joey about them ere spons of
yarn he pinched the other day, because we knows all about
yer boos and yer flub man and yer flash boy to. We will
grotto that ere boy scone, and just cut yet duet. some
mghte afore long. Yer to flash about yer box of plate, and so
we will jilt save yer the troble of rising them. We knows
yer have • pupy in yer yard and • pistole Oats of no yule
what/ammeter, so just dont go against our Joey, if yet
does, mind, deth, deth, deth, from chaps that scot nue
about small things."
The learned judge directed the officer to keep possession
of the letter until • certain other person who was con-
cerned in the robbery was taken, and sentenced the prisoner
to be kept in penal servitude for four years.