The Express.
London, England, 1860-04-19 00:00:00

EXPRESS. THURSDAY

THE DOUBLE MURDER NEAR MANCHESTER.

Mr. Rutter, county coroner, continued the in-
supon the bodies of William and William Edward
aes, at the Packhorse Inn, Irlams-o'-tle-height, on
Mr. La' es Ashby:nor, surgeon, of Peinliebury, said that,
with the assistance of Mr. Birks, another surgeon be had
node an inspection of the bodies of William Scholea and
William Edward &holes. He found them laid on their
beaks in a bedroom upstairs, and life appeared to have been
extinct not leas than eight hours. On the neck and face
of each there were marks of violence. He first proceeded
with the examination of William Edward Scholee, end he
lowed some indentations on the back of the left hand,
breaking the akin, uif done by the firm grasp of a person
with the nails; and there were similar marks on the chin
sad left side of the face. Under the left angle of the jaw
there was a punctured wound, apparently made with a pen-
knife, about an inch in depth. It had not injured any main
alley, but had wounded a vein. He also found a similar
ebb wound in the right eye ball, and a clot of blood at the
back of it, as large as the eye ball itself ; and between the
Needy and the skull, on the hack part of the head, there
MO a slight extravasation of blood, about the size of a
shilling, caused most likely by a blow or a fall. The
brain was somewhat congested, and the veins contained
am which was the immediate cause of death. The lungs
were congested. There was no other internal disease.
The wound in the neck was tias cause of death. He next
ear•ined the body of William &holes, the father, and
that there were marks of violence upon the throat.
Thu bee was livid, and blood owed from the ears. The
bete and lunge were congested. The came of death was
strenralation, producing suffocation. When he first went
in the seaming, he found Sarah Eliza Scholes in bed in the
tam room in which the bodies lay. She was straggling •
= icesdeal, and two men were bolding her down. By his
she was removed from the room to the work
boas.

Kr. B. B. Birks, surgeon, Pendleton, corroborated the
widow= el Mr. Ashburner ; and said that for upwards of
IS be had frequently attended Sarah Film Scholes for
whirls had so weakened her mental faculties *A to
ifeg of unsound mind. He had seen her in many of
thane Meek, and sometimes she wan very violent. She
wee sooletbsee very difficult to manage after a fit. Mr.
Main was a very infirm old man--asthmatical and drop-
I sisal—und a very little in the way of suffocation would de-
dray life in him. He had generally to stop in going up
stake to take breath. The son was a very delicate man,
with a large tumour on his throat, and incapable of much

County Police-sergeant Lee, of Pendlebury, gave evidence
of facts which have already been publiehed. He said the
knife which be found on the mantelpiece had three 'mall
blades and one large one. The larger and one of the smaller
onea appeared to have blood on them. He also found, on
the bed, a nightcap belonging to Sarah Ann Scholes, the
strings of which had been broken, and there was blood
about the cap. He examined the edroom door, in cense-
queoce of Joseph f3choles'aistatenent, and found that it
bed been broken open, and ghat there were marks of violence
on the inside. The key of the bedroom was missing, and
he was searching for it, when Mr. Bloke found it in an old
pie-dish on a chest of drawers. Oa Sarah Scholia's dime
there were several spots of blood.
Police-constable Dixon said he took Sarah Elise &holes
to the Salford workhouse in a cab, in company with
MO of the Salford police. It was as much as they could
do to keep her from hurting herself or them. He re-
mained with her till ten o'clock the same night, when he was
selireed by another officer. About three o'clock in the af.
terms she appeared very sensible, and. recognising Sim,,
LA, a You are the policeman from Pendlebury. I have
nems_,ren pre our window many times." He replied, " I
was by your house last night between eleven and twelve,
aril I wither saw nor heard anything," and she answered
"lea, ft wet done about twelve o'clock. They came borne
shout eight o'clock and caused a disturbance, and I went
74 taire into my bedroom. After a while they came up and
got on to my bed ; then I got up, and they thrashed
me with • stick. I seised my brother by the throat, and he
teatime ; then I eased my father, and he fell on him ; and
OM I fainted, and fell osi the top of them both." She
seenasd_quite collected whilst making her statement.
Mr. Charles Smethurst, of Ellorstreet, Salford, said that
be saw Joseph Scholes being taken along Chapel-street to
the Salford Town-hall on the evening of Wednesday
last, and knowing him, he followed. It was about seven
o'clock. He had- a cut on the head. He (the witneaN)
promised Mr. Superintendent Taylor that he would call
at old Scholee's. It was twenty minutes to nine o'clock
when be arrived at Iriams-ce-th'Height. He knocked at
the back door, and no one answered, and he then opened
the door and stepped inside. He called out three or four
times, and then Sarah *holes answered, " Who's there!"
,fran up stairs. lie asked to see William Edward, and in
a very excited hoarse voice she said he was not in. Shortly
afterwards he new her at the back door, and in the same
kind of voice she asked what he wanted, and said again
that William Edward wee not in. She seemed excited, but
when she saw who be was she became milder. He hail
known the family from a child, and William Edward had
told him he had been obliged to be severe with his sister
because of her stupidity : and that he had to thump her.
The Coroner, in summing up, told the jury that if they
believed the story of the woman, that she acted in self-
defence, then it seemed to be a case of manslaughter,
, though he could not advise them to say that she acted in
self-defence ; but to be a case of murder it required that
there should be deliberation, and it did not appear that there
Was any deliberation in the case. It mattered little, how-
ever, which verdict the jury returned, because in either case
the woman would be put upon her trial. There would he
sufficient evidence, he thought, to convince a jury her
insanity ; and then she would be kept is custody during her
Majesty's pleasure.
After some deliberation the jury considered there might
bare been provocation, and returned a verdict of " Man-
slaughter" against Sarah Eliza Scholea.