The Northern Daily Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1856-10-14 00:00:00

THE PEOPLE'S CONCERTS, ST. GEORGE'S

HALL

TO THE EDITOR OF THE NORTHERN TIMES,

Sir,—My attention has been called to a letter in your
paper of to-day, in reference to a statement made by me at
St. George's Hall, on Saturday evening last. In reply
thereto, I have to observe that at rehearsal in the morning,
the lady was equal to her task, and that in the afternoon
she was fulfilling an engagement in Bold-street. These
facts induced the observations I made. When Miss Gaskell
explains how it was that she became so suddenly unfit for
the part allotted her, and passed within a few yards of my
door without making me aware of her intended absence,
the public will be able to draw their own conclusiou3. I
have no wish, much less time, to continue a discussion, and,
therefore, now write as little as possible on the subject,

C. REYNOLDS,

Manager of Saturday Evening Concerts,
16, Greek-street, 1 St. George's Hall.
Liverpool, Oct. 13, 1856. f

ATTEMPT TO MURDER TWO PERSONS IN

TARLETON-STREET

Yesterday, Themes Willett, the person appre-
hende I on a charge of etiempting to murder his wife, and
with infl;cting a severe wound on the throat of a person
named William Fisher, who went to assist in saving her
life, was placed in the (lock before Mr. Mansfield. The
prisoner is an elderly person, and was dressed in a shabby
black suit, with a white necktie. Ile is a barber. He
appeared to watch the case with groat interest, and evi-
dently felt the critical position in which he was placed •
The first witness examined was Inspector Duggan, who said,
on Saturday night, about a quarter past twelve o'clock, 1
was on duty in Great Howard street, when I heard that a
man was attempting to murder two persons in a cellar in
Tarleton street. I, with Police Constable No. 477, imme-
diately went to the cellar, where we found four persons who
are now present, and will state what occurred. Two of them
had had each of their throats cut and was bleeding. The
other two young men had hold of the prisoner. The
policeman and myself secured him, and had him conveyed to
bridewell. The two persons who were wounded we had
taken to the dispensary, where Mr. Evans dressed their.
wounds. Police constable 477 stated : I went with the
inspector to the cellar, where I apprehended the prisoner.
I told him the charge against him was, ' That he had
attempted to take the lives of two people." He replied,
"I am sorry I did not get through with the job, anti have
finished myself as well." al.. per in the cellar gave me
this knife which had been ta tun frown the prisoner. The
k if, w,as produced, ft we, a .7'lll pocket knife with a
:n7lO beadle. ;4r. : Is the surgeon from the
dispensary here ? Inspector Duggan : He is not ; I
warned him to be here this morning, and he promised be
would attend, but he is not here yet. Ellen Willett, the
wife of the prisoner, wits then placed in tie witness-box.
She said : I have been his wife for between fourteen and
fifteen years, but I have bad to leave him four or five times
on account of his ill-treatment. The last time I left him
was about five years ago. I then came to this court for a
summons against him, but he did not appear to it. After that
he came back to me and said if I would forgive him be
would do better, and not treat me ill again. He kept very
well for about a twelvemonth, when he began to treat me
worse than ever. 1 left him again. He sold everything,
and then went away with the money. I then went to live
in Back Portman street. He came there and ill-treated me.
I got a summons for him again, but he never appeared to
it ; and while I went to get 2s 61 for a warrant to bring
him up, he ran out of the honse. After that I did not see
anything of him for three years, and did not know whether
he was dead or olive. Mr. Mansfield : Let me know what
he did to you on Saturday night. The wife : I will, sir.
But I should tell you that in August last I went to Man-
chester. :I had heard that he was living there, and I
went to see if it was true, or to see whether he was dead,
as I had been informed that he was. When I got there I
found him living with another woman, They may be
married. I told her that she might live with him for I
could not. I only went to convince myself that he was
olive, and I came back to Liverpool again. Mr. Mansfield :
I want to know what he did to you on Saturday night?
The wife , On Saturday night, about twelve o'clock, he
came into my place. His hat was covered over his eyes, so
that I did not know him. I could not see his face. Think—
ing it was a person that wanted something, I said as he
came in at the door, "Sir." He came behind the counter,
and said. "You say sir to me—sir, indeed," when he
caught hold of me by the neck, and with a knife he had in
his hand he cut my neck and throat, and if it had
not been for the young man who happened
to be there having some ginger-beer, who came to my
assistance, I should not have been alive to be here to-day.
This young man was cut in the neck also. I have not lived
with him for years, nor have I ever asked him to contribute
towards my maintenance, but have worked and got my own
living. William Fisher said, I have know❑ the prisoner
and his wife for the last ten years. I was in the woman's
house on Saturday night, when the prisoner came rushing
in with his hat over his eyes. He had a knife in his band.
He attacked his wife, and I went between them, and stuck
to him until assistance came. He cut me on the throat.
Mr. Mansfield : Are you a married man ? Witness : No,
sir. Mr. Mansfield : Where do you live : Witness: At
124, Limekiln lane. A lad spoke to hearing the female
shriek, and was going to her assistance when he
saw the prisoner and the last witness struggling together.
Thomas %yes stated, that when he went into the
cellar he saw the knife produced by the policeman in the
hands of the prisoner.—The wife : I never saw him until
Saturday night, since I left him in Manchester. Mr. Mans-
field : Has the surgeon arrived yet ? inspector Duggan:
No, sir, but I saw the wounds dressed. '1 he wound on the
man's neck is three and a half inches long, and about an
inch deep. It is a clean cut wound. That on the woman's
neck and throat is seven inches long, and very deep. Mr.
Mansfield : I shall not want the surgeon now. It is a clear
attempt at murder, and the prisoner must be committed to
take his trial at the assizes. There are circumstances con-
nected with the case that renders it necessary that it should
be enquired into by a jury. The prisoner was then com-
mitted for trial at the assizes.

CHARGE OF MURDER.

COMMITTAL OF THE ACCUSED

Considerable excitement has been created in the town of
Runcorn during the last ten days, in consequence of wide-
spread rumours that a child, named Mary Brannan, the
reputed daughter of Thomas and Margaret Brannan, who
keep a rag and bone shop, in Nelson street, had come to its
death by unfair means. An annoymous letter has been
received by Mr. Blake, the chief constable, with reference to
the subject ; in consequence of which, that officer proceeded
to make some cautious enquiries. The result led to a com-
munication with Mr. Nicholson, the coroner for this district
of the county, who resides at Warrington ; but
that gentleman, from some unexplained cause, was
unable to attend at the enquiry, which has sub•
sequently taken place. A clerk, however, arrived,
without, as it has been stated to us, a sufficient authority to
act as deputy coroner, and nothing definite was done until
Tuesday last, when the inquest was formerly opened by Mr.
W. H. Cobb, another clerk to the coroner, and, after two
adjournments, the case was brought to a conclusion yesterday,
about two o'clock. The evidence of various witnesses was
taken in order to show that the deceased met her death through
vitro' having been wilfully administered to her by some one,
and upon this part of the case the following certificate was
given : Royal Institution Laboratory,
Liverpool, October 18th, 1856.
I certify that I have made a careful chemical analysis of
the stomach and intestines of the deceased infant, Mary 11.en-
nan, placed in my hands by Mr. H. Wibon, surgeon, of
Runcorn, on the morning of Thursday, the ninth day of
October, instant, and that the following is a true and
faithful report of the same examination :—The assophagn
and upper portion of the stomach is deeply furrowed
by the action of a corrosive liquid, which has destroyed
the mucous membrane, coroded the tissues, and dis-
solved, entirely, a portion of the stomach. A small portion at
the lower end of the stomach has escaped contact, the mucous
being preserved, upon applying certain tests there was a
strong re-action digested with distilled water, and from which
sulphuric acid was obtained.—J. BAKER EDWARDS, of Bir-
kenhead, Ph. D., F.O S., lecturer on Medical Jurisprudence
at the Royal Infirmary School, &c., &c., Liverpool.
It is, however, only just to the accused parties to mention,
that their) was no decided proofs offered that either, or any
of them, had purchased the deadly drug above mentioned. It
is also worthy of remark, that the parties now in custody
the magistrates refused to allow to be brought up a
second time, a course which certainly created some surprise.
It has, however, been positively stated to our reporter that the
deputy-coroner cautiwled the prisoners before the usual time
arrived, and before any evidence whatever had been given in
the case. Yesterday it was proved that the deceased, who had
been a fine and healihy child, had died suddenly, and was
buried in haste ; afttlr which the remains were exhumed. At
the close of the case, the public, and reporters included, were
desired to withdraw. We understand that the learned deputy-
coroner made but a very brief summing up, after which the
jury remained near an hour in deliberation, but their verdict.
was received in private, the reporters only being casually
informed of it. What renders the proceedings more unjusti-
fiable is—the deputy-coroner had promised to send for the
reporters when the jury had agreed. The verdict was as
follows murder against Thomas Brannan, Margaret
Brannan, and Patrick Wain, who were then fully committed
to take their trial at the next assizes at Chester, which, it is
believed, will be held in December.

DEFENCE OF THE COTTON SALES

TO THE EDITOR OF THE NORTHERN TIMES.
Sir,—l trust to your generosity to insert the following,
knowing, as I do, that you are not the man to close your
pages against an answer to an unjust slander, or as refutations
of a sweeping charge :