The Northern Daily Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1856-11-11 00:00:00

COMMITTAL OF HARRISON, THE LEEDS
WIZARD, FOR BIGAMY.

EXTRAORDINARY REVELATIONS.

Henry Harrison, the Leeds Wizard, who was concerned is
the recent poisoning case at Leeds, and who had obtained s
singular power over the mind of the convict Dove, is now ob-
taining a greater notoriety than ever. It is only a fortnight
since he was committed to prison for nine months, fora criminal
assault upon a poor servant girl ; and on Saturday, ho wall
brought down from Armley prison, and placed in the dock of
the Leeds Court-house, on charges of a still more dreadful
complexion. The principal of these charges was for intermarry-
ing with a second, third, and, it is now believed, a fourth wife,
while the first was still alive. The whole narrative is one of a
painfully interesting character, and the court-house was
crowded to suffocation Burin; the whole of the prolonged en-
quiry. On the 3rd August, 1833, Harrison married his first
wire (Jane Brayshay,) at the Leeds parish church, and by her had
issue of several children. He soon became d!ssatisfied with
Jane, however, and left her to s`ruggle on with her family as
best she might. The consequence was, that, ultimately she
was obliged to apply for parish relief. Harrison was then
living with a widow named Elizabeth Brown, who was owner
of some cottage property, and whose only daughter, a girl of
16, lived in th

bawd with her

The house was of veil' small capat
single bedroom in it. In this bedro
mother, Brown, used to sleep in one bed, while the girl, E.4.arah
Ann Brown, occupied the other. Mrs. Brown loft home on
a visit to some friends early in 1846 ; her daughter and
Harrison still occupied their respective beds ie the same room,
and, according to the girl's own account, without any imprepet
familiarity resulting. But on one ocea.iion, during the mother's,
absence, Harrison took base advantage of some oppertand
moment, and seduced the girl. As soon as her mother camel
her of the injury that had
The mother, therefore, had a

only A
,n(1 tbd

Harrisol

home, Sarah Ann Brown inform,
been done b,r by Harrison.

violent alto'

ion with the prisoner; and, ultimately, Harri•
son was made to promise that ho would marry the girl, in order
to save her reputation. This ill-starred marriage, accordingly,
took place at Rothwell Church on the 18th May, 1846. Por
this and three days afterwards Harrison and the girl slept
toge. her as man and wife; but, on the fourth dal, the mother/
Elizabeth Brown. usurped her daughter's conjugal positions
and returned to Hirrison's bed. The girl, who was g flnei
well grown young woman, in the meanwhile contfnued td
occupy the other bed in the same room. Sarah Ann Bt:rtrlii
was delivered of a child a few months afterwards, and during
the illness the child was taken away, and when she saw it
again it was dead. When the court arrived at this portion of
the enquiry, there was a great sensation among the spectators;
and groans, hisses, and execrations were loudly directed against

_ .
j the prisoner and his housekeeper, Elizabeth Brown. Brown
was so terrified by this expression of public feeling, that she
fainted away, and had to be removed into the magistrates'
private room. But we must resume our narrative.
When Sarah Ann Harrison had recovered from her con•
finement, she went to reside with her cousin, and left
Harrison and her mother to pursue their adulterous
intercourse. A period of three years elapses, and then
Harrison is returning from an excursion to Liverpool, when
he meets with a fair travelling companion in the shape of a
fine, buxom widow, named Maria Steel. The acquaintance
thus casually formed ripened into a closer intimacy, and two
months afterwards, or on the 11th October, 1850, he leads the
fair Maria to the hymeneal altar at St. John's Church, Wake•
field. After the wedding, they lived for eight days in a house
in Dewsbury-road, Leeds. The ninth day of the honeymoon
arrived, and brought with it the brother of the bride, who had
heard that Harrison was already married, aad that his Sister
was consequently an injured woman. Ho taxed lidrrison with
the imputation, but received for reply from the prisoner " thai
Maria was his lawful spouse, and that he had no other Wife."
The brother was satisfied, and after partaking of some refreiltiz.
ment, went out with his sister to visit some of the "lions" al
Leeds. When Maria returned home in the evening, however,
she found the door of her own house closed against her, and
was obliged to accept the hospitality of a neighbour. At five
o'clock the next morning, she procured a ladder, and ascended
to the bedrooat window, which she then entered. Imagine
her astonishment and disgust when she found Harrison and the
widow Brown i❑ bed together ! Maria acted like a girl of
spirit, she packed up her clothes, shook the duet off her feet;
and turned her back for ever on Henry Harrison. Harrison
then gave up the house in Dewsbury-road, returned td his Old
lodgings and familiarities at Mrs. Brown's, and was there id
clover when the first charge of assault was preferred agaiSiii
him. All the above facts were stated in evidence on Saturday
and Harrison, declining to make any defence, was fully com-
mitted to York Castle to answer both the charges of bigamy
against him. He will, consequently, when the assize commis-
sion opens in December, have to be removed by habeas corpus
from Armley gaol, from which it is not probable he will return.