The Northern Daily Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1857-03-06 00:00:00

7HE SALE OF A WIFE IN LIVERPOOL.

EXTRAORDINARY CASE.—This day week we published
the details of an extraordinary case of the above descrip-
tion, when a man named William Lowntles was charged
with an attempt to murder his wife. The facts must be
quite fresh in the recollection of our readers. The
prisoner was remanded, as- Mr. Mansfield had-some notion
that he *as not sane. Yesterday he was agate brought
up before Mi. /Okla; .on remand. Mr. Bluck appeared
for the prosecution. He said the case `vas one of a strange
description, and he would lay the facts shortly before
his worship. The prisoner, William LoWndes, with his
wife, resided for about two years in the house of Mr.
Wright, Benledi street. The prisoner was an idle
fellow, and the only thing he would do was to get drunk.
Theta arose a differelee between the prisoner and his
wife in consequence of the drunken idle
.habits .of' the •
prisoner, when he offered to sell het to Mr. Wright.
" haf.'S the .price,?" asked Mr. Wright. "A
penny," replied the prisoner, "is too Much for ber." " I
think she's worth more than that,o rejoined Mr, Wright,
"and I'll give you a sovereign for her." The bargain was
struck, aid Mr. Wright paid him a sovereign and a penny
for the lady. (Here the lady, who stood in the witness
box, blushed as deep as crimson—she is a good l:?oking
woman, and speaks with a very strong Scotch accent.)
'laving completed the bargain, the " happy couple"—
that is Mr. Wright and Mrs. Lowndes—oh, said the
learned gentleman, I beg 'our Orden madam, I suppose
I must not call you Mrs. Lowndes now. No, replied the
" lady," I'm not Mrs. Lowndes •, I was sold regularly to
Mr. Wright, and Mrs. Wright now—l like Mr.
Wright. (Loud laughter.) That brute (the prisoner)
offered me for sale before, but Mr. Wright refused to
purchase me at that time. He bought me now, and I
will remain with him. This small speech distrusted all
who heard it. Mr. Black went on to state, that when the
bargain was complete, the happy couple" went to
Prescot for the first few days of the "honeymoon" the
prisoner remaining in the house of Mr. Wright, ythere
he had lodged for the previous two years. On the
return of the parties from Prescot they lived together an
man and wife, and the prisoner was still mean and
contemptible and blackguard enough to remain in the
house, take his meals there, and actually sleep in the
next room to the bedroom occupied by Mr. Wright and
his "lady." On Wednesday week, the prisoner came
home drunk, when Mrs. Lowndes, alias Mrs. Wright.
said to him, "You are drunk, as usual." and then he
seized the axe, with which he would have killed her, had
not the police succeeded in arresting him. This con-
cluded the statement of Mr. Thuck, who called. the
woman to prove it. She related her shame with un-
blushing effrontery, and treated the whole affair as a
matter of course. She felt less for her degraded posi-
tion than did the least unconcerned person in court. The
daughter of Wright; oa nice looking girl (who cried
bitterly), was examined to prove the violence of the
prisoner towards the complainant and herself. Mr.
Block said that the prisoner had been remanded in
order to ascertain bis sanity. Mr. Garnett (the
chief clerk) said the doctor of the prison had reported
that the prisoner had not exhibited any symptoms of
insanity in the jail. Mr. Aikin said there was no doubt
any insanity that was in the case was brought on the
prisoner by drink: It was a most disgraceful affair alto-
gether on the part of the parties concerned in it; but at
the same time the prisoner could not be allowed to go at
at large. He ordered him to find bail in twq sureties of
£25 each, or to be imprisoned for three months.

LIVERPOOL BANKRUPTCY COURT.