Northern Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1857-12-08 00:00:00

M O N D A Y.

Mr. Justice Wightman took his seat in the Crown Court
this morning at ten o'clock.
Michael Silver, aged 27, a sailor, was indicted for having
committed an abominable offence on board a ship on the
voyage from Calcutta to Liverpool. The jury, having
been locked up for three hours, acquitted the prisoner.
Tns BOLTON MURDER CASE.—Aaron Millar, aged 33, a
besam-maker, was pieced in the dock, charged, on tha
coroner's ingeisition, with having willfully murdered his
wife, Ann Millar, at Balton, on the Ist of October. Mr.
Sowler conducted the prosecution, and Mr. Fearnley
defended the prisoner. From the statement of the counsel,
in opening the case, it appeared that the prisoner was
charged with the willful murder of his wife, under circum-
stances of a:most appalling nature, and he thought that,
from the evidence he should adduce, there could be no
doubt, on the minds of the jury, as to his being the guilty
man. The prisoner and the deceased had be .m married
about five years, and the result of that marriage was the
birth of two children. They lived very unhappily together,
so much so that the deceased had to ga and live with her
mother, taking one of the children with her. He then
proceeded to state the facts of the case, which
will be found, in detail, by the evidence adduced.
Ann Moloy, a widow, residing in back Crown-street,
stated the deceased was her daughter. [At this stage of
the examination, the witness caught sight of the prisoner,
and was most deeply affected, so much so that she had to
be conveyed out of the court. On her return, she said]—
My daughter wept to lodge with a man named Cunning-
ham, but had her meals at my house. On the night of
the murder the prisoner cams in, and said, " How long
have yoe a mind to stop here 7" She said, " Till you
fetch me out of it." He then asked her if she could go
home that night. She said she had no hame to go to, as
there had not been a fire in the place since she left. She
then said that she would take Tommy and keep him. He
said, " Will you take him to-night ?" He then went
out, but soon after returned and shut the door, and asked
the deceased to clip him, as he would. not hurt a
hair of her head. She told him to keep his hands off her
as he had his kaite about him, and said, " I know you."
He then left, and soon after the witness and the aeceased
went out also. While they were in Crown-street, the p,i.-
so tier came up to theineand asked where they were going. The
witntss told him to gee seine bread for the children's
supper. I lei: them, but I heard him ask her if she would
g.) home with him, and site said "yes", and that was the
last word she heard. Tne prisoner then turned round and
said, `• Go back, I am not married to you," and after that
he said, " U.) !lice. or you sa in. ue curry iu cbta3 ata,
did go away from them. William Hampton, a porter to
I a shop in Crown-street, said : On the Ist of October he

was ill a pissage in that strew, about ten minutes before
eight o'clock, when he siw the prisoner talking with two
women. Tae prisoner said to the old woman, "Go away,
or you will be sorry far it." Tae old woman went away
towards Back Crown-street The prisoner and the
deceased went toviards Deansgate. While they were
going up Crown-street, he heard them grumbling and
tel ing out. He saw them near a shop, and the prisoner
tapped the deceased on her shoulder. She turned round
and asked hiva what it was for. They then went into
Deansgate, when he tipped his hand on her shoulder
again, and offered to strike her. She turned round
'and gave him a shove with her elbow. He stumbled
against a ring, but he did not fall. They then went on a
little further, hiving some words. They crossed over the
road, and had some more words there. They then went
near to the spirit vaults, when the prisoner struck the
deceased several times. They walked on a few yards, and
ha s:ruck her again, when the witness heard the deceased
call out murder. When he got up to them two men
pulled the prisoner off the deceased, when he saw that
her throat was cut. The -prisoner was taken to the
infirmary. A lad named Duckworth, was in Deansgate
Bolton, on the night in question. He saw there the
prisoner and the deceased, who had a child in her arms.
She said " She would do something when she got home."
He said " Will y.n." She replica " Yes, I will." The
prisoner then put his arm round the deceased and drew a
knife out of his trousers pocket and commenced cutting
her throat ; they both then fell on the groun I. He saw
the prisoner use the knife on the deceased's neck. He
gut up to them as soon as be could, and pulled the
prisoner off, when he drew the knife across his own
throat, and placed the knife by the right side. Some
person took the knife away from him. The prisoner
looked very wild, and had had a sup of drink.
He did not see the prisoner clip the deceased round the
waist. Thomas Slatters was also in Deansgate- on the
night of the murder. He heard a shout from the direction
of the old shambles. The deceased was lying en the
ground. Taro men were bolding the prisoner, and he
picked up a knife from his feet. Tee po'ice-constable
saw some persons carrying the deceased to the infirmary.
He produced the knife, which is such an one as is usually
used by besom-m,ikers. Another police-constable was on
duty in Deansgate on the night in question. He heard a
cry of murder and went up, and saw the deceased being
held up. She was bleeding very much from the _tight side
of her neck. He also saw the prisoner, who had a cut in
his neck, and he was taken to the infirmary. John Garrett,
a tinker, had known the prisoner for many years; they
were together on the morning of the murder, when he saw
the knife in the possession of the prisoner. Cross-examined :
The prisoner had been kicked at different times about the
head. At times he did not seem to know what he was
about. He thought the mind of the deceased was affected
from the blows on the head. John Segar, a surgeon, of
Bolton, said : On the night in qu.estion the deeeascd
was brought to the infirmary, and had a very
large wound in the neck. 1 hat wound, there
was no doubt, was the cause of death. It

had been made in three cuts, and the implement had
entered the spinli marrow. There were three cuts, and
they could be made with a knife like that produced. This

concluded the case for the prosecution. Mr. Fcarnley then
hri,fly addressed the jury on behalf of the prisoner, urging
upon their minds that iu this case there was the greatest
difference to general cases of murder, as, instead of its
being done in secret, it was done in the open day, in the
presence of a number of people. There was no proof that
there had been any disagreement betNeen the prisoner and
the deceased, except a slight difference, but not enough to
attribute to the prisoner sufficient malice t,9 make it a
ease of wilful murder, with which he was charged.
He then went on to say, that at the time the offence was
committed, there had bten some quarrelling, and
that the prisoner had, while infuriated by drink, and
suffering from injuries he had received on his head,
attacked his wile, and had c !used her death, but'as it was
done in the height of passion, be urged upon
the jury that it could only amount to manslaughter.
His Lordship then summed up the evidence, and said the
prisoner at the bar was indicted for the crime of wilful
murder of his wife, one of the most important, and at the
same time most painful, investigations a jury could be
engaged in. If they were, however, satisfied that a
murder had been committed, it was their bounden duty,
irrespective of consequences, if they had no reasonable
doubt, to find a verdict to that effect; but, if they were
not so satisfied, and that there were some circumstances in
the ease which would reduce the charge from that higher

crime, they would return a verdict of manslaughter, but
they must be satisfied of the facts. His Lordship then
recapitulated the evidence adduced, upon which he
commented and explained at considerable length, and left
the jury to say whether this was a case of murder, or of
manslaughter; indeed, whether the prisoner had received
such provocation as would justify him in inflicting that
wound, if so, it would be manslaughter ; but if no such.
provocation had been given, it would be murder; and if
if they had no reasonable doubt on the subject,
then they would .return
.a verdict of wilful murder.
Toe jury, after a brief consultation, expressed a wish to
retire, and after an absence of about half an hour, returned
a verdict of " Wilful murder." His Lordship having
placed the black cap. upon his head, amidst the most pro-
found silence, then preceeded to pass the sentence of death
on the l:ismer, in nearly the following terms P—Aaron
Millar—The jury, after a careful consideration ( f your
csse, have c toe to the conviction that you are guilty of
wilful murder. All who have hard this distressing case
must be satisfied that they have come to a right verdict.
It appears that, from some feeling of irritation, arising
from your wife having left you, you committed that dreadful
act which immediately deprived - her of life, and have
placed you in the position in which you cow stand, In
this case, although your counsel has urged it, there is no
reason to believe that you were incapable of distinguishing
between right and wrong—that you were an irresponsi'ule
being; neither is there any evidence that you had received
any provocation that would have justified you, for that
could not be, but might have been in some decree in
mitigation of the crime you have committed. I will not
make any observations to aggravate your !resent feelings,
but I hope that you will make the most of the time that
will be allowed you to remain on earth. The nrisoaer
My lord, lam a murdered man. His Lordship :It is only
my duty now to pass the sentence of the law upon you,
which is, that you be taken back from this puree from
whence you came, from thence to the place of execetion,
and that you there he hung by the neck until • ea are
dead, and that your body be buried within the precincts of
the gaol, and may the
_Lord have mercy on your soul. The
prisoner was then removed from the dock, and stepped away
with a light and buoyant step, and nodded to some person
in the lardy of the hall, which was crowded throughout
the trial.
ASSAULT AT InvnePona.—Patrick Cloyne, aged 25, a
carter, stood indicted with having, on the 26th of_ August
last, unlawfully assaulted Elizabeth Brownley, et a public-
house. The pro:ecutrix and the prisoner lived together
as man and wife, and on the day in question had some
quarrel, when thcalatter struck the former a violent blow
on the face, which laid her up for between six and seven
weeks. Guilty of unlawfully wounding—six email's'
imprisonment.
GARROTTE ROBBERY LIVERPOOL—John Peckavance,
aged 37, stood indicted with baying, on the 17th of August
last, feloniously assaulted William Barnsley), and stealing
from his person a gold watch, five sovereigns, and other
monies. In this case the prosecutor was passing through
Elliott-strest, when a. person, who he states was the
prisoner, went up to him and sail, "Tour friend is
waiting for you in Wiliamson-square," end then got him
into Upper Dawson-street, when he was ctt eked by two
others who threw him down a:al robbal hum of a gold
witch an I other property. The prosecutor fully identified
the prisoner as one of the parties who had aiackeil him;
but, for tee defence, an alibi was set up for the purpose
of proving that he was elsewhere. This failed, and the
prisoner was found guilty. 'He had been 13 tiny,s slm-
tnarily convicted. Five years penal servitude.
WOUNDING ON SHIP BOARD. —James Smith, aged 26,
a sailor, stood indicted with having, on the 2ad of Novem-
ber, stabbed Henry J.tnes, on board the ship Ueiverse,
with intent to do him some grievously bo lily harm. The
prisoner admitted that ha had stabbed the man, but said
that he was sorry for it. Guilty of unlawfully wounding;
sentence deferred.
HOUSEBREAKING AT MANCHESTER.—James Price, aged
20, a hawker, and Robert M'Mullen, aged 18, a fustian
finisher, stood indicted with having on the
night of the 7th of September last, feloniously and
burglariously entered the shop awl dwelling•house of
John Husworth, and stolen therefrom 101bs. of tea, Gibs.
of tobacco, 3 pairs of scales, some Spanish jeice, a basket
and about £3 in money. In this case the prosecutor
kept a shop on the Chester road, in Manchester; on the
night in question he went to bed about eleven o'clock,
but was called up again Ify a private watchman, 'when
he found that the shop had been .broken open, by re-
moving a square of glass, and the articles m=otioned in
the indictment had been stolen. The private watchman,
who first discovered that the premises had boon entered,
had Previously seen seven or eight men near tin spot,
amongst whom was the prisoner M‘Nlallen, who walked
a short distance, when ho was heard to say, ' He is still
watching," and then they all went together towards
Ellesmere-street, where a police-coustable, Robinson, saw
them by the viaduct. The prisoner Price was there with
a basket in his hand, which was identified as tiv3(3,ae that
had been stolen, as was also its contents. At that time
Price was then rescued by the others, but sitoqiently
the two prisoners were apprehended, with ano'r.he,*
who had since been convibted on another charge: Ira the
possession of Price was folio,' a farthinf:, which was also

identift):l by tha prosecutor as a portion of the maney
OlOICLI• , , „ • :•....••••.,
vions conviction was provel Santenced
each to 4 years penal servitude.
T.lo court adjourne:l, shortly after six o'clock, until this
morning at nine o'clock.