Northern Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1857-12-21 00:00:00

A WIFE CHARGED WITH MURDER.

At the York Assizes, Fanny Speed, 24, was indicted for
the murder of her husband, John Speed, on the 251 h of
July, at Pontefract. Mr. Blanshard and Mr. Maule were
for the prosecution. The pdsoner was defended by Mr.
Dearsly and Mr. Blackburn. The deco sed was a labourer
its the service of Mr. Barker; farmer, Pontefract, and he
had been married to the prisoner a year and a half before
his death. They appeared to have lived very happily
together as far as could be observed. On Tuesday the
21st July, he was quite well, but he was taken eudienly
ill on the following morning, when he was seized with
violent sickness and vomiting, and he died late in the nigh'
of the 25th. During his illness he said to his wfp
-
" What has thou dens ? lam done for." On a post 71'
examination sixty grains of arsenic were found, a
41antity
sufficient to poison several persons The case rsor the pro-
secution was that death was caused by arsertc, that no one
but the prisoner could have administe
hrr motive for administering the pois
red it, and
.
to marry her cousin, a sailor, nee, 41 was to enablethat her
she was on terms of intimacy
evfore her arrage On
the day before the husband .ed
mwiith whom
44=5 taken ill his wife made
enquiries far arsenic, and
`des'
'she Saterday. previous. the
prisoner told a person
to the shop
df t'PriP
oesr were plagued by a dog,
and she asked him
le procure any poison for
her. On the er,..rtln, of the following Tuesday she went
drugie , •-t and wised for
arsenic, b
be
:refined to sell her any. She, however,
after7"erds eala she heel not been in his shop for four
nrrohs. On the Taesday evening she told a neighbour
~et a gips woman had been to her house, and said her
husband would be dead 2.n1 she married in six months,
but added " she hoped not" She also said te another
neighbour, "Our Jack will be dead this week." She
likewise said that she had had queer dreams, and had
heard the bell t';ll in her dreams. Another portion of the
evidence showed that three months before the death of de-
ceased the prisoner had been seen sitting on Wilks's knee,
with her arms round his neck. On that occasion Wilke
went up stairs, and the prisoner sail,
" It's happy to meet, but lonesome to part,
I think when he leaves me it will break my heart."
She made use of other expressions, one of which was that
she knew of one who would have her to-morrow, spoke of
having a lock of hie hair, and that Ben Wilks had been at
the7r house, and was staying at Hull. No arsenic was found
in the house, nor was any traced to the prisoner ; but on
Monday, the 10th of August, lehadley, the constable, found
in a privy adjoining the house occupied by the deceased, a
quantity of pure white arsenic, which, it was suggested, on
the part of the prosecution, had been placed there by the
prisoner soon after the death of her husband. The priso-
ner had made a voluntary statement, in which there was
no suggestion that the deceased had taken anything
himself, had taken nothing improper, or that any other
person had given anything to him. The above were the
main facts of the case, which a number of witnesses were
called to prove ; and it was also shown that the accused,
e'er the death of her husband, had expressed a desire
that his body should nos be opened by the surgeons.
At the close of the case for the prosecution, Mr. Dearly,
in defence, reminded the jury of the great responsibility
attaching to them in this case, and said the prisoner was
charged with a murder under circumstances which, if she
were guilty, exhibited a degree of moral turpitude and
wickedness it was difficult to conceive. He submitted
that the case was shrouded in great mystery, and if there
was wanting one link in the chain of evidence necessary
to prove her guilt, she was entitled to an acquittal. After
the learned counsel's spe oh, M a Justice Williams
adjourned the court. On Thursday Mr. Justice Williams
took Ws seat on the bench at em o'clock. and summed up
the evidence. Toe jury, after as absence of twenty-five
minutes, acquitted the prisoner.

A SINGULAR PO NT OF LAW.—On Monday, a case was
heard in the Birmingham County Court, in which the law
affords no means of recovering a just claim. A man and
his wife are separated, and the woman sends her daughter
to school, but does not pay the schoolmistress, who there-
upon sues the father. The judge, however, decides that
as the father and mother were living separately before and
at the time when the debt was incurred, the husband is
not liable. Then it has been said the governess must sue
the mother. But here again it is decided that being a
married woman the law cannot make her pay. So the
lady who seeks for her money is, in the end, denied all
redress.—Birmingham Daily Press.
JUVENILE REFORMATORY.—AI earnest appeal hes been
made to the benevolence of Roman Catholics, in behalf of
of the institution called St. Mary's Agricultural Colony,
Mount St. Bernard's Abbey, Leicestershire. This reforma-
tory institution is capable of accommodating 300 b ye, but
it appears that within the last foenight 10 boys convicted
by magistrates to the colony have been refused admission ;
bee,aute from want of funds it has not been possible to
complete buildings in course of erection. It is stated that
this appeal. which has been approved by the Abbot of
Mount St. Bernard's Abbey, would not have been made
at this critical time had it not been absolutely necessary
for the present well-being and future prospects of the
colony.
DP.ATIL OF lIERR KCENIG —We lt,f..,ret to hear of the
death, at Paris, of this celebrated cornet.a-pistan player,
He has lately been one of the principal supporters of
Jullien's concerts, and was the composer of many faiOurite
pieces of music, inclu ling the famous " Post-horn Galop„"
For some years he was the senior partner in the firm of
Koenig and Pask, the musical instrument manufacturers of
the Strand ; more recently he joined the house of Chappell
and Co., of Ilsg,n!.-street, and was connected. with that
firm at the time of his death. lie attended the relr-,areals
of Jullien's orchestra at the beginning of the' present
season, but was overtaken by illn(ss, and by the advice of
his physicians he gave up his eneagement, end rewired to
Belleville, she residence of his fithcr-in•lew, near Paris,
for change of air, and it was there that his death took
place.

FORMATION OF A LIBERIL SOCIETY IN LINCOLN.—A
liberal society. having for its objeet the strengthening of
the liberal cause, has just been formed in Lincoln. From
the rules we Thad that its aim is to return members to
Parliament, who shall come f)rward unsupported by aris-
tecratie influence, and be'ng advocates for reform, and
retrenchment in the public expenditure. But whilst the
society deals with p-trliamentary elections, it does not
firget the municipal elections, as we find that the rules
for the guidance of the society provides that the persons
to be put foriverd as candidates for municipal honours,
shall first be approved by a meeting of tho liberal society.
If the late worthy ex.mayor (N. ellyton, Esq.) be ap-
pointed the president, his name will give it such strength,
that what is taken in hand by tie society will b 3 of such a
character as to enable the liberals to elect their own
representatives:

Tiu TELIGRAPTI FrtOM :MALTA TO CORFU.—The Malta
Timrs gives the following brief details of the laying down
of the submarine cable from that island to Cerfu, alrea•ly
announced by telegraph :—" The Elba took three days to
complete the operation. The route taken by Mr. Newell
was that of keeping as near to the coast of Italy as possible,
owing to the great depth in the direct course between
Malta and Corfu. Opposite Mount Etna the profundity
was found to be immense. The weather was very favour-
ale!te, and the subrnergonce was effected most successfully.
As soon as the telegraphic communication was completed,
the Elba fired a selu'e, and the crew cheered heartily.
Mr. Newell and Mr. Liddell are expected to leave for
aegliari in a few days far Roglaed. Commander Watson,
of her Majesty's coevette Desperate, gave much able
assistance to Messrs. Newell in taking soundings, and
perferming other necessary operations "
A CHANCE FOR THE LADIES.—The f Blowing advertise-
ment appears in the Morning Star: —lllaTantosy.—An
Irishmen of considerable personal attractions, great
muscular strength, fair share of intellect, vigorous health,
good education. refined manners, a tolerable competency,
and in the prime of life, desires to solace his existence by
the society of a virtuous, amiable, accomplished, hand-
some. and irreproachable wife. Although not unversed
in affairs de ex!cr, ba has been unable. hitherto, to secure
a lady Rho, combining tender sensibility with massive
strength of mind, polished manners with energetic firm-
ness, the gif:s of nature with the graces of culture, and
the possession of youth and beauty with the advantages of
education and accomplishment. would be able properly to
discharge her duties in that station which an affectionate
husband would summon her to adorn Communications
tuba adclre sed " B. H." Kennedy's Newspaper Office, 31,
Royal Exchange, E C.—No lady need apply unless born in
wedlock, and bred in the Protestant faith.
SINGUL an RAILW AY ACC.DENT, AND REIfARK I.BLE Es APE.
—A few days ego, a man named Henry Millard, a porter
on the Great Western Railway Station, Cheltenham, met
with a serious and singular accident. He was engaged in
" shunting" a train of coal trucks, and in uncoupling two
of them, one rolled back upon him, and jarubed him up,
throwing hie hip joint out of place almost instantaneously,
rendering him partially insensible. Had he been a few
inches more for Nerd, the buffers must have crushed him to
death. As it was, his companions thought some of his
bones were broken, and they had him conveyed to the
general hospital, where the nature of his injury was
ascertained. Having been placed under the influence of
chloroform, for the double purpose of relaxing the muscles
and deadening pain while the dislocation was being re-
duced, the sufferer was submitted to the usual
„process made
use of in such cases, and by means of pulleys applied to
the limb, the joint was jerked into its place. Millard, who
is a strong powerful man, is now doing well, and will
,probably be able to walk about in a Area or ten dam.—
_
ehelttliharil