The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1804-07-31 00:00:00

PAItRICIDE.

The following are the principal Cats whith
peared in evidence, on the in-snest !mid u-soo t re
body of Joseph Oldroyd, on W.. thsesday ens; I'.nrti
(lay, the IRth and tiOth inst. before Edward Brook,
Esc,. Coroner, at Wakefield: •
Joseph Oldroyd, who was about 70 year. of age,*
resided in a small cottage at ?tlantborpe Cron, rear
Wak•:field, with his wife and sas on them omits);
of the 19th inst. this unfortneve old man went as*
usual into the croft adjoining the cottage to :assist his
wife to milk; he complained of !wing ard r
upon their return to the house, they cis .nd t!;:rir soi*
(who had a cancer in his neck) ; the ,14
man at the request, and wi•li the .issistance of his,
wife, went arol laid himself down, dressed as Le
was, on a bed in the parlour. His wife says, s!
immediately after went into the garden to nacho
currants, leaving her husband and scut its the Loose
the road to the house lay throngh this garden. ai.f
no person could go in or out without beiog seen by
her; after remaining in the garden about four hours
she returned into the house, where she found her son,
his bleeding had ceased ; she called upon 7 ye hits.
band to enquire how he did, and if lie would has •
Irs bre:ski:A ; on receivoig no answer, she Itiokt?l
into the parlour, when the son informed her his (h. i
;her was gone out, but he (14 nut know where, as
his bleeding, he said, prevented him from att.isid-
ing to it. Ile mother then searched the croft :lid
adjoining bleaching premises, but without socheh s
and cn her return acquain.e.i the son with her flu; .
less se irch; he ols.oved (wit: et t attending to wit.t
Was said of his fath r) that himself was taint st bat
s recent bl e ling, and would go and gee .t clime-.
Almost as soon as he had left the house he called
out, 44 Mother, I have vial my Caber dead In a
fit!" Guilig immediately to the cherry-tree; shit
found her husland set upon the ground, quite
J. ; his head leaned aganist a tree, aid as the de- t
pew,/ oa.b, with a cord Wan* h•s neck, one t rat
of which was tied to the cherry-raw. Her in trait *.
Iwty the card anti it was not aft r ..gds fro hired.
TO the Jury, who visited and nti u e y ester. a .cf t; e
tree, it appeared im aissible fort he 171 :nt 134
htlng himself h Son t. as the bole .1 the tree ova*
ant above four fee in heS and wile of the
br smiles were of sit intent st e t ;tit to support the
weigh; of a ma", n .r was the twanch, so erh;ch the
cord was said to hay !beets (*sashed, in the it isc rub-
bed or bruised

The son declared vnltint tr;'v to the Ju-v (theugh
apprised thrt berg unJet acr rainal char 'te hay
no occasion to an.wo Any que•-• 9 tit .t there was
iso cud round Uts father's n. and that he was
sure he mad not hanged him -r, a, t • ewer/Jive
would not bear him. }Ls fisofher. 6 ”vev:r. per-
siste.l is her ells ea ion.

Tie body appears to have been found about
twelve o'clock at noon. and no meriti. ioadt of it
until sit in the evening ; the son a. ten.. d that no.
thoi.; should at any time b' said :shout his tatities
u i nely dea h On search tig the parlour. where
the old IT an lai 1, there wt> fun d a calf's codar
nt s two I u .s, and about t it c' es of cord to ir,
which apire.:, a`save been rto y fastened to 4
post by a I urge nail, about 'ryes' feet from :'.4;
ground ; on 'unties search, a c Int about twat y a• Jt
long was toua .1, which, *hen co spared with that
attached to the cella.. eviiletzly emu-awed to have
been cut from it. With this . ord. &taloa this spot,
the horriJ deed is supposed to have be. .t pesper.ste
The surgeon,who examined the dead body, ft .ultd
on the back a continued serf. a of btu's:a. apparently
made by struggling violently against th- post a here
the cord was hung; the thi:hs, &c. were in a state
too shocking for description ; around the neck, but
particularly on the left side under the ear, there
were marks of a cord haying been pnred with the
greatest violence. The %site ot this 'l.:4ted old
man positively declared on h-r examtn 'non, that
she ore ti knew her husband and sou to gnarrel ;
but it al p • ;red tivo the clearest evidence, that she
has rep- atedly said, that when the son's weeding fits
came on, he was like a mad man ,th t he fiequently
seized ',is father with the mostdi cod Jr• p-cations,
and she was afraid would one day is,,er r
.tt.er a pattern and mina e lon conti-
vtd fur too .lays, the Coroner's Jury returned
verdieOf mar/se, agamst I •
he rm. er:io was co-n- it--d to 1 GIL Castle, to
4iilcs Lis trial at the eastuai assizes.