The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1825-02-19 00:00:00

OLD BAILEY, FRIDAY, Fii. 11.

CHARGE OF MURDER.
Mury Keaton, aged se, steal indigo' fee the wilful rastdar of
Joseph Keaton, her hablidd, Y LadMFewet St. Giles's.
Mr. A snarws stated the esm, Ole of which have
already appeared, describing that the prim, acid her late husband
bed lived happily together for a number Orme, until the Lament-
able catastrophe took place. He mentioned the confession of the
unfortunate woman, and with great feeling pointed out the affec-
tionate manner in which she had acted after it.
Richard Cockin, examined by Mr. Ano LPRICS-11 assistant at
the Rose and Crown, Broad-street, St. Giles's. Knew Keaton,
the deceased ; he was at his master's house on the sth February
with a fellow-workman. At half-past eleven he came again with
his wife; they had a pot of porter; the husband paid for it with
a sixpence. The wife took up the halfpence, and said—" That
will do for a glass for me in the morning." They appeared very
friendly ; both were rather merry, the husband most so. They
were decent people, and well-behaved, and above the general clam
of persons in the court.
Mary Taylor, examined by Mr. Amazes.—Deceased and his
wife lived on the ground-floor. Witness lived on the first door.
Was going out about 12 at night. Mrs. Keaton spoke to her.
She said "lie that dirs. Taylor ?" She asked her to go in and have
a drink of beer. Witness said she was in a hurry; did not drink
any beer. When she came back Keaton asked her in. It was very
near twelve. Prisoner was sitting very comfortably with her hue.
band. There were two pots of porter, some beefsteaks, and bread
on the table. She took a drink of beer. The deceased said ebo

should drink with him before she left. She did so. They were
not sober. Both were a little fresh. Witness went to her own
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..
room ; afterwards heard loud talking. It appeared to come from
Mrs. Keaton's room. Could not hear the words. It was as if they
were quarreling. Heard a voice calling out, " Mary, the man is
bleeding." The voice was more like a man's than a woman's. A
person named Mary Moore lived opposite. Witness did not go
down then ; went down in a short time—in about a quarter of an
hour—into the prisoner's room. There were a number of persons
and the watchmen ; prisoner was then on her knees by the body,
crying out—" I have murdered my husband." She was kissing
hint ; saw some Wood about deceased's head. Prisoner was very
much in trouble; had known them a long time ; they were very
happy; never knew them to be quarrelsome; the deceased was a
paviour.
John Taylor, examined by Mr. Ariotrues—Was at home on
the night of the tith of February finishing his work. lleard two
people speaking loudly; he did not go down. His wig did. The
noise he heard he thought was like the breaking of a pane of glass,
and a few angry words a ere heard ; the deceased and his wife were
quarreling; they had lived happily before.
William Moore, examined by Mr. A NDIEWS.—Lives opposite
the house where deceased lived. He cried out himself. Mrs.
Keaton came to his room about twelve o'clock ; she said " For
God's sake go over and pacify between me and my husband ;" saw
blood come front Mrs. Keaton's nose; she said words had hap-
pened between herself and her husband ; went over to the door,
leaving Airs. Keaton in his room ; he tapped at Keaton's door,
then opened it ;• saw no one there ; tere was a candle and two pots
on the table. Retorned to Mrs. Keaton, and told her he could not
see any body in the room. She replied, " Ile must be looking for
me." She said to my wife, " For God's sake go over, and see if
my husband is there." She went, and returned immediately, and
said the man was on his hands and knees, and bleeding; he went
over, saw him, and picked him up. lie found him on his knees
and hands, his head towards the cupboard ; he seemed to breathe;
he was on the left side of the fire. There was a chair near him ' •
the body was lying between the chair and the chimney...iamb.
Blood was flowins from his head ; blood flew in his. the witness's,
face as he lifted him up ; he then cried " Mary, Mary !" il'it-
ness's wife and the prisoner then came over ; his wife and Mrs.
Keaton took deceased out of her arms, and the latter said, " For
God': mike go for the doctor !" Went to two doctors ; did cot get
either of them ; told the watchman ; found Mrs. Keaton lying by
her husband; she said, "Joseph, Joseph, my dete, I hate killed
you." Hardman took her into custody. There was a broom in
the room ; the hanlle was broken in two.
John H ardman, examined by Mr. A NDRZWS.—Ts a watchman ;
went to the house and found deceased lying on his beck; he ap.
peared to be dead ' • saw two wounds ; one on the back, and one on
one side of the head ; asked prisoner if she had killed her husband ;
she said she had with a brush; saw a long-handled hair broom
lying on her right hand; the broom produced he believed to be the
AMC; the head is loose; did not examine the brush part. The
fire.shoyel and poker were not in their proper place, but lying near
the brush ; on the point of the poker, and the comet of the shovel,
these was a little hair; a little blood was sprinkled on the handles of
both. Took the prisoner to the watchhouse.
Cross-examined by 31r.Bnontarcx—When witness went, there
was a crowd of persons ; and the poker and shovel might have been
knocked down out of their proper place.
John ilanington, • watchman, gave evidence of the state of the
prisoner when he was called.
Samuel Farzenian, after prisoner was brought to the watch.
house, went to the house, when the prisoner said, " IVell, Mr.
Furzeman, how is he ?" lie replied, a little better, not being willing
to tell her the worst. lie had known them before ; thought them
decent people. Asked prisoner how they came to quarrel ? [Here
the witness detailed at length what passed between the prisoner and
himself after she was in custody, and which we gave in our ac-
count of the inquest.] Ile considered that her whole conduct hail
evinced the greatest sorrow and contrition.
Richard Ogle, surgeon, Great Ifussell-street, saw the body on
the 6th of February. This gentleman gave a detail of the ep-
rennee of the head of the deceased, and had no doubt that his
was caused by two wounds on the skull, Milicted by some
blunt instrument.
This closed the case.
Mr. Baron GRAHAM asked the prisoner if she had any thing to
say ?
She handed in a paper, which was given to her Counsel, Mr.
BRODERICK. and was aftetwads read ; it merely confirmed win:
had been given in evidence.
Mr. Baron GRAHAM proceed& to charge the Jury, commenting
on the evidence, and dwelling particularly on the excellent cha-
racter of both the deceased and the prisoner, and of the harmony in
which they had lived. That it did appear an extremely wooden
affair, without any previous malice, which the conduct of the un-
happy woman afterwards fully showed. The beamed Judge also
particularly dwelt upon the blow which she had previously received
from the deceased, and which might have caused a burst of violent
passion, and led to the unhappy result. The prisoner's life was in
their hands, and it was for them to consider, under all the circum-
vanes, whether this was a case of wilful murder.
The Jury consulted for a few moments, and returned a ver-
dict of—" Not Gaily of the Murder, but Gaily of Man-
slaughter."
The miserable woman was accommodated with a chair during
the trial, and was in a state of the greatest agony, weeping bitterly.
When the verdict was returned, she arose from her seat, and, with
clasped bands, said, in agony, " Thank yon, Gentlemen."
THE LATE MR. PARRY.
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trillions Bennett, a bricklayer, was put to the bar upon the Co.
1011W6 inquisition, charged with feloniously killing and sluing
John Humphreys Parry, Esq.
Mr. Aootritus, in his opening to the Jury, described the
deceased us a barrister at law, wbu resided before his death near
Burton-crescent.
It appeared by the evidence of four witnesses for the prosecution,
that on the evening of Saturday, the 3th of February, the deceased
went into the Prince of Wales public-house, in North-street, Pen-
tonville, and inquired of the landlord, who was at the bar, after the
health of his wife : he au much intoxicated. Having received an
answer, and made an indifferent remark or two, he lett the house,
and was followed by the prisoner, who had been sitting in the tap-
room, and who was seen by the witnesses to go up to Mr. Parry,
and call out, "If you area man, stand up and fight." He at the
same time placed himself in a fighting attitude, and caught hold of
Mr. Parry by the collar with one hand, and shook him. blr. Parry
said, " Don't strike me, I cannot (or will not) fight." The pri.
toner, however, struck him a severe blow on the lace, and then, in
the words of two of the witnesses, "a tremendous blow" on the
side, which brought him to the ground, his head striking against
the edge of the toot pavement. He lay quite motionless, and was
taken up by some bystanders, and taken into the Prince of iValea,
where it was discovered that he was dead.
Mr. AIDIETIS endeavoured, in cross.examination, to elicit
from the witnesses, that the deceased had not only used insulting
language to the prisoner, but actually committed the first assault,
by breaking his pipe, which he was smoking as he passed through
the passage of the public-house ; but the Learned Counsel failed la
showing this. None of the witnesses could speak uto the origin of
the affray.
The prisoner, in his defence, said, he had 'Ronan to prove that
the deceased was the aggressor in the first instance, he having
broken his (prisoner's) pipe in his mouth, and drawn blood, and at-
terwards squared at hint in the street.
Two witnesses, one of whom was a bricklayer, in the employ-
ment of the prisoner, swore, that they saw the deceased in the
street. standing up to the prisoner in a fighting attitude and one
of them stated, that the former made a bit at the latter before he
struck a blow.
Mr. Pearce, the landlord of the Prince of Wales, stated, that Mr.
Parry came to the bar, and said " How do you do ? how is your
wife!" and after standings minute or two, he said, " I shall go,
if I can get out." The witness said he would let him out, and went
with him to the door. The deceased was mach intoxicated, and as
he parsed the tap-room he said, ". Do you expect tue to mix with
your tap-room company The prisoner, who was sitting in the
tap-room, jumped up, and 'said, " The tap-room company is u
good as you at any time." The prisoner followed the deceased
out, and witness beard no more of either of them until Mr. Parry
was brought in. The prisoner remained in the house half an hour
after the melancholy business happened.
A number of witnesses gave the prisoner a good character for
humanity.
Mr. Baron GIARAIII summed up the evidence, and the Jury re.
turned a verdict of Guilty.
John Brows and John Allkren, were indicted for breaking am'.
entering the dwelling-house of Susannah and Anne %Walker. a:
Ponders End, near Enfield, in the night of the 14th January, an :
stealing s quantity of linen and wearing-spear:l.
The prisoners were found Guilty—Deafk, but recommended tc
mercy.

HIGH WATER THIS DAY AT LONDON BRIDGE.
Morning 10 min. after 3. I Afternoon 23 min. niter S.

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