The National Register.
London, England, 1812-08-30 00:00:00

CHESHIRE.

The trial of John Lomas, for the murder of his master, George
Mintrey, farmer, of Hankelow, and Edith Morrey, wife.of the said G.
lliflrev, for aiding nod assisting him in the said murder.
Hannah Evans said she lived servant with the decea ed in the month
of April last ; Edith Morrey was wife to the deceased; Lornas was
also his Set the deceased had five children, three of whom slept
in the same 700 M with her; she went through the deceased's room to
her own, which was on the ground floor. Lomas slept in a room over
the kitchen, and the other two children with him. On the night of
the Ilth of April remembered her master coming home ; she went to
bed abcut I'l o'clock, and saw her master and mistress go into their
rtom ; about two she was awok-, heard a great noise, and two or three
bl,ows struck, which appeared to be in her master's room ; she atter-
wards heard more blows and two groans,when she got out of be:l. The •
prisoner (her mistress) came into her room, put out the candle, and
ltdd her she must nos make a noise, for there were murderers in the
house. They then went into the kitchen, where she lighted a candle,
and went by her mistress's desire to call Lomas; he appeared to be
fast asleep ; she called him twee, and said he must get up. as there
were murderers in the house ; he told her to leave the c andle, and he
would follow her down. Witness and Lomas then went to call one
&try Spode, who live.t a short distance from the house ; the I risoner
Lomas said, it was very dangerous going out, and appeared to be much
frightened. When morning came, she examined the floor, ant round
PeVerli soots of blood ; she likewise obsery d blood on the stairs lead-
ing from her master's room to Lomas's. On her cross-ex,minat ion,
she saki, that she had been in bed about an hour before she heart the
;noise. Her mistress ordered her and Lomas to go and :dorm the
neighboui flood ; 'lever observed any unkindness between her mister
and rmsttess ; nor ever saw her mistress behave to Lomas otherwise
than as to a :servant. Her master and mistress were laughing before
they went to bed.

MTG. 30.

•
Thomas Timinis tot he was t t; •• ••• ee
the house or the di:et-Ise:I at aoote halt east two.
St(10.! a few
minutes in the room wesere Mrs Money wa- sittmg a eleer,ll(.,
thel
ins; her apron to her head He the.. %vent into ti.e room where
deceased lay dead on the floor, with
i.„ him,hist, and ,ae(L theio.e fl:r for d.s
c,,a),:e.areldeswliatfiti
hand under his head, an axe lyine
blood ; his throat was cut from ear to ear.
John Moors stated, that he went to the deceased's house, and on his
way there Lomas told hint lie thought his m toet w kit d.
(Milli Mrs. M Irey and her children satin}; round the fire. He alc
for a lighted candle, and went into the raom, where ne tame I :tie were,
as stated by former witness. He asked Mis. Morre) it ails. suspected
any body ; she answered no. He then examined the lent. and teund
that it was tastened with a nail over the latch. Mrs. Metrey said,
she suppo-ed somebody had followed him front North rich, whine he
had been at a eeelcioe.
Thomas Hal., another witnes• , perceived blood on Lomas's smock.
frock ; and on examining the house, found blood on the floor, whisk
he traced into the hack kitchen, aid up stairs into the re: m \share
L••mus lai . He then secured Loma-, and Mr. Groo asked him for
the key of his box. lie reeled, no constable had a right to loek ieto
his box When witness see up stairs a. aie, he saw Mrs Moire) tke
sonic kind of linen, and throw it n the tiaor, her hack was tow„.ds
hint; Mr. Groom pi. ked up a shirt off s'in'e bags in Lomas's room,
here she had throwe it. H asked Lomas was that hi, shirt, he said
it was; it was marked svith blood about the wrists. He saw Lentas
stripped ; he had a -.lean shirt on, and Mr Groom turgid his coat
inside out; in the inside there imptstred mile:. blood. leomas said it
was his shirt, am! he had \stun it all last week. The bureau in the
parlour was open, hut did nut appear to have been breken open._
There were two small patches 01 Wood on the sheets, which were
taken into the told. '1 here was a hex by Lomas's bed-side; Mr.
Morrey had broken the lid of r. lie too;: out a waistcoat ail bloody,
and asked Lomas was it his ; he said it was, and enquired if they
knew where it was found.
John Groom was called on the marning of the murder, and went
to the house of ti.e deceased He searched the d frireet lodging-houses
in tile neighbourhood, to seek IA- sus. kiwis persons, hit: iound none:
he then rethreed, and exami err the parlour door, hut no violence
appeared He leoked at the desk, was not present when the contents
were taken rem ; the lock was loose, and two screw• taken out, one of
which he found in the desx ; the milt of the lock was shut ; found a
chissel amidst some papers, as it placed regularly. He asked which
way the thieves came in, Mrs. M . said at the front door. He in.
quired did she see any: one, she answered no, but she heard a noise,
and thought it was in the childrens' room, on which she went in
amongst them.
William Dooley took Lom is into custody ; questioned, him about
the bloody shirt, when he said he had worn it the week before,
when he bled the calves and the mare. Witness told hint he had Con-
victed himself by that; he said, " I have." Saw him searehed,when
a razor sheath was found in his pocket. The razor was found in a pit,
where the prisoner told witeess he had thrown it ; there was a little
blood on the handle, and two hairs on the steel of it.
James Morrey, brother to the deceased, was called up about two
o'clock in the morning. Lomas was one who came to call him, who sael
that his master was muotered, and that 1501. was stolen out of the desk
in bills. When witness came to the house, lie found Mrs. M. sitting
by the fireside ; she told him, she thought they had followed him home,
and nehrderad hen Lomas wnt ant put the nail in the door, and
shook it out again, to shew him how they got iw. Mrs. M. told wit-
ness she theueht he had been bragging about his limey, and they had
followed him home. and murdered him ; witness examined the r elk
next day, and found 2s. a check upon Nantwieh bank for 1201. and his
brother's watch.
John Beals' surgeon, saw the deceased, and examined his head ;
found several fractures, which he described ; thought the blows were
given by some heavy instrument, he thought to be an axe. The wound
in the throat was sufficient to cause his death. On Sunday he was
called to attend Mrs. Morrey ; he found her lying upon the floor, with
a large wound in her neck, produced by sonic sharp instrument;
sewed it up and dressed it. She told him on Monday, that Lomas
had said, that he was up three times in the night before to murder her
husband.
iffiam Hall, constable of Hankelow, was on Sunday morning at
the house of the deceased ; saw Mrs. Morrey sitting by the fire. He
told her he was (otne to take her into custody ; sat two or three yards
from her; about three minutes after she dropped from her seat, and
her throat was cut by a razor, which lay by her side.
Elizabeth Brcreton stated, that she nig:tired of Mrs. Morrey, why
thee were taking Lemurs, when she said she would swear he was no
more guilty than she, and that he was asleep in his bed.
The
.IVAGE, in t' c most. impressive manner, addressed the Jury,
who, without retiring gave a verdict of guilty against both the pri-
soners. The Judge then passed the awful sentence of the law upon
them.
After' sentence the Counsel threw in a plea of pregnancy for Mrs.
Morrey, on which a jury of M :trolls was immediately selected out of
the Court to examine her. who steted, that to their opinion, she was
tram three to five months :ewes
Limas was ord.o-ed fur cx cation. ju4ment, respited on Edith
Mot rev, until after her delivery.