The Sun.
London, England, 1855-08-24 00:00:00

iY el:
I, Be T ED MURDER OF A MOTHER.

Isabella Mary Jolley, a wernati 42 years of age, whO
stands charged with the wilful murder of her mother,
underwent a very lengthened re-examination, at the
Westminster Police-court, yesterday The court was
densely crowded with persons auxielue to hear the pro-
ceedings.
Mr. Lewis, jun., appeared for the.prisOner : and Mr.
Abr.:tins on the part of the deceased's friends-'
The folloteing, was the evedenceeha •
Sarah Mossaup, sworn—l am servant to the prisoner.
I have lived with her four months 'on the 30th of this
month, at 33, Hill-street, Knightsbridge. Thefamily con-
sisted of Miss Jolley and her mother, an old widow lady,
getting on foe- 90. I last saw.herlative at ten on Virednes-
dey alight week: She was very infirm, but net bedridden,
and could walk about the house e I .had to help
e undress and get her iut, bed. Ihlid so at 10 o'clock
on Wedeeeday night week, at which tithe the prisoner
was not at home. She came home at 11, and let herself
in with the latch-key. I took a light ; end went to bed.
I did not fasten my room door. I had been asleep some
time, when I was awoke by the prisoner coming into my
room. It must have been about 3 o'clock in the morn-
ing when she came in. She had Do-light- with her, bu:
I could see her by the break of day. Sbe was not un-
dressed, but had on a morning wrapper. She told
me I steed not get up before 7 o'clock. We had no
lodgers iu the house then, and when we had not that
was my usual time of getting up ; but when we had
I used to stet up at six. She told me that I was
to make the breakfast and take it up when I rose,
and that eke hail left out what was necessary
for that purpose. I got uo at about seven, and having
made the breakfaete.wae taking it up to the second floor
front room, where the old lady slept, when the prisoner
told me I must not go in. there. She met me ou the
stairs and told mehhis, and also that I might take it into
the next room, but not into the front, because the doer
was locked. Prisoner and her mother slept in the front
room, and it was in that room I bad put the old lady to
bed the night before. I knew the room door was locked.
I was trying to open it when the prisoner spoke to we,
and I found it locked. She had been out and came up-
stairs at that moment. She saht she did not wish it to be
opened, because "puesey" would go in there. I said,
"That is strange, for mistress is so fond of the cat." I did
uot address that to her, but spoke it loud enough for her
to bear. She went into the room and I went down
stairs, and she took the breakfast things in there I thirs,
but she did nut take them, from use. I left theM in the
back roeue as she had told me., I saw her go out at
about eight o'clock; and she said eheewould be back by
when the keti le boded. I did not notice anything pe-
culiar in her mariner at the time. After I had left the
things up stairs I went down into the kitchen, and a
little while afterwards I went up into the back room,
and there found the tea things. Both cups had been
used. Prisoner went oat again about nine o'clock,
shortly after I had taken the things down. I remained
then deem stairs till a policemen cane. A woman came
and asked where Mr. Jolley was. She said she was Mr.
Jolley's wife's sister, and wished t 3 know where he lived.
The prisoner called her up stairs, and then the woman
went out, soon after which she returned. It was about
half an hour, and she thee told me she had been on an
errand for the prisoner. She went up and spoke to pri-
soner, and went out in half an hour. The policeman
called me up about twelve. Mr. Crapp, the agent
of the house, was with we at the time. He called me
on the landing. Prisoner was in the second floor front
room. The policeman told use I must not be ala-med,
but my mistress had been cutting her throat. I told
hint I did not know anything about it.
Mr. Arnold—Who first told you of her death ?
Witneis—The policeman. Prisoner then came down
to me, and I said, " It was very wrong of you not to have
said anything about mistress's being dead."
Mr. Arnold—Did she make any reply ?
Witiiess—She said, " Fanny, don't speak." One day
last week a boy knocked at the door and brought a razer,
saying it was for a Mr. Johnson. We had no Mr.
Johnson living in the house, and I told him so. Pre
loner, who had heard what he said, called out "It's
all right," and giving the boy 6d. took the razor.
Mr. Arnold—When she came to the room to you at
night did she say anything else besides what you have
told me ?
Witness—Yee ; I had given her notice last week, and
she said that I might go to a lady and see about another
; and she said her brother had told her that she
had better take her mother to the salt water for the bene-
fit. of her health, and that Mr. Crapp would take care of
the house. She said, "Do you think you will go and
look for a place to-morrow—there will be nothing to
hinder you."
Mr. Arnold—How long was she in your room ?
Witness—A quarter of an hour.
Mr. Arnold—Have you been in the habit of taking
breakfast into the old lady's room ?
Witness—Yes, I have. I have been in the habit of
taking it to her myself, and cutting her bread and butter.
Mr. Arnold—Did you ever find the door lucked before?
Witness—Never.
Mr. Arnold—Was the old lady very infirm ?
Witness—She would sometimes stagger. She was
very weak, but would go up and down stairs by herself.
Mr. Arnold —Did you ever see anything more of the
razor atter it was taken in by the prisoner
Witness—No.
Mr. Lewis cross-examlued the witness at considerable
length, to show that the prisoner did not go into her
room in the night, as described, but that the occurrence
took place before she went to sleep. Witness, however,
declared most positively that it was at about day-break,
and that she heard a clock strike four shortly afterwards.
Witless, upon being questioned respecting the circum-
stance of both cups and saucers being dirtied at break-
fast time, denied that prisoner bad accounted for that
singular circurnstance by stating that she had poured
the coffee from one to the other to cool it. The only
important fact elicited was that prisoner was always
most affectionate to her mother.
Mrs. Mary Crapp, 17, Hill-street, the wife of a builder
and the agent spoken of, said-1 know Mess Jolley. I
passed her parlour-window when she tapped at it, a little
atter 12 on Thursday morning week. I stopped, and she
said " I am mad, lan almost mad," and holding her
hands to her head appeared in a most agitated state. . I
went in, and she said something about her poor mother,
and added "She is dead." I said " Was she ill?" and
she said something about a razor, and cutting her throat,
and of her (prisoner) having put her mother's feet upon
a chair, and of her dying quietly, and about something
wet, something about her mother having said " Do not
trouble, I am very wet," and of her putting her hand to
her breast and of her saying "I am dying."
Mr. Arnold—Will you tell me as near as you can the
particular words she used ?
Witness—She said her mether had got out of bed and
Old her not to trouble, and said " I are dying," when
the prisoner put her feet up on a chair, and said she laid
her down to die quietly. I asked her if she had not
sent for a doctor, and she said "Na, she owed the doc-
tor a little bill, and she supposed he would not come."
I have always heard her speak kindly of her mother, and
I think she was a most dutiful daughter, and always
very kind to her.
Mr. Arnold—Did she say anything else ?
Witness—She told use she tried to cut her own throat,
but could not for the life of her. She kept putting her
hands up to her head in a very strange manner.
Mr. Arnold—Did she say at what time the occurrence
took place ?
Witness—She said about the morning. She said she
was cold and stiff now. She said something about the
morning, but I was much agitated. She said the servant
did not know it. She said she did not like to tell her,
henanie she was a Catholic. Ido not know what that
had to do with it.
Mr. Crapp, Sergeant M‘Leod (of the B division), and
a Mr. Haggard were severally examined, but as they
all went into the prisoner's house together, and spoke to
the Paine state of facts, et is unnecessary to detail the
evidence of each. Their united testimony was to the
following effect .—After the prisoner informed them that
her mother was dead, she observed Sergeant M'Leod,
who had entered the passage a moment after the other
two, and appeared very munch alarmed, and said that
Mr. Crapp should not have told a policeman. He asked
her what wee the matter, when she repeated that her
mother was'dead. They went upstairs t.i the second-floor
front room, the door of which was locked. Prisoner un-
locked the door, and they went in with her. They saw the
deceased lying across the chair, with her feet on a chair
and her throat cut. Prisoner said that about daylight
she heard something the matter with her mother, who
said, " I am very wet," and when she put her band
upon her she discovered that it was blood. She asked
deceased what was the matter, when she replied, " I am
dying." Prisoner said she then laid her back upon the
bed, and put her feet upon a chair, and she immediately
expired. The police-serjeant, observing the gash in the
deceased's throat was three or four inches long, asked
the prisoner what it was done with, when she repliert,
"A razor," and pointed to the table drawer, where she
said the razor was. The policeman took the thz or out
of the drawer, and examining it said, " It don't appear
to have been used,; it is quite clean." She replied,
" I have washed it, and I have taken it out this
morning and had it sharpened." She said 'she had tried
to cut her throat, but the razor would not act upon her ;
she added, that it would have been a good job if it had, as
it would save much trouble. Prisoner requested the con-
stable not to tell the servant, as she was a Catholic, and
would swear to anything. A cotton petticoat covere
with blood was found folded up under the bed, arthae
night-dress and shawl, about which, as also abko
bed, there was a great deal of blood. She wet;
h she re-
reason why she took the razor to he set, we ~00
plied that gentlemen who lodged in her bon: c
Tee d with reit).
ally wanted such a thing. She cr re,hireethree or Lour
e.un.neete bad been sent
eat: eild the
rence to cutting her throat,
She requested
slight scratches, that althoughwthheic-
to set, it was brought home veryr bl
which the razor was found!
the
eu
takeit,"Nl.Leed)—How far Was the
Mr. Arnold (to Serjeant
policemanl can't not tod
drawerotaikt.e
itch azor away, saying,
Led away from the
Seijeant—Ah there any tracks of blood
Mr. Arnold--Were from the
drawer to the bed
out five or six feet.
heejeene—A. little on the floor by the side of the bed,
the deceased was lying,
Another •
close by where
witness, in answer to the same
ex-
inquiry,
pressed a strong opinion Hirt the 9tna,ll quantity of
blood on the floor had oozed froth. the bee!,
ordripped
from one of deceased's legs, which bore such marks.
The Police-serjeant said he aoked
when she found her mother bleed. the prisoner why,
bleeding, in the way she had
described, she did not arouse the servant and have a
medical man called in To
which she replied, that she
did not wish the servant to know it, and said, " Do you
think they will blame me ri" when he told her he thought
she was to blame. She then said that her mother had got
out of bed from
a call of nature.
Another witness, whose account agreed with the above,