The Sun.
London, England, 1852-01-08 00:00:00

THE SUN,

the woman in her room, and my wife bathing her tam-
pees. She appeared to he dead.
Cress-exemined —I never spoke to Miss Knott. The
prisoner waived to get the boxes before his wire came
home, and if I had let h m I think it was his intention to
have broken the door open.
Rebecca Lanney, the wife of the last witness, was
next called. I re member the prisoner coming to our
house and the deceased afterwards going up stairs, fol-
lowed by the prisoner. I heard talking up stairs. The
boy was afterwards called up and told by the prisoner
to take the boxes down. He did so, and after he left
the room the woman's c:ies became very violent. I heard
a fall, and two minutes afar earcis the prisoner came
down stairs. I heard no screams after that. I let the
prisoner out, and observed that his hands were smeared
with blood. Directly after I let the prisoner out I went
up stairs, and found the woman leaning over
.a chair
against the fireplace. Her hair was in confusion, and
blood was on her check flowing from a wound in her temple ;
she struggled once as though she was in a fit, but never
spoke, and when the doctor came she was sprite dead.
Cross-examined—The woman had not many visitors.
I only saw one, and his name was Thompson. Ile al-
ways inquired for Miss Nott, and generally went up stairs
to her. Mrs. Hams was at home on these occasions.
Selina Backett—l lo3ged in the room next to that
occupied by the deceased, and remember well the night
of the Bth of November. I heard the deceased come
home, and a few minutes after she was followed up by
wee one. When they both got into the room, the door
was shut, and they commenced quarrelling. I heard
the prisoner accese her of frequenting a low pubie-hous 3
with low prostitutes. The decaased made answer, "So help
me God, Ido not," and the prisoner thereupon ex-
claimed, " Well, I shan't leave the house without the
boxes." I heard afterwards a scream of " Murder!" and
upon going out upon the landing, I saw the boy
with a box on his shoulders. The woman's
door was open, and upon looking in I noticed: the
deceased and the prisoner fighting. The prisorer had
his right hand raised at the moment, and I saw him strike
her several very heavy blows. I did not see the de-
ceased return the blows, but they both fell down toge-
ther. I saw nothing in the prisoner's hand, but the boy
who came for the box, and who bad returned on to the
landing, said to me, " Don't touch him, for it serves
herjolly well right." The deceased and the prisoner
got up together. Another struggle ensued, and then the
prisoner came out and went down stairs. In a few
minutes after the landlady came up, and the woman was
found to be quite dead.—Cross-examined—l heard the
prisoner say, " i want nothing of you but my boxes,
and, so help me God! I won't leave the house without
them."
Edward Blackston was recalled and examined by the
Court—Did you make use of the expression attributed
to you by the last witness? Witness—No; I don't re-
collect.
The Counr —But you must recollect.
Witness—Well, I don't think I did.
The COURT—Why did you not interfere to prevent
the man beating the woman? Witness—What was it to
do with me?
The COURT—Do with you, why, surely you could have
pulled the man away from the woman? Witness—No,
I couldn't.
Emma Webster, another lodger in the house, gave
similar evidence to that of the last female witness.
Mary Robinson had heard prisoner declare he would
be avenged on deceased.
Rebecca Knight, the wife of a marine store dealer,
in Blackfriars, stated that a few days before this occur-
rence, the prisoner purchased a file of a triangular form.
The file produced was similar to the one sold to the
prisoner, a narrow instrument with a sharp end.
Joseph Church—l am a policeman. I remember
being on duty about nine o'clock on the Bth of Novem-
ber last, in Marylebone, when the prisoner came up to
me and said " What are you going to do?" I asked
him what he meant, and he replied " Oh, nothing,
only something that took place between me and
my wife." The prisoner then crossed the street,
and at that moment the boy Blackstone came up and
made a communication to me. I then went over to the
prisoner and told him he must go with me. He said
very well, and wo walked to the house where the de-
ceased was lying. There were two boxes at the door,
and the prisoner observed if it had not been for those
boxes this would not have happened. Another constable
came up, and having handed the prisoner over to him I
went up stairs. There I found the woman bleeding from
wounds, and upon searching the room I discovered the
file produced in the fire-place, covered with blood,, and
ith the end recently sharpened. I then sent for a
surgeon.
John Cox, another policeman, who conveyed the pri-
soner to the station-house—The prisoner told me that
his wife struck him with a chisel, and he took it from
her and gave her the contents. His right hand was
covered with blood. The prisoner was afterwards told in
my presence that his wile was dead, and he exclaimed,
" Lord Christ Almighty, who would have thought that I
had the heart to do it?" He further said, " I have a boy
in bed at a public-house—little does ho think that I have
murdered his mother; I have a daughter a prostitute on
the town, and I wish I was geieg to be hung to-morrow
morning at eight o'clock—no, at the present moment."
Robert Jackson, the inspector of the district, confirmed
the testimony of the last witness.
John Hall, another policeman, who remained with the
prisoner the whole of the night after he was arrested,
stated that about five minutes after he was locked in the
cell the prisoner said, " Well, I have done it, and this is
the arm that's done it too."
Mr. Davidson, surgeon, described the nature of the
wounds.
Miry Hams— I lived with the deceased. I never saw
the file produced in the room occupied by me and the
deceased.
This was the case for the prosecution.
The Court here adjourned for a quarter of an hour.