The Sun.
London, England, 1863-08-22 00:00:00

ASSIZE INTELLIGENCE.

NORTHERN CIRCUIT.—LIVERPOOL, AUG. 21.
CROWN COURT.
(Before Mr. Justice Blackburn.)
James O'Brien, aged 26, was indicted for having, on the
20th of June, at Liverpool, feloniously killed and mur-
dered Elizabeth Callaghan. As the name of the deceased
was not positively known, the prisoner was also indicted for
killing a person unknown.
Mr, Deighton and Mr. Sainuells appeared for the prosecu-
tion, and Mr. Pope defended the prisoner.
The prisoner, it appeared, shortly before the 20th of
June, arrived in this port, and about four o'clock on that
morning he met with a woman named Mary- Ann Mathers, in
Lime-street. They went to
deceased, in No. 5 Court, a putdi.-huaa. and had
ale, after which they proceeded to the house kept by the
Spitaifields. The woman remained
with the prisoner until he fell asleep, when she took is. out
of his trowsers pocket. At that time there were five half-
sovereigns and some silver in his pocket. The woman went
downstairs and procured some ale, which she, the deceased,
and some other persons in the house drank. She repeated this
several times, taking in all about 6s. After this the deceased
found that four half-sovereigns had been taken out of the
went upstairs, and seen after Mather followed her, and
prisoner's pocket. She awoke the prisoner, who got up and
accused the deceased of robbing him of his money, hut she
denied it. The prisoner then left the house with Mather,and,
after visiting a publichouse, they went to the police-office,and
informed a constable of the robbery, but he said that the police
could do nothing for him, and he th en went away, evidently
much dissatisfied. 1 hey again visited several publicheuse9
and returned to the police-office,
e, when the prisoner requested
the officers to have all the parties in the house apprehended ;
but the police told him that they could do no such thing.
The prisoner then left, saying that he would have satisfac-
tion of his own, when the constable told him that he must
not carry out this intention or he would get himself into
trouble. The prisoner, accompanied by the woman Ma-
ther, then went to a cutler's shop directly opposite the
police-station, and purchased a sheath-knife, and borrowed
a stone, on which he sharpened it. The woman, fearing he
was about to commit some act of violence, made a motion to
the shopkeeper for him
it up,
let the prisoner have the
knife, but he would not give up, as he said he had paid
for it. They then left the shop and took a cab, the woman
telling the cabman to drive to Hotham-street ; but the pri-
soner said "No, drive to No. 5 Court, Spitalfields." The
cabman drove them there and the prisoner went up the'
court, when he met the deceased, who threw her arms round
his neck and called him her sweetheart. They went into the
house, and the prisoner sent for half a gallon of ale, and as
he was
generous chap to come back and treat you after being
robbed of £5 ?" to which one of the women replied, " Yes,
a
m a
I did not think you were so generous." The prisoner then
shut
uarb cbe hdse e
her ddoor,m
r in
the hisand drawing
breastwr parthe
the knife he had just before
h
rushed upon the deceased, and
t
of the stomach. She fell off
purchased from
l o e
the chair, and was conveyed to the Northern Hospital,
where she soon after died, The prisoner after he had stabbed
the deceased left the house, and got into the cab, telling the
driver
called tothetakehim
away; but as the cabman had heard cries
f "Murder
thought there was something wrong, and
he
policeman he saw and gave the prisoner
o h
firstep
into custody, when the knife was taken from him. The
prisoner was sober, and appeared perfectly calm and col-
lected.

The jury, after a few minutes' consultation, without leav-
ing the box, returned a verdict of guilty of wilful murder.
His Lordship then assumed the black cap, and proceeded
to pass sentence of death in the usual terms, at the same
time telling the prisoner that he had been found guilty on
the clearest possible evidence, and that ho need not enter-
tain any hope of mercy on this earth.
The prisoner, who conducted himself with great propriety
and evidently felt the position in which he had placed him-
self; was then removed frora the bar.

George Gibson, aged 39, was charged with having felo.
niously murdered his wife on the 21st of June, at 55, Circus
street, Liverpool.

Mr. Proston and Mr. Potter appeared for the prosecution,
and M r. Littler defended the prisoner.

It appeared that the prisoner lived most unhappily with
his wife. About 7 o'clock en the night in question he re-
turned home under the influence of drink and asked for his
supper, to which deceased replied that he had not provided
her with the means to get any. Some words ensued, and
the deceased struck him a blow on the face. Later in the
evening the deceased was going into the house, when the
prisoner rushed out of his room. The deceased called out,
" Oh, see what he has got in his hand I" and immediately
afterwards she gave a scream and ran into the kitchea,when
it was found that she had been wounded in the side, and WAS
bleeding most profusely. The prisoner, after inflicting the
wound, returned to his own room, where he was apprehended
with a long chisel in his hands, on which were marks of
blood. An attempt was made to
convey the deceased to the
Infirmary, bat she was too weak to move, and, after suffer-
ing most acutely, she died on the 27th, six days after the
injury had been inflicted.
For the defence it;was urged from the evidence given by
the medical men, that the deceased might have died from
natural causes; but should the jury be of opinion that it
was occasioned by the violence of the Prisoner, the evidence
brought forward would justify them in returning a verdict
in
flicted
the manslaughter, as it was evident at the time he
the wound he was through drink bereft of his reason, and
did not know what he was about; or, to use the words of his
wife, "he appeared as if he was going mad, through the
effects of drink and dissipation."
The jury returned a verdict of guilty of manslaughter, and
His Lordship sentenced the prisoner to be kept in penal
servitude for the remainder of his life.

Elizabeth Benyon, aged 17, was indicted for the wilful
murder of her child, Joseph Benyon, aged 12 months.
Mr. Higgin prosecuted, and Mr. Pope defended the pri-
soner.

This case in its circumstances was a most painful and