The Sun.
London, England, 1853-09-16 00:00:00

TUE ALLEGED MURDER AT SLIE:PBE.RD'S-
RIMEL

esterday evening Mr. Brent, the deputy coroner for
the western division of Middlesex, held an inquiry, at
the Black Bull Inn, Hammersmith, into the circum-
stances attendant upon the death of Elizabeth Hayes,
alleged to have been murdered by her husband, James
Hayes, near Shepherd's-bush-market, on the night of
Saturday last.
The jury viewed the body, which was lying in a low
dirty house in the neighbourhood. The upper part of
the poor woman's body was covered with bruises, and on
the throat were marks which seemed to indicate that
the deceased had been choked.
Much excitement prevailed in consequence of an an-
anouncement which had been made that the coroner had
applied to the Home Secretary for the attendance of the
prisoner at the inquest. If such an application were
made, it was rejected.
Mr. Martin, solicitor, attended for the prosecution.
Johanna Lines, of 23, Lower Brook-green-place,
stated the deceased woman was her sister. She was
about 42 years of age. Her husband was a labouring
man. Her sister died at six o'clock on Sunday night.
Deceased was brought to her house in a state of in-
sensibility, from being beaten, on a shutter by the police.
She went out on Saturday in good spirits—in fact, she
was never merrier in her life.
Policeman 264 T (Starling) said—On Sunday morning
last, as he was going on duty, his attention was attracted
by a large number of people near Shepherd's-bush-mar-
ket. On inquiring he heard that a woman, drunk and
insensible, was lying behind some buildings there. He
found her lying on her side. She opened one of her
eves, but the other was so bruised and swollen that she
could not open it. Her clothes were not torn, but her
bonnet-string was untied, and her shawl unpinned.
She did not utter a word. She was conveyed on a
stretcher to Brook-green station, and afterwards to her
sister-in-law's house. .

By a Juror—He was not able to say whether or not
deceased was intoxicated. She had been vomiting, and
was in fact vomiting when witness saw her. There
was no smell of liquour, as far as he could detect. She
was found in a place which had been dug out for foun-
dations for houses. It was a very considerable depth.
There was no thoroughfare past the house. The depth
was four or five feet. A person intoxicated could not
have got there, inasmuch as it would be necessary to
get over railings to reach the spot where deceased was
found.
Policeman 69 T (John Searle) corroborated the evi-
dence of the last witness, and added that he saw Hayes
standing near the place where deceased was afterwards
found. He asked witness to come away. He was
trembling very much, and sighed heavily. Witness
thought he had fallen asleep there under the influence
of drink ; and as there had been two robberies committed
there, witness requested him to come out ; but he an-
swered with an oath that he would not. Witness told
him he would lock him up if he did not come out, and
he then, after some hesitation, came into the road.
Every word he uttered " shook," but this witness sup-
posed might be attributable to the cold and fog which
prevailed. All this occurred about six yards from the
spot where deceased was found ; but on account of the
fog, witness could not see the woman. He afterwards
described the dress and appearance of the man he had
seen to Inspector Cooke ; and after his capture he iden-
tified him in the cell of the station-house.
By a Juror—He had to get under the railings to ar-
rive at the spot where he saw the man. It could only
be reached by getting under or over the railings.
By the Coroner—The deceased woman came to him
on Saturday night about eleven o'clock, while he was
on his beat, and asked him to accompany her to her
husband, as she wanted to speak to him. She said
there was another woman with him, and she was afraid
of going to him without protection. She was perfectly
sober then. Witness recommended her not to have
anything to do with a drunken man. She said the
advice was very good, and thereupon went away. He
did not hear the woman groan when he was persuading
the man to leave the spot where he saw him. If she
had groaned he must have heard her.
Thomas Taylor, a labouring man, said he knew the
deceased woman, having seen her come with Hayes's
meals while he was working with him. He had known
Hayes some years. He saw the deceased woman with
Hayes about eleven o'clock on Saturday night. She
asked him to go home. He said nothing to her, but
knocked her down. She got up, and he knocked her
down again. She got up again and ran behind witness.
He told her to get away, lest her husband should think
they were harbouring her. There were several Irish-
men near at the time, and I was afraid of them.
The Coroner.—You would not assist the woman for
fear the husband would be bitter against you ?
Witness.—Yes. Hayes then kicked at her, and said
he would kick her brains out. Deceased then ran down
the market, and Hayes followed her, remarking "I
will do for you to-night."
A juror asked the Coroner whether it would be pos-
sible for the jury to have the prisoner before them ?
The Coroner.—We shall see.
Witness continued.—He thought Hayes behaved
very improperly to his wife, but he would not protect
her for the reasons already stated. Hayes appeared to
be in liquor at the time of the occurreuce, He had
had many conversations with Hayes, but never heard
him say anything disrespectful about his wife.
Edward George, a labouring man.—Had known the
deceased woman about 18 months. When he became
acquainted with her she was living with her husband,
in William-street, Ho had not seen her for about five
weeks until Saturday evening last, when she came with
her husband, into Shephard's-bush-market. Hayes
said something to her, and then knocked her down.
Deceased was perfectly sober ; Hayes was not. When
he knocked her down a second time he said, "I will
knock (or kick) your brains out." Taylor the last wit-
ness, had his 'goods knocked over, and complained to
the police, who took him into custody and charged him
with being drunk and disorderly. The magistrate dis-
charged him, as there was no case against him.
The constable said Taylor struck him for interfering
with his wife.
Witness—Saw Hayes and his wife go towards the
Shepherd's Bush Hotel ' • the woman was first. He did
not hear Hayes say "I will do for you to-night," or use
any expression of the sort. He saw Hayes kick at his
wife, but whether he actually kicked her or not he could
not say. After deceased was knocked down the second
time she could not run away ; she was too feeble. She
came to witness to protect her, but he would not have
anything to do with her, for there were many Irish
people present, and they were a rum lot of people to
get into a row with. (Laughter.) They would hit one
with a stick or a pickaxe.
Mr. John Brown, surgeon, of Hammersmith, said he
had known the deceased woman two or three years, and
had occasionally attended her professionally. He saw
the deceased at the police-station on Sunday. She was
in an insensible state. She had received a severe blow
on the right eye and on the right jaw. Those were the
chief external injuries. Ho saw her again later on
Sunday, and he found she was rapidly sinking. He
ordered her removal to her sister's house, and there she
died. On making a post-moistens examination he found a
cut about half an inch above the eye. That was an in-
ternal injury from a fall, but the skin was not cut, but
it was indented, On opening the head he found a fusion
of blood in the two ventricles ; there was also a fusion of
blood on the surface of the brain. In the stomach there
were three pieces of cauliflower, and it was otherwise
nearly empty. She died from an effusion of blood on
the brain caused by a blow or a fall.
Taylor (recalled) said he did not see where the de-
ceased was struck by her husband, but it was not on the
face. When she fell she fell on her back. He was sure
she fell on her back both times.
Emily Shirley, residing at Shepherd's-bush, stated that
she did not know the deceased very well. She saw her
on Saturday night near the Royal Hotel, Shepherd's-
bush. She asked her if she (the witness) was going
down the market ? Some time after witness saw her
knocked down by her husband. She got up and went
down the market, but Hayes stood still. Afterwards she
turned down to a place called the Island. There were
two or three steps to go down, and she called out " Jem,
Jena." Afterwards she saw Hayes knock the deceased
woman's head against the wooden railing of Mr. Robin-
son's gate, exclaiming "Take that ! I will do for you
soon.' Deceased said nothing, and witness was too
much frightened to give an alarm. What she witnessed
occurred within a few yard of the spot on which the
body was afterwards found. Witness knew Hayes, and
could swear to his person. She saw him last on Sunday
morning.
Edmund Lines, the husband of the first witness, saw
deceased and her husband together on Saturday evening
at six o'clock. They then appeared to be on very good
term together. He had known Hayes to thrash his
wife frequently. He had beaten her before he got mar-
ried. He did not think she deserved it. They cohabited
before they were married. He saw Hayes on Sunday
afternoon, and told him that his wife was in a very bad
state at the police-station. He replied that he knew
nothing about it, and that he had not seen her since
eight o'clock on the preceding night. He added, that
at that time she was so drunk she could not stand. After
,
this, witness saw Hayes again, when ,he said, Well,
Lines, how is the wife going on now ? ' Witness toldt
him she was dead, when he replied, "Goodluckeee
forto the
brickies (meaning brickmakers) ; they have
have hurt a
d
at last, though I would not have liked
hair of her head." Witness added that he had often
heard Hayes say that he would be his wife's butcher.
Policeman 156 P (W. 11. Rogers), who took Hayes
into custody, said that, when captured, he asked whether
his wife was dead ? and on witness informing him that
she was, he said that if she chose to get drunk, and
knock herself about with a brick, it had nothing to do
with him.
Richard Kennett, a carter, deposed to finding the
body of the deceased, and giving information to the po-
lice She was lying straight along the ground. She
never spoke to him in any wa37.• Her shawl was over
her face. She had been vomiting, and her face was
lying in it.
The Coroner said that was all the evidence at present.
He should suggest an adjournment, and he would en-
deavour to have the prisoner before them on that occa-
sion. He would not, however, hold out any hope in
that respect.
Several jurors thought it would be very desirable to
have the prisoner at the adjournment.
The Coroner said, if the prisoner were present at the
next inquiry the depositions should be read over to him,
and to any other witnesses who might be brought
forward.
The inquiry was then adjourned.

BRITISH ASSOCIATION FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF
SCIENCE.—The next meeting of this association will be
held in Liverpool, in the latter part of August or the
beginning of September, 1854, the exact date not yet
fixed ; the Earl of Harrowby president.