The Sun.
London, England, 1865-03-06 00:00:00

ASSIZE INTELLIGENCE.

NORTHERN CIRCUIT, DURHAM, March 4.
(Before Mr. Justice Mellor.)
George Wilkinson was charged with embezzling moneys
of the Friend-in-Need Life Insurance and Sick Fund
Friendly Society, at Bishop Auckland.
Mr. Campbell Foster and Mr. Trotter appeared for the
prosecution, and Mr. Meynell defended the prisoner.
It appeared that the prisoner was the agent of the society
in question, by which life insurances were afforded to poor
men, and entered into a contract with a man named Story,
whereby the latter insured his life for £l2 10s., and secured
to himself a payment of 10s. a week in case of illness, and
£5 in the case of fire. In return Story was to pay 2s. a
week, and it was these payments which the prisoner was
charged with embezzling. He was discovered in conse-
quence of Story falling ill and applying for his sick allow-
ance, when he was informed that it would not be paid in
consequence of his payments being in arrear. This led to
further inquiry and the apprehension of the prisoner.
He was found guilty, but strongly recommended to mercy
by the jury, and
His Lordship sentenced him to six months' imprisonment.
MURDER.
Matthew Atkinson was placed at the bar charged with
the wilful murder of his wife Eleanor, at Winlaton, on the
18th of September.
Mr. Blackwell and Mr. Laycock were the counsel for the
prosecution, and Mr. Campbell Foster appeared for the de-
fence.

it appeared that the prisoner had been married about 12
years, that his wife, who was 43 years of age, was of some-
what intemperate habits, and that he himself was of an un-
bridled, ungovernable temper, and in the habit of using
threats and violence to his wife both when he was drunk
and sober, which terrified the neighbourhood. They had
gone to live at a place called the Spen, near to Winlaton a
few weeks before the day of the wife's death. On the 17th
of September the prisoner had gone, with his two nephews,
Matthew Swinburne and Thomas Layburne, to a shooting
match at Hopson Pit, where it is probable that they got a
good deal of drink, and they did not return home until
eleven o'clock at night. The prisoner rattled at the door
for a short time before it was opened by his wife, who was
dressed, but appeared as if she had just awakened from
sleep, and the prisoner asked her repeatedly where
she had been. She gave no direct answer, but said,
"Come, come, less than that may serve." When the pri-
soner, seeing that the fire was out and there was no supper
prepared, said, " I don't like this." The woman replied in
a conciliatory manner, saying, " Now, Mat, sit yourself
down," and the prisoner jumped up with the intention of
striking her, when she ran out, closing the door as she
went, and saying, "To the devil with you, Mat." Lay--
I:mune attempted to prevent the prisoner from following
her, but he saying "Let me gang, or it will be the worse
for you," was allowed to pass, and he caught his wife at
the door of the house of a man called Anderson, and struck
her in the face. He then dragged her back to the door of
their own house and pulled her in, she calling "Murder !'
and Layburne and Swinburno (both of them mere lads)
were perfectly terrified at the prisoner, and went away to
call the attention of the neighbours. A man named
Purvis lived only four doors from the prisoner, and he was
roused from his sleep by a woman to interfere with the pri-
soner, who was thrashing his wife. He looked out of the
window and heard the noise of blows coming from the
prisoner's, and a voice shouting "You , I'll kill you, I
will, by —!" and the deceased crying "Oh, dear !" and
" Murder !" The prisoner's character, however, was known
to be so ferocious and dangerous when he was under the
influence of drink that Purvis dared not go in to interfere
for the woman, especially as the prisoner was heard threat-
ening to kill dead on the spot any one who interfered with
him. It appeared that the prisoner continued beating his
wife for a full hour in this unmerciful manner, the blows
sounding as though given with the whole might of the
striker, and the man Purvis to listen to them, and then all
seemed quiet, and Purvis went to sleep. After about half
an hour more, and at half-past 12, the prisoner knocked at
Purvis's door and called out to him and his wife to get up,
for be had "finished her this time." They dressed and
went with the prisoner to his house, where they found the
deceased seated on the floor, and the prisoner then held her
bead up with his hand. The woman was covered with
blood, and so was the floor, and there was a dish of bloody
water on the floor as though the prisoner had been washing
her face. He said, " She is done," and then Purvis and a
person called Hymers took him out of the house and down
the row. His hands and shirt sleeves were bloody, and he
said, " I know what I have done. lam quite willing to go
to the gallows. It is a bad job." Several other persons
were attracted by the sound of the beating, and were
actually at the prisoner's door while it was going on, and
talking with him, but they did not dare effectually to inter-
fere, although she called out " Oh, dear ! " several times,
and more than once " Oh, dear! Matthew, I am not dead
yet," and the prisoner actually left the house for 20 minutes,
but was allowed to return to resume the acts of violence.
Some men in the course of the tragedy did venture to go in,
and even take the weapons he used, which were the tongs,
coal-rake, poker, and long brush, from him, and to tell him
he was making a bad job of it, but they again left him,
relying on his not resuming his violence. At last, however,
together, andhetitohsupeeommoplsetr
several were collected in the room
woman endeavoured to speak to them, but was unable, and
after giving one gasp she died. She was dreadfully beaten
on the head, face, and body, death having resulted from a
blow fracturing the frontal bone, and the fireirons were
covered with blood, and all of them were bent.
Mr. Poster's defence was an endeavour to induce the jury
to return a verdict of manslaughter on the ground of the
' intense excitement the prisoner laboured under when in-
fluenced by drink or anger, and quoted some dicta of law
in support of his contention; but
ftoortthuhe
nke circumstancesoraugryoafntdhiasncoathsee,rafnodr
sobert ha t ti: 007 not applicable
His Lordship pointed out that they were
would be subversive of all justice and orderrihnciavuti?
coun-
try. He briefly reviewed the evidence, and pointing out
that the provocation, in order to relieve from murd
be reasonable and must consist always of more th°arn'
words and gestures (unless the latter were most threatenre
ing, whereas the poor woman in this case escaped and was'
dragged back), left the jury to perform their task according
to their real belief, and not rejecting the cardinal rules of
law upon the subject of murder. His Lordship also com-
mented strongly upon the want of manliness of the neigh-
bours in permitting this outrage.
The jury retired for a short time only, and then returned
with a verdict of guilty, and the prisoner on being called
upon to say why sentence should not be passed upon him
said that his wife had led him a most unhappy life, and
that he was tired of it and wanted to die, and that he had
and
th
her
occurredhomt evhastnein times.
His another man's house,
that had
His Lordship then assumed the black cap, and address-
ingden
ctehewprisoner, l
could
saidle
atvheatno hehad b
doubt
his wife. He said she had led him an unhappy life, but he
oef9tnhe wilful convicted
murder totr nde evi-
dence i-
of
had beaten her in the most savage manner, and when she
escaped he brought her back again. He had forfeited his
life, therefore, and must prepare to die, and his Lordship
recommended him to make the best use he could of the few
days of life which remained to him_ in' repairing to that
Throne of Grace from which no repentant sinner was ever

spurned.
The prisoner, who was much affected, simply !aid'
" Thank you, my lord. lam prepared to die any time."

OXFORD CIRCUIT—OXFORD, March 4.
NISI PRIUS COURT.
(Before Mr. Baron Pigott.)
William Albert Simms was indicted for stabbing with
intent to murder Joseph Sykes, at Chipping Norton, on the
27th of October last.
Mr. A. S. Hill was for the prosecution ; Mr. T. S. Prit-
chard defended the prisoner.
The case for the prosecution was that the prosecutor,