The Sun.
London, England, 1865-08-24 00:00:00

The Batley Tragedy.

On Tuesday the funeral of. Sarah and Hannah
Brooke, of Batley, the women murdered on Satur-
day night last by Eli Sykes, of Batley Carr, took
place at Batley churchyard in the presence of many
thousands of tearful spectators. The trains calling
at Batley in the early part of the afternoon were all
loaded with passengers anxious to see the mournful
spectacle, and persons from Leeds, Bradford,
Wakefield, Halifax, and Heckmondwike were no-
ticed standing in the line of route taken by the
funeral procession. From Dewsbury and Birstal
the people flocked in hundreds, and it is estimated
that' there were at least 20,000 spectators. The
coffins were borne by female acquaintances of the
deceased, elderly women carrying that containing
the remains of Sarah Brooke, and young girls from
the mill where the deceased Hannah had been em-
ployed bearing her body. Prior to the mournful
ceremony taking place, the corpses were laid out in
the room where the murder was committed, and
viewed by many.

The adornment of the bodies presented a most
beautiful appearance. The faces of the deceased
were bare, and their heads were covered with skull-
caps. Their countenances were placid and exhibited
a more natural appearance than at any time since
they became the victims of their murderer's ven-
geance. The grave in which the bodies of the de-
ceased were placed is situated near to the entrance
gates to the churchyard, on the branch path-road,
and is about 30 yards from the gates at the south-
east side of the church. The funeral cortege entered
the churchyard at the eastern gate. The church was
crowded with people, many of them being attired in
their working clothes. The churchyard and its ap-
proaches were crowded with people anxious to catch
a glimpse of the mournful procession. James Henry
Ashton, the deceased Hannah Brooke's lover, was
present
amongst the mourners. The burial service
was read by the Rev. C. H. Gibson, M.A. Police
were in attendance to preserve order in the avenues
leading to the church. The crowd, which had exhi-
bited the utmost decorum throughout, as soon as
the ceremony was over quietly dispersed.
The surgeons who made the post mortem exami-
nation were Mr. Wm. Bayldon and Mr.- Keighley,
both of Batley. They found that Sarah, or Sally
Brooke, though somewhat advanced in years, had
been a hale and healthy woman, and one gifted
with a good constitution. The situation of the
wounds were as stated by us in our second
edition ; and the mortal blow of which we spoke
was, as the surgeons found, indeed a terrible one.
The bayonet which the murderer used, we are as-
sured on undoubted authority, penetrated the heart
of Mrs. Brooke to the depth of three inches. The
surgeons found there had been nine stab wounds
inflicted on the body of the deceased.
When the medical gentlemen came to examine the
body of Hannah Brooke, they found (as we have
stated previously) seven wounds. The bayonet had
pierced her heart to the depth of 11 inches. She was
also stabbed through both lungs.
The prisoner maintains his former coolness, and
still does not appear to realise the magnitude of the
crime of which he stands accused. During the day
the Rev. Wm. Appleyard, incumbent of Batley Carr,
visited him. He sleeps soundly, and eats his meals
quite well.—Leeds Mercury.

MURDER OF MR. C L UTTE RBUC K .--The Irish
Court of Criminal Appeal sat on Wednesday for the pur-
pose of giving judgment in the several cases which had
been reserved for their decision. In the first case on the
list, that of the " Queen v. King," in which the prisoner
had been convicted of the murder of Mr. Clutterbuck, the
Court, with the exception of Judge Hayes, sustained thb
conviction.