The Sun.
London, England, 1854-04-24 00:00:00

SUSID2CTED MaRDPR OF -A HUSBAND
BY .HIS WIFE.

On Saturday, Rebecca Turton, aged 32, was brought
before Mr. Ingham, at the Thames Police-court, charged
with the wilful murder of her husband, Thomas Turton,
by strangling him. The deceased was a boiler-maker,
and about 40 years of ago. The prisoner is a stout
masculine woman, by no means prepossessing in appear-
ance. She was very calm and collected throughout a
long examination, and her questions and observations
were delivered in a low tone of voice, at times almost
inaudible.

The first witness called was George Pullen, a police-
constable, 161 K, who said—This morning, about two
o'clock I saw the prisoner standing at the corner of
Richard-street 4 St. Leonard's road, Poplar, and I asked
her what wasi the matter. She made no reply until I
repeated the question, when she said, " My husband is
dead." I immediately proceeded with her to the
house, No. 1, Richard-street, and saw the landlord
standing at the door. He told me I had better go up
stairs and see what was the matter. I proceeded up
stairs in company with the prisoner and a policeman
named Frost, and asked the prisoner whereher husband
was. She said he was in the front room, and upon
going there, I saw the deceased lying stretched
upon the floor, upon his back, and quite dead.
There was a pillow under his head. I then looked at
him, and felt his hands and face, and found they were quite
cold. I suspected his death was caused by violence, and
detained the prisoner. All the time I was in the house,
she kept on saying, " I did not do it." I observed
marks on tie deceased's neck. He had no stock or
neckerchief on, and his neck was bare. I commenced
a search in the room, and asked the prisoner where her
husband's neckcloth was. She said, " I don't know."
I made a further search, and discovered a black silk
neckerchief belonging to the deceased, behind the door.
It was alongside a shawl that was hanging up.
The witness produced the neckerchief, and it was much
twisted at the ends.

Mr. Ronald Robertson, surgeon, of Poplar, said that
he believed the man to have died from asphyxia, caused
by strangulation.
Mr. W. 0. Walker, the landlord of the house, No. 1,
Richard-street, said—About 20 minutes after nine o'clock
last night the deceased came home and knocked at the
door. I opened it and let him in ; as he passed by me,
he said, "I am obliged to you," and went up stairs, and
asked me what time it was. I told him it' was 20
minutes past nine. He went up stairs and came down
again two minutes afterwards, with a white jug in his
hand, and went out for some beer. He returned in
about five minutes, and again went into his own room.
The prisoner came home about half-an-hour afterwards.
I went out into the garden, and saw her doing something
to the bed in the backroom. About one o'clock this morn-
ing, while I was in bed, the prisoner asked me for the street
door key. I told her it was at the edge of my bed-
room door, and she took the key and went out. She
returned in about half an hour and said her husband was
dead. I get out of bed and opened my room door, and
saw a young girl in the passage with the prisoner. I
told Mrs. Tutton she had better go up stairs and not
disturb me as she had done the night before. She went
up stairs and made a kind of howling noise. I put my
clothes on and went to the foot of the stairs, and asked
the prisoner if her husband really was dead. The girl
answered, "Yes." I told Mrs. Turton she had better
go out, and call in a policeman and a medical man. She
went out. I put my coat on, with the intention of going
out in search of a policeman, when two constables
entered with Mrs. Turton. One of them was the same
constable I had called in the night before.

Mr. Ingham—For what purpose did you call in the
policeman on Thursday night ?
Mr. Walker—Because the prisoner came down stairs
and said her husband had taken arsenic. She wanted me
to go up stairs and see her husband, but I would not go.
Ann Randall, searcher at the Arbour-street station,
Stepney, adjoining the court, said she was in the cell
with the prisoner that morning, and on her entering it,
Mrs. Turton said, "The police-constable has got all my
money ; is there time for me to make prayer ?" and
knelt down for some time. When she got up again,
witness asked' her if her husband was a good husband ?
To which she replied, "Yes, when sober ; he was given
to drink a little." Witness said it was a very bad job ;
and the prisoner said, " Yes, it is ; but it is no use
crying now. There is no knowing what the devil may
prompt a person to do when in a passion."
Inspector Holmes said the policeman, 161 K, who
was the first witness called, had some other important
evidence to give. Pullen was recalled, and said ;—On
Thursday morning, at half-past one o'clock, I was called
in by Mr. Walker, the landlord of the house in Richard-
street. The prisoner came down to the door, and said
her husband had taken arsenic. I proceeded up stairs
with the prisoner, and went into the bed-room, where I
found her husband lying on the top of the bed with his
clothes on, fast asleep. I aroused him, and asked him
what was the matter. He replied, "There is nothing
the matter with me, officer ; I think my wife is going
mad." I told him his wife had said he had taken ar-
senic. The deceased said, " I have not taken anything,
and I don't know what to do with her." I then ad-
vised the prisoner to keep herself quiet and go to bed.
Shortly after that she opened the front-room window and
asked if I was the devil. I made her no answer, and
she called out, " The cats are scratching the graves all
open." I advised her to go in, and shut the window
and be quiet. I saw no more of her till this morning.
Inspector Holmes, who had charge of the case, said
that was all the evidence he had to offer at present, and
that the coroner's inquest would be held on the body of
the deceased on Monday.
Mr. Ingham remanded the prisoner on the charge of
"wilful murder" until Friday next, and she was imme-
deately afterwards sent away in the van to the House
of Detention.