The Sun.
London, England, 1853-04-12 00:00:00

ASSIZE INTELLIGENCE.

NORTH WALES CIRCUIT.—Cann; APRIL 11.
(Before. Mr. Justice Wightman.)
THE. GODLEY MURDER.
Harriet Thornley and Robert Thornley were charged
with poisoning James Brookes, at Godley.
Mr. Davison and Mr. Swetenham conducted the
prosecution.; Mr. Macintyre defended the prisoners.
This murder was alleged to have been committed in
February, 1847. The deceased James Brookes lived
with his wife, the female prisoner, at a farm, at Godley,
near A-shton-under-Lyne. He was a collier, working
chiefly in a coal mine, at Dunkirk, but for a short time
previous to his death he had worked at Pendleton, near
Manchester. He used to leave home for Pendleton on
the Monday morning, and return home on the Saturday
evening. During the hay harvest of 1846 he had em-
ployed the prisoner Thorneley on his farm, and dis-
charged him at the latter end of the year. An attach-
ment sprang up between Thorneley and Brookes's
wife, and Mrs. Brookes had frequently been heard
to say that she would rather have Robert
Thorneley's little finger than, her husband's whole
body. Thorneley bad been heard by several parties to
threaten the life of Brookes, and he entertained a re-
sentment against the deceased for having discharged
him. Evidence was given to prove that an adulterous
intercourse had been carried on between the two pri-
soners before the death of James Brookes. On the 27th
of February, James Brookes died after being ill for a
few days, and suffering from frequent vomitings. An
inquest was held upon his body, but as he had recently
been wounded' in the coal mine it was thought that his
death had resulted from the wound which was received
on the temple. He was buried, and in May following
the prisoner Thorneley-married Brookes's widow. They
continued to, live together until the summer of 1851,
when they quarrelled. Thorneley sold off the furniture,
and separated from his wife. In May, 1852, Thorneley
went to a Lancashire police-officer, named Thune,
and stated to him that in February, 1847, he had
purchased poison for the purpose of procuring the
death of James Brookes ; had given it to Har-
riet Brookes, who administered it to her husband.
This statement was thought to be the result of a strange
fancy, and no notice was taken of it. On the 22d of
December last, Thorneley made a similar statement to
another police-officer named Leash. That was taken no
notice of, and on the 27th December the prisoner volun-
teered the same statement to the superintendent of po-
lice at Staley-bridge. It was then committed to paper,
signed by the prisoner, and he testified to its truth on
three or four successive occasions when examined before
the magistrates. In consequence of this Thorneley was
taken into, custody, the coffin of James Brookes was
exhumed, its contents analysed, and the presence of 9i
grains of arsenic discovered in the remains of the tissue,
glandular, and ligamentous portions of the body.
The case for the prosecution being closed,
Mr. Macintyre addressed the jury, going through the
whole of the evidence, and contending that, as respected
Harriet Thornley, the case was very slight.
The learned counsel was proceeding with his address
when the report was dispatched.