The Sun.
London, England, 1825-11-21 00:00:00

LITERARY NOTICE.

YRIENDSHIP's OFFERING, a Literary Album, edited by
THOMAS K. HERVEY.
The present volume, which is, we believe, the
fourth of the work bearing the above title, is
presented to its readers in a new form. It is now
superintended by Mr.ITERVEY, who is already wel I
known to the literary public as the Author of an
excellent-Poem, entitled "Australia," and several
others, of which we made favourable mention on a
former occasion. The work which we have now to
notice is equally creditable to his taste, and to
the judgment of the proprietor, who confided to
his care the Editorship of the volume for the
present year. The embellishments (thirteen in
number) have been executed by some of the first
artists, and are by no means inferior to their
precursors in the former numbers of the work,
while• we may add that more attention has been
paid to the literary portion. To this latter de-
partment the Editor himself is no mean contri-
butor. Some very beautiful verses appear, to
which his name is affixed, and which fully sup.
port the eulogium which we formerly bestowed
on the author of " Australia." Among these
we should particularly notice his illustrations of
several of the engravings, and his 46 Stanzas to a
Lady," which show a genuine poetic spirit. The
beautiful tines by the late Lord BYRON, entitled
64 Stanzas to her who can best understand them,"
which must have been written in one of the,
- noble Author's mournful moments, and the power-
ful " Irregular Ode" to his memory, by the Rev.
C. C. COLTON, must be familiar to our Readers,
as they have already appt;ared in the columns of
our Journal. There are also four unpublished
Poems by the late JAMES TnomsoN, the Author
of the " Seasons," which must be read with con-
siderable interest by the numerous admirers of
that justly celebrated Poet. In fact, were we,
to enumerate all the various Stanzas, Verses, &c.
which are entitled to notice, we should with re.
Inctance omit any single. Ode, which graces the
pages of the Work. We must not, however, forget
the prose, which consists of a series of tales so judi-
ciously selected as to prove that the Editor
has been stimulated by the wish to render his
volume as acceptable to the intellectual as to
the visual sense. Mr. ITERvEy's first essay in
the conduct of this work clearly evinces his ca-
pability, and we commit it to the perusal of our
readers, with the full conviction that he will in
each succeeding number present them with a
similar fund of literary novelty and tasteful
embellishment.

MURDER of a WIFE by HER. HUSBAND

(From the Nottingham Journal.)
We have a most painful duty imposed upon
us this week, in having to record a murder, under circum-
stances so savage and atrocious, as scarcely to be paralleled in
the annals of crime. The scene of this horrid occurrence was
at a small dwelling-house, inhabited by the parties and their
family, consisting of three children, at the back of Parliament-
row, and nearly opposite the Bunker's-hill public-house. It
appears that about a quarter before ten o'clock on Wednesday
/sight, the people of the neighbourhood were thrown into the
greate4t alarm by the .dreadful cry of " Murder !" and, on
proceeding to the spot from whence the cry issued, they foand
m the house of S. Wood, bobbin and carriagemaker, a female
lying prostrate on the floor, with several large wounds upon
her face_and head, and her brains literally knocked out. It was
soon ascertained that Wood had, with a coal-pick, inflicted the
wounds upon his wife, and thus inhumanly murdered her: The
wretch immediately fled ; but was apprehended by two men as
-Ite was trying to make his escape, and conveyed to the police-
ofPce, from whence he was sent to the House of Correction, to
await 'the verdict of the Coroner's Inquest. The family ap-
peared to be in comfortable circumstances; and we-understand'
the unfortunate deceased, who was respectably connected, was
in possession of a property amounting to 80/. or 100/. a-year,
which was so secured that her husband could not touch it.
THE CORONER'S INQUEST.

The Jury met on Thursday to investigate the case. Joseph
White, a surgeon, proved, that the deceased had died from

,
. .„ . .........,....
wounds inflicted with some obtusely-pointed instrument.. of
considerable weight. The jaw of the deceased was fractured ;
there. was a wound on the back of the neck, and three on the
-skull.

Elizabeth Burrows said, I am nearly 14 years of age, and am
no relation to Mrs. Wood. I have lived in the house ofi the de-
ceased either a fortnight, or three. weeks. I lived with Mr. B.
Dunn, who lodges there; he is my,uncle. Samuel Wood, Mrs.
Wood,- and myself, got our suppers together ; no other person
was in the house, except three of Wood's children, who were
up stairs in bed. After supper, Samuel Wood wanted me to
go to bed, but Mrs. Wood said I had better sit up with her un--
ttl my uncle came. The deceased and Wood were drinking
rum and water. They had no quarrel then, but were very
merry. They talked, but I cannot remember what about.
Wood was very much in liquor, and when he was going up
stairs, as if to bed, he fell on his knees on the. stairs. Mrs.
Wood told me to go up stairs, and wait till he was gone to
sleep. I went and took a candle. In about five minutes I
beard him go down again ; he then came up stairs again, and
tried my room door, which was fast. He again went down, and
I heard Mrs. Wood call him a rogue, and said she would go
and see if she could•not fetch a constable. I did not hear Wood
say any' thing, nor mention money. 1 heard the deceased cry-
ing, and shriek out " murder!" I immediately ran down
stairs, and saw her on the house floor ; she was not bloody
then ; he was across he. She had hold of , the coal-pick,
struggling to prevent him hitting her with it. He got it from
her, and gave her three blows, having hold bf the coal-pick with
'both hands, as hard as he could, over her head. &he did not
speak after the first blow. The blood flew all about after he
began to strike. When he was upon her I ran up to him and
said, "Oh ! Mr. Wood, what are you doing ?" He did not
speak, but got off from her and ran after me. The door was a
little open, I catched hold of it, and whipped out before he
could get hold of me, I cried out, and many personS who lived
opposite heard meand tame to me.. Never saw the coal-pick in
the house before; -there was another hammer to break coals
with.

William Wainwright, watchmaker, Bridlesmith-gate, said,
Wood came to my house on Tuesday, and said he wished to
speak to me, for he had something on his mind which made
him very uneasy. I asked him what it was? He told me he
had caught a person in an improper situation 'with his wife
on Saturday, and that he was a ruined man. He asked me
what he should do ? I advised him to. discharge the person
coming into the house, and-licOmfortablY with his wife.—
'He said he could not live comfortably with her any more, and
that "he should do something in a few days which all would
be astonished at." I asked him what he would do? He said
he would leave the town.

John Simpson sworn—l was passing near the Milton's Head,
and heard the shriek of " murder !" I ran and saw the little
-girl (Elizabeth Burrows) running away, and Wood running
after her, with a coal-pick in his hand ; he followed her about
-seven yards, and then. turned back into the house. He closed
-the door after him. I heard him give something a blow, but
what I could not tell. In a few seconds I heard him drop
something, which I judged to be a coal-hammer. In about
Calf a minute.after he came out, and was making his escape
towards the open paddock. He had not either coat, waistcoat,
or handkerchief on. Asked Wood what he had done so for ?
-Wood answered, " Oh ! good Lord, what could I do when I
caught her in the fact ?

Other witnesses were called, who confirmed the evidence, and
the Jury returned a verdict of Wilful Murder against Wood.
The deceased bore an irreproachable character in the neigh-
bourhood, so that the statement of the prisoner respecting her
conduct is entitled to little or no credit.

PUNISHMENT OF A IV IFE.-By the Laws of
.Roretumrs, the husband was empowered to kill
-his wife in four cases ;—Adultery, suborning of
'children, counterfeiting keys, and drinking wine,