The Sun.
London, England, 1847-10-14 00:00:00

THE BIRMINGHAM MURDER

BIRMINGHAM, WEDNESDAY EVENING.—This af-
ternoon an inquest was held at the Woolpack Inn,
Moor-street, on the body of Mary Davies, who was
murdered by her husband the previous day in the
same street. Dr. Birt Davies, the borough coroner,
presided, and a respectable jury having been em-
panelled, the prisoner was introduced, in custody,
into the jury-room. He appeared to be perfectly
calm and collected, and throughout the inquiry did
not betray the slightest emotion.
The CORONER, after the jury had had a view of
the body, proceeded to call the following witnesses :
Eliza Yarnell, of Mount-street, Bordesley—The
name of deceased was Mary Davies. Witness, by
working for her, had known her for eighteen months.
The deceased was wife of Matthew Davies, and also
kept the Prince of Wales, in Moor-street. She was
about forty-three or forty-four years of age, and had
three children living. 'Witness was at the house of
deceased yesterday, and proceeded to peel some
potatoes in the back kitchen. 'When she went
in Mrs. Davies and the little girl Sarah Davies
were in the back-kitchen. Mrs. Davies, the
deceased, came in, and she heard the prisoner ask the
deceased, while they were peeling potatoes, not to
appear against him at the public office. Tho
deceased at that time was washing herself. Deceased
had previously been making pies and Yorkshire pud-
dings. The prisoner said, "Don't go, Mary—such
d—d nonsense—its no use going—I'll be tidy." He
alluded to going before the magistrates, in conse-
quence of a summons issued on Friday. The de-
ceased replied, "If God spares me, I will go." He
still continued to ask her not to go—his supplications
were frequently repeated. The prisoner might have
peeled six or seven potatoes during the time. The
prisoner during this time steeled his knife five or six
times on the steelyard. After her refusal to abandon
her appearance before the magistrates, the prisoner
put his arm over the left shoulder of deceased, and
witness thought he was going to kiss her. She had
seen him kiss her under such circumstances and in
such a manner before. He said more than once, in
reference to going before the magistrates, " Mary,
don't go." She replied, "If God spares me, I will
go." At last he said, " D—n your eyes, you shan't
go," and immediately afterwards
.witness saw a gush
of blood upon her throat. It appeared to come from
the right side. Was sure deceased did not do it herself.
The deceased was stooping at the time. -Witness felt
sure that the act was the act of Matthew Davies. There
did not appear to be any struggle at the moment. Wit-
ness then gave the alarm of " Murder !" and the de-
ceased for three or four yards followed her down the
yard. After her (witness's) return from the eutry,
where she gave the alarm, she saw deceased in the
gutter, close to the door of the back-yard. 'Witness
subsequently saw a wound in the throat of the de-
ceased. Many people then gathered together in front
of the house, and a surgeon was soon on the spot.
Mr. Macpherson was that gentleman. From the time
witness saw the blood first issue to the time of the
death of the deceased was about fire minutes. The
prisoner, after the murder of deceased, placed his
hands in his pockets, and turned his back to the fire.
He did not say anything, nor did witness observe in
his manner any peculiarity of any kind. Never saw
any slapping in the face or any provocation given by
the deceased to the prisoner in her presence. [Wit-
ness here identified the knife with which the murder
was committed.] The deceased said to the prisoner,
who was urging her not to go before the magis-
trates, "Go off with you, or I'll knock you on the
face." She did not offer, however, to do so. The
deceased was "as sober as a judge." The prisoner,
she understood, had been drunk over night, and she
saw him go down the cellar that morning. She ap-
peared to be sober. Had lately seen him often in-
toxicated ; since last May she had seen him fre-
quently so.
By a juror—l do not know where the knife was
found. Never saw the prisoner violent except under
the influence of liquor. Yesterday morning, before
he committed the act, he was as calm as you are.
By the CORONER—By the word "calm" you mean
he was not excited ? Witness—Not in the least.
In the course of the conversation the prisoner begged
of deceased not to go before the magistrates. The
prisoner shed tears.

Henrietta Hughes, wife of John Hughes, deposed
as follows :—She was a neighbour of deceased, and
yesterday morning, between ten and eleven o'clock,
she met the last witness in the entry. She stated
that Mr. Davies had cut Mrs. Davies's throat, and o❑
entering the yard she saw the deceased on the floor.
The blood was gushing out of her throat, and she
died during her removal upstairs. The prisoner stood
apparently unconcerned, with his hands in his pockets,
by the brewhouse door. He appeared to witness to
be perfectly sober. He seemed calmer than of late.
Police-constable Charles Bees deposed that yester-
day morning he was at the public office and heard
cries of "Murder," and immediately went to the
house from which they proceeded. On going up the
entry he saw a woman in the back yard of the pri-
soner's house, and he directly asked who had done it,
and where the person was ? A woman replied, "In
the brewhouse." Witness there saw the prisoner,
who said, " What's the matter, what's the matter ?"
Witness, after saying, " Are you not ashamed of
yourself ?" laid hold of him by the collar. The pri-
soner requested that he might not be dragged across
the street, but quietly walked over to the public. office.
A person afterwards gave him the knife which he
then produced. At the time he received it it was
covered with fresh blood. When he arrested the
prisoner his right hand was all over blood.
Mr. Macpherson, surgeon, being sworn, stated that
be was called in to the deceased. He found her dead.

The wound in the throat was six or seven inches in
length, and three in depth. It cut through the
jugular and windpipe, and must have been almost im-
mediately fatal. His attention was not directed to
Matthew Davies ; he never saw him.
After a short consultation the jury returned a ver-
dict of " Wilful Murder," and the prisoner was com-
mitted to take his trial at the ensuing Warwick
assizes.

POISONINGS IN THE ISLE OF ELT.—The inquiry
into this mysterious tragedy was resumed yesterday at
Manes, before Mr. Pratt, the coroner. Lengthened
evidence, of a similar character to that already adduced,
was given, after which the coroner proceeded to read it
through seriatim. After the coroner had summed up,
the jury returned a verdict, " That the three deceased
children, Eliza Hartley, Whitewell Audley, and Mary
Ann Young, died of the administration of arsenic by
some person or persons unknown."
THE IRON TRADE. WOLVERHAMPTON, WED-
NESDAY.—To-day the second of the quarterly meetings
of the iron trade was held here, at the Swan, and was
opmresasidnigstainnflcuee.
numerously attended by the representatives of nearly
gentrieecraenerti depressing all the large houses in the trade, and there were many
influences on the
ownatshedcoottmfuelrewe whether
the
country generally would not lead to a reduction in the
prices in this branch of our manufacture ; but the state
of the trade was declared to be such as to warrant an
adherence to the prices of last quarter, and no alteration
took place to-day.