The Sun.
London, England, 1847-05-15 00:00:00

HORRIBLE MURDER OF THREE

-- -PERSON&
An aged couple and their servant-girl were most inhumanly
murdered about mid-day on Wednesday last, in the house oc-
cupied by the former, which is situate within one hundred
yards of the public high road, and not far distant from several
other habitations.

The particulars of the horrid affair were detailed as far as
they are at present ascertained before G. D. Barker, Esq., of
this town, Deputy-Coroner, who held an inquest upon the
bodies of the unfortunate victims, yesterday, at the Bing's-
Head public-house, Mirfield, before a highly respectable jury,
of whom Mr. Frank Wormald was the foreman.
The Deputy,-Coroner reached Mirfield at an early hour
yesterday morning, and previously to taking his view of the
bodies in the presence of the jury, he accompanied the me-
dical gentlemen who had been called in immediately after
the occurrence, to a minute inspection of the mutulated
corpses of the murdered persons, and after an examination of
the premises in order that every possible investigation might
be instituted which could lead to the detection of the per-
petrator or perpetrators of this dreadful crime. Mr. Green,
the superintendent of the Dewsbury police, and Mr. Howarth,
constable of Mirfield, were also present. Having completed
this inspection, the jury were sworn.
The coroner and jury then proceeded to the residence of
the deceased. The horrible appearance of the sufferers can •
never be effaced from the memory of any one who saw them.
The skulls of each were beaten to pieces, the jaws were
driven in, the throats cut, the arms of the two females frac-
tured, and the fingers broken to pieces, as if the arms and
hands had in vain been used to protect the head from the
fearful blows of the inhuman murderer. The places where
the bodies were found were pools of blood, in which the teeth
and brains of the dead were intermixed.

The names of the sufferers are Mr. James Wraith, aged 77 ;
his wife, aged about 70; and their servant girl, Caroline
Ellis, aged 21 years.

Mr. Wraith was a very respectable man, and had formerly
been for many years a steward under Samuel Brook, Esq.,
by whom he was much and deservedly esteemed ; but for
some years he has been living on a little property of his own,
and he occupied his time by cultivating about six acres of
land.

At about twelve o'clock on the day of the minder he was
seen alive, and at half-past one, or only an hotly and a half
afterwards hit mangled remains, along with thosi of his wife
and servant girl, were found weltering in their" blood, and
presenting a sight too horrible to depict. .
An Irishman of the name of M'Cabe, who had been taken
into custody by the police, was brought before tle coroner,
and informed of the accusation against him. He objected to
none of the jury, and appeared perfectly calm.
The first witness called was James Green, a boy thirteen
years of age, who stated that he went to the house of the
deceased, but could get no admittance, and afterwards saw
blood at the door. He told this to some persons in the
neighbourhood, and the house was entered.
The evidence of the surgeon will give the best description
of this horrible affair.

Henry John Watkinson said—l am a surgeon, residing
in Mirfield. I yesterday went to the house of the deceased,
at about ten minutes past two o'clock. I found the three
bodies exactly in theositlon and condition described by Mr.
M'Kinnell. I have since, along with Mr. Bradbury, made
a minute examination of the bodies. On examining that
of Caroline Ellis, I found the throat cut for about three inches
in length, from the left to the right. The arteries were not
divided, but the trachea was divided, and the cut in depth
reached the vertebrae. There was an incision on the chin,
skin deep ; the upper lip was cut through, and the jaw un-
derneath was fractured, and three of the inside teeth driven
out. The injuries must, in my opinion, have been produced
by a blow. Two of the teeth were upon the floor near the
head, and one in the mouth. On the left temporal bone
there is a wound extending to the bone. The bone opposite
the wound is very severely fractured; on the same side of
the parietal bone, which is driven in and comminated, and
caused a protrusion of the brain. On the back of the head
I found a rugged wound and a severe comminated fracture
of the occiput. On the left arm there was a fracture a little
above the elbow joint. I should say the fracture was caused
by a blow. There was extravasation of blood on the part,
which convinces me the fracture must have been produced
by blows. The other fingers on the left hand were broken
to pieces and lacerated as if by a very severe blow. There
was a mark on the left side as if produced by a kick. On
the left shin bone I found three holes as if from a kick. The
skin was lacerated. The body was quite warm when I saw
it ; but life would in my opinion have been extinct from half
to three quarters of an hour. I next examined Mrs. Mary
Wraith's body. I found the throat cut on the left side to
the extent of four inches in length. The arteries on the left
side were divided and the trachea back to the vertebrse.
There was a large wound on the right side of the frontal
bone. The bone was fractured below, and the eye driven
out. The molar bone was also fractured and the orbit
entirely destroyed. On the left frontal bone I found a
wound two inches in length, with a fracture of the bone be-
neath. The upper jaw was fractured on the left side. On
examining the head I found both the right and left parietal
bones were fractured. On examining the back part of the
head I found a wound over the occipital bane, which
was also fractured comminutely. The right fore-arm was
severely fractured. There was a contused wound over the
fracture, which, in my opinion, had been produced from sonae
blunt instrument. Both bones were broken. On the left
hand two of the smaller fingers 'were broken and severe ly
contused. This injury was caused by a blow from scene
blunt instrument. On examining the ring-finger there Iwas
no ring on; the finger was bruised very much, but not frac.-
tured. On examining the body I found a little discolour-
ation on the right side, as if from a kick. There was a round
wound, about a quarter of an inch in diameter, as if done by
the point of some blunt instrument. There was not a cior-
responding orifice in the clothes that I saw. Her body was
also quite warm. Life would, in my opinion, have been ex-
tinct about the same time as in the case of Caroline Ms.
On examining the body of James Wraith I found the throat
dreadfully cut, the wound extending from ear to ear, and
also going entirely through the whole of the soft parts to
the vertebras. On the chin I found a wound one inch
or an inch and a quarter in length. On the lower
.jaw, on the left side, I found it entirely fractured. There
was a corresponding bruise on the face. The fractures were
comminuted ones. Three of the incisor teeth were dis -
placed as well. On examining still further I found a lard
wound on the left side of the frontal bone about two inches
in length, with the bone fractured below. There was lo
wound or fracture on the right side. The left parietal Nine
was fractured as well. It was fracturei comminutel.
There was a large contused wound on the od!lpital bone, :Ira
a corresponding comminuted fracture below. On the rig *t
shoulder, at the head of the:humerus, I found extravasation of
blood from a blow which had partially dislocated the shoulder.
On the left thigh, a little, above the knee, there were four
holes, as from a blow; they were about an inch deep, shoed
a quarter of an inch in diameter. I should say they had been
caused by a blunt instrument.
It appeared from other evidence that the prisoner wits
• seen in the neighbourhood at the time the murder was corn--:imtted, and that on calling at a house he stated his int enti:an
.
o
s
ke d
with blood.
stockings cgoing
s reVfrou.a Wraith's.
' be wet, and
to etingttakheeyn wereinto also bu
ay2.7th inst.—Abridged
froTmh et
the inquiry
qWuiakqftwelasd Journal of yteos ttehrde

WAKEFIELD CORN MARKET, FRIDAY.—The sup-
plies of all grain continue limited. The high prices asked
for wheat checked the demand, and only a moderate business
was transacted, at an advance of Bs. per quarter on all de-
scriptions. Barley also sold slowly, at about 2s. more mosey.
Beans easy sale, and 2s. to 3s. per quarter dearer. Oats 1/2 d.
per stone, and shilling 3s. to 4s. per load higher. Malt sold
at an improvement of 2s. per load.
BREAD RIOTS AT COLLUMPTON.—lnformation has
been received in Bristol this morning (Friday) of some
serious rioting having taken place at Collumpton, near
Exeter, arising out of the present high prices of corn and
other articles of food, and the consequent depression of every
description of trade. As we learn, a gathering took place az
a village near the town of the woolcombers, operative
weavers, and labourers of the place, upon the present high
prices of every article of food. The meeting, having
addressed by several persons as to the distressed
rwhich .
many
condition
of of the people, separated. Immediately after
it was said wheat and other
grainhese attempts were, how-
ever,attempted to set fire to them;
hundreds of the mob proceeded to
The residences of several persons at
leenignagceodnsiae-
unsuccessful. someha had warehouses
uhsoe sa
hoarded, d, whicha nd
conse-
quence of their
speculations, were then surrounded and attacked, the
cc specu o beingwere obnoxioussupposed t oto bet h lea rigeelyl3
Collumpton,
windows were broken, and at one of them many valuable
articles of furniture were destroyed. The letters which bring
this intelligence state that the rioters had all of them escaped
es.
that bTrheeadrio
rumourta
hadin Collumptonoccurred
without detection, although the magistrates took steps for
nplraervkeenttitnhgisfmurtornheirhgouwtraasg,
in
the lower parts of Somersetshire, but we
have not yet been
able to learn the particulars.
EPSOM RAILWAY.—The facilities of transit afforded
by the newly opened line of to E
railway psom will no doubt
have the effect of attracting many -
thousand visitors to the
Downs during the ensuing week, who, o but for the accommo-
dation thus afforded, would never have left London. The
directors of the Brighton Railway, under whose management
the Epsom branch is conducted, have made arrangements to
run trains at such frequent intervals each day as will amply
provide for all contingencies. Special trains, without stop-
ping, will leave London-bridge for Epsom four times on.
Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday, commencing at
5 o'clock in the morning; in addition to which 13 ordinary
trains will be dispatched during the forenoon. For the re-
turn journey trains are to be dispatched from Epsom every
ten minutes.
THE ARMY.—Lieutenant-General Sir Colin Camp-
bell, late Governor and Commander-in-Chief of the Cape of
Good Hope, is on his return home, after a long absence. The
gallant Officer will be succeeded in the command of the
troops at the colony by
Major-General Smelt. This officer
served with much distinction during the American war, and
received some severe wounds.
TERMINATION OF THE TIBBENHAM POISONING
CASES.—This inquiry was resumed at Tibbenham, at the
Greyhound, on Thursday last, before Mr. Pilgrim, the coroner.
and the jury. The names of the latter having been again
called over, the Coroner, in making a few remarks, said the
case was still enveloped in great mystery and suspicion,.
which he feared nothing that would come before them this
day would clear away. The evidence brought forward.
added but little to the facts of the case, as detailed in the,
previous inquiry. The jury, after Clearing the evidence, re--
turned a verdict "That Mary Ann Pearson and Elizabethi,
Everit died from the effects of arsenic wilfully administered,'
by some person or persons unknown."