The Sun.
London, England, 1847-07-22 00:00:00

TIIE SUN,

.....---...,
Lordship should pass sentence on ree at once. There is
not the least probability of my being able to pay the
costs.
Mr. Justice PATTESON—Very well; I had hoped that
you, or these who have backed you in this matter, and '
have discovered what they deemed to be informalities in
the proceedings against you, would have saved me the
necessity of passing any sentence at all beyond a nominal
one. As, however, there is no chance of your being able
to pay the costs, I infer that it would be equally impos-
sible for you to pay such a fine as I should deem it my
duty to impose on you, and I am driven to pass a sen-
tence of imprisonment on you.
The defendant—Certainly, my Lord ; certainly.
Mr. Justice PATTESON—The offence of which you
have been found guilty is one which is of a serious
character, no matter what the subject of the order might
have been. When justices make an order which is
within their jurisdiction, and there is a right of appeal,
which is not exercised, it becomes the duty of the party
to submit to it. It does not become any individual to
set up his own private and obstinate opinion in oppo-
sition to the law, and if such a course is carried on, it
will certainly turn out that the law is the stronger. You
have agreed to pay a church rate, for which you were
duly assessed and rated, and of which a proper demand
was made; and you have subsequently refused to obey
an order of two justices, issued to enforce that obligation
which the law imposed on you. The sentence of the
Court on you is one which must be of a serious character,
and it is that you be imprisoned for six months.
Mr. KEANE was instructed to request that the de-
fendant might be confined among the first-class misde-
meanants.
Mr. Justice PATTESON—Oh, certainly; that must be
so understood.
The whole day has been devoted in the Nisi Prius
Court to the two special jury causes, both of which arose
out of certain corn speculations, but did not afford a
matter for the reporter.
The assizes terminated at six o'clock.

NORTHERN CIRCUIT.—York, July 20.
CROWN COURT.—(Before Mr. Justice WIGHTMAN.:
THE MIEIFIELD MURDERS.
Yesterday morning the prisoner charged with these
offences, Patrick Reid, was put upon his trial on one of
the indictments—that for murdering Mr. James Wraith.
Great numbers of persons assembled about the court
long before the Learned Judge took his seat, at nine
o'clock, and the outside of the building, from the crowds
-e,- leee e seen
u p bustle
The prisoner is stated in the caienuar to e only 20
years of age, but he appears older. There is nothing in
his appearance to create a prejudice, but rather the con-
trary. He is of stout build, and to all appearance a
person of considerable bodily strength, with a counte-
nance more composed than with the generality of men
placed in such jeopardy. Both he and M'Cabe, the wit-
ness, are said to have come originally from Ireland. One
indictment charges Reid with the murder of Mr. James
Wraith, at Mirfield, on the 12th of last May. A second
indictment with the murder of Ann, the wife of James
Wraith, at the same time and place. The third with
the murder of Caroline Ellis, also at the same time and
place.
The Learned Judge having taken his seat yesterday
morning, Reid was called on to plead to the first of these
indictments, and pleaded Not Guilty.
Mr. Bliss, Mr. Overend, and Mr. Ingham appeared for
the prosecution, and Mr. Sergeant Wilkins and Mr.
Seymour for the defence.
Mr. Buss stated the case to the jury. The Learned
Counsel said that the charge now against the prisoner
was that of having wilfully, and of his malice afore-
thought, killed and murdered the late Mr. James
Wraith. Mr. Wraith was an old man of about 78 years
of age, living, on the 12th of May last, at a house called
Wateroyd-hall, near to Mirfield, in this county. He was
possessed of some little property, and had formerly been
a gentleman's steward. The family, at the time of the
murder, consisted of but three persons, Mr. Wraith, his
wife, Ann Wraith, an old lady of 68, and a young
woman, their household servant, whose name was Caro-
line Ellis. Mr. Wraith had two step sons living, one at
Manchester and the other at Mirfield, and he also had
some great nephews living in his own neighbourhood. It
had been the custom in the family to dine between
twelve and one o'clock; and from the evidence it would
appear most probable that the attack made upon Mr.
and Mrs. Wraith and the servant must have been during
the time of the two former being at dinner in the parlour
of their house. There was a garden in front of the
house, and a yard at the back, and in that yard a well,
in which well, as the jury would have proved to them,
were discovered one of the instruments supposed to have
been used by those committing the murder, and a key,
which would be proved to be that of the kitchen door of
the house. There were three apartments on the ground
floor of the house, two rooms looking to the front and a
kitchen to the back, besides a passage situate between
those two front rooms, and leading to a front door.
At the other end of that passage, there was another
door, which led into the kitchen, and from the kitchen
there was but one other door, and that led into the back
yard, and that door was near one corner of the kitchen,
and near to the door leading to the yard. From the
passage, some stairs went to the upper floor, and near
the top of the staircase there was a, window commanding
a view of the outer door of the kitchen, so that any one
who came to that door might be seen by a person look-
ing out of the window above. A foot-path, from a lace
called Wateroyd-lane, ran close by the house, and the
way to the back door would be by that foot-path. The
nearest neighbouring house was one hundred yards
distant. The day on which the family were mur-
dered was Wednesday, the 12th of last May, on which
day all three of the inmates wero seen at home and
alive. Before that, on Monday, the 10th, the old
gentleman had been to Wakefield market, and had
then received some money, and lie was on that day
seen to wear his best bat, which was missing on the
12th, and had not since been found. His step-son
had then seers him wearing that hat. On the 11 th
he was seen to have some money in his pos-
session, and on the 12th, in the morning, his
step-son also saw him in possession of a sove-
reign, which he, deceased, happened to let fall as he
was counting some money. No money, however, had
been found after the perpetration of the murders, except-
ing one half-sovereign, and that was left in the pocket
of the murdered man. On the morning of the 12th, it
would appear that Mr. Wraith had gone to speak with
one of his nephews, Joshua Green, a young lad, who
lived a short distance off with his mother. He went for
the purpose of telling the lad to come to his (Wraith's)
house, to help to pick some stones. The boy came, but
later than lie had intended, on account of a heavy shower
of rain. On arriving at the house, which he did soon
after the usual dinner time, he knocked, but received no
answer, and found all fast, and finally, from the appear-
ances of the place, which he would describe, ho went
away and gave the alarm to his mother, which imme-
diately led to the discovery that the whole family had
been murdered only a very short time before. The ser-
vant was found lying on her back near to the door of the
' kitchen which opened into the yard, and her body was
still warm. Mrs. Wraith's body was lying in the same
position in the passage, and near to the front door.
Mr. Wraith's also in the same position in the parlour,
where the dinner things remained on the table. The
injuries sustained by all three of the unfortunate people
were of such a kind that, in the opinion of the medical
men, not one of the three could have committed sui-
cide, and that of itself would induce the supposition that
neither of the three could have participated in either of
the murders. The house had been found quite fast
all round, the key of the outer door of the kitchen, as
before mentioned, being subsequently found in the well.
Michael M`Cabe, now one of the witnesses, had been ap-
prehended on the afternoon of the same day. That man
lived at a spot called High-town, three miles from Mr.
Wraith's. He was a hawker by trade, dealt in glass and
earthenware, and bought old rags and bones. The pri-
soner Patrick Reid also lived near, along with his father
and mother, at Daw Green, about two miles from
Wraith's house. He was of the same calling as M`Cabe.
going about with a basket and hawking pots for sale.
The well had been searched on the 19th of the same
month. It was then pumped dry, being full of water up
k
to out
miacobohnotf
ehul
traeht, t
ehtoteworkr
uiohwts
ciefsohe
ouee
father,
flot d
a ofbdn eoet hgreh andbtsol po
n,
ga nwd
within
ai tfound i
rtohne,
oshownneighbour
rt to have
tahhvaeev
name
been
belongedem e
en
ftakeni ll t
yt
onlyt
awayh e
solderingw ere
the night before the murders were committed; and on
that key and that iron there were still, on the 19th,
al-
though they had been in the water, such indicationsas
a scientific chemist would describe as being those of
blood. Some evidence would also be offered to prove
the appearance of blood upon a part of the clothes of
the two men, M`Cabe and the prisoner. Mr. Bliss
then proceeded, after a very particular description
of various localities, and their relative distances
in the neighbourhood, to trace the steps of those
two persons, M`Cabe and the prisoner, from place
to place, during a period of several hours, on the morn-
ing of the 12th, up to and subsequent to the time of the
murders. M`Cabe had been seen by several persons at
different spots, very near to Mr. Wraith's, and the pri-
soner also, and. the two, either just before or just after
the time when the crime must have been committed,
were seen within a few yards of each other, and that
within a few yards of Mr. Wraith's house. Near that
house there was a public-house, kept by a man named
Chadwick, called the Shoulder of Mutton, and the two
were both seen at that house, the one coming in about
ten minutes after the other had left. To all appearances
the two men were at that time going from house to
louse in their ordinary occupations as hawkers. Near
about the time when they were both seen near Mr.
Wraith's, a witness had heard a loud shout or cry to
proceed from the direction of Wraith's. Reid was at
first
seen with a cap on, and he was then going towards
direction, he was wearing Mr. Wraith's. Afterwards,
pro-
ceeding on the way towardsg-ahwi sh hat;eonwa
rngdohi
onhuges
ei
wn. ans
hone n
poppositero
be-
fore the magistrate It had made a statement, in which
h, said that he magistrate,
about the hour in question,
c tiled aktoo lclke
r.d, VNraanidg th's,nnthe door fast, and no
to house with his basket, but
having
He tlenaotc k
afterwards,, he l left, and aans d
fur the
wards
ahaerestrathedis,
h
one
wards Mirfield Church, he came
woman," and a witness would state tohraarw he
was with
°1
"
a woman there, but that she was the prisoner's
mother. M.Cabe's evidence, if credited, wasm own
as affecting the prisoner, because he also said important
ttahlet
h id called at Mr. Wraith's about the same time, knocked
at the door, at first got no answer, but then heard foot-
steps at the door ; and the door being then opened a
fey inches, a man looked out at him for a short time,
and M'Cabe said that that man was the prisoner at the
bar. He (11‘Cabe) said that something on the floor of
the kitchen, just near the door, attra.:ted his attention.
He looked down and saw something white, sprinkled
with blood ; and he added, that the prisoner, perceiving
that he could see that, then shut the door.
M'Cabe at
that time heard a moaning noise within the door. He
asked if they " Wanted any pots," to which answer was
made from within, in a low voice, " No, sir." Al`Cabe

then went away. The prisoner, it would seem, had for-
merly been on very good terms with the family at Mr.
Wraith's, but some time ago he had a quarrel with
Caroline Ellis, the servant, respecting a tea-caddy. He
charged her with having taken one from his basket, and
the dispute between them ended in Mr. Wraith making
him quit the premises, since which he had been heard to
say that he would be revenged for it, and, speaking of
the servant, that he would " serve her out." Mr. Noble,
the governor of the gaol, would repeat to the jury a
statement made by the prisoner since his committal.
The jury, Mr. Bliss concluded by saying, would have to
consider the case in two points of view : to say if the
evidence made out the charge, supported as it was by
what M`Cabe would say ; and, if they doubted his
veracity, to say if it were not sufficiently established by
the facts spoken to by the other witnesses.
The first witness, Mr. Charles Clapham, was ex-
amined merely upon the plans of the premises of Mr.
Wraith, distances, &c.
Joshua Green, the lad mentioned by Mr. Bliss, said
that Mr. Wraith, for whom the witness worked, came
to him about half-past eleven on the morning of the
12th of May, desiring him to come to help gather some
stones. He came to the house of witness's father, at
Cripplegate, opposite to a public house called the King's
Head. Went accordingly at half-past one. Usually
went at one, but was then prevented going at that
time by a shower of rain. Went then to the kitchen
door, which was fast. Knocked and kicked at the door,
but no answer, and no noise, except that ho could hear
the " tic-tac" of the clock. Stopped at the door five mi-
nutes or so, and then went to the kitchen window, the
shutters of which were about four inches open only, and
the sash closed. On looking through he could just see
something white laid on the floor, but could not tell
what it was. lie then went round into the garden in
front of the house. The blinds of the room in which
the family dined were closed, and he could not see into
the room. At the front door he saw blood running out
under the door in " blobs" (running out " in lumps like.")
It ran on the step. Then ran home and told his mother,
in two or three minutes after seeing this.
John M‘Kennall, Thomas Green (brother of Joshua),
Mr. Henry J. Watkinson, and Mr. tiriah Bradbury, the
two latter surgeons of Airfield, were then examined as
to the particular appearance of the house, and of the
bodies of the three murdered persons. Mr. Watkinson
detailed at length the result of his examination of the
bodies. The throats of all three had been cut in the
most dreadful manner, and in the instance of Mr.
Wraith, it appeared that a blunter instrument had at
' PurpoT€9n tried, and then a sharper one used for the
VII uL UledStA'aa 1,117.7 u eau' 11,m/a . i.aa3 ingt.alGll ['LC:
turned inside out, but half a sovereign was found in one
of them. The skulls of the three were fractured in se-

veral places, each fracture being enough of itself to cause
death. In the mouth of the old gentleman and lady were
found some pieces of pie crust, or bread, which they would
seem to have been recently eating at their dinner, and
also some of their teeth, which latter had evidently been
knocked out by the blows inflicted by the murderer's
hand. There was a poker in the parlour, and some of
the injuries might have been done by that, and many of
them by such an instrument as the soldering iron now
produced, and found in the well. There were two
drawers opened in the parlour, which appeared to have
been rifled of a part of their contents. The table-cloth
and a napkin upon it were spotted with blood, and a
silver pint drinking cup, found on the table, also
had blood upon it. It contained some beer, and ap-
parently there was blood mixed with the beer, blood on
the handle, and running down the sides of the cup, as
if the murderer had taken up the cup to drink with a
bloody hand. Mrs. Wraith's wedding-ring had been
taken off her finger. The bones of one of her arms were
broken, and the female servant also had a broken arm.
From the evidence of these witnesses the scene of the
murder appears to have presented one of the most dread-
ful sights that can be imagined. It was supposed that
the girl had, at the moment of attack, been engaged in
cleaning the kitchen fender, which was found lying at
some distance from the fireplace, witha small plate or
saucer on it containing some sand.l
Mr. Watkinson said that on the body of the girl there
was one garter, an elastic garter of a brown colour. He,
on the Saturday (the 15th), went with the constables to
Mrs. M'Cabe's, and there, in a box, they found a piece of
another garter of the same colour, and nearly the same
in general appearance. (It was now produced.)
Richard Green, superintendent constable of the
Dewsbury division, stated that be found Michael M'Cabe
at the Shoulder of Mutton, in the custody of two officers,
on the 12th. Took off his clothes, and found a little
blood on one of his stockings. His stockings were very
wet. He made a statement to witness early next morn-
ing. On the 14th took the prisoner into custody. Told
him he was suspected of this murder, and that informa-
tion had been given of his being seen near the house of
Wraith. Reid then said, " Well, I was there about the
time you mention with my basket, selling things. I
knocked at the door, but no one answered, and I walked
on." Being asked if he chose to say where he then
went, he proceeded to tell of his going forward and
meeting with " a woman." Asked what dress he had on
on the 12th? He replied, the same he then wore, which
the witness then took off him.
Cross-examined--There is a reward offered for a con-
viction of the offender in this case. Witness was twice

with M'Cabe, in York Castle, yesterday (Sunday) the
18th of July. The first time, at noon, he made a
statement. had no conversation with him the second
time, at about two o'clock ; but believed the statement
he made the second time enlarged the first. Witness
had no doubt but 111‘Cabe's stockings had been washed,
when they were found so wet as before stated.
Mr. Sergeant WILKTNS now submitted that M'Cabe
should be called at once, before he closed his examination
of Mr. Green, in order to see how far Mr. Green might
controvert the statements of M`Cabe.
His LORDSHIP thought that course would be proper,
and, therefore,

Michael M'Cabe being put into the box, he stated,
on examination in chief, that he was an Irishman, and
had come to England when "at the breast." He was
now about thirty-five years of age. On the 12th of
May last was living at ilightown. Is a married man,
and had lived in the same neighbourhood for about five
years. Had been from six to twelve times in all at Mr.
Wraith's, hawking pots. Before the 12th of May, how-
ever, he had not been there for twelve mouths. On his
way there, on that day, he was at Charles Flint's, at
between eight and nine in the morning, and then at
other places—Smithson's, Hallas's, a place called Little
London, and then at the Shoulder of Mutton. He
was at the latter at some hour " convenient
to dinner time." Saw Reid that day. He was at the
Shoulder of ,Mutton (Chad a ick's) when witness
went in, but they did not speak. The witness
then mentioned other places that he went to, and then
said that he went to Mr. Wraith's, and to the kitchen •
door, at which he knocked. No one at first came
to the door, but on his repeating the knock he heard a
foot move up stairs, and afterwards heard it come step
by step down stairs, and towards the door at which he
stood. It seemed first to go towards the fire-place and
then to the door. The witness knocked a third time,
and the foot then came towards the door, and the door
was unlocked and opened about six inches, so that a
man's face might come out. He then asked if they
" wanted anything in his way." A low voice answered
" No, sir." At that time he could hear an " exhausted
sigh," and saw something white on the floor underneath
the door. It was sprinkled with blood. The man, who
could see witness look at it, then shut the door. Witness
then left, and as he put up his basket with his hands to
place it on his head, he saw that the kitchen shutters
were put to. Saw the man's face in the doorway for
about two or three minutes; might be more or less. It
was that of Patrick Reid. Afterwards went to M'Ken-
nal's and to Smithson's, and at the latter smoked some
tobacco, then to Flint's, and there remained for an hour
or three-quarters, and from that straight home. Was
on the same day, afterwards, apprehended when on his
way to Chadwick's. Had heard, while at Flint's, of the
murder, and on hearing of it he made a statement. That
was before he had been home. Had known Reid by
sight for about five months, but did not know his name.
Knew him " by the look" well.
Cross-examined—Came into court from the gaol, and
was sent to gaol along with the prisoner, but did not
know it was upon the charge of murdering these people.
Was examined three or four times as a prisoner. On the
12th first went to Flint's. They are wholesale dealers
in pots. First told his (witness's) lawyer, Mr. Watts,
that Reid was the man he saw at Wraith's. Told him
on the 18th or 19th of June. Flint asked him if he had
seen anything else at Wraith's. Did not tell Flint that
he had seen " lots of blood " on the floor. Did not say
that he had heard " groans, and heavy groans;" but did
say that he had heard an exhausted moan. On the next
morning Mr. Green, the inspector, came to him, at about
four, in the lock-ups. Did not then say to Green, " Mr.
Green, I wish to tell you how it was that I was at that
house where the murder was committed." Did not tell
him that the man he saw was a tall, good-looking man,
nor that the man kept the door open about three inches;
he said six inches. Did not know what he did say to
Mr. Green. Did not tell him that he (witness) was
alarmed, and thought that the man would knock his
head off. Had said that Mr. Flint stated that it was
not certain if it were a murder, or whether all the family
had been killed by a thunder-storm. Had also said
that he thought the blood might have been caused
by their " killing fowls for a feast;" and also, that
the moans he heard might have been those of the
old lady in illness, and the strange man who
opened the door the person:attending on her. But
witness did not, in fact, think they were killing fowls,
nor did ho think the strange man to be attending the
old lady, because there was a servant in the house.
When at Chadwick's, after being at Wraith's, witness
did strike his hand down on the table, and exclaim, " I
have missed it, I have missed it—that man is gone, and
lam here." At first, did not tell Green of the prisoner
being the man, because he was not then sure of the man.
Was not sure it was Reid until the evening of the 12th.
Required time to consider, though he knew prisoner's
face. Could not see the whole of his face when he
opened the door. Only saw one side of it. When the
daitdfirst
not brkonuogwht,hi; witnessan dtolfidrstGrteoeldn tAhiart
.
hlve prisonera (twtsi,t (witness) w
his sswitness's) attorney, on the 19th or 20th of
June, that he knew Reid to be the man. Knew nothing
eal
of the piece of garter now shown to him, and said to be
hisfoundatto d
(witness's)
Madess's)hou two statementsse.Hadn
never had
to Green
adit in his
hand before
yesterday (June 18th), and then, for the first time, said
that he had seen Reid standing near to Mr. Wrath's,
with two other men, on the day of the murder.
By his LORDSUIP—ToId Mr. Green once that he did
Grßeeyn lithr
not know who Reid was. Bat he (witness) did know
who he was.
• Bt.
Mr. Green recalled—Was asked as to several of theLiss—aWas not sure that he did ever tell Mr.
assertions just made by M'Cabe, and directly contradicted
some of the material of them.
John Hepworth (constable), Jonathan Ashton, and
John Wraith Were examined, and proved the finding of

LONDON, THURSDAY

the things in the well, and the fitting of the key to the
kitchen door-lock.
A mason, named Dawson, said that he had paid Mr.
Wraith a sovereign and sixteen half crowns on Monday,
the 18th May. He (Wraith) was that day at Wake-
field, and he then had a watch in his possession. And
a stepson of the deceased, named Parker, said he had
seen deceased counting some money in his parlour on the
11th, and saw a sovereign drop.
Charles Flint stated that M'Cabe did say he had heard
" groans, heavy groans," when at Wraith's. Witness
never heard any thunder at all. M‘Cabe did also say on
the 12th that he had seen " lots of blood" on the floor.
Mr. Joshua Ellice, a manufacturer, was examined as
to the fabric of the garters. He said he did not think
them a pair, and that they were not made of the same
material precisely.
Several other witnesses were examined, who spoke to
seeing the prisoner in the neighbourhood of Wraith's on
the morning in question, and also as to his first wearing
a cap, and then going the other way with a hat. And
Benjamin Moreton, a hawker, spoke positively to seeing
both M'Cabe and the prisoner standing within sixty
yards of each other, very near Wraith's, just abut the
time of the shower of rain before-mentioned.
Mr. W. West, a member of the Society of Friends,
and of the Royal Society, a chemist, from Leeds, was
called to show that there were some spots of human
blood on the clothes shown to him, and that there was
blood also on the key and the soldering iron. From
several experiments he had made he was decidedly of
opinion that there remained some portion of " animal
matter" upon the key and the iron. His experiments,
the witness said, had been made with such nicety and
care as even to anticipate his being deceived by any
perspiration which might have been left on the metal.
Fibrin, a component part of the blood, was a component
which would resist the influence of the water.
Mr. Noble, governor of the gaol in the castle, said
that when Mr. Watts, M`Cabe's attorney, came to see
M'Cabe, Reid asked him (witness) what had passed
between Mr. Watts and M`Cabe. He (Mr. Noble) said
that he did not know, but that it was thought by the
public that there must have been more than two persons
engaged in the murder. The prisoner then made a re-
mark, which he (Mr. Noble) was not sure of being able
exactly to repeat: it was either that " there was no
others in it, or none knew about it but them two." Ile
used the word them. No, nct the word "them," but
" us"—" us two." Prisoner asked " what he thought of
the case," and witness said, in reply, that he thought he
was in a very serious predicament, for if the jury found
him guilty be would be sure to bo executed.
-..qe-e.e.asar.-ansinatian_ Mr. Noble said he could not
the persons " knowing of it." He h-ad not expected at
the time to be a witness. He spoke from his impression
merely.
Wraith Green, great nephew of Mr. Wraith, and Rose
Ann Hellas, of Mirfield, stated, the first, the circum-
stances of the prisoner's quarrel with the female servant,
Caroline Ellis, just before Christmas last ; and the
second, that about last Easter she had met the prisoner
in the road near Wraith's, when, pointing towards the
house, he said, speaking of the girl, " That d— bitch
has taken something out of my basket, and I will serve
her out for it." Witness only smiled at this, and told
him he should let the girls alone.
Thomas Kitty, an Irish hawker, living at Daw Green,
about thirty yards from the prisoner's father, had bor-
rowed the soldering iron now produced from the pri-
soner's father several times, and the last time it was on
the 11th of April. Witness saw prisoner on the 11th
of May, and the soldering iron was then at witness's
house, lying in a corner. Prisoner came in for it, and
said that his father wanted it. Witness's wife told him
where it was, and that he might take it. Prisoner then
took it, and carried it away with him. Gave a descrip-
tion of this iron since the murder, and before it had been
,shoryn. Knew it now to be the " self and same" solder.mg iron.

The witness, on cross-examination, admitted that he
had been committed to gaol at Wakefield for desertion,
and thence transferred for six months to Gloucester.
And also that he had been in gaol at Manchester, being
convicted of hawking without a license. Had, perhaps,
sometimes thrashed his wife, but never knew of her seek..
ing (refuge at the prisoner's house; and never accused
them (his wife and Reid) of being too intimate. There
were only himself and wife present when Reid came for
the iron. Did not know if any one else now in York had
ever seen the iron at his house, Mary Waldron had, but
she is not here.
The wife corroborated Kitty's statement about Reid
coming for the iron, which she could identify with cer-
tainty. She had asked prisoner if he was " preparing
for the I)aw-green row that night" (it having been said
that all the new-comers of the Irish there were to be
driven out of the place). She said to him, speaking of
the soldering iron which he had just taken up, that "any
person that got a blow with that would not know what
had happened to them." Prisoner thereupon waved the
iron, and said, " No, they will not."
Cross-examined—Never took refuge in prisoner's
house. Her husband had thrashed her many a time.
Thrashed her, she supposed, when she deserved it.
The case for the prosecution having closed at about
half-past three to-day,
Mr. Sergeant WILKINS proceeded to address the jury,
in a speech of about three hours, in which he showed his
usual ability, and which commanded profound attention
from a crowded audience.
The summing up occupied until nearly six, when the
jury retired, and they did not return into court until ten
minutes before nine this evening. They then begged to
ask a question of the Court, and came back into the box
for that purpose.
The foreman was handing a written question to the
Learned Judge, when
His LORDSHIP said they had better read it out.
The foreman then, reading from the paper, said that
the jury wished to know whether, if the prisoner were
acquitted on the present indictment, he could again be
tried for the murders of the women, supposing that ad-
ditional evidence could be obtained? They did not now
think the evidence sufficient.
His LORDSHIP told them that that was a question
which he could not answer them, because it was not one
which they at present could properly inquire into.
The foreman—Then, my Lord, I don't think we shall
ever agree.
His Lonnstan said he supposed they must have
been making a mistake, because in the present trial
they had nothing to do with the questions of the other
then,
murders.
my Lord, we are quite
a
to pronounce a verdict of
acquittal, when some of the jurors suggested that they
had better again retire. They did so, and after about
five minutes' absence, came back, saying, by the fore-
, jrcheed. foreman—Oh,
anh;O wash,
about
fore-
man, that they found the prisoner Not Guilty.