The Sun.
London, England, 1846-06-19 00:00:00

MURDER IN LIVERPOOL.

LIVERPOOL, WEDNESDAY EVENING.—A coroner's inquest
was held to-day on view of the body of Catherine Wignall,
a young woman about twenty-five years of age, who was
murdered on Monday night last, in Gore-street, Toxteth-
park, in this town, by her husband, Richard Wignall. The
husband, who is a joiner, is about twenty-seven years of age,
and bears a bad character in the neighbourhood for drunken-
ness and licentious habits. The death of the woman was al-
most instantaneous, and was perpetrated under cicumstances
which led the coroner to state to the jury, that a more re-
volting case had never come before him. The whole of the
particulars will be found fully detailed in the evidence which
we subjoin :
Charles Lear was the first witness called. Ile said—l
am a labourer, and live in Bolds-place, Gore-street, Tox-
teth-park. I knew the deceased very well by sight, and
the prisoner also. On Monday evening last, about eight
o'clock, I was sitting on some steps smoking my
pipe close to where the prisoner lived, when I saw him
throw a pint mug into the street. I saw the de-
ceased make an attempt to come to the door, when the
prisoner pushed her back and shut the door, and
directly after I heard a rustling inside, and some words
pass as if they were quarrelling. In about five minutes after
the prisoner opened the door, and I saw the deceased in
the act of getting up from the floor. She was on her
knees. The prisoner had a stick in his hand, and while
she was rising he turned round and struck her with it some-
where about the head. The stick he had in his hand
was similar to the piece of wood now produced, but I
cannot say that it is the same with which he struck her.
The deceased fell down from the effects of the blow, and
while down he kicked her thrice about the ribs. After he
had kicked her he came out of the house and threw his cap
up and said, " This is the way to do business, I don't care for
never a man that walks Gore-street." He then went into
the house of his father close by. A woman went in to the
deceased and lifted her up. She was unable to stand. I saw
some blood about her face, but a crowd collected, and I went
away. In a few minutes after I heard she was dead, but I
did not go to see her. This is all I know about it. The de-
ceased was the wife of the prisoner. They did not live
agreeably together. She was a very sober woman. Five
minutes elapsed between the prisoner striking her and giving
her the last kick. After he kicked her I went for a police-
officer.

Mary Morton—l am the wife of Richard Morton, and live
at No. 58, Gore-street. I knew the deceased; her name was
Catherine Wignall. We live opposite to the prisoner's cellar.
A little before eight o'clock on Monday night last I heard
the deceased scream out, "Oh ! you are going to kill me."
I then went out and into their cellar, and found the deceased
sitting at the foot of the bed, and the prisoner striking her in
the face with his fists. He struck her several times. While
she was in the _act. of, 111) 4'0,111 the jed he kicked her
several times in the aae got up, anwent and stood
between them, when the prisoner took up a stool (the one now
produced), which was close to his feet, and struck her twice on
the back of the head with it, and the third blow he made he
struck me. The deceased did not fall, but went and sat
down on a chair, and the prisoner then went and struck her
on the neck with his fist, and she fell across the bed, and
he then kicked her with his foot three times on the head. I
came ( ut, and soon after the prisoner came into the street,
and threw his cap up, and dared any one to take him up.
I went into the cellar, and found the deceased lying on the
bed, quite intensible, and Llood flowing from a cut on the
back of her head. She never spoke, and died almost di-
rectly. I gave the alarm, and a surgeon was sent for, but it
was of no use. The prisoner was in liquor, but the deceased
was quite sob-r. Tne prisoner had nothing in his hand when
I went into the cellar.

Frances Irvine—l am the wife of William Irvine, and live
in a cellar under No. 54, Gore-street. I knew the deceased
and the prisoner. Between 7 and 8 o'clock on the Monday
evening I heard a noise, and went out to see what was the
matter, and on looking into the cellar occupied by the pri-
soner I saw him draw his hand and strike towards the bed
several times, and heard the deceased scream, but could not
see her. I heard her, say, " I am not a w--. I'll never
give in to be called a w—." The last witness then went
into the cellar and saw the deceased, the prisoner, and her
standing upon the floor. Mrs. Morton was between them.
I saw the prisoner with the stool, now produced, in his
hand, striking the deceased over Mrs. Morton's shoulder. He
struck twice, but I cannot say whereabouts he struck her.
The prisoner then shut the door, and soon after ho opened it
and threw a jug into the street, and then closed the door
again. Some women went and opened the door, and I saw
the deceased lying on the floor and the prisoner striking her.
I saw him give two kicks, but I cannot say where he kicked
her. I remained on my own steps, and saw the prisoner
come out into tie street, and directly after I heard the de-
ceased was dead, but did not see her until yesterday.
Mary M‘Ghee—l am the wife of John M'Ghee, and live
at No. 43, Gore-street. About eight o'clock on Monday
evening last I was in the street, when I heard a call of
" Murder," proceeding from the cellar where the deceased
lived. I went to the cellar to see what was the matter, and
found the door partly open and the prisoner and the deceased
standing up. I saw him raise his fist and strike the deceased
in the face and then push her, and she fell down, and while
down he kicked her about the head once, that I saw. I
then went away, Soon after the prisoner came out and
went away, and I then went into the cellar and found the
deceased dead.

Samuel Maddocks—l am an inspector of police. On Mon-
day evening last I heard of the occurrence in question, and
went to the cellar occupied by the prisoner, and found the de-
ceased dead. He was in the cellar, and I-took him into
custody. He was under the influence of liquor. I found the
stool now produced in the front cellar, and the piece of wood
in the back cellar. The prisoner told me, when I took him
into custody, that the quarrel took place about some panes of
glass which he bad not put into the cellar opposite.
Mr. John Cameron—l am a surgeon. I was called to see
the deceased on Monday night, and found her quite dead.
The face was much swollen, and exhibited marks of bruises
over the forehead, cheeks, and nose. There was a severe
bruise, with a slight laceration of the skin over the right
temple, also an irregularly lacerated wound on the upper
and back part of the head, about an inch and a half in ex-
tent. There were bruises, also, in different parts of the
body. These injuries were not sufficient to account for death,
but must have been the result of external vklence.
I have since made a port mortem examination of the
body. On removing the scalp I found blood
effused underneath the skin, in different parts, corresponding
to the external injuries. On opeling the head I found ex-
ternal effusion of blood at the base of the brain, extending
downwards into the spiral column, and upwards to the outer
surface of both hemispheres of the brain, which was the cause
of death, and the result of external violence. Every other
organ of the body was perfectly healthy.
William Erlis—l am a joiner, and live at No. 22, Upper
Harrington. On Monday evening last I was sitting at my
own door when I heard a cry of " Murder," but took no notice.
as ours is a very disturbed neighbourhood, and soon after
my daughter told me that the prisoner had killed his wife.
I went to the cellar, and found the deceased on the bed in
sensible, and she died in about seven minutes after. The
prisoner attempted to make his escape, but I assisted in pre-
venting him. I was there when the surgeon came in and
pronounced her dead.
This closed the evidence. _ _

The prisoner stated in his defence that he was quite drunk
at the time of the occurrence, and that he bad no recollec-
tion of what had taken place. The deceased, he said, was in
the habit of drinking as well as himself.
The CORONER, in charging the jury, said it was the most
revolting case of which he had ever heard, and that there
was no doubt the violence had been committed by the
prisoner.
The jury, without a moment's hesitation, returned a ver-
dict of " Wilful Murder," and the prisoner was committed to
Kirkdale Gaol, to abide his trial at the ensuing assizes.

On Thursday morning last, about eight o'clock, a man
named Smith, from Belfast, was killed on the railway near Harring-
ton, by a splinter from a stone which he and others were in the act
of blasting. The misfortune was purely accidental amino blame can
be attached to any one.—Cumberland acquet.
LOCK HOSPITAL INSTITUTION AND ASYLIT3L—The
festival in commemoration of the centenary anniversary of thisate-
in-
stitution took place on Wednesday at the London Tavern, nisrthe in-
j
street. There was a tolerably large muster of the friends .
un.,
stitution, over whom Mr. B. B. Cabbell, presided ; Mr • Toole,
acting as toast-master. The dinner was excellent,
nand the arrange-
ments reflected great credit on Messrs. Bathe
Hobbs, Hatto
usual
And Breach. The
n, and
musical entertainment was intrusted to Messrs
Hawkins, assisted by several boys from the
Abbey. The
been drunk, with tha
loyal toasts and the army and navy having
was drunk with much
honours, the health of the chairman
good feeling, for which demonstration
thanks. The health of Mr. Cochrane
wasmr. also drunk, fbr which that B. B. Cabbell returned
ents in an appropriate speech.
gentleman expressed his acknowledfnmards
of ___..,
uout a sum more than
The amount of subscription
foil
funds demanded and require, to
usually large, but such a oneiruheits
U the designs and wishes of the
be enabled to carry out to t
management, the building
committee earnestly requesting the aid
completion of the hospital and the chapel con-
of the public for the ales were kept up, until a late hour, it
teir.4 0,107:,11 o'ol9dg my"
con-
nected with it. The festivities company bins ur,