The Sun.
London, England, 1856-01-22 00:00:00

ATROCIOUS MURDER OF A WOMAN.

LivEnron, Jan. 21.—This morning, about half-past
6 o'clock, an atrocious murder was committed in Wolf e-
st rset, Toxteth-park, by a man named John Williams,
alias John Ferguson, alias John Fake, his victim being
a woman named Sarah Drummond.
The prisoner, whose real name is said to be John Fer-
gmlon, and who has been long known to the police as a
thief and the associate of thieves, went this morning at
a te,s, minutes past 6 o'clock, along with the female, to
the Authin Castle public-house, in Prince William-street,
where they had some ale, and went away. In about 10
minute s aftforwards, the prisoner returned, and said to a
man mucked Thomas, " I've cut your wife's— throat,"
an assert:on which, in the sequel, proved only too true.

It appears that Ferguson has cohabited with the wo-
man Drummond for the last 12 months or better, and
that prior to her going to live with the prisoner, in
whose mothar's house they both resided, she had lived
with the man Thomas,bywhom she had two children.

After leaving the Ruthin Castle public-house they
went to the prisoner's mother's, where they had some
slight altercation, when the prisoner suddenly drew a
knife across the woman's throat, inflicting so frightful a
wound as to occasion her death in a few minutes.

The mother of the prisoner states that when her son
and the deceased came in .rhe was in bed and heard some
angry wards between them, when she suddenly heard
the deceased utter a gurgling sort of sound, as if some-
thing was in her mouth, and the prisoner said, " Come
now, Sal, I'll take thee to the hospital," and they both
h-It the house. On getting up the mother saw a large
track of blood on the floor and over the threshold of the
house, No. 87, Prince William-street, where she lived.
Thomas Ryecroft, who resides in Edward-street off
Wolfe-street, heard a woman shriek about half-past G this
morning, and going in the direction indicated by the
sound, he found thi) deceased lying on the footway, with
her throat cut, and blood flowing profusely from the
wound. _ _ _ _

.
Police-inspector Creston had his attention called to a
cry of murder in Wolfe-street, and on going forward,
found the deceased lying on the footway, and quite
dead.

111‘Culloch, the detective officer, after a considerable
search, discovered on a dust-heap, a clasp pocket-knife,
which was afterwards.; identified ay belonging to the pri-
soner. It was completely covered wish blood, and no
doubt can be entertained that this was the instrument
with which the fatal wound was inflicted.

The murderer was secured immediately on his stating
to the man Thomas that he had cut the poor woman's
throat. After he had been conveyed to Bridewell it was
discovered that the prisoner had endeavoured to commit
suicide by cutting his own throat, and that in his attempt
to do so, he inflicted a consiaerable, though not a dan-
gerous, wound on the right side of his neck.
He is a dirty, insignificant-looking wretch, of very low
stature and forbidding aspect, and presents altogether a
contemptible appearance. As already stated, he is well
known to the police as a person of very bad character,
and it is believed that the immediate cause of quarrel
between him and his wretched victim was an opinion
which be entertained that she had betrayed some of his
companions into the hands of the police. Three of these
companions, named respectively Thomas Garnett, John
11`Bryde, and Robert Roberts, the two first-named being
ticket-of-leave men, were this morning committed for
trial on a charge of burglary ; and it is rumoured that
they were apprehended in consequence of information
given by the deceased. One of tile female companions
fif the deceased states distinctly that several days since
Drummond said to the prisoner in her hearing, that she
would have " them snitched soon." To which the
prisoner replied, "If she did he would cut her throat."
The prisoner was brought before the magistrates, at
the police court, this forenoon, when the case was heard
in a merely formal way, and he was remanded to abide
the result of a coroner's inquest, which is fixed to take
place to-morrow.

A SUSPICIOUS VESSEL.—ST. HELENA, Nov. 22.—The
Dido (Brown), which arrived here yesterday from Hon-
deklip Bay, Cape of Good Hope, bound to Swansea, re.. Tar RK A LOAD THROUGH ST. JAMES'S-PA .—On Satur.
ports that on the second day after leaving Hotidelaip day ~aee -several of the residents in the immediate vici•
outer roads, being then in about lat. 29 S., she , vas nit,' of It. James's-park, including Lord Monteagle, Mr.
obased and fired at by a large frigate mounting abou t6O Plaweq, _ Mfr. Keating, M.P., Mr. Atherton, M.P., Mr.
guns. The Dido hoisted the Acwrican ensign, Yvhem Whateles, r, Q.C., Mr. Turner, Mr. Tomlinson, Mr. Tus-
the frigate kept away after a large ship to the westward V tin, m,.. 1 ,avie, and Mr. Radcliffe, had an interview by
and thick weather coming on nothing could be seen, but:. / a,epointme 'nt with Sir. Geo. Grey at the Rome-office, re-
the report of cannon was distinctly heard. lative to th e contemplated road across the enclosure of
THE ATTEMPT TO POISON A WIFE.—NEWCASTLE-Or f•• St. James' irpork. Mr. Beating stated in detail, on the
TYNE, Jan, 18.—Thomas Robson who was remand 5.1 part of the gontlemen present, the strong objections
on Monday by the magistrates at the Manor poll, ;c- entertain, yl by- the inhabitants in the neighbourhood and
court in this town, on a charge of having attempted to the publitie generally to any encroachment upon the
poison his wife, was brought up again to-day, wl ten \ enclosure. of the park. Sir Geo. Grey said, that the
Jane Temperley gave her evidence, showing amo Live necessity for increased accommodation to the public
for this atrocious act. She stated that she was 27 y ears I caused h' , the present inconvenient approach to the
of age, and resided in the village of Acomb, near flex. park thrc .ugh the Stable-yard bad engaged the at-
ham. She knew the prisoner by the name of Wi iliam tention c f the Government ; that several plans had
Wilson. She became acquainted with him about July, been sun Bested at different times, including that to
p
and continued to keep his company until the fire t week which re'ierence had been made, in order to obviate the
in November. He aid his addresses to bet
ber inconvenience complained of, but that up to the presen
sweetheart, and expressed a wish to marry 1 per ge time no Van had been decided on ; that there would be
represented himself as an unmarried man. Hie wife full opportunity given fur the discussion of those plans,
came to Acomb, and the acquaintance then
She had no more interviews with him aftand ample time for objecting to any of them ; and that
the preparation of the plans did not imply any foregone
came to Acomb. The prisoner was commi 'l. 11."
wife.
1 c inclusion on the part of the Government. The geutle-
;tea for tria
at the assizes, charged with administering
to bis wife with a view to kill her, sugar of lead
withdrew
broke off.