The Sun.
London, England, 1856-04-03 00:00:00

ASSIZE lATELLIGENCB.

SOUTH LANCASHIRE.—LIVERPOOL, Aram 1.
• . (Before Mr. Baron Martin.)
MURDER OF A SEAMAN BY STRANGULATION AT LIVERPOOL.
Philip Wall, 25, and William, Carr, 28, both seamen,
were charged with the wilful murder of a sailor named
James House, at Liverpool, on the morning of the 20th
February last. The facts of the case, as given by wit-
nesses for the prosecution, were as follows :—The
deceased was a seaman, about 44 years of age, and in
February last he lodged with .a man named John
in Nelson-street, Liverpool. Ile left his lodgings at
eleven o'clock on the night of the -19th February, and
be had then in his possession three half-crowns' two
shillings, and some copper. He went to the house
of Mr. Thorn a licensed publican, in Dennison-street,
where he had three glasses of port wine and half a glass
of bracdy. Ile left the house about ten minutes past
twelve o'clock, in company with a girl named Jane
Burst, with they intention of going home with her.
At the corner of Chadwick-street the deceased left the
woman, and turned back. A short time afterwards a
police-officer, named Newsham, saw the prisoners and the
deceased in company on Chisenhale Br idge. He asked
them where they were going, and the deceased replied,
" It's none of your business." One of the prisoners said,
"It's all right, we'll take him away." About this time, a
woman named Brennan, living in Chisenhale street, saw
the pt isonere passivg her house. She knew Carr, and spoke
hien. Whilst she was speaking, she saw the deceased
lying on some steps. A man came up and raised him,
but they both fell down again. She went up and told the
deceased to go home, or the police would take him. He
replied that if they did be had money. The prisoners
came up .and took hold of., him, one by each arm, and,
calling, him "shipmate," led him away. They went to-
wards Baggins Entry. They went into Clement-street,
and a constable saw them enter a bad house in No. 5,
.Court in that street. They remained there about ten
minutes, and then left. Abeut half-past 4 o'clock in
the morning, a carter named James Bryan, on going
to the stable where he kept his horses, in Baggin
Entry, discovered the body of the deceased, lying in the
entry, about five yards beyond thextable. The deceased
then had on striped blue trousers, a shirt with a stripe
dovin the front, a pair of stockings, and a singlet.
There was a muffler, which bad been seen in the posses-
sion of Carr on the previous day, tied twice .round his
neck, and fastened with a hard double knot under the
right ear. No. money was found upon hiss. His face
was black and swollen.—Dr. Sayer, a surgeon at the
North Dispensary, who made a post-mortem examina-
tion of the body of the decf axed, gave it as his opinion,
that death had beeli caused by strangulation. He was
cross exemined by Mr. Tindal Atkinson, with the view
of showing that death bad resulted from apoplexy, but
his replies were inaudible to- the reporters. On the day
'after the murder, the'priSoners were found pawhing the
cost and- vest of the deceased, and when they were ap-
proheeded, Wall was wearing the boots, and Carr the
muffler, which had been taken from the person of the
deceased.
For the defence of the prisoners it was urged, that the
evidence, such as.it -waete was, entirely circumstantial,
and that th-ere was no sufficient motive shown for the
Committal of the crime of murder ; and in conclusion it
was sugge=ted, either that the deceased had met with his
death by his own band, or.that it had been caused by an
attack of apoplexy, brought on by excsSsive drinking.
Ills lordship summed up the evidence, and at a quarter
to six o'clock, the jury retired to consider their verdict.
The jury found both Wall and Carr guilty, and both
prisoners were sentenced to-death.
Nisi FETUS COURT.
(Before Mr. Justice WilleF,)
FIRTH V. THE NORTH OF ENGLAND FIRE AND LIFE
INSURANCE COMPANY.
Mr. HenryFirttetAlurn•street, Manchester, machinist,
was the plaintiff, and the North of England Fire and
Life Insurance Company were the defendants ; and the
declaration stated that the plaintiff effected a policy
of insurance against fire, to the aenount of 1,6701. on
shafting, stock in trade, office furniture, &c. in la
building in Alum-street, Manchester, belonging to the
plaintiff. The defendants bad paid 1,2001. into court.—
Mr. Hill, Q.C. in stating the plaintiff's case, said; in the
year 1855, the plaintiff, who carried on an extensive
business as a machinist, was desirous of effecting a policy
of insurance against fire upon property which he pos-
sess dat Manchester. He entered into communication
with Mr. Greaves, of Manchester, agent for the North 't f
England. Fire and Life Insurance Company, whose head j
office is is Sheffield. The plaintiff gays Mr. Greaves 1
full details with respect to all the property he possessed
in the building; explaining_to him that his stock in-trade-
carnprieed a 'valuable number'of patterns ; patterns being
iii essential-part of the stock-in trade, and necessary, in
fact, to every machinist carrying on business, Firth