The Sun.
London, England, 1858-09-25 00:00:00

HORRIBLE CHARGE OF WIFE MURDER
IN MANCHESTER.

Yesterday evening an inquest was commenced at
the offices of the coroner for Manchester, Mr. E.
Herford, on the body of Susannah Reed, who had
been found dead at an early hour in the morning,
under circumstances of grave suspicion that she
had been murdered. George Reed, the husband of
the deceased woman, was present in custody. The
sister of the deceased, who works in a cotton fac-
tory, stated that she had gone to work at the fac-
tory that morning at 6 o'clock. At a quarter or 20
minutes past 8 o'clock, having left the factory to
have breakfast, she was passing the cottage of the
prisoner in Back Lever-street, and looked through
the front window. She saw the deceased (her sister)
lying with her body and feet on the stairs, and her
head on the cottage floor. She lay as if she had
fallen or been pushed down stairs. Witness tried
the door, but it was fast. She succeeded in forcing
it open, and found that her sister was dead. There
was blood upon the floor. Supposing the prisoner
to be up stairs, witness called to him and said,
" Oh, George, what have you done ?" He replied
that he had not done it; she had done it herself;
she had hanged herself on the bannisters over the
stairs. There was a cord round her neck. Some
neighbours came in and advised witness to call in
the police, and she found a policeman in Ford-
street. The rope round the neck was a short one,
and would not be long enough to tie round the rail
of the bannisters. Witness did not see any piece of
rope on the bannisters from which that round the
neck of deceased could have broken.

Mr. J. Elliot, junior house-surgeon of the Man-
chester Infirmary, said he made a post mortem exa-
mination. On the right side of the forehead, about
an inch above the eye, there was a lacerated wedge-
shaped wound, from which an immense quantity of
blood was flowing. On dissecting back the integu-
monts he found the surrounding tissues infiltrated
with coagulated blood for a space about 4 inches in
diameter. The wound was about an inch across,
and half an inch the other way. It might have
been caused by a blunt instrument, or by falling
against a sharp corner.
Mr. Superintendent Anderton here stated that
there was no instrument found such as might }rave
causedthe wound. There was a chimney-piece close
by the place where the body was found.
Mr. Elliot resumed—lt might have been caused
by the chimney -piece. The wound penetrated to
the bone, which was not fractured or indented. On
the right cheek was a recent bruise, about an inch
long and half an inch wide. Above the right eye
were also remains of a bruise of old date. He found
a cord (produced) tied tightly round the neck, with
a single knot in front of the windpipe, and corre-
sponding to it was a livid mark entirely round the
neck, about an inch below the chin, and also an
indentation found on opening the winpdipe. Had
deceased suspended herself the rope would pro-
bably have slipped up close to the chin, instead of
remaining where it was found.

The defective officer who had examined the pre-
mises said he found no indications of the cord hav-
ing been suspended from anything.
Wm. Dakin, a ropemaker, examined the cord
produced, and said there was a piece missing from
between the two ends. The cord was a stout one,
such as is used for market purposes, and would sup-
port a weight of 3 cwt.
Thos. Parry, a glazier, said he was engaged at
the house putting into two panes of glass for about
an hour on Wednesday afternoon, and deceased and
her husband were quarrelling the whole time. As
witness went away he heard Reed say to his wife,
" If you don't conduct yourself in a proper manner
I'll be your death before morning."
Several neighbours deposed that the deceased
was very disorderly on Wednesday, but at night
her husband was more intoxicated than she.

The husband having been cautioned, said—She
did it herself; I had no hand in it. I went to bed
fresh in drink, and fell asleep, and didn't awake
till her sister came. She had attempted to strangle
herself twice before.

The jury, after some consideration, returned a
verdict of " toilful murder" against the prisoner.
It appears that the prisoner had returned from
four years' penal servitude last Whitsuntide, having
being convicted for robbery. He has had three
children by the deceased, two of whom are in the
workhouse. The third child was kept by the wife's
sister. The prisoner had done little or no work
since his return, and on the day before this occur._
rence he had drawn upwards of £4 due to him for
work done while under sentence of penal servltwio.
With this money both he and his wifo had been
drinking on Wednesday night, and he was not sober
when taken into custody by the poliee.