The Sun.
London, England, 1866-12-29 00:00:00

HER, MAJESTY, &c.

OSBORNE, Dec. 28.
The Queen drove out yesterday afternoon, ac-
companied by Princess Christian and Prince
Leopold, and her Majesty drove this morning with
Princess Louise.

POLICE INTELLIGsNOS.--This Day.

MARLBOROUGH-STREET.

CHARGE OF BREAKING A MAN'S LEG.—Joseph Tapley, 3
pressman, residing at 44, Dean-street, Soho, was charged
before Mr. Knox with assaulting Charles Koslens, a Bel-
gian, and breaking his leg.
Welling, 138 E, said ho was on duty in Forey-street
last night, when he heard cries of " Police," and on going
to the Yorkshire Grey public-house he saw a man.named
Koslens lying on the ground. With the assistance of the
bystanders he lifted Koslens up, and took him to the
public-house where he identified the prisoner as the mall
who had assaulted him. He (Welling) handed the pri-
soner over to another constable, and went with Koslens
to the station, where he becarno so ill tliat he was obliged
to be taken t o the Middlesex Hospital. On going to the
hospital that morning to ascertain how Koslens was the
surgeon refused to give him a certificate without an order
from the magistrate. Kosleus, however, told him that his
leg was broken.

In answer to Mr. Knox, the constable said the prisoner
was sober and Koslens drunk.

The prisoner said he was drinking in the public-house •
when Koslens, who was a stranger to him, came in, having
a bad black ey3 at the time, and began quarrelling and
abusing a female who kept him, as she said, by her
prostitution. After that, Koslens kicked the female, and
ho (prisoner) then told Koslens that if ho kicked the
female again he would strike him. Koslens did kick the
female again, and then he (prisoner), and some others
ejected Koslens, who staggered, but be (prisoner) was net
aware that he had broken his leg. It was purely an acci-
dent. He admitted ho was one who tried to get rid of the
prisoner owing to his brutal conduct, and no one regretted
more than he did that the prisoner's leg•wa s broken.
Mr. Knox discharged the prisoner.

SUSPECTED MuEDER IN DERBY-

SIIIRE.

The body of a married woman, named Harriet
Wager, was found on Christmas-eve in what is
called a vein dam, near her husband's house. The
unfortunate deceased was the wife of a farmer
named Edward Wager, who resided at Bleaklow
Farm, near Calver. She had only been married
about two months, the marriage taking place at one
of the churches at Sheffield. Previous to her
marriage with Wager she was a widow, and lived
in the same neighbourhood. Wager had also been
previously married, but he was not a widower, as
his wife some time since obtained a divorce from
him on the ground of cruelty. Although very re-
spectably connected, his father being a large gentle-
man farmer in the neighbourhood, Wager seems to
have obtained a most unenviable reputation, as he
has been several times in prison for violent assaults,
and on one occasion, it is said, he was convicted of
attempting to shoot a man to whom he owed a
grudge. The married life of the unfortunate de-
ceased seems to have been unhappy in the extreme,
for she was frequently assaulted by her husband,
his cruelty commencing on the marriage day as he
was taking her to his home. On Monday afternoon
Mrs. Wager was visited at Bleaklow Farm by a
young woman living at Sheffield, who had come to
spend Christmas with her friends in the neighbour-
hood. She remained in conversation with her for
some time, and about five o'clock she got up for the
purpose of taking her departure. Either as she was
leaving, or after she had left the house, Wager seems
to have endeavoured to kiss her, or take some other
liberty with her, for the young woman screamed
and ran away. Wager's wife went out to see what
was the matter, and as soon as she became aware
of what her husband had been endeavouring to do,
it is said she expostulated with him, and remarked
that if he intended doing that she would leave him.
It would then seem that Wager returned to the
house and commenced assaulting his unfortunate
wife, for the young woman as she was running away
heard her scream. Shortly afterwards two men,
father and son, who were working in the neighbour-
hood, were startled by some loud piercing shrieks,
and on coming near to the back of Wager's house
they saw the unfortunate deceased running away
from her husband, and they were horrified by sod-
ing that the whole of the lower part of her face was
covered with blood. Wager, it would seem, was
following her, and was striking her as she was run-
ning. The poor woman in her distress cried out to
the two men to come to her assistance, but they
were afraid to interfere. Had they possessed the
courage to go tolMrs.Wager's assistance it is proba-
ble the poor woman's life would have been saved ;
but as one of them was an old man, and would
have been perfectly helpless in resisting such a man
as Wager, they considered that the wisest course to
pursue was not to meddle with him. Almost im-
mediately after Mrs. Wager had called out to them
to come to her assistance they saw her fall on her
knees to her husband, as if imploring him to have
mercy on her. At this time she was near the bank
of the Vein dam, and it would appear that the men,
thinking that something serious would occur, were
going in the direction of the village, probably to get
some assistance. They had not gone fir when they
happened to look bask, and on doing so they were
amazed at seeing the unfortunate deceased in tile
act of falling from the bank into the Vein darn•
Whether she was pushed over the bank by her has'
band,or whether she accidentally fell over, is at pre-
sent a mystery. But as the water in the deepest
part is only sft. 2iu. in depth, Wager; it is assumed,
might have rescued her had he been so inclined ;
but instead of instantly jumping into the water, he
called to the two men to come to the dam. TheY
refused to do so, and as soon as possible communi-

cated with Inspector Cruit. Wager seems to have
used no efforts to save his wife's life, but to have
gone quietly back to his house, for on Inspector
Cruit arriving shortly afterwards at the dam he
found the body of Mrs. Wager in the water. He,

of course, had it immediately got out, and it was

then seen that the blood which had covered the

lower part of her face flowed from a severe wouni on

the upper lip; in fact, the centre of the lip had beat
cut clean away, as if by a heavy blow from a fist-
There was also a bruise between the eyes, and a cub
across the bridge of the nose. On Inspector Cruit

going to Wager's house he found him sitting in 3
chair, with his head in his hands, and making 3
moaning noise. With a degree of courage that
does him infinite credit, considering the man he had

to deal with, he at once took him into custody co
the charge of being accessory to his wife's death.
An inquest on the body was held on Wednesday,
and adjourned in order that a post-mortem exami-
nation might be made. On Thursday Mr. Wrench,

surgeon, who made the examination, gave it as his
opinion that death was caused by drowning. Ile

deposed to finding the external injuries already re-
ferred to, and said that he found two lacerations oa
the liver. The inquest occupied several hours. At
the conclusion of the evidence the prisoner made a

statement, admitting all that was said to have taken

place between him and the young woman Hancock.
Lie stated, also, that his wife went away saying that

she would stay no longer, and that when he went to
see where she had gone he found her wear the darn,
into which he saw her, jump. He waa flurried, or
he would have jumped in after her; and after re-
maiuing on the bauk. " fretting" for td few minutes
he went home. After a very short deliberation the
jury returned a verdict of wilful murder against
Wager, and he was committed for trial, At the March
assizes at Derby.