The Sun.
London, England, 1861-04-23 00:00:00

CTIARGR OP HURD 'R A?' ROCHDALE.

John Warburton, who is in custody on suspicion
of havina• murdered a married woman named Ellen
Garside, was, yesterday, tor the fourth time, placed
in the dock at the Rochdale Police Court. The
court was crowded in every part, and great crowds
of peoak were assembled in the street adjoining°
\fr. Hartley, solicitor, appeared for the prisoner.
The first witness called was John Garside, book-
ke, per, husband of the deceased, who deposed :—On
he 12th September last, my wife, to whom I wag
married in 1850, and who hid borne me two chil-
dren, left home without my knowledge, taking with
her a daughter aged eight years. Next day, I re-
ceived a letter in her hand writing, hearing the
Manchester postmark. In that letter she expressed
her sorrow for the manner in which she had
left me, saying that, in consequence of the contents
of two anonymous letters I had received, she cosh',
not stay any longer in Rochdale. The writer 01
these abonymous letters informed me that while my
wife had been at Blackpool she had been seen ie
company with a tall dark-complexioned gentle-
manly-looking man. Those letters were both in one
handwriting and bore only the Rochdale post mark'
After reading them I told her I did not believe
them, and they led to no difference between us. 011,
the 14th I received another letter, which stated
that my wife had made an arrangement with a Nil.'
and Mre. Roberts to go abroad with them. They
were to start that day on their journey. All these
letters my wife got on her return, and I have never
since seen them. Six weeks afterwards I broke
up my house and went to reside with my mother'
taking my little boy with me. On the 4th of
February, 1861, a Mrs. Frances Kaberry sent me
word that a letter for me from my wife was lying
at her house. The contents stated that she wag
sorry for her conduct and intended to return nest
day. She did return. On arriving in Rochdale
she sent for me at her sister's house in Milnrov/-
road. She then stated that she was in bad health
and had been unwell. For many years previously
I had been on terms of intimacy with Warburton,
who had been in the habit of calling upon us
generally on the Sunday. I left home on Sunda,'
afternoon, the day before my wife was missed.
That SUnday I returned home about eleven
o'clock in the evening, and found the prisoner in
conversation with my wife, and a lodger named
Wm. Whitelock. Warburton stopped till a quarter
after 12 o'clock. The prisoner resides about a quar-
ter of a mile from where I lived. About a week
after my wife had been missed I met the prisoner
at the canal gates, in Drake-street. He asked me,
" Have you heard anything of your wife lately ?''
I replied, " I have not ; I should be very glad to
hear something." He then said " It's a great pity;
I feel very sorry for you. I never thought she
would have done such a thing, for I'm sure ahe had
no cause to do it. You have always seemed very
comfortable.' I tl'eu showed him the letters I had
received from Manchester from my wife, and asked
what was the best way to eo about it to get
to hear something. He said that if I had gone
to Manchester the day following and asked
at the cab stand, perhaps I might have
got to know. When she had been away about five
or six weeks, I went to the prisoner's house, taking
with me the letters. This visit -vas in accordance
with !t3 prisoner's request. I allowed him to read
the lerte .t.• The conversation was mostly respecting
my wife leaving home. He again expressed his
regret at it. In about a fortnight after this I again
tr et him at the Canal Yard. He asked if I had yet
heard from my wife, and I said " No." On one occa-
sion I informed him that I had heard from my wife;
that she had been in Shudehill Market, shabbily
dressed, in company with another person. I said I
thought this could not be true. Prisoner said also
he did not believe it. After that I believe I saw him
once before the Ist of April. On the 28th of
March I received a letter, addressed to my
wife, which I opened, read, and then gave it to my
wife. She read it, and then burst into tears. I
believe the writing was Warburton's. It was signed
J. W. The latter part of that letter had something
like these words :—" Dear love, I feel annoyed that
you did not meet me at the time appointed. Yours
respectfully, J. W." My wife looked downcast after
reading that letter. On the Ist of April I found
my wife was not at home. She was there at tea
time. As she did not come home at 11 o'clock I
went to Warburton's, but could get no answer.
After 12 o'clock I went to bed. On the Sunday I and
my brother went to Manchester to seek her. On
Monday I went to Warburton's house—he sat in
the kitchen—and I said, "How do you do, sir ?"
He turned very pale. He asked me to sit down-
I did so ; we drank ale together, and I then asked
him to go and have a glass with me, as I wanted a
word with him. He made no objection. I said on
the road " You might have told me lost Sunday,
when you were at our house, that my wife had told
you she was going away again." He said " She
never did." I observed " I hope you will excuse
me, lam only just trying to see if you knew any about it." We agreed then to go and see
Mr. Superintendent Callender. Next day I heard
that my wife had been pulled out of the canal.
Warburton never came near.
Cross-examined by Mr. Hartley—Verbal commu-
nications have come to me that my wife had not
been faithful. Warburton has always appeared to
be on friendly terms with deceased, and I have
never seen any ill feeling between them.
Mrs. Elizabeth Whit combe, of Collyhurst-street,
Rochdale-road, Manchester, deposed that deceased,
under the name of Ellen Roberts, came to her house
on the Monday before the 12th September, 1860,
and engaged lodgings for herself, child, and hus-
band (a bookkeeper), who would come occasionally
once or twice a-week. They came. Deceastd's
daughter was they in court, and witness identified
her as Eiiza Ann Roberts. On the Saturday after
the 12th, the prisoner came as Mr. Roberts,
and passed as deceased's husband. lie came twice
a week for the first three weeks, and for seven weeks
occasionally. On the Saturday before they left,
prisoner came and said he had left his work, and was
going to the Miles Platting Station for his box. He
did not return on the Monday, and deceased was
much troubled. On the Tuesday, she got a letter
from Mr. hoberts, and left on Wednesday. I did
not her again until exhumed. I saw prisoner
after ceceased left, and he was much excited and
surprised when I told him she had gone away.
Cross-examined—In my presence prisoner has
ai ways treated deceased kindly.
Mrs. Hannah Parkinson, of Harpurhey, deposed
that prisoner accosted her husband on the Saturday
before they left Mr. Whitcombe's and asked for an
inn, as his wife was tired and wanted a cup of tea.
We invited them in, and they had a cup of tea
together. Afterwards they came several times, and
then became lodgers until the 4th of February.
They said they intended to go to America. On one
Monday Mrs. Roberts came to their house in great
trouble saying her husband had left. Prisoner,
however, came again.
The daughter of deceased was next examined,
and gave corroborative evidence.
The case was then adjourned until to-day (Tues-
day), there being 17 additional witnesses to
examine for the prosecution.