The Sun.
London, England, 1857-10-06 00:00:00

7BIGETIPUL OCCURRENCE IT .BIRKEN-

BEAD

'

TWO MEN MURDERED.'
LIVERPOOL, MONDAY.
A frightful murder has been perpetrated in Bir-
kenhead, and the excitement in the township is in-
creased by the fact that the life of a second man
trembles in the balance, whilst three men, who are
charged with the murder, are in the bridewell.
It appears that at. a quarter to 12 o'clock on Sun-
day night, intelligence was conveyed to the Bir-
kenhead Police-office that John Drewery, 37, E
block, Dock Cottages, had been murdered, and
John Dunn, residing at D block, in the same place,
had been severely stabbed by three men, named
Francis Smith, John Smith, and Peter Callaghan,
all navvies, lodging at 7, J block, Dock Cottages,
and that the murderers had made their escape.
In the meantime the wounded man, Dunn, was
brought to, the hospital in a car, but was so weak
from loss of blood that he could not articulate, and
the house surgeon, Mr. Marshall, forbade anyone
asking him questions.
Three policamen,.wha. had heard of the occur-
rence, went to the Dock Cottages, and, in a dark
corner, fotind the body of Drewery lying in a pool
of blood, near which was a pocket-knife and a large
stone, both covered with blood. The body was re-
moved to the lodgings of the deceased, when it was
found that he had been stabbed under the left jaw,
in the region of the heart, and under the last rib of
the right side. He has left a wife and three children
living at Prescot.

The thiee policemen not knowing into which
house the murderer hid gone, posted sentries at
either end of each block ; and it is much to the
eredtt of seven stalwart women living in the viol-
city, that they volunteered to do duty. A reinforce-
men of police from Birkenhead having arrived, the
houses were searched, and the three men charged
with the offence found in one bed, in No. 7, block.
They had part of their clothes on, and their outer
garments were stAined with blood. One man had
his band very much cut.
The five men had been drinking at a beer-house
at the north end, which they left at 11 o'clock, and
it does not appear that any of them were then
intoxicated. It hai been whispered this morning
that a difference in religion led to quarrelling, and
eventually to tin commission of this frightful
murder.

The prisoners were brought before the magistrates
this morning, and remanded.

MONDAY AFTERNOON.
The second man who was stabbed died in the hos-
pital at one o'cloctc this afternoon.
The police have apprehended another man who
was concerned in the affray.

HORRIBLE CASE OF FRATRICIDE IN

LI VERPOOL.

LIVERPOOL, MONDAY.
Last night a shocking tragedy was enacted in
Trowbridge street, Brownlowshill, in this town,
when, in a quarrel between three brothers, origi-
nating in the bad treatment of their mother by one
of them, the brother inculpated stabbed one of the
others to the heart. The muederer was brought
before Mr. Mansfield, stipeudiary magistrate, at
the police-court this morning, when the following
facts were elicited :
Robert Jones, a tall, thin man; of about 43 years
of age, was the prisoner. He has been a soldier,
and has served in India ; latterly he has earned his
livelihood by acting as a butcher at the abbatoir, in
Trowbridge-street. The prisoner seemed compara-
tively careless when placed in the dock.'
Mr. Cloush stated the charge. He said the pri-
saner was charged with having killed his brother,
Wm. Jones, aged 40 ye trs, by stabbing him to the
heart, on Sunday night.
Police-constable 20 said that about a quarter to
12 on Sunday night he was standing at the coiner
of St. Andrew-street and Trowbridge-street when
he heard cries of murder from a house No. 48,
Trowbridge-street. He ran to the place, and on
entering the passage he saw the prisoner stending
with his back against the wall, brandishing a knife
in his right lean /, which was wet with blood. Wit-
ness asked him what he had been doing, aed the pri
so-ter replied, " This is it with which I have done
it." He secured the prisoner. It was dark at the
time, as Veen) was no light, but it was moonlight.
Oa turning round, he saw a man lying on the fl
on his fa e. He towel hin over, when he found
that he had been stabbed en the left breast, near
the ribs. He vets lying in a pool of blood. He was
not quite dead, but he never spoke a wor 1. He
was carrie l at once t the Royal Infirmary, but he
die t bet,ro his arrival thee.
Police-constable, 21.1, sill he arco .npan:el the
other officer on hearing the ei-es of murder. He
saw the deceased lying at the b Atom of the
near the passage. Blood was fl swing from
wound in his breast. He took the pia >ner to
Bridewell, whilst the others took tee deceased to
the Royal Infiimiry. On their way to Bridewell,
another brother, John Jones, accompanied them,
when the prisoner turning to him said, he deserved
as much astheir brother William, and it would learn
some of these fast young gentlemen a lesson.
Tire, knife was exhibited. It was a butcher's
orilitiaiy dressing knife.
The mother of the prisoner, El'eibeth Jones, was
th u c lie 1.. She was a respec'able looking old
woman, and appeared •to be bowed down with grief.
In 'answer to his worship she s she was 76 ye era
ofage. She proc odes' to state that she was a widow;
and that she was the mother of the deceased. She
occupied a h inee in Trowbridge-streer, and two
a ,ns lived with her—the prisoner and another son,
John.' She was in her house last night when the'
prisoner came in—abort o'douk—and was in
bed. The prisoner, on entering, asked if she
wai aelt.ep, and'she replied that she was not. She
then asked him whet e he had been se late. He
a :it it did not mater where he had beer, and asked
fir something to eat. She get up and gave him
what there was--owe meat and potatoes. He ten
wante t a light, and she stirre 1 the fire up to make
one. Tee prisoner himself then began to meddle
with the fire. She said, " Surely you are not going
to carry oe as you did last Wednsslay night."
Witne;s begin to be alarmed as his manner, and
she sail she would not stop wsth him in the dark.
She then went out to look fora policeman, to quiet
However, she went to her son William's (the
deceased). house, who lived a few doors higher up
the street, and she aroused.himout of bed by knock-
ingest the,do r. She told him she was afraid, and
he said site should stay there all night. He wanted
to serid his brother John to quiet the prisoner, and
to remonstrate with bier) and he did se. But wit-
nest %y es afraid he would kill John, and on saying
sa, William followed directly t her holt e. She
was not pressnt at the scene.
John Jonee, aged about 35, a butcher was next
caltefl.
_the said he was bother to the deceased, -
who was a driver of Mr. John Smith's shatidry.
Last eigiet, about 11 o'cleck, he went into his
mother's house. He found the door wide open;
and the pr sorter was steeding up, leaning against
the wind 'w. He was cat re from a plate, with a
knife Wttne4s s aid, " Where's mother ?" The
pii oner repisel, "1 d n't know." There was
very little fi e in the grate, and it was nearly dirk.
• Witness said, " You have not turning her out
again, have you ?" He replied, "I have turned
nobody out." Witness struck a match and looked.
• for a can lie, but he could find none. He then put
ecnne.pieces of stick in the fire to get a light. During
thes fitne his brother William carne in, sayixia
" What sort b draviour do you call this? Iro•
you wan- -t-a burden her to death ? What do you.
mean by turning h--r our. 1 It would, ba fitter to
find her a bed t lie upon, ant something to help
her, instead of destroying her in this wly. You
. have been here 4 weeks, and you have not given her
• a couple of shillings." One word led to another, and
the deceased said, " Come out of this ;if Jack-is not
higenough for yo-u, I'll try. You shan't do as you
like, although ram away from home. I thisik ofs
ez„7.our mother for all that." The deceased hit the.
prima .er, .and they got a fighting.. Witness shouted
out, "Drop it," but it war no use. His brother
William, of a sudden; cried out, "Oh Jack, I'm
'stabbed" Witness exclaimed, ." Oh, Oh,
! mar:
• der,' nnraer ! help, help." He aiso s&zed the pri-
eosier'il arm, expecting every moment that it would
be his turn next. He then ran upstairs with the ob-
ject of escaping through the window, when assis-
tance came in at the door. The decease never spoke
afterwards. Witnewthout,ht the prisoner put hic4
knife down when he put down htsphtev He had'
his apron on, and his steel, although it was Sunday
*ht. The knife was that which she prisoner used ,
in dressing.
Mr. Mansfield—Was the prisoner drunk ?
Witness—No, sir.
Mr. Allan, surgeon, of the Royal Infirmary, was
then celled. He seid—A. lit le before 12 o'clock
last night the deceased was brought to the infirmary.
He -was d,sad when brought in. His shirt was
coveted with blood. He found an incised wound
on theleit side of the chest, between the sixth and
seventh lib,. • He also feuud a bruise- on the right
temple, and another on the nose. He could-not say
hemorrhage or organic
eliethersdeatlr yeas caused by
injury without a post inortem'examinetion.
His worship said Mr.'Allen bad better make the
post mortem examioation, and he would adjourn
• the case until to--marrow for this purpose.
• The prisoner was then removed.