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

cases.

CHARGE OF ITURDpB AT ROCHDALE.

jobn Warburton, who is in custody on suspicion
of having murdered a married woman named _Ellen
Garside, was, yesterday, for the fourth time, placed,
in the dock at the Rochdale Police Court. The
court was crowded in every part, and great crowds
of people were assembled in the street adjoining.
Mr. Hartley, solicitor, appeared for the prisoner.
The first witness called was John Garside, book-
keeper, husband of the deceased, who deposed :---011
the 12th September last, my wife, to whom I 'was
married in 1850, and who had 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, bearing 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 could
not stay any longer in Rochdale. The writer of
these anonymous letters informed me that while 0.1
wife had been at Blackpool she had been seen to
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. On
the 14th I received another letter, which stated
that my wife had made an arrangement with a Mr.
and Mrs. 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 a,
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 was
sorry for her conduct and intended to return next
day. She did return. On arriving in Rochdale
she sent for me at her sister's house in Milnrow-
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 Sunday
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 she had
no cause to do it. You have always seemed very
comfortable.' I then showed him the letters I had
received from Manchester from my wife, and asked
what was the best way to go 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 was in accordance
with the prisoner's request. I allowed him to read
the letters. The conversation was mostly respecting
my wife leaving home. He again expressed his
regret at it. In about a fortnight after this I agate
met him at the Canal Yard. He asked if I had yet
heard from my wife, and I said " No." On one °cgs'
sion I informed him that I had heard from my wife;
that she had been in Shudehill Market, shabbill
dressed, in company with another person. I said
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 nil
wife, which I opened, read, and then gave it to MT
wife. She read it, and then burst into tears.
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. Your.
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. 00
Monday I went to Warburton's house—he sat .
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 $
word with him. He made no objection. I saietoo
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, I am only just trying to see if you knew anr
thing about it." We agreed then to go and, se!
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 comma'
nications have come to me that my wife bad not
been faithful. Warburton has always appeared to
be on friendly terms with deceased, and I hate
never seen any ill feeling between them.
Mrs. Elizabeth Whitcombe, of Collyhurst•streeitt
Rochdale-road, Manchester, deposed that deceased"
under the name of Ellen Roberts, came to her boll
on the Monday before the 12th September, 1860,
and engaged lodgings for herself, child, and bus"
band (a bookkeeper), who would come occasionally
once or twice a-week. They came. Deceased;
daughter was thea in court, and witness identifieu
her as Eliza Ann Roberts. On the Saturday after
the 12th, the prisoner came as Mr. Roberto'
and passed as deceased's husband. He 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 svß,!
going to the Miles Platting Station for his box. 13:
did not return on the Monday, and deceased vit't
much troubled. On the Tuesday, she got a lettel
from Mr. Roberts, and left on Wednesday. I i
not see her again until exhumed. I saw prisoned
after deceased left, and he was much excited an
surprised when I told him she had gone away.
Cross-examined—ln my presence prisoner 10"
always treated deceased kindly.
Mrs. Hannah Parkinson, of Harpurhey, deposed
that prisoner accosted her husband on the Saturdl
before they left Mr. Whitcombe's and asked for
inn, as his wife was tired and wanted a cup of tea'
We invited them in, and they had a cup of te
together. Afterwards they came several times, and
then became lodgers until the 4th of Februad;
They said they intended to go to America. On o°
Monday Mrs. Roberts came to their house in great
trouble saying her husband had left. Prisoners
however, came again. •
The daughter of deceased was next exatotacal
and gave corroborative evidence.
The case was then adjourned until to-day (NI;
day), there being 17 additional witnesses
examine for the prosecution.