The Sun.
London, England, 1844-08-16 00:00:00

MURDER AT MANCHESTER.

MANCHESTER, WEDNESDAY EVENlNG.—lntelligence
of a shocking murder, within the last few hours, com-
mitted on the body of a married woman named Jane
Miller, the wife of a cotton operative, residing in Brad-
shaw-street, Hulme, in this borough, has reached the
police. It appears that all the inmates of the house, ex-
cept deceased and a young man named George Evans, a
machine maker from Clifton, near Bristol, went out be-
fore six o'clock this morning to go to work, and deceased
was seen alive at seven o'clock, and again at nearly eight
o'clock, when she took her husband's breakfast. When
her husband went to dinner, however, at a little past
twelve o'clock, he found the door fast ; but he soon
afterwards obtained admission, along with a lodger.
named Birmingham, by the back window. The hus
band had no suspicion of anything untoward having
happened in consequence of the door being fast, but
thought his wife, who was labouring under indisposi-
tion, had gone to bed. He went up stairs, therefore,
and Birmingham, who found that his dinner had not
been set out as usual on the table, proceeded to open
the door of a small closet in the back parlour, that
served at once as a coalhole and larder, when he was
astonished to find the unfortunate woman lying upon
the floor within it, her feet towards the door, and quite
dead. He at first thought that she had committed
suicide ; but on examination of the body two fractures on
the back of the skull were discovered, and a severe
wound on the left temple, as if received from some blunt
instrument. A bruise was found also, as from a severe
blow, on one side of the mouth, and much discolouration
of the throat and neck, as if strangulation had been at-
tempted. Marks of blood were then found on the back-
parlour floor, near the fire, and on an oilcloth which
partially covered the floor, but which had been in some
degree removed by an attempt to wash the places. Two
ragz, which had been used for this purpose, were found,
one in the closet, and the other up stairs. Evans, who
had been drinking for several days, and who had been
left in bed that morning, was then sought for, but not
being found in the house, he was inquired for of the
neighbours. The result was such as to leave but little
doubt but that he was the author of this atrocious
murder, and that his object was the trifling money de-
ceased had about her person, and the plunder of the
house. Several of the neighbours stated that they saw
him leave the house about ten o'clock, and that soon
afterwards a hackney-coach was driven to the door,
into which he took a corded box, and was driven
away. No disturbance or noise of any kind had been
heard in the adjoining houses, and consequently his de-
parture created no suspicion at the time of anything
wrong. From the description given of the box which
Evans had taken away, it was discovered to belong to
Birmingham, the other lodger, and it was then found
that three suits of Sunday clothes, one belonging to
Birmingham, one to deceased's husband, and one to her
son, had been taken away. The deceased's pocket was
also discovered to have been partially torn off, and to be
turned wrong side out, and from this it is supposed the
murderer obtained a sovereign and some silver. An
instrument which had been made by Evans some time
before, called a life preserver, being a thick piece of
steel about a foot long, and the thickness of a man's
wrist, with a thong at one end to wrap round the
wrist, was then searched for. It had been latterly hung
on a nail near the back parlour fire, but it had been re-
moved. It was ultimately found in a table drawer, one
and of it covered ;with blood, and no doubt it had been
used as the instrument with which the murder was
committed.

Evans had served part of his apprenticeship at Bristol,
but had come to finish it at Messrs. Etherington and
Co.'s, Manchester, and he is said to have received about
7s. a week wages. His intemperate habits had led to
increased poverty of circumstances, and he was some-
what in debt at his lodgings. The police, on hearing
that he had gone away in a coach, made inquiries, and
traced him to the station of the Liverpool and Man-
chester Railway.
On the murderer arriving there the ten o'clock train
was just starting ; he paid the cabman, and went into
the office to inquire at what time the next (second-class)
train started. He was told twelve o'clock ; whereupon
he said, " Well, I must go by the eleven o'clock first-
class train, as my business is urgent." He remained at
the station for a full hour, apparently with as much
coolness as if nothing had happened, and at eleven
o'clock left for Liverpool. Two of the most active offi-
cers of the Manchester police are in pursuit of the mur-
derer. They have issued the following description of
his person :—He is about 21 years of age, 5 feet 5 inches
high, rather stout, left eye sore, particularly at the cor-
ner, and requires often to use a handkerchief ; dark
brown hair, short behind and long at the sides ; no
whiskers, round face ; dressed in dark moleskin jacket
and trousers, dirty green cloth waistcoat, dark cap, with
braid round it. Ho had in his possession a silver lever
watch, double bottomed, No. 2,017, that he stole from
the above house, and a large blue box about one yard
and a half in length. Supposed to be a native of Bristol.