The Sun.
London, England, 1827-08-16 00:00:00

MURDER.

I Extract of a letter from Valencia (Spain),
I dated July 25, 1827 ;—The following case
idlers an example of a horrible crime, and a most
extraordinary act.ofself-sacrifice, both inspired by
love. It exhibits the spectacle of a wife murder-
ing her husband, in order to live in full liberty with
her lover, and of that lover voluntarily courting an
ignominious death to save from punishment his
!guilty mistress. The following are the principal
facts. Domingo S., a gardener, lived with his,
wife Francesca, their daughter (eight years old),
land his mother, in the place called Huerta de
Valencia, (garden of. Valencia). Domingo left
home every Monday to go and work at some
distance, and did not return till the Saturday.
In the interval Felipo N., a young man who car-
ried on a criminal intercourse with Domingo's
wife, came and passed the night in his house,
for, strange to say, Domingo's mother favoured.
'the adulterous connection of her daughter-in-
law. These rendezvous were, however, 'inter-
rupted by the sickness of Domingo, who being
attacked with a tertian fever, was obliged
to remain at home. His wife, irritated at
this interruption to her intercourse . with
Felipo, was continually reproaching her husband
with his indolence, and asserting that his illness
was a mere pretence for not working. In these
reproaches she was seconded by Domingo's
mother, until he yielded to their representations,
and on the 11th of June, 1826, he left home to
resume his ordinary occupations. Felipo was
immediately informed of the circumstance,
and a meeting appointed for that night, but
this' project was frustrated by the return
of Domingo, who was rendered incapable
of working by a fresh access of fever. He was,
received on his return in the most cruel manner
by his wife and mother, who not only over-
whelmed him with abuse, but were barbarous
enough to refuse making his bed. His little
daughter, who brought - some straw for heri
father to lie upon, was threatened by her grand-
mother with death ! The child was so alarmed
that she left the house, and hid herself in a little
yard behind it. Domingo, overcome, with sick.:
ness and fatigue, fell asleep. 'c Would to God
that he were dead !" said his wife to her mother-
in-law, "that I might marry Felipo." "It is in out
power to get rid of him," said the unnatural
mother, and both together taking up a large
stone, which they had .great difficulty in lifting,
they carried it to the place where 'he was sleep-.
ing, and dashing it down upon him, fractured
his skull ! Domingo's daughter, who was con-
eealed in the yard, saw this horrible action, but
though they called her, she did not answer. At
the appointed hour Felipo arrived, when Do,-
,
mingo s mother told him what had happened.—
Though horrified at their, cruelty, he was still
so blinded by. passion as to consent to conceal
their clime. He took the body on his shoulders?
and conveyed it a distance of two leagues, where
he buried it. Domingo's wife and mother affected
great sorrow at his disappearance, and even al).
plied to the Magistrates to take some steps to
discover what had become of him. Domingo'p
widow, now freed from all restraint, lived openly
with Felipo. He and she, accompanied by her
mother and daughter, went to pass the Christ-
Inas holidays at Valencia, after which their mar-
triage was to take place.
On Christmas eve, before going with Felipo
and her mother to the midnight mass, she put
her' daughter to bed, having refused the earnest
'..-44,...,..t.-4Att.L. child to be allowed to go with her'
and threatened to beat her should she get up,
The people of the house had, according to the
custom of the country, .a better supper than usual
on this night, and recollecting the little girl,'
they asked her to get up and eat something. She
refused, and on their persisting, said, "My
mother and grandmother have forbidden me to
get up ; if I did so, they might probably kill mei
as they did my father." This expression of the
child's was reported to' the Magistrates, and
Domingo's' widow, her mother, and Felipo;
were in consequence, arrested. ' The two former
denied all knowledge of the murder; but Felipo,
to save the life of his mistress, took the' crime
upon himself, and solemnly declaring that he
alone had murdered Domingo, in order that he
might marry his widow ; that the other prisoners
were altogether innocent of the crime. The
child was examined, and described the scene of
the murder, as has been already stated. On the
27th of April last, the Superior Criminal Tribu-1
nal of Valencia found Felipo guilty of the mur-
der upon his own confession, and sentenced him
to be hanged. The two women, in consequence
of the very heavy suspicions attached to them,
and their not having immediately given notice
to the proper authorities of the disappearance of
Domingo, were condemned to eight years' con-
finement. On the' 31st of April, Felipo sub-
mitted to his punishment with the utmost‘ possi-
ble firmness and sahgfivid. A moment before
his death, he again affirmed to his confessor the
innocence of his mistress, and requested to be
informed if her life was saved ; and on being
answered in the affirmative, he said, " I die con-
tented," and resigned himself into the hands of
the executioner.

On Friday last a melancholy affair occurred in
the village of Willaston, attended by the loss of life, under
circumstances of the most afflicting nature. A party,
consisting of three females and two children, left the house
of Mr. Maddock, a respectable farmer, in Pool town, near
Eastham, in the forenoon of the above day. The object of
the day's excursion was a visit to Neston, above five miles
distant. Seated in a taxed cart, the youthful party, all
elate with health and buoyancy of spirits, passed along the
road, which was perfectly familiar to the young lady who
undertook the office of driver, and who, with her com-
panions, was anticipating the innocent enjoyments of their
summer day's jaunt. The road passes through the village
of Willaston, and, as is the case in many towns in the
county of Chester, it runs close to a pool of water ; in
tt i
about s
this instance the water lay on each side of the road, or
rather the
feeteroadahorvaenittsharoourfgahce.theTwhaetyerh,adandwa s
proceeded elevated h
o the horse
when
useincilts stated i
nied
towards
t hat ' in
the
waterspiteo f
tot hee ff
drink.or t
Oneoft h
levdrheievleor
f,
the vehicle was, however, unfortunately projected beyond the
side of the road, and instantly the cart turned over, and was
precipitated into the water, covering two of the young
ladies under it, who, enable to recover their feet, had to
struggle partly with the water and probably more with the
mud in which they were held down by the weight of the
cart. An instant cry was uttered by one of the females, •
Ellen Dale, the driver, who, when she found the car'
going over, jumped beyond its range into the water, which •
was not more than leg deep; two men came to the assist-
ance of the unfortunate females, who were takes out of the
water with some symptoms of life ; but we exceedingly
regret to state, that one of them died soon after the distres-
sing circumstance occurred, and the other in the course ofl
the afternoon. The preservation of the two children was
singularly providential; they escaped out behind unhurt
when the cart was overturned. Mr. Banks, surgeon, of
Neston, was immediately in attendance, but his efforts, as
the sad sequel preyed, were ineffectual ; and two respee-I
table families were plunged into the most poignant grief,
by the' sudden bereavement which they had respectively
and simultaneously sustained. Miss Jane Thompson was s
about 18 years of age, the daughter of Mr. Thompson, a
respectable cattle-dealer of this town; and Miss E. Mad-
dock, about 21 years old, the other unfortunate sufferer, I
!Was the daughter of Mr. Maddock, from whose house the
'party had proceeded itt the raconabag...Liverpot Courier.

BIRTHS,
On the 14th inst., at Eghatn-hill, the lady of Arch+
Dyer, Esq., of a daughter, still-born.
On the 10th inst., atßorris, Carlow, Ireland, Lady Ho.
riett Kavanagh, of a son.
On the 13th inst., in Grosvenor-place, the lady 019
Captain Clifford, R.N., of a daughter.
On the 15th ult., at Florence, .the lady of G. F. Bridget
Esq., Commander in the Royal Navy, of a daughter.
On the sth inst., at the Moat, near. Salisbury, the lady
of Richard Hetley, Esq., of a daughter.