Star.
London, England, 1820-07-24 00:00:00

health. The Surgeon saw a great number off different
injuries on her body ; and I am afraid he will state
to you, that no accident could have produced the in-
jtiri.rs of different kinds, and on different parts. The
catice of her death was an effusion of blood on her
brain. Tha. prisoner and the deceased were in the
room together—in that room from which the cry of
murder was heard, and to which blood was traced—
and no other person was in that room. The prisoner'
was aware of something violent; he was -cognizant
of what was occurring in the room. When the alarm
Avis made. and the prisoner was applied to, and told
by Wheatley that his wife was lying murdered in her
own blood, How can I help that? the d—d infer-
nal bitch,' was his answer. Afterwards the prisoner
stated more fully what I shall not trust my feeling
with repeating from memory. (Here the Learned
Carmel read the prisoner's declaration, which set
forth that she was drunk, fell at the foot of the bed,
and left his room, and that he slept, and saw no more
of he&). From this it appears he was aware of some
injury ; but I am afraid that the mark on her left
side, and the wound in another place, cannot be ac-
:-otintod for by any accident, and she could not by
possibility go down stairs after receiving the injury
which caused her death. There are other facts which
I am prepared to prove, if the witness appears: he
may or may not—but I say not one word of that part
of the case. Whatever may be the result, I have no
other wish but that justice may have its course."
William Wheatley.—l know the prisoner ;he keeps
the Horse and Groom, at Bradford. 1 knew Mary
Oldfield to be his wife. I, my wife, and children,
lodged there. The prisoner had two children at home
Richard, nine years of age, and Anne, six years.—
Robert Graham, a painter, was in the house ; and
Penjamin, the prisoner's eldest sin, 1.5 years of age.
One staircase rose-out of the passage, leading to the
bed-room of the prisoner and his wife, and two other
rooms. The other staircase rose out of the kitchen,
and by it 1 went to my bed-room. You can't go to
My room from the prisoner's bed-roam without going
down the first stair. I went to bed at half-past-nine
on the-27th of June. The prisoner was not at home.
I left his wife up. Her health was good. G: aham
went to bed at the same time. He went up the same
staircase I slept. A man of the name of Thomas
%%heater came into my room' by mistake, wanting
some more ale. I afterwards heard the clock strike
two. About 20 minutes before 1 heard a faint cry
of " Murder !" twice. I believe it proceeded from the
prisoner's bed-room. I believe it was Mary Oldfield's
voice. I had slept after Wheater came up before I
heard the cry of murder. He came up about twelve.
After the cry I heard two strike before I slept. I got
up at five in the morning. The rooms were so near
that I could hear a faint cry from one to the other.
The reason I took no notice was, that I had seen the
prisoner use his wife ill before. I saw a large quan-
tity of blood at the foot of the kitchen staircase. I
looked, and saw Mary ')ldfield lying on the kitchen-
tide of the stair, about two yards from it. The
staircase bends; you turn short to the left to go up.
The left side of her head lay on the bar of a seat—a
chair. I shook her, and found her dead. I raised the
lett hand ;it was -cold, and fell down stiff. I called
my family up, and the painter in the next room. I
then went to Oldfield's room ; the door was locked ;
I laid hold of the handle, and said, " For GOD'S sake,
Mr. Oldfield, get up, for your wife is lying dead in
her blood !" He said, " How can I help that ?—a
d—d infernal bitch !" He did not open the door.
I went to Benjamin's room and alarmed him. It ap-
peared to me as if the prisoner had spoken in bed. I
traced blood from the prisoner's bed- room door down
to the kitchen. I traced the foot-mark of blood in
Benjamin's room ; the impression of a heel and toe.
It was a toot going into the room. It was about a
yard into the room. It might be a yard from Benja-
min's bed, near enough to have put anything into the
bed while standing there. The child, Anne, was
found in Richard's bed, which was in that room as
well as Benjamin's. The step of blood was neiir
enough to throw the child into the bed. All the doors
of the hcnise were fast. The prisoner came down in
five minutes, dressed all but his coat. He came to
the body, his hands clasped behind him, and looked,
at it for a moment. He then walked up-and down'
the kitchen as if nothing was the matter. He ordered
two tables to have the body laid on.
Cross-examined by Mr. HARDY.—I left the Wife
at the .fire-side. She was rather freshish, but not
past her guard. I slept there only the night before.,
I knew her for five or six years. She was in the ha-
bit of taking liquor. I never heard her cry murder
before. There was blood nearer the kitchen stair-
case than her body. I turned the prisoner's hasp
back, and he answered me immediately. It was after
I called him I traced the blood; they were drops ; I
believe they fell from one walking.
Re-examined by Mr. JONES.—She was not past
her guard. The prisoner came down fully dressed
but his coat. I found Benjamin, Richard, and the
child, all asleep.
John Stainesby was called on-his recognizances
(1:40); and not appearing, his recognizances were
entreated.
John Gibson.—l aril deputy-constable of Brad-
ford. I was called on between five and six on the
(2r3til. I found the body of the deceased with her
Read to the chair. She had been lifted up. There
was a coasiderahle quantity of blood. The prisoner
was walking about. He told me that he had been
at Halifax Fair, and came back about one o'clock in
the morning: when he cane into the house, he got
some beef and beer; he then went up stairs. I went
up with him to the bed-room. He said he found his
wife on the bed with her clothes on. I had traced
drops ofblood from the foot of the staircase to the
chamber. At the bed-foot there was blood, and in
another part of the chamber. At the bed-foot it ap-
peared mopped up. He told me that „hen he had
got into the room his wife was lying on her back
with heaclothes on, with the young child beside her:
her eyes were open: he began to shake her to get
up.; she rose herself up, got to the bed-foot, and then
tumbled down on the floor. She then strove to get
up again, but could not. lie took her by the shoul-
ders, to assist her; she fell again, either against the
wall or the drawers (I don't know %shish he said);
she went down stairs, and he saw no more of her.
Cross-examindd by Mr. HARDY.—He did not say
she was drunk; I believe he led me to think she had
been in liquor. The blood seemed wiped up as with