Star.
London, England, 1827-03-22 00:00:00

now hollow wound ?—I think the blow on his head sounded most
hollow—(A laugh.)
I dare say: poor man, he could not help It ; he did not make his
head. You had a pleasant evening, eh?—Yes, a very pleasant
evening.
Plenty of joking and laughing?—Yes. a good deal.
ThQre Sus a Mr. lawrenson, horn Warrington, there?—Yes,
there was a Gentleman from Warrington.
And he was very witty oti the defend ant's large mouth, eh 3—Yes.
Now,did you not bear him say that it was a shame that the trustees
of the Birtenhead road had made a turnpike, because the defend-
ant's mouth would have done just as well, since it was large swan%
for any mail-coach to drive through ?—Yes, be did say so—(Oreit
laugh et.)
And you all enjoyed the joke, did'nt you ? Yes. ,• -
To he sure, who could not help laughing at so mach wit ? The
plaintiff laughed a good deal, I suppose?--Yes, a gond deal.
Arid kept whispering with that humorous man, Mr. Lawrenion ?
—Yes, he whispered a little.
So, then someloody.fook away the defendant's chair, and plump
down be came—not on 'his head, was it?--No, it was not on his
head.
• And jou *mold not tell from the sound that followed whether his
bead was empty ?—No.
Another witness proved the assault in nearly the same terms as
last Witness.
Mr. BROUGHAM—A very lively evening you seem to
haie had P—Not so very
,lively; know I went away
sober—(A laugh).
Mr. BROUGHAM addressed theJuty far the defendant.
He regretted that, instead of coming to Lancaster, the
parties had riot Made a second expedition to Birtenhead,
and had another night of feasting, wit, and practical
joking. Now that the plaintiff had exchanged his spear
for a.pruning hook, acid his helmet for a pewter pot—
now that he no longer pursued the bubble at the can-
non's mouth, but quietly watched it at the mouth of the
barrel—heought to learn to live in peace with his cus-
tomers, instead of proclaiming the _empty sound that
issued from his bead ;o the whole county palatine of
Lancaster. The Learned Counsel concluded a mewl
ingenious and humorous speech by calling on the Jury'
to give trifling damages.
The Jury found for the plaintiff—bamages 10/.

STAFFORD, Marten 20.
Elizabeth Wllletts was indicted for bigamy, jn.baving
hanged Joseph Parsons, her husband Edward Willett.
being then alive; and she was also indicted for the
manslaughter of Parsons on the Ist of Augdst. A bill'
for petty treason bad been presented, but torown out.
' The prisoner first wok her trial on the manslaughter.
. Mr. flonserr, for the .prosecution, called
iiiisabeth Bennett, Of Rowley, a nailer (a maker of nails). ?knew
:Josh Parsons, the deceased, and the prisoner. They were living
together is min and wife. On the la Of August last I was work-
thit name shop. He cone in afterbreakfist, a tittle after tea.
The "Ashore nod Parham bad words, and quarrelled nearly 5 hours.
The quarrel acne about his breakfaht not being kept warm for
him. When they came to work after dinner, between two and
dime o'clock, they continued quarrelling, and the deceased told
ash prialmer he would bringleetWo fir three of her old customer,,
atsd dley'should Mete liar 0 ail/penes s-pleee." The prisoner said,
"If you tell me that word again, I will throw the red-hot iron at'
thee." They were then both making nails. The prisoner had , a
'little short Iron rod for that purpose; one end was in the fire, the
,other in her hand. The deceased had 1 hammer, ora scosthig, in
_dais hands The prisoner said to Hits, "If thee doe't d—n---,
fp we to do it I did,nrst weavee whether the deceased had his
band up. I taw what the primate did, but could not see what the
deceased was doing. The prisoner minsediatety threw the seen for
Wards rim. Icould not rev whether* hit him. She made to the door,
half she was afraid of 'befog beat. Wien Rae tot So the doer, eke
turned back, and ran to the deceased, sod pot her arm round his
neck .nether hand on his tartan, and she said, " Oh, Joe, what have
I done? I have killed him. I have killed our Joe, but I did' not
think of doing it." I had seen no blood before, but on hearing then
words, I looked and saw the blood running. I cried oat" Murder!"
the deceased dropped upon his knees, threw himself • batik three
hfines, and died within' throe minutesnfter the blow. Ile *as car-
ried into bit own house, and I saw the wound ; it was a little hole,
a smillplace. I never saw the iron after it was throWn, until I
taw It in the constable's hand.
'Cron-examitted by Mr. Itststaans.--)They bad been quarrelling
for five hours. •Parsons's words were von -offensive, and sot:hos
Unsold Mum armodest woman Most pain. He did not. strike her
while I was in she shop. From what INW I believe-1m waagoing
to stribeiter, and she most ba.e.thought the same. Aker the iron
wis throws, she expressed as much sorrow's it was possible. The,
decomed was in fault during the gannet, and the prisoner bad en-
deavoured to pacify him.
Jane Baddeley, a young girl, who was ivorkingwitiz them on the
Irlitbd August, gate the-same account of the transaction. Before
' 'Hietiren was throWo, I could see the prisoner, bet could not see the
'atoned. She took the Iron 'from her left band, and put It into
her rallst, and hung it at Mkt. 1 tdrned round, saw blkia rub-
• idlehis breast, and the blood loasling, and I got out of the
window as fast as I could, and ran away. When 1 returned,
INrioria *fa dead. I did not see Parsons when the iron was
Artileo. They had been quarrelling four or five hours.
-Gems. Taylor, constable, was sent for to Parsons's house between
'two -sad three ; Parsons was dead ; the iron was-given to him ; it
.. was used in making nails; witness produced it. (It was a thin
rod, poTeted at one end, about eighteen inches long.) I said to fbre
ptitbr,'"-Ilow Could you have done this r She said, " Oh, Mr.
Taylor, I'vrould net have dole it for the world it I bad known."
4Daniel Shaw, surgeon, examined the body on the 5d of August;
footrdaywound on the left breast, between the first and secood rib ;
it was a small orifice. I probed the wound, it passed through the
left lobe Of the lungs into the heart ; the ventricles of the heart
were In a collapsed state; he could 'not have lived long after the
mound.

Elizabeth Bennett said the iron produced was the very iron,
but more beat than it was then. The sharp end was hot for three
or four inches.
Jane Badddeley said it was the same Iron.
Mr. RICHARDS submitted that the offence laid was
not proved. The quarrel, which had lasted for so many
hoots, the menacing attitude of the deceased, and the
ase of an instrument which, at the time of the extreme
provocation was in her (prisoner's) hand, and which
was• not likely in the ordinary course of defence to cause,
death, made it an act of self-defence. The chances I
that were against the instrument's producing death
were almost infinite.
Mr. Baron VACGHAN thought the act amounted to
freesia tighter.
Mr. nic HAIM called Sarah Perry, hut she did not answer.
4Mr. Baron VAL:CHAR.—This indictment imputes,
to the prisoner at the bar the crime of manslaughter.
Wherever death ensues from the act of a party,
the law preiumes it to be malicious, and the of-
fence murder. It is therefore incumbent on the ac-
cused to reduce the offence. The prisoner has redueed
it to manslaughter; boys do not think shehas reduced
further. The nran'lntd given as strong provocation as.
words can occasion, she having 'at the time the instrn-
ment in her hand. The subsequent words "It t' ee
dost," must have alluded to something, a scoving or a
hammer, which the deceased had in his heeds. it doe;
not appear he did anything; but it is tair.to infer there
was some menace, though it is clear be did not strike
her. Her conduct afterwards mai ks that be act MIS
done in a state of violent excitement, on a sadden and
mnmentery provocation, and not maliciously. lideath
had been contemplated, it might not bare occasi nod
°ace in :-thousand times, but it is an extremely dam
,gerous instrument. 1 Ohl, therefore, the act doe.,
amount to the crime of manslaughter. Verdict-
at Manslaughter."
The prisoner was then, after a short-discuu:ion, again put up-to,
take her trial for bigamy.
Mr. Storm, tor trie proseention, called
Catherine Smith—The prisoner was married eo Edwd. Willetts,
e'Dudley, to December, MO. I was present at the marriage.
They lived toseaer as man and wife. I have not seen Willett' fur
the last four years. I was present at another marriage of the pri-