The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1847-12-21 00:00:00

THE LIVERPOVL STANDAR&

the taking of a house in Burslem, and on or about the
11th of April he opened a large shop on We premises. He
caused an intimation to be made on the front of the
house that the company who had opened the -shop were
the Liverpool. Joint Stock Tea Warehouse Company.
Placards were issued in the name of the company, ad-
dressed to the respectable inhabitants of the town, and the
opening of the shop was of a very attractive description.
It was a pity that a concern which had opened so flourish-
ingly should be so very short lived. The prosecutor, Mr.
Uria Cooper Whittingham, of Manchester, supplied teas
on two occasions—the 11th of April and the Bth of May ;
and at the latter date the prisoner hid left Burslem, he
having previously given directions to his clerk that every
thing should be sold up, and that a few trifling debts
should be paid, As no provision was made for the pay-
ment of the prosecutor, he caused a fiat in bankruptcy to
be issued. The fiat was prosecuted in the district county
court of Manchester, on the 31st of May, 1844. and two
days were appointed for the surrender of the bankrupt.
The second day for his surrender was the 19th of July ;
and if the prisoner did not give himself up before three
o'clock on that day, he was liable to the present indict-
ment, provided he absented himself with the intention of
defrauding his creditors. Mr. Cobbett took an objection
to the summons, upon the ground that it did not state
that. the fiat had been issued to the district bankruptcy
court of Manchester, and that the court which summoned
him was authorised to act. The judge, after consulting
his brother judge, considered the objection valid, and re-
served the point. At the close of the case for the prose-
cution, Mr. Cobbett addressed the jury in an able speech
for the defence. The prisoner, who had been convicted
about seven years ago at York of a similar offence, was
found guilt), and sentenced to transportation for seven
years.

Robert Livesay was indicted for having cut and wound-
ed John. Wild, at Heywood, on the 20th of September
last, with intent to do him grievous bodily harm. The
prisoner was convicted, and sentenced to a month's soli-
tary confinement.
James Taylor, 24, and George Chessman, 25, were in-
dicted ror having. at Pilkington, assaulted Thomas Ke-
nyon, and with violence stolen from his person a watch,
chain, two keys, a half sovereign, twenty shillings, and
four half-crowns. The prisoners were found guilty, and
sentenced to transportation for seven years.
Thomas Brown, 51, was indicted for having, at -Viler-
'ton, stabbed Henry Seddon, with intent to do him some
grievous bodily harm. The prisoner was found guilty of a
common assault, and sentenced to one month's imprison-
ment.

Moore-"for stabbing James M`Cabe, at Salford,
was sentenced to six months' imprisonment and hard
labour.

James Leather, 22, was convicted of having, at War-
rington, stolen from the person of William Langshaw a
purse containing a £5 Bank of England note, six sove-
reigns, and five half-sovereigns, and sentenced to seven
years' transportation.
John Brown was indicted for having, at Manchester,
entered the house of Thomas Minta, and stolen a quantity
of shoes, on the 7th of December. The prisoner was con-
victed, and sentenced to transportation for seven years.
John Richardson, 21, pleaded guilty to a charge of hav-
ing stolen five heifers at Roby, the property of Ann Riding,
and was sentenced to nine months imprisonment.
(Before Mr. Justice Coltman.)
William Booth and James Holt were indicted for hav-
ing, in September last, e the borough of Manchester,
burglariously entered the dwelling-house of Elias Bancroft,
and stolen therein a quantity of wearing apparel, and other
articles. Guilty.—Sentence, six months' imprisonment
each and hard labour.

THE LATE MURDER IN WAPPING.—Thomas Rodrigues,
23, and John Rodrigues, 32, two Liverpool boatmen, who
were some time ago corn witted upon the coroner's warrant,
for the wilful murder of John Addikin, in Wapping, in this
town, were placed at the bar to take their trial for the of-
fence. The bill returned by the Grand Jury was for man-
slaughter only ; but the prisoners having been committed
under the coroner's inquisition for murder, that charge,
through matter of form, was also included in the indict-
ment. Mr. Blair and Mr. Preston conducted the case for
the prosecution. Mr. James appeared for the prisoner
Thomas, and Mr. Tindal Atkinson for John. The full
particulars of the case transpired at the time of the coro-
ner's inquest. On the 29th of November last, prisoner,
Thomas Rodrigues went in company with an abandoned
woman, named Mary Ann Bolling, into the tap-room of
the public-house of Mrs. Coffee, in Wapping, where a
quarrel took place between them, and whilst they were so
quarrelling, the prisoner John came in and took part in it.
Bolling said there would shortly a man come in who would
" do" for the pair of them. Soon after this, John Addikin,
the deceased, who was brother to Bolling, came in, when
he was immediately struck by the prisoner, John Rodri-
gues, which led to a fight, during which the prisoner
Thomas was ejected out of the house, and shortly after-
wards the whole of the parties. The deceased went in the
direction of Blundell-street, in company with his sister.
Deceased proceeded thence along Chaloner-street. The
prisoner John Rodrigues ran after him, and upon getting
up to him he knocked the deceased down. The prisoner
Thomas immediately came up and stabbed deceased with
a knife in the lower part of the body, in front. The de-
ceased was taken to the Southern Hospital, where he
shortly afterwards died from the effect of the wound. Mr.
James addressed the jury at considerable length on behalf
of the prisoner Thomas. He contended that the evidence
was fraught with discrepancies, and was altogether of such
a nature as to dispute the identity of Thos. Rodrigues be-
ing the man who inflicted the injury upon the deceased.
Mr. Atkinson addressed the court for the prisoner John,
and at great length contended ttat the identity of his
client was not established. Several influential persons
vver...nreui g.ve-norrrprtso-n....,
characters. The judge having summed up, and in-
structed the jury in the case, the jury retired from court,
and after an absence of seven minutes, returned a verdict
of guilty of manslaughter, but acquitted John, who was
forthwith discharged. Sentence upon Thomas deferred.
The hearing of this case occupied the court very nearly
nine hours.

SATURDAY.
(Before Baron Alderson )
MURDER.

Ann Mather was indicted on a charge of having, at
Warrington, murdered John Mather, her husband, by
administering to him a quantity of arsenic. The prisoner
is twenty-six years of age, and of rather pre-possessing
appearance. She was attired as a widow, and was allowed
to sit during the trial.
Mr. MONK stated the case to the jury, and enjoined
them to weigh well the evidence, and to pronounce an
unbiassed judgment.
The deceased, who was thirty-two years of age, was a
widower with two children, previous to his marriage with
the prisoner, about three years ago, at Warrington. He
was a file-cutter by trade, and up to the time of the illness
which caused his death, had enjoyed uniform good health.
On the morning of the 12th July, deceased went earlier
than usual to his work, and appeared to be quite well.
He dined at his usual hour upon potato hash, to which
he was partial, and shortly afterwards he was taken
very ill, and was seized with vomiting and purging,
which continued, in a greater or lesser degree, up to the
time of his death. On the following Tuesday morning he
resumed work, but was unable to pursue it in the after-
noon. Next day he attempted to work, but was compel-
led to leave it in half an hour. The vomiting and sickness
continued, with great burning in the region of the sto-
mach, and Mr. Steele, a surgeon, prescribed for him. On
Thursday he again complained of the same symptoms.
Mr. Steele had prescribed some powders, which were ad-
ministered by the prisoner, and he complained that he
was worse after taking them. On the following Saturday
he still complained of violent pain and burning in the
stomach and intestines, and he so continued until Monday.
A Mrs. Taylor frequently visited him, and to her he com-
plained of pain reaching from the intestines to the throat.
tOhne thedo c t1o9;1111 ajdu plyr Po nr iosuontiecredwdenecteatsoeMd
tors T
os.
be much
and said
hbetter;
but on seeing him Mrs. Taylor found him in a state of
great suffering—belching and hiccupping very much.
His tongue, on her examining it, appeared to be too
large for his mouth, being dreadfully swoln, white, rough,
and hard, and deceased suffered from unquenchable thirst.
Such was the history of the case as given by counsel.
Mr. Steele, surgeon, deposed that on first visiting the
deceased he found the stomach disordered, as he judged
from excessive drinking. He made a post mortem ex-
amination, and found that deceased had died from inflam-
mation of the stomach, but whether produced by natural
causes, or otherwise, lie could not say. The body was in
a forward state of decomposition when the examination was
made. Arsenic could produce such appearances.
A witness deposed to prisoner calling on her about
three weeks before the deceased died, and wishing her to
go with her to purchase some arsenic to kill bugs, which
she did, and a pennyworth was purchased. On the day
previous to deceased's death witness again accompanied
her to another shop, and another pennyworth of the poi-
son was bought. On the following morning but one, pri-
soner, after she had been receiving money from funeral
clubs, in which her husband had been a member, told
witness to burn the arsenic, as she had no further need
for it, and, upon hearing of the suspicion entertained that
her husband had died of arsenic, she (prisoner) had en-
joined witness to silence relative to the second purchase of
arsenic.

Several witnesses proved payments of various sums,
amounting in all to £2O, from different burial societies, of
which deceased was a member.

Dr. Boult, who had'an al ysed the contents of tb e stomach,
found about a grain and a half of white arsenic. Three
grains were enough to destroy life.
On cross-examination of the witnesses, they said that
the prisoner and deceased had lived on good terms toge-
ther, and that she had during his illness shown to him
great kindness and attention.
Mr. Pollock then addressed the jury in an eloquent
speech, and after his lordship had summed up with great
care. the jury brought in a verdict of not guilty, and the
prisoner was discharged.
John Meadows, charged with maliciously cutting Wm.
Jackson, was acquitted.
Joshua Aspinal and William Slater, charged with a
burglary in the house of William Butterworth, at Heap.
were both found guilty. Aspinal, a ho bad been previously
convicted, was sentenced to seven years transportation,
and Slater to °tie year's imprisonment.
Thomas Draper, for having, with others, been out un-
lawfully armed for the purpose of destroying game, was
tried and found not guilty.
Samuel Wood, sen., and Samuel Wood, jun., were
tried and acquitted on a charge of burglary.
Wm. Smith, for bigamy, withdrew his plea of not guilty
and pleaded guilty. The second wife was called. She is
a Welsh woman, and said she had only been with the pri-
soner a week. He had represented himself as a farmer
and single, but it turned out that he was a butcher and
married. The JUDGE, to the witness : " But I under-
stand. he is simple ?" Witness : " 0, noa, he married
me." A witness was called who said that the prisoner
was a very simple man, and had left home with some £35
in his pocket,, and when he returned he had but two or

three. The prisoner was found guilty and sentenced to
one month's imprisonment.
Ann Murphy, charged with making a false declaration
before a magistrate relative to a pawn-ticket, was dis-
charged, the prisoner not being identified as the person
who made the false declaration.

This completed the business before Baron Alderson,
and the court broke up at a little after nine.
(Before Mr. Justice Coltman.)
James Horrocks, 27, was indicted for having, at Liver-
pool, stabbed a boy named James Bowman, with intent,
&c.. It appeared that there had been a row in Chisenhale-
street, on the 12th of Oct., and that though the prosecutor
was stabbed by the prisoner in the shoulder, the latter
and his wife had been previously severely maltreated. A
verdict of not guilty was returned, and the prisoner was
discharged.
Robert Smith, 19, and George Lunt, 20, were indicted
foi having killed Susannah Pulsford, on the 10th Nov.,
by haaing knocked her down whilst they- were riding
furiously on cart horses near Litherland Bridge. The
prisoners were found guilty, with a recommendation to
mercy. His Lordship, after a kindly admonition, sen-
tenced them to be imprisoned and kept to hard labour for
three calendar months. Smith fell upon his knees,
clasped his hands, (whether in gratitude or from some
other impulse did not appear,) and was removed weeping
from the dock.

Jane Charnock, 18, was indicted for having, at Liver-
pool, murdered a new-born male child. The prisoner
belonged to Wigan, but entered into service with a family
in this town, in September last, and was charged by her
mistress with being in the family way, but denied it. On
the 21st October she was delivered of an infant, but still
refused to confess it. The body of a male child was
found under the bed wrapped up in a pair of old stays,
amongst some old clothes. A mark, such as might have
been produced by strangulation, was found on its neck.
The prisoner was convicted on the minor charge of con-
cealment, and sentenced to twelve months' imprison-
ment, with hard labour.

Ellen Matcham, 20, was found guilty of a similar
offence, and received the same sentence.
Edward Wilson, 27, a young man of most respectable
appearance, was indicted for having forged a certain war-
rant for the payment of £250, with intent to defraud John
M'Nicol. We gave the circumstances of the case at the
time. The prisoner was a clerk with the prosecutor, who
gave the former a blank cheque to fill up for a certain
amount of money, which the prisoner increased to
£250, and too,k it to the Borough Bank, where the money
was paid him. The cash for which the bill was intended
by Mr. M`Nicol to be filled up ought to have been sent
to the London branch of the Borough Bank, to meet a
bill of exchange, which was, in consequence, returned
dishonoured. The prisoner had returned to the office,
and entered in the books the money as received, and op-
posite to it he inserted a debit to himself, balance of
salary of £252 Ss. 4d. This, Mr. M`Nicol, in his evi-
dence, denied was due.—Mr. James took several objec-
tions, all of which were overruled by his lordship, except
one, which was reserved. In his address to the jury, Mr.
James admitted that the prisoner had committed an im-
proper act, but denied the commission of forgery.—Mr.
Robert Ballantyne, merchant, gave the prisoner a most
excellent character. He had been in Mr. B.'s employ as
cashier.—Mr. John Anderson, late partner with Mr.
M'Nicol. proved the prisoner's engagement at £2OO per
annum.--The jury found the prisoner guilty, but strongly
recommended him to mercy.—His lordship deferred sen-
tence in consquence of the point reserved.
. Richard Noble, 35, pleaded guilty of bigamy, and was
sente,wed to three months' imprisonment.
Some prisoners were then sentenced, and the assizes
terminated at half-past ten p.m.