The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1840-08-28 00:00:00

LIVERPOOL SUMMER ASSIZES

CROWN COURT.-TUESDAY
MURDER.

Janes Hanson, a mild looking man, aged 36, was charged
with baying, on_the 21st of March last, at Manchester, mur-

dered William Cheetham.
Mr. Armstrong and Mr. Wilkins conducted the prosecu-
tion : the prisoner was undefended.
Mr. ARMSTRONG laid before the jury, in detail, the circum-
stances which he intended to bring forward in evidence.
John Clayton, sworn.—l am a waterman. I live in Rich-
ard-street, Rochdale. lam the captain of a boat belonging
to 'William Shepherd. On Saturday, the 21st of March, I
was at an eating-house in Tibb-street, Manchester. I left
at half-past two, and went to the Crown and Anchor. From
there I went to the boat. That was about three o'clock.
Some men were there, loading my boat with slates.
_Mine

s
was the only boat at the Manchester end. I went then to
the Brownsfield Tavern, in Brewery-street. The prisoner
was with me all the time. We met the deceased there. The
prisoner and the deceased were the two hands in my boat.
I left the Brownsfield Tavern about a quarter before eight.
I was asleep, during the afternoon, about two hours, on the
floor. John Cheetharn left with me at about a quarter before
eight. I don't know whether I left the prisoner and Wm.
Cheetham there or not. I know that they were there before
I fell asleep. I was drunk when I left. The prisoner and
the deceased were also drunk. I went to Mill's-hill station-
house, on the railway, and slept there all night. I returned
about nine o'clock on Sunday morning. I met Hanson in the
street, near the Brownsfield Tavern. He asked me where I
had been all night, and I told him. He said I had not been
there, and that he had heard of me being in Manchester.
He said, " Why, Bill's dead." I said, " He's not, surely,
is he ?" He smiled, and said, " No, he's not dead, but he's
such a face as thou never see." I said, " Come, let us go
look at him, and see how he is." When I left the boat.
there was some horse-corn on board ; nearly a bushel. He
said the corn was stolen • somebody had stolen it, but he
did not know who. He did not say anything about a sack.
The corn was in a sack. He said another boat had been
robbed of some ropes. He did not say who had done it.
He said Bill had told him that four men and a woman
had pelted him on hit face. This was as we were go-
ing along to the boat. About this time, directly after nine
o'clock, we got to the cabin of the boat. I opened the cabin
door, and saw the deceased kneeling, with the upper part of
his body on the bed. His hands were under him, like; on
his side. I called him by his name three times, and he never
answered me. I shook him by the back of his waistcoat.
He never answered. I got hold of his hair, lifted up his
head, and looked at his face. He was dead, but warm. He
was dressed all but his hat. His hat was lying on the floor,
with the crown broken nearly out. He had two black eyes
swollen up. His lip was swollen, and the end of his chin
and one of his cheeks; I believe the right, was scarred. I
think it had been done with feet and fists. The cheek looked
as if it had been dragged along the ground. There was a
little blood, about the breadth of half-a-crown, on the floor,
but it was stiff. It looked as if it had been done by conti-
nual dropping in the place. The prisoner said, " What must
we do now, John ?" I said, "We must go and fetch a po-
liceman ; he's dead." I went for a policeman and found
one. The prisoner went with me. We took two policemen
back with us to the boat. The policemen went on board.
There were three pieces of blue slate found in the cabin by
the policemen. As we were carrying the body off to the
Infirmary, the policeman picked up a piece of a brick about
three yards from the canal. I believe the prisoner did not
help to carry the body, nor did I. The piece of brick was
bloody. I and the prisoner underwent an examination al-
most immediately, but were dismissed. Hanson was taken
again almost immediately. The bed-clothes in the cabin
were tumbled as if they had been slept on. I saw a wooden
mallet found on the cabin-floor by Soulby, the constable.
We had used it to break coal with. I had seen it on board
the boat on Saturday. The corn amounted to about eight
or nine feeds. It was about an hour after the body had
been removed that this mallet was found. A part of a loaf
was missing from the cabin, but no lines. The sack which
contained the corn was missing, and I never saw it after. I
saw my boat last about half-past three on Saturday after-
noon, close to the wharf wall. There was part of a truss of
hay on board. A portion of this hay had been taken. The
prisoner had only been with us a week. 1 never saw him in
a passion.
By the prisoner.—Did I not assist to carry the body to
the bearing-barrow ? Witness : lam not quite sure.
George Rose, sworn.—l am a private watchman to Mr.
Binns. He has a factory which overlooks the arm of the
canal in which Shepherd's boat was. The boat was lying op-
posite our engine-house on Saturday, the 21st of March. I
was on duty that night. I heard a cry of murder two or three
times from a boat which lay there. This was between ten
minutes and a quarter past seven. I, in consequence, went
into the engine-house to see what it was. It was a darkish
night. I was about fourteen yards from the place. When I
got there, a man was coming out of the boat, and the cries
were not repeated. He came out of the cabin and went into
the wharf. As he came out, he said—" I will cut your head
off if I could find a stone. I will make you remember for
throttling me." I did not see any other person in the boat.
I saw a man put his head up at the cabin, which the other
had come out at. The man who had come out threw some
stones, or something of that sort, at the man who put his
head out. He kept going about the yard, and searching for
stones, and throwing them. He kept swearing at him, and
threatening what he would do at him ;he said once—he would
murder him. He said, " I dont care for the boat—l can have
another any day." He went on to the boat and towards the
cabin. The head of the man had disappeared once, but re-
appeared again. He kept calling out watch, and telling the
man who threw the stories to go away. The man, who had
gone on board, either struck, or threw, or kicked ; and then
the man who had his head out of the cabin dropped. My
impression was, that he fell from a blow. All was still from
that time. The man who had thrown the stones was going
into the cabin, and was about half down when I went away.
All this occupied about twenty minutes. The man that was
killed said something to me just at first, but i could not tell
what it was—it was, that they had been fighting, or snmmat
—summat about fight. I did not say anything to him. I
never interfere with boatmen, they are often fighting, and
they would have broke the windows if I interfered. I did
not see enough of the man who threw the stones to know him
again. He had something dark coloured on him. limas
either a round jacket, yr a waistcoat with sleeves. He had
on a pair of light coloured trousers. I saw a man named
Bold, come up with a lime-boat, after this Matter had begun.
He came through the lock, and brought his boat up by Shep-
herd's boat, passed it, any lay about a quarter of a mile fur-
ther up. I heard nu disturbance after that time. The per-
son who threw stones appeared to me to be a less man than
the prisoner. The floor where I stood, was about three feet
higher than the deck of the boat. The man was speaking
angrily when he threw the stones, and he had a voice like a
lad's voice. The prisoner did not, at the coroner's inquest,
speak at all like the person who was at the boat. About the
same time as the murder was done, I saw a man on the con-
trary side of the lock-gate : this was just after Bold had come
through the lock. He shouted, as I thought to me, but I
could not tell what he said. I heard a sentence like " come
away."
James Bold sworn—l live at Hatherlowe, the other side of
Stockport. lam a boatman iu the employ of Messrs. Booth
and Co., lime-dealers. On Saturday, the 21st March, as I
was going through Brownsfield Loch, I was near Shepherd's
boat • it was about eight o'clock. I saw a man come off the
top of the brick wall on to the end of the balance pole. He
was apparently coining out of Bridge's slate-yard. He
jumped off the balance-pole on to the bank. He ran towards
the corner and then back. He stepped back, and began to
gather some stones or brick ends. He said, " I'll either
kill thee or cut thy head off." Another voice cried out,
" Get off with thee—get off with thee • I'll have no more to
do with thee." The voice came from thei stern end of Shep-
perd's boat. The man who got the stones kept drawing
nigher to the vessel. As I passed Shepherd's boat I said to
George Rose, " There's a storm here, I think, George." The
man who was upon Shepherd's boat—l think it was the man
who had gathered the stones—said, " Jem, what must I do
at him ?" There were two persons upon Shepherd's boat ;
one was on deck, and the other partly in the cabin. I said,
" Leave him alone." The man in the cabin was crying out
" Watch," and the other said he did not cars for all the
watchmen in Manchester. He then took his foot, and, as I
thought, gave hint a severe punch. I thought I heard a
slather (slip.) He jumped on the bank, and began rattling
among the slates. I said, " Leave him ; I think thee's done
enough at him." Ile cursed and swore, and jumped on the
hatches, and began to throw slates out on the bank. I did
not hear anything from the man in the cabin after the kick.
I knew the deceased, and I knew him by his waistcoat when
I saw him at the dead-house in Manchester. I could only
swear to the waistcoat, he was so disfigured. I could not
exactly swear to the waistcoat. The man who threw the
stones had on a pair of light-coloured trousers. He had a
weak voice like a lad's ;he was speaking in a passion. I can't
say whether the prisoner is like him or not. My name is
James ; the man called me " Jem." I don't know the pri-
soner at all. There are many knows me that I don't know.
By the JUDGE.—I saw a lad on the contrary side of the
canal, who shouted something which I thought was " come
back."
James Howarth sworn.—l am a waiter at the Brownsfield
Tavern. On the 21st of March I was so. The Brownsfield
Tavern is about 150 yards from Bridge's slate-yard. On the
afternoon of the 21st of March, Wm. Cheetham and John
Cheetham were at the tavern, and the prisoner. Between
six and seven the deceased went away, and the prisoner went
out a little after. The prisoner asked Shepherd, the owner
of the boat, for some money, but he refused to give him any.
They were all in liquor except Mr. Shepherd. I saii the
prisoner about nine o'clock. He suppered his horse, and
then had a pint of beer. Jars. Howarth and Jas. Cheetham
were in the house. Prisouer told me that some one had been,
and beaten William shamefully. That was all be said about
it. He soon after walked out. I did not hear Howarth say
anything to him. The prisoner had a pair of light-coloured
trousers on, and a waistcoat on, and a waistcoat with sleeves.
I did not see any more of him that night. Howarth said
something about Cheetham's boat being robbed. Between
Ave and six, next morninj, I saw the prisoner. I saw him
again about nine, he was inquiring for the captain. He said
he could not find the captain. • " If he could have waked
'William, they would have gone with the boat. He (William)
has such a face as you never see." One of our servant girls
said " have you gotten nobody to him. lie replied—" no,
he only bleeds at the nose a little—l think he'll do in a bit."
He went away, and the captain (Clayton) and theprisrer
came back in a short time and said, " William's dd
shall we find a policeman ?" The captain tearsea
s
eyes. The prisoner had not time to go to the boat when 1
Ile
went out; he only went a short distance and met the captain.
James Howarth sworn.—l am a boatman, and I live at a
Boreshaw Clough. I belong to a boat owned by John Cheet-
ham. On the afternoon of the 21st of March I and Satnuel
Cheetham left our boat, and I returned about six. I re-
mained about half en hour, and then went to the Brownsfield
Tavern. My boat was on the Piccadilly basin; there was a
lock between my boat and Shepherd's. I returned to my
boat about half-past seven. I remained till about a quarter):
past eight. I left my boat then in the same place. I went
to Brownsfield Lnu to give my horse its supper, and on my
return the boat was shifted nearer to the lock. I found that
three towing-lines and a pair of trousers had been stolen.
When I diseovered the robbery I went to the Brownsfield
Tavern and told the waiter. The prisoner sat in the tap-
room. When I said the lines had been stolen, he said "have
they." I asked him if they would lend us a line. He said
he would. He mild not say one word about his own boat
having been robbed, nor about the man who was dead. This
was about nine o'clock. I went back to the boat and Samuel
Cheetham and I took it throueh the lock. We fastened her
alongside Shepherd's boat. When we got there the prisoner
cried out "Jeer," and asked us if we had any matches. I
said no, and he asked if we had any sulphur. I said we had,
and 1 took a piece about half as big as an egg. He tried to
make a fire and he could not. He went to Mrs. Jackson's
at the lock-house_ fora light. It was then about half-past
nine.
.tip to this time he had not said one word about the
deceased. The prisoner gave ine a piece of dry line, and I
went and got a light which was handed to me over the wall.
I gave him the lighted rope and followed him into the cabin.
I assisted him to make a fire. I i
the bed : the sleeves of his shirt were bloody. He said deceased sitting on
dun i'tli cabin," and the prisoner responded, it ," it was
as done in
with
the street." The deceased had been testinghis head for-
wards towards his knees, but he raised himself up. One said
it was done in the cabin, and the other in the street, two or
three times over. I then came away. • I went next morning
about six o'clock for the hauling line which he had promised
to lend me. The prisoner was in bed; and the deceased, with
his clothes on, lay with his back on the bed, and his feet off.
I asked the prisoner if he would find me the line, and he said
he would. He gut up and dressed himself. He had to heave
the line from under the bed. As soon as he had got dressed
lie shouted out " 13111 ;" bat as the deceased did not stir, he
got hold of each arm, and shook him, and kicked him on the
bottom of his shoes. Ile pulled hini off the bed ou to the