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

MURDER.

John Fagan, alias Patrick Fagan, aged 43, was chargei
with the wilful murder of James Sheridan.

Mr. Armstrong and Mr. Perry conducted the prosecution;
Mr. Murphy the defence.
Mary Sheridan, sworn.—l.am.the widow of Mr. Sheridan.
I live in the Park. On a Thursday in July, 1838, he came
home about four o'clock. The prisoner at-the-bar and his'
brother came with him. My husband was a lumper. When
they came in, they appeared to have been quarrelling. There
was a cut over my husband's eye-when he came in. He said
he had received very bad usage, and he was almost exhausted
by them. The prisoner and his brother said they would have
their money from him, and they would have it or else his
life. I did not then know they had been working for him :
they were then strangers to me. He told them to stop till
the work was done, and they should have their money like
other people. The prisoner said to his brother Charles,
" Lay on him." Charles struck him with his fist. My hus-
band resisted, and they both fell to the ground. The pri-
soner went up to him, and kicked him nearly at the bottom
of his belly, and loosed glades. Charles was uppermost.
The prisoner slapped me with his open hand, and knocked
me down, and then he put his foot upon me to keep me down.
Charles was meanwhile busy enough. My husband had got
up, and after a struggle with Charles, the prisoner joined
him, and they threw my husband down, and both of them
kicked him. Charles kicked him four or five times, after
which the prisoner returned to him, and gave him more than
Charles had given him a good deal. He kicked him very se-
verely about the bottom of the belly. I dare say he kicked
him seven or eight times. He was on the ground then, un-
able to get up. I kept crying murder all the time, and at
length John Burrows came to my assistance. One of the
Fagans went out when Burrows came in, and the other was
still upon my husband. When the two men had gone my
husband was in a very bad state. Burrows helped me to get
him on to the bed, and he remained very bad indeed all the
night. Next morning I sent for Dr. Harbord, who attended
him till he died. He never again ate a bit of victuals, or rose
from his bed, to the time of his death, which happened three
weeks after to the day. I know Patrick Campbell, who I
sent to look for the Fagans next day. Charles was tried for
the offence.
Cross-examined by Mr. MURPH Y.—l am sure it was John
Fagan that knocked me down, and put his foot upon me. I
have always said so.
Re-examined by Mr. ARMSTRONG.—After I had met
Fagan, I went down to the ship, with the intention of getting
an officer to take the prisoner. I saw the prisoner there,
but I did not speak to him. I knew him to be the same man.
No one spoke to him in my presence, but they had been
speaking to him. I beard this from Campbell.
By Mr. Murphy.—l did not see Charles Fagan that morn-
ing. He was transported afterwards.
John Burrows.—l am a labourer in this town. In July
1838, I lived next door to Sheridan. I remember being at
home one afternoon, and hearing cries of murder. I went in
and I found Sheridan in the bed. There was another man
and a woman. . The woman was Sheridan's wife. The man
and Sheridan were in the bed fighting. Sheridan was in the
bed and the man was leaning over. I ran over and pulled
the man off him and put him out of the cellar; There was,
another man standing outside the cellar. Sheridan appeared

as if he had had some drink. There was a little blood on one
cheek. I remained in the cellar about ten minutes, and She-
ridan continued in the bed. I did nOt observe that he made
any complaint.

Patrick Campbell, labourer.—l lived in the house over the
cellar occupied by Sheridan. I was at home in bed when
this occurred. I had my clothes on. I went down stairs
when I heard the noise. I stood at my own door. I saw a
man outside stripped, whom I supposed to have been Charles
Fagan. I went into the cellar and I saw another man. To

the best of my knowledge and belief it was the prisoner.
lle was standing on the top step and looking into the cellar.
He had all his clothes on. He was proclaiming against She-
ridan for the using of his wages. Two police officers entered
the street, and the man who was stripped entered my house

and hid himself under the table. The prisoner stood in the
street telling the people the wrongs that Sheridan had done
him in not giving him his wages. I don't know when the

officers went, but when they went away the prisoner came
into my house. When he entered he began to tell me that
he was much exhausted by separating Charles (his brother)
and Sheridan. I gave Charles a shirt to put on him, and
_ .

after that they went away. I heard one call the other Charles,
and the other call out Patrick. His own shirt was all torn

and dirty. I went the next day to the King's Dock by de-
sire of Sheridan. I saw the prisoner there: He is the same
man to the . best of my knowledge. Isaid—" Fagan, what

fetches you here ?"

He said—'

" Why ?" I said-L'

."-Sheridan

won't live." He said, as near as I can recollect, that he
might die, for he was a great rogue, and he (Fagan) got tre-
mendous abuse between Sheridan and his brother Charles.

I never saw the prisoner from that day till he was recently

taken into custody.

By Mr. MURPHY.—I cannot say that Charles Fagan has a
brother Patrick. I did not this morning say that if they
would shew me Patrick I would not swear to this man, but I
said if they would shew me Patrick Fagan, it would clear the

man at the bar,—because they could
Thomas Quick, a superintendent of police in this town.—
On the 3d of August, 1838, in consequence of information
which I received I went to the cellar of Sheridan in Toxteth-
park. I found him on the bed, apparently in a dying state.
He said he was aware that he could not survive many hours,
and that he had made preparations for the change. He was
a Roman Catholic, and had received the sacrament. He died
on the Ifith. Previously I had received a surgeon's certificate
on the subject.
Henry Gordon Harbord.—l am a surgeon. I was called
in to visit Sheridan on the morning of the,27th July. I found
him very severely beaten about the head and face. Ile com-
plained of intense pain about the belly, and interior vomiting.
I considered him in extreme danger, and informed his wife of

the fact from the first. From the very first I give instruc-
tions to the friends to have the man apprehended, and my

fears of his death increased from day today

I considered