The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1840-12-01 00:00:00

CASE OF WILFUL MURDER.

An inquest was held on Eriday, before P. F. Curry, Esq.,
on view of the body of John Lewis, a seaman of the New
York packet ship " George Washington."
William Atkins, a seaman of the same ship, said that he
knew the deceased, who was a seaman on board that vessel.
On Friday week the deceased and witness went to a board-
ing-house in Denison-street, to breakfast ; and whilst there
the deceased fell backwards from the table. He did not
complain of any thing, and would give no answer to any one.
He had complained a good deal during the week of his head
and mouth. He said that he had been coming along Old-
hall-street the previous Saturday night, and that a man had
struck him, and knocked him down; that he had got up and
knocked the man down; and that four other men set upon
him and knocked him down again, and kicked him. He
told his shipmates the following Sunday, and stated the man-
ner in which he had been assaulted. He was able to attend
his work as usual from that time up to Friday week, until he
fell backwards (as before stated), at the breakfast table. He
came on board the vessel that morning, and took to his berth
about nine o'clock. On the following day a doctor was sent
for, and by his order he was sent to a Mrs. Lilly's, where
the witness lodged. He gradually got worse until Monday
week, when he died. On the forenoon of that day, he com-
plained of great pain in his body ; and that he should not live
long, and that it was through the beating lie had got he
should die.

Hannah Wallace, a servant at Mr. Newton's public-house,
in Denison-street, said that there were several seamen in the
house belonging to the Susquehanna (an American ship),
when the deceased came. Shortly after a disturbance took
place in the tap-room ; and on going down she found a man
lying-on the floor, and six or eight men kicking him when he
was down. She was sure the prisoner (Henry Snider) was
one of the men who kicked him about the shoulders and the
head. The man on the floor was apparently dead. All the
men then went out, and the man recovered shortly after-
wards, and drank a glass of grog. He said he was not much
hurt, and soon afterwards he left the house, and she never
saw him alive again. She accused the prisoner Snider of
abusing the man, and he replied, ",The -, I owed it to
him since the last voyage." There were six men kicking
the man about the head and shoulders.

Eliza Bond said she was in the house at the time, and saw
the deceased there. The deceased knocked against some of
the other men who were in the house, and one of them struck
him, and four or five others abused him very much. He was
knocked down, and they all kicked him, and one of them
lumped upon him.
Eliza Roberts said that the deceased, about seven o'clock,
✓ame to her house in Leeds-street, and remained until twelve
)'clock. She did not see him until the next day, when he
said he had been abused the night before by some men, who
hit him on the head with a stone, and knocked him down. He
also said they had taken a pair of shoes and three shillings
'rom him ; and that the men who had abused him were
unlpers. _

A police-officer (Peter Dutton) said he was on duty on
Sunday morning week, between two and three o'clock, when
the deceased came and knocked at the gate, and said he had
been abused by some men at the Canal Bridge, in Leeds-
street ; that a man had knocked him down and jumped upon
him, and robbed him. He was vomitting a good deal of
blood. Witness sent him to the Northern Hospital.
Mr. Cullan, junr., surgeon, was called to the deceased, on
Saturday, and found him speechless on board the " Wash-
ington," and had him removed to Litherland Alley. The
deceased partially came to himself, and said he had been
icked and jumped upon. He complained of pain in his
head. Witness attended him up to the time of his death,
which took place on Monday. A post mortent examination
of the body was made. On opening the chest, witness found
lymph thrown out from the pleura costelus. The left lung,
was gorged with blood caused by the rupture of a blood ves-
sel, which was the cause of death, and the result of very se-
vere external injury. No natural causes could have produced
the particular appearance of the lungs. The parencryma was
completely destroyed. A man might live a week or ten days
after receiving such injuries as would produce similar effects.
The intestines were very much inflamed.

The Coroner summed up the evidence in a very explicit
manner, explaining the law of the ease.

The jury returned a verdict of " Wilful Murder against
some person or persons unknown."
The case excited much interest at the Coroner's-office,
which was crowded throughout the day.