The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1833-12-31 00:00:00

HORRID BRUTALITY.

We regret to have to record, this week, an instance of
the most wanton barbarity which it has ever been our
task to notice. The circumstances of this outrage ap-
pear to have been the following :—About eight o'clock,
on the evening of Tuesday week, a boatman, named
William Kelsay, who was a little in •liquor, met with a
woman of disorderly character, named Sarah Davis, who
was also in a state of intoxication, and they went toge-
ther to the cellar of another woman, named Jane Butter-
worth, in
.Gregson-street. Here they had some gin,
end, on a sudden, Kelsey snatched up a lighted candle
and thrust it into the mouth of Davis. Butterworth in-
terfered and took the candle from him. He then endea-
voured to induce her fo lea've the cellar, by requesting
that she won'i fetch them a quart of ale. She at first re-
fused. feari ',lit he ni4airt to do further injury to Davis;
but at lei went, leaving Kelsav sitting on one
tide five fire u Davis on the other. In her way back
4),:, was rrcet. bZ a nek7hboar, who told tr:•.r that, her cellar
was on fire. She ran and met Kelsey leaving it,
and, as she supposed that he had done some IniSchief, she
'eized and held him till he was given into the custody
of watchman. On several persons entering the cellar,
they found Davis lying on the bed, and her apparel and
the lied-clothes in flames. With great difficulty these
were extinguished; but not before the unfortunate crea-
ture was dreadfully burned all over the'body up to the
neck and race: As she was removed in order to be con-
veyed to the Infirinary, she exclaimed that Kelsay had
burned her to death, and begged that she might be al-
lowed to die where she was. She was taken, however,
tb the infirinary,and Davies, the superintendent of the
watch, being apprehensiie
,that she would not survive,
mentioned the matter, on. Wednesday, to Mr. Foster, at
the New Bailey. The. prisoner was brought up from the
lock-np, and immediately taken to the Infirmary, and, in
the presence of Mr. Foster and Mr. Milne, the woman's
deposition was taken. At this time she had ceased to
feel any pain, and, therefore, supposed that she was not
likely Co die ; and the effect of her deposition was that
▪ a... .aced `L'nat she .1:2.1.4 not reinembe'r
anything, . and di know how her cloths bee.a..ae
fire. Atsix et the same evening she -expire•a.—
vu yesterclay weekan inquestwP3 held
on the• body betel-% Mr. gutter, at the Princess Tavern,
Tashi-street, anti it was adjourned to :Monday evening
last. The principal witness was a woman who was pass-
ing Bufterwor&s cellar, srel.whe, hearing a sort of sup-
pressed scream inside, was prompted by curiosity to look
within, through a chink in the door, when she perceived
Davis lying on the bed, on which Kelsay was holding her
down with one hand, while with the other he held a lighted
candle to her garments. She gave the alarm to Butter-
worth, and they both heard Davis say afterwards that
Kelsey had burnt her to death.—After some deliberation
!be jury returned a verdict of " Wilful murder" against
Kelsey, and he was committed, on the coroner's warrant,
to Lancaster Castle, whither he was sent on Tuesday,
for trial at the nett assizes on the capital charge.—Jlan-
chute?. Guardian..