The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1844-08-13 00:00:00

THE ASSIZES : TFIE CALENDAR.—The commission for
the southern division of this county will be opened, in
this town, on Thursday next, before the Lord Chief
Baron and Mr. Justice Cresawell, and the trials will be
proceeded with on the following day, at twelve o'clock.
There are 83 prisoners for trial at these assizes, of whom
one (Owen Leonard) is charged with the murder of his
wife. This is the only charge of direct and wilful murder,
and the particulars, as they appeared at the inquest, were
fully given in our paper of Tuesday fortnight. Seven
prisoners are charged with attempts at murder, and six
with manslaughter. Amongst the attempts to murder,
some are of a very bad complexion. One of the cases is
that of a man, James Burgess, who is charged with having,
at Heap, endeavoured to strangle his wife (Amelia) by
fixing his hands on her throat. Another case is that of
John Murphy, charged with having at Salford, mixed
oxalic acid in a tea-pot, with intent to poison his daugh-
ter-in-law. Five persons are under charge of uttering or
making false coin. The other offences in the calendar
are of the usual description, such as burglaries, highway
robberies, aggravated assaults, &c. We learn that Owen
Leonard (charged with the murder of his wife in this
town) his rather in low and desponding spirits; but that,
with apparently all his faculties, he does not appear to be
in that state of depression that might be expected. He
seems to think that he has done wrong, and that his life
may be forfeited ; but is not so acutely affected as might
be expected from a man in his awful situation.
EMBEZZLEMENT BY A CLERK.—At the Police-court,
on Friday, a respectably dressed young man, named Chas.
Alexander Pritchard, was charged by his employer, Mr.
Robert Singlehurst, merchant, of Cross-chambers, Red-
cross-street, with embezzlement, to the amount of about
£260. Mr. Singlehurst stated that the prisoner was an
apprentice, and during the last twelve months he had been
the cashier; and, having heard several accounts of his
extravagance, he called upon him on Wednesday last to
make up his accounts immediately. He did so, and the
result showed a deficiency of upwards of £260, which he
said he had lent to a friend of his, whose name he would
not reveal, whatever was the consequence. Mr. Edward
Clarke, merchant, of Temple-court, was called in, and to
him the prisoner said, in the first instance, he had lent
the money. Mr. Clarke, in reply, observed that it would
be a great satisfaction to Mr. Singlehurst to know who
had his money ; and, after some hesitation, he said he had
lent £250 to a Miss Plant, who lived at No. 27, St. Vin-
cent-street, for three weeks. Subsequently he drew up,
of his own accord, a statement of how he had disposed of
the money, from which it appeared that he had spent a
great deal in disreputable houses. He made no defence,
and he was committed for trial at the next sessions.—Mr.
Singlehurst suggested that some of the property might be
found at the house in St. Vincent-street. Mr. Rushton
said there might be little doubt of that ; but it was a mat-
ter which had better be left in Mr. Dowling's hands, who
would recover all which could legally be recovered.
ZOOLOGICAL GARDENS.—ENGAGEMENT OF JULLIEN.
—We had the pleasure yesterday of attending the morn-
ing concert, given at these delightful gardens, by that
first of orchestral chiefs, Mons. Jullien. The day, un-
fortunately for the spirited proprietors, who had provided
the treat, was rather lowering in the morning ; and hence,
we fear, many of our fashionables, and especially of our
fair, were deprived of the opportunity of making their ar-
rangements. The weather, however, disappointed the
weatherwise. It turned out splendid ; and a sufficient
number of visitors took advantage of the opportunity of
a bright sun and a cool air, to listen to harmony such as
is seldom heard in our town. The gardens themselves
were in beautiful order, the very showers which, in the
early part of the day had threatened damage to the plea-
sure of the visitors, contributing, by the fragrance which
they conferred upon tree and flower, to give increase of
delight. We shall not attempt to give a critique of the
entertainment. All we shall say is that it was really
worth the money and the walk, and much more, had we
even had bad weather for our companions. Some of the
pieces played were magnificently given—especially the
‘ Post Horn Galop," in which Herr Koenig, on the com-
mon post horn, was splendid. The selection from " I
Puritani" was beautifully given ; and the " English Qua-
drille" —a medley, comprising some of our first com-
monest gallery favorites, was a unique affair, We can-
not, short as our notice of this performance is compelled
to be, omit to giving our mede of praise to Herr Koenig,
whose cornet.a-piston was beautiful, and Prospere, whose
orpbecleide was most magnificent. The performances of
these two are in themselves a concert; and the flute of
Mr. Richardson is scarcely less to be applauded. It will
be seen that to-night Mons. Jullien takes his benefit.
Every lover of music, who can appreciate the splendid
programme given, should attend.
A WOMAN KILLED BY HER HUSBAND.—On Tuesday
night last the neighbourhood of Wallgate, Wigan, was
thrown into excitement and alarm by information that a
man named William Swanton had killed his wife by kick-
ing and otherwise ill-treating her. Swanton has been
an overlooker at a mil!, and was respected in his situation.
The deceased Ann Swanton, by whom her husband had
eight children, lived in Victoria-street with her family.
She was not, it is said, addicted to drinking. Frbm the
evidence at the inquest, it appeared that deceased had
been washing clothes during the day, and from some
cause or other had gone to bed before Swanton came
home from his work, and, it is said, instead of finding his
supper prepared and the house in order, he discovered the
deceased in bed intoxicated, and the family. In what
way he had assaulted her is only known from his own ad-
mission. A daughter, 16 years old, who worked at the
same mill, said that when she went home that night,
about eight o'clock, she found her father in the house,
and her mother ill. She asked what was the matter with
her, and her father said " He was sorry be bad done it,"
and appaaraa much, ..freotoa. He sent her for a doctor,
and she brought Mr. Pinnington. Her rather carried her
mother down stairs and placed her in a chair. The doc-
tor bled her, and gave her a little brandy, and her father
carried her up stairs to bed. "He said "he would never
strike her again, if she got better." He asked her several
times to speak to him, for the sake of himself and children,
and her mother blessed him. " She said " Bless thee
Bill" three times. Mr. Goblin was afterwards sent fur

to read to her, and he was doing so when she died about
eleven o'clock. Mr. Pinnington, the surgeon, who at-
tended her, bled her—a strange way of restoring life
under the circumstances. There was a pool of blood on
the floor; the pulse was gone at the wrist, and he at first
thought her dead. A stream of blood flowed from the
lower part of the body. The prisoner said that "he be-
lieved he had kicked her there." There was a wound on
the lip, which he said was done by a blow with his fist.
He afterwards said " Thou should not have been drunk,
and I should not have done this to thee." All efforts to
restore her failed, and she died as stated. She smelled
strong of drink when he got to her. The prisoner, it ap-
peared, gave himself up to the police. This witness and
Mr. Latham made a post mortem examination. There
was a bruise on the right leg, and the bladder was found
to be ruptured through the whole extent of four inches :
other serious injuries were also observed, the effect of
kicks or blows, and those together had caused death.
The jury returned a verdict of " Manslaughter," and the
prisoner was committed for trial at the assizes. Mr.
Grimshaw, the other coroner, had another inquest on the
body on Friday, with a similar result.
MELANCHOLY SUICIDE.—An inquest was held on Fri-
day before P. F. Currie, Esq., at the Coroner's Court, on
the body of a respectable person, named Samuel Lewth-
waite, aged 24, a mathematicalinstrument maker, who
had, on Thursday afternoon, shot himself with a pistol.
It appeared from the evidence of Mrs. Sarah Potter, that
on Tuesday last the deceased took apartments from her
for his sister-in-law and her family, situate in Fairclough-
row, Mill-lane, Evert on. The parties took possession of
the lodgings on Wednesday. On Thursday afternoon the
deceased visited his sister-in-law, when shortly after
hearing the report of fire-arms and screams, she ran into
the parlour where the parties were, and found the de-
ceased bleeding from his ears. She immediately procured
medical assistance. but the deceased died the same even-

ing. Mrs. Lewthwaite, the sister-in-law of the deceased,
stated, that he engaged the lodgings for her at the house
of the last witness, and met her at Dublin on Sunday, for
the purpose of accompanying her to Liverpool. He ap-
peared in his usual health and spirits. On Wednesday
evening she saw him, when he appeared rather low, and
stated that he was about to start for London the next
morning. On Thursday, however, about two o'clock in
the afternoon, witness was sitting in her parlour, with the
window open, when the deceased made his appearance be-
fore it, but did not speak. She opened the door and he
walked in. He then said, " I suppose you did not ex-
pect to see me ?" She replied she did not. Nothing fur-
ther passed for a few minutes, both standing together in
the room. She then heard the report of fire-arms, and
on turning round the deceased gave a great sigh, raised
his hand to his forehead, and said, " 0 my God, it will
soon be over with me—l shan't see any person longer."
She then ran out of the room and called out for assistance.
The surgeon stated that the deceased had shot off his right
ear, fractured part of his skull, and injured the carotid
artery. The ball, which was a brass one, and produced,
had passed to the back of the head, and lodged under the
brain. He died the same afternoon. The uncle of the
deceased and Mrs. Ann Smith, of Bridgewater-street, i
with whom the deceased lodged, were next examined as
to the state of his mind, but they had not observed any-
thing particular with respect to him. The former de-
posed to the deceased having shown him a letter from a
young lady of respectability residing in London, to whom
he was engaged to be married, and bad promised to ask
her father's consent. This and two other letterse young
produced. One was the copy of a letter toe the y
h couched
lady in question, and the others were from
tated that she had
in terms of attachment. Mrs.
and immediately
by the postman on Thursday moorunse.
given a letter to the deceased,
This letter, though
after receiving it he had left thenhot
alsSoomdiescserapsd of poetry
be found ; therefore,
diligently searched for, cc..utledly
led to the sad catastrophe
the cause which had
degreeimmediately
of
obscurity. A letter from
was involved in some Awas discovered, but as it had
the father of the decease
and domestic affairs,it threw
reference to pecuniary
and domestic affairs, it threw no
additional light on the mattwShmiciithnngwa,as handed to her
cre
to solicit the
overe . The l love sonnets w
and several
observed, that the young lady residing at
de-
ceased's aunt ,
on the of her nephew,
the daughter of a
Goldsworthy-terrace was London mer-
chant,Goldswor respectable connections ; that
of very, it was a
" looking op ' part,
hand of such a gentleman s daughter, and that she should
not be at all surprised if the letter he had received was
a rejection of his proposal. The jury returned a verdict
additional light on the
of felo de se; and the body was interred, at twelve
o'clock on Saturday night, in the parish b • l uria -ground,
of course without the usual funeral rites being performed.
A PRIZE FIGHTER APPREHENDED.—Monday week
was the day appointed for the fight between Harris
Birchall,. of Liverpool, and Charles Jones, of Manchester,
for 430 a-side ;to come off within three miles of Stock-
port. The parties began to select their ground near the
railway station, Wellington road North. The authorities
having, however, got information of the affair, Birchall
was apprehended near Heaton Norris. Jones contrived
to get out of the way. Articles of the peace were exhi-
bited before the Mayor against Birchall, and he was held
to bail for his good behaviour for twelve months.