The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1843-04-11 00:00:00

--...laim---

CROWN COURT.—SATURDAY.
(Before Mr. Baron PAUL E.)
THE ST. HELENS MURDER.
Wilmot Buckley, aged 22. painter, was indicted for the
wilful murder of Elizabeth Buckley, his wife, at Ecclestq!
near St. Helens, on the 27th November last. According t°
the calendar he could read and write imperfectly.
The occurrence created a great sensation at the time, w-lo
did not appear to have abated, for at eight o'clock ell tatdi
seats appropriated to the ladies were filled with elegsli
dresSed females, and long before his lordship took his °
every avenue leading to the court was crowded.
His Lordship took his seat at a quarter past nine. ell
The had a respectable appearance, and wag v'T'
dressed for his station in life. He had on a suit of blacki
and a black silk handkerchief about his neck. He walk%
up to the dock firmly, and pleaded not guilty with rather -
weak voice.
Dr. Brown appeared for the prosecution, and Mr. Jamei
defended the prisoner.
Dr. BROWN stated the particulars of the case with 0311,
calmness and judgment, and called the following s'll3

nesses
Jane Rigby.—l am the wife of John Rigby, of Green 131,,„
in Eccleston. Our house is just at the entrance of St.
len's, from Prescot. The prisoner and his wife lodged long
me on the 27th September last. They had not been
married. She on that day bad been at home the greater paore
of the day. He went to church that afternoon, and' e6:00
home a little after four. They went out together a
after that. I heard no difference between them all the tom
they were with me. The deceased, on going out said, 'oe
Rigby, will you please to leave' the key in the mug under.!ad
door, as Wilmot and I are going out for a walk." They D,oo
sometimes on Sunday gone out for a walk. I was in
habit of leaving the key in that place. I went out naY6'd
about six, and left the key when she desired me. I return...„
eis
'
a little past seven, and found the key where I left it. I t`7o,
the key and opened the door, and. put the key back aglet
About a quarter before nine the prisoner came in. He j.
himself in through the front door, which was unlocke...„
When he came in he said, " Mrs. Rigby, has Elizabeth en°
home ?" and I said, " No." He then said, "We went.
the Bird-in-hand to have each a glass of rum, and in canted,
I stopped at a lane end near where Samuel Clough livtoa
(Clough lived near St. Helens, at a•place•hetween Mnrd
House and the Bird-in-hand.) I told her to go on, °tea
would Overtake her ; I did not 'stop more than eight or. r,
minutes before I walked after her, expecting to overtake
but I did not, and I asked two or three people I Wet if: t"of
met a woman of that description. I could hear nothing
her.' I thought she had, perhaps, gone to my sister MarYnot
who lives in the town, and 1 have Leon, but she was or,
there." I said she is, perhaps, at Mrs. Barker's next d?... 0
He said, " I cannot tell ; I will make a fire at all events'
He made a fire in his own room, where they 'usually sa,t,' seJ
went into Mrs. Barker's, and said, " She is not there ;
he then went into the parlour to his brother-in-law, the
band of Mary, the prisoner's sister. He stopped in ter-
quarter-past nine. I was awoke by the prisoner at a quartette
past eleven, who said, " Mrs. Rigby, I cannot find Eliza)-oto
nowhere." I said, where have you been, and he went lio jetli
his bedroom ; and he said, Why, Mrs. Rigby, her
could not think of stopping, as she has left her keys 0' she
box." I said, no ' • bow could she intend to stop, when: br•
told me to leave the key. I heard no more of him that nto.,
I got up about half-past five next morning, and lighed
dle, and went to his bedroom door. I called out, 1871";
once, and he did not answer ; and I then called osi,.; at.",
and he answered. I said, Elizabeth has not come. He -o'o
" No.": I then told him to get up, and see if she had foot
to Ashton. He got up soon after, and left the house 6,110
half-past six. Deceased had said that her mother 'lle I
her to be confined at Ashton. She was near her titile'if s
did not see the prisoner again until Wednesday. I,..ess 00
handkerchief, near where the body was lying in a stanws'el6
Monday, about eight in the morning. A man of the %op
of Glover was there. It was Elizabeth Buckley'slian"
chief, and was bloody.
onCrosssexamined.—l had not the handkerchief in my 44 on
that morning, though I had when I put her into the enim,"
Wedneiday. He was in the habit of being away for the els
in search of work, and returning on Saturday night. itbet
ways appeared kind to his wife. When they went out
self.
P'
appeared on good terms. She sometimes expressed
ooa
as being jealous of other young women, but generally in fair
humour, and never appeared in a bad temper when corni' r
ing of this. I told her never to mind unless she saw lead
thing herself; for, I said, jealousy damns many a 6°1)0.0
commits many a murder. She was at this time in Pe
good humour.
Peter Robinson said,—l keep the Bird-in-the-Ha-11'4A nor
lic-house. I.know Green Bank. It is about a mile Ira; the
house. The prisoner and his wife came to our hous?..,etaer'
27th N6vernber, and had each a glass of rum anas- bed,
;
They Were in a room by themselves. They remainenher
a
half an bout . They appeared
quite comfortable together
the tirrio.
the
ter Chadwick, a groom living at Eccleston, about 6 qthe
ter of a mile from the Bi;c1-in-the-Hand. I was rtes
place where the body was found on the night of the 27;1 telce
venaber, about half-past six, on my way home. It won' Ole
me a few minutes to get home. I heard a noise a shortre" ea'
after I got home—like a great shout—like the shout of A
I :cannot tell what direction it came for. e. •
Cross-examined.-,-I never heard such a noise bef°,rd
was startled by it. In consequence of the noise I t°'
wife to shut the door.
Its s he
Thom as Littler, of Windle, who deposed as foTartig tk"g was employed in sinking a coal-pit in a field adjoin&
turnpike-road at Cornbshop-brow, in Eccleston. or.;
28th Niosember, about something past seven, I left 0'3'000;
to go to George Morton's, who lives at one of the new, es6?o
at the flop of Combshop-brow, to borrow a spade.
down stairs, and on looking through his pantry windsh el'it •
the direction of the place where I had been working, 7d, '`
•" Thomas, what lies yonder ?" and, on looking, 1,485 i lt., ft
is either a man or a woman ;" and I went to 100 k 'ter iej
:found it was the body of a Woman, lying rather on ' istin
s he
side, with one side of her face covered with blood.
that her throat. was cut deeply. There was a e„,i(lt:elsoreh-e
wound like a white pocket handkerchief torn. .1"`"
was dressed in black, and blood was on her left site teed
had her bonnet on. It was tied under her chin. d los!,
gloves on, but they not bloody. I turned the body alla
under it a pair of scissors with a chain attached, 06'0000
ble. I went to Glover, the constable. I took the oil,
found in my pocket. I told Glover to go to the body' 1164
I afterwards saw at the Eccleston Arms public-house was on
the handkerchief in the throat, and part of it, which
the ground, I left there.
Cross-examined.—There is a trodden path close 1)1 lib::
the body lay.
celests'
James Glover.—l am a constable at • cone do
I met the last witness on the 28th November, and ifoil%
quence of what he told me I went to the body-. s.„t 6,6 of
thimble under the body. I searched, but coniaf;tabifet.
knife. I took the rag along with the body to the poi
the Eccleston Arms. I put the thimble 03Y • the
(The articles were produced.) 3I
well/ 811(1,.ere Cross-examined.—l know the path very
.4•ol'.se body was five or six yards off. s boos 0 is•
William Storey, superintendent of police.---1 ded ts or
Chadwick and Makin live, (A plan was here bans.) I
witness,, and he marked upon it where they liveuye'robr'4o.
ceived information of the murder on the 28th NO tones
went in search of Walmot Buckley ; I was gnine'rniljg /lc
Ashton, and met with the prisoner about elesenotber.r
wards St. Helens with his father and his wife's Ens out 6.se?
was nearly'two miles from St. Helens. I then go'ooesspe pe
gig, and said to him, " What have you done with Y_
strsog I
and he said he had lost her. I said it was rathe_r: &Pori
should lose his wife, and told him I would setiroc;ooe,iel pot
found in his pocket a large clasp knife, which, HO ils•Q
observed a little blood on the blade. I said, Its, ea'
come to have this blood on the knife." He sa,',`-`lii, cost ars
blood, but red paint." I then told him to PIT .be eo's
He did not do so, And I pulled it off. I founass's e ; -Ide
smeared with blood. I said, " This is enougtynie 056
charge you with the murder of your wif(e.kbe wittrolllClsl,o
reply. I convoyed him to the lock-ups. „he fisi 'to f
detailed the circumstances about going into s
~ettinfcg,
his
are given afterwards in the confession.) On eoth./tied hoe
lock-ups I told him the charge again. He saidsspornsot the
searched him, and found six half-crowns. hies, are ;;01
trousers. Whilst I was doing so he said, `,.1 "we; Li§ be..o.
trousers I had on yesterday • they are 81' .__nt to lc
black ones. I went to his lodgings, and av' toast!
room. Mrs. Rigby was in the room with tia.eLb 0%0 pro'f
session of a coat, waistcoat, and trousers, vg,l_l.,' be :004,
box (which was afterwards said by Mrs. Itigt, deft s' foods
Boner's). There is blood at the inside of
bt“reeeebe,_sioig"..tor"
the coats on the trousers also, on the le- she sits
and visible still. I found a candlestick in