The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1842-07-29 00:00:00

THB PRESTON MURDER,

Peter Whittle, aged 31, was indicted for the wilful mur-
of his wife, Sarah Whittle, at Preston, on the 7th of May
last.

Mr. linuro's appeared for the prosecution, and Mr.
BRANDT defended the prisoner.
The first witness called was

Anne "Whittle, mother of the prisoner, who stated that the
prisoner and his wife lived with her and her husband. On
Saturday, the 7th of May, witness was sitting in the house
sewing, and the prisoner and his wife were behind her.
Hearing a noise, she turned round and asked what it was.
She received no answer, but immediately after she caught the
prisoners wife in her arms whilst in the act of falling, and
led her to the front door, finding she was bleeding profusely
from the throat. The prisoner then went into the kitchen.
Shortly after witness saw him sitting on a chair with his own
throat cut, and a razor in his hand. The prisoner and his
wife had lived with witness since their marriage about
seven years ago. They lived very comfortably together, and
appeared very much attached to each other. They had had
no quarrel that day at all.
In her cross examination she stated that the prisoner had
lately been low spirited, and since he had become so he had
been more kind to his wife. They had not even an angry
word during the last two years. A few days before this
matter happened, the prisoner came to her in the night, and
said he thought he was poisoned, and the next morning he
complained that his head was so swollen that he could not
get his hat on, but witness did not perceive anything amiss
with it.

Mary Whittle, daughter of the last witness, deposed to the
prisoner coming into the kitchen on the afternoon in ques-
tion, and that on his way he had his hand to his throat,
which was bleeding. She said to him, " Oh, Peter, don't,"
and then ran out screaming.
Thomas Whittle, the father of the prisoner, deposed to
being engaged weaving in the cellar when the matter hap-
pened. He ran up stairs, and found his daughter-in-law
lying in the lobby bleeding. He asked who it was, and she
replied it was Peter. Witness then found the prisoner in the
kitchen, sitting on a chair, bleeding from his neck, with a
razor in his hand.

Mr. W. Walker, surgeon, of Preston, said, he was sent
for to Whittle's house, on the afternoon of the ith May
last. He found the prisoner's wife with two large wounds
on her throat. She was bleeding very much, and died in a
few minutes after his arrival. He then examined the pri-
soner. He was insensible from loss of blood, having two
wounds on his throat. In his cross-examination the witness
stated that the prisoner had called on him a few days pre-
viously, and complained that his head was swollen so large
that he could not get his hat on. Witness remarked that he
saw nothing amiss with his head, on which he said " Look
at my arm." He did so, and faund he had the nettle rash.
That would, no doubt, produce some degree of nervous ex-
citement.
Mr. BRANDT at great length addressed the jury for the
defence, contending that the facts of the case clearly showed
he was not at the time in such a state of mind as to be ac-
countable for his actions.
The learned JUDGE having summed up the case, the jury,
after a consultation of about twenty minutes, acquitted the
prisoner on the ground of insanity.
The learned JUDGE ordered him to be kept in safe custody
until her Majesty's pleasure be known.