The Statesman.
London, England, 1823-08-25 00:00:00

CARS:IItVON ASSIZES, Ago. 15.
—rom.—

A WIMP CUARGED WITH Tile MURDER OP Bin maenads. s
The trial of Mrs. Manning for the murder of her husband,
conainenceil at Cimarron on Friday. The parties live near
Bangor Ferry, are respectably connected, and the trial est
cited extreme interest. The Hall Was filled at en early
bone. Mr. CieCK MILE opened the pleadings. folloWe4
by Mr. Weary, the Attorney General, Who stated the. case
fur the prosecution at length, in a very able-and affectiog
speech—The Couniel for the prisoner were Mr. PALMS*
and Mr. BLACaIseRNE.—The prisoner. Elizabeth Manning,.
was charged with petty treason, or a breach of al/es/dance
toe arils, and the wilful murder of her husband, 'Thomas
Bellet Manning. Gees. The Attorney General, in his 1
'Testing to the Jury, said that, if, under the circumstances
Of the case the crime of petty treason could not be eats.
Nisbed against the prisoner, yet, that if the facts were
sufficient to prove murder, tire jury would be justified
in finding the prisoner Guilty of that eriiise natter the im
Chimera.
'flit first witness was Thomas Thenras, *helves at Bans
gor Ferry, opposite the house of the deceased Mr. Manning.
On Monday the 4th inst. at eight o'clock in the evening,
oiliness saw Mr. and Mrs. Manning Walking to Bangor,
the former carrying Mrs. M.'s patters. la the followtog
Wight the murder took place. About three ou that snorniog
witness heard a moaning, which continued ten minutes or
less ; but be thought nothing of it, as they often quarrelled.
He did not make any remelt to his wife before lie went to
s'eep again. There is s stone wall between the house of
witness and that of deceased. At six o'clock whims got
lip, hears! the door of Mr. 'Manning's house shut ; Saw the
shntters closed, and the %%intim, of the bed room open, and
• saw Mrs. N. going up We road. Witnesa afterwards went
to his wort. On his cross examination, witness said, that
when lie saws Mr. and Mrs. Manning walking towards
Ilangor,—they were perfectly friendly. The voice he heard
was meaning and crying—that thought Mrs. M. was cry-
ing. To the best of witness's judgment, the deceased was
rot of sound mind like other men; he teas addicted to pas-
sions, and bash sometimes an appearance of wildness. In
arswer to questions by the Court, he said that lie thought
the words utiered during the moaning were, " I ant gone."
—" I am gone !"—s" Let tile go. '—Quettion.-1111ight
it not be—" lot it go='—Answer,! think it was "let it go."
Emma Thomas, sae of the last witness, said she was awak-
ened by her hushed between two and three in the night in
question: the noise came from the adjoining -house,
one: aas like a woman's voice complaining and crying, which
lasted about teat minutes. Olt cross-examination this witness
said, she thought there had been some dispute between the par-
ties wh•ch occasioned the noise. She did not think the deceased
of sound mind at times. Mr.alaating's voice appeared weak
and low, as if he was poorly ; Mrs M. cried sadly, as if in dis-
tress." I thoincht 1 heard him say " I will go." Mrs. 11. may
have ranee out. 1 did not hear Mrs. M. cry out " Mrs. no-
rms ! Mrs. Thomas ! Moor : Doctor!" She used to men-
tion her distresses to me. 1 believe from my heart she did cry
•• Dort-sr ! Doctor V' I did tell B. Owen, at 7 o'clock in the
mortoetr• that there was n great murder (Murder mawr) com-
mitted st Mr. Muuning's house, and that Mrs. Manning celled
out " Mrs. Thomas !" —" Doctor !" [On her re-examination
by the Attorney-Genernl, site said site did not know of the fatal
occurrence till two o'clock in the afternoon; and that by
•• Murder mawr," she meant " a great disturbance."]
Richard Poole. Esq. said, on Tuesday, Sth Aug. about S '
o'cluc:, Mrs. Manning came to my lodgings in Car-
narvon, mutt agitated ; she did not knock as usual. The
first thing slue said was " I don't know what to do ! Manning
is dead ; he has cot his throat !" She then spewed tue her
band, the foreting‘r of which was cut. 1 got up Immediately,
and Bent my clerk to the Coroner, requesting him to call at
Goldwysfa, that he might know where the house was. We
brenkf-sted. 1 ordered a chaise to Gorldwysfs. On my ar-
rival at Gorilla ysfa, 1 was met by my sisters, and told them'
what had happened. I ennuired for the gardener; he was not
to be found. I then coked the maid servant to go with tie to
the house ; whirls she did. 1 went up stairs, followed by the
serve rt. 1 ssw the hotly of the tleeeased !ling on the bed, his
head toward, time stairs. A sheet was thrown over the body,
and Airs. M. had laid it out. The face was not covered by the
sheet. There al5 an appearance of a mass of blood on the door
and partly washed, as if by a mop.
Cross examined.— I gave the key to the Coroner, and touched
nothing before the inquest. Mrs. Al. sid not aepear to wish to
aeest any tli:oe front me. Sin toU'ff alrnaturaily. 1 Mime
gearmoss open. and any person might have got in. There
wi, bo lock on the room dour. I observed no bundle in the
room. There appeared to have been a great deal of blood,
partly watosed, and several spots around it. My mother did
not inen,ion any facts about washing the blood. Appeared :o
dwell on the e% eat more then any thing rise. Mrs. al. said
alie it at awoke in the night, and saw the deceased with his facie
cut, end that she grappl. d or struggled with him to try to get
Ise thane out of OA 11311 d. She had bold alit, hut be got it from
her lie KO fouler hold, and drawing it she had her finger cut.
Hy Mrs-Cut keraile.—She said he got the razor from her,
threw her tram lint, and said, " Let me alone," and " Let
it alone,- by which she thought the razor sus meant. She
then f timed. (she said.) on seeing him give or about to
give himself a desperate gash. II hen she recovered from
ilpr lit, he aas .i.)itc dead. I can't positively say she said
any thing further then.
Itobt. Roberts, wheelwright, said, that by means of a lad-
der he eotered the room through the window on Tuesday,
at two in the afternoon : Hugh Hughes followed—[Wit-;
nets di scribed the state of the roam and the hotly of the
deceased. istecisely- as stated by) the foregoing witness :]—
be ots,rved nothing particular besides the body, razor, and
ellen towel. Witness touched nothing but went down
etaits and opened the door. Nest day lie attended the Co-
roner's Inquiet, and then saw a bundle, which was found
it the constable :—it was not at all concealed.
-3. Career, Esq. Coroner, was remitted, but his evidence
was fit! imporant.
Mr. John Jonathar said, he met Mrs. Manning on Tues-
day morning, the 51h vat August, about six o'clock going'
towar.ls Cari atvon, . and site asked if the mail had passed;
avitrese answered her " No." I went to the deceased's house
next day, saw the body; searched the loom, and found a bun-
dle of clothes near the stairs, lying oxen. it was easily
foimd, and any one might have seen it. A blanket was
mend it. It centained 2 sheets, 2.pillow eases, a pillow, a
• shier, a chemise, a man's night cap, a woman's night cap,
and one pair of white sharkitigs. There was a good deal
of blood upon some of Hann. 1 did not examine the bed.
Some of the clothes were wet with blood ; some were wet as
having hem washed. I saw 03 razor except in the Coroner's
bend. I have the clothes, which are in the same state as when
found, only dried up. (Pillows and pillow cases produeed.)—
Tntwe is! eat, or test-. on the smallest pillow case. I exa-
mined the shirt. There are same cuts on it. It has only one
sleeve. (Shies produced.)
Mr. Roberta, screeiin, of Bangor, said lie examined the
hotly of the derrased ea Wednesday, the 6th of August.
It was coveted with a sliest ; a bandage was roan 1 the head
and neck; there were two wounds in the throw, and one
from the -right ear atone Pie Juicer jaw to the chin. The
largest wound was sufficient to rause death, it being from,
ills, right ear continued till about three Indies beyond the
left ear. The largest ivqund was not inflicted first. None
of the wounds i werseetrd each other. " I think the largest
ass I was cot from the right to the left, Ives ause I can
harshly think taut a loam in committing suicide, would be-
gin so far us three inches brills% I the tear; and if it was
so cut, it ttttt st hove been done by the deceased's left hand.
There could not bare Wen any iliiference in the wound.
whether it was done by the deceased, or by any other
pewit."
• Coessosamined.—The largest vionnd would have caused
death in half a Minu e ; lie could not have moaned 111 mi-
nutes, nor struggled. The email wounds were indicted
fist. The deceased was a Mtn not likely to be vanquished
IT the prisoner. It is as porthable the act was done by the
riecearsed as by any other person.
Examined Is, the Court.—A razor was romps tent to in
flirt the wonsuls. A man might, with his left hand, italic
such a wound as the large sae. There were sounds on the
left band of the deceased 1 two on the hick, °neon the little