The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1842-09-20 00:00:00

MANSLAUGHTER,. AT BOLD

On Tuesday last an inquest was held before Mr. Heyes,
at the house of Mr. Priest, the Griffin, at Bold, on view of
the body of Brian Lamer, an Irish labourer, whose death
occurred under the circumstances related in the following
evidence, which was adduced before the coroner and jury
William Lerner stated,—The deceased was my brother.
We both came over to England to get work in the harvest ;
but I came before my brother. We were returning home
last Sunday morning, and went into a public-house a little on
the other side Warrington, kept by the prisoner, Joseph An-
drews, now present. Besides myself and my brother there
were six 01 hers. We called for a quart of ale, and drank it
amongst us. By some means or other the jug and glass were
broken—l believe by Patrick M`Cue. There was some
quarrelling took place amongst ourselves about paying for
them. The glass was paid for, and before we could pay for
the jug the police came in. He struck Michael M'Cue more
than once. My brother also got up, and the police struck
him with his staff somewhere about the head; and then the
prisoner (the landlord) took up the kitchen poker, and
struck the deceased on the top of the head with it, and
knocked him. down. My brother begged that the landlord
would not kill him. This took place some time after 12
o'clock. My brother lay a short time on the form where he
fell, and then he got up, and I went out with him. I turned
back into the house for the sickles, and the police followed
me out, and again struck my brother between the shoulders
with his staff, and also kicked his breech. We then walked
through Warrington, and when we got over the Sankey
Canal deceased asked me to let him rest, as he was killed by
the poker. I let him rest, and smoked a pipe whilst he slept.
Blood came out of his mouth and nose as lie rested. I let
him remain abeut half an hour, and then wished him to go
on, but at that time he could neither stand nor speak. I
therefore took him on my back and carried him to a building
near Bold Heath, where I placed him.up?n some straw. He
never spoke afterwards, but lingered until about II o'clock,
when lie
died. The hat now produced is the one which my
brother wore. It is cut at the top, and is much marked in-
side with blood. lam quite certain that the prisoner is the
person who struck my brother with the poker.
The above evidence was corroborated in every particular
up to the time that deceased and his brother left Warrington
by two of the other Irishmen who were present.
There were two persons besides the pbliceman produced as
witnesses on behalf of the prisoner, and who were in the
house at the time.

ThomasMainstated that he helped the policeman to get
the Irishmen out, as there was a row amongst them. That
he never saw the landlord in the room, and never saw him
strike any one. " I did not see any one knocked down. I
had a poker in my hand, but I never struck any one with it."
Thomas Cason was in the house when the row began.
Saw the Irishmen laying on the policeman with their sticks,
and he was defending himself with his staff. "The landlord
left the kitchen before I did, but I do not know where he
' went to. I never saw any one with a poker."
The third witness on the peat of the landlord was George
Kaye, police constable 103, who stated—l was fetched by
Joseph Andrew's daughter, on Sunday. Found the Irish-
men fighting with their sticks in the tap room. Asked them
to desist. One of them stepped forward and struck me on
my hat. Others struck me before I could get my truncheon
out. I then struck at them. I did not see any other per-
son strike at them. I never saw Joseph Andrews (prisoner)
in the room. When the scuffle was over I saw one of the
Irishmen sitting iy the corner on a form. He got up, and
took my hand, and said he'did not blame me, as it was all
their own fault. One of them gave me sixpence for the
broken jug. One had a bloody head. I never kicked or
struck any one outside the door. After the men were gone
" I heard Thomas Makin [the first witness called for the
prisoner] say that he hit one on the head with a poker, and
he fell, and then he hit another on the shins, who also fell.
This he said of his own accord, in the presence of William
Gerard, Thomas Dibson, and others. 1 never saw any one
with a poker at all."

Mr. Blundell, surgeon, of St. Helen's, made a post mor-
tern examination, and proved the nature and extent of the
injury received by the deceased ; that the wound on his head
was sufficient to cause death ; and that it was his (Mr. B.'s)
opinion that if deceased had had immediate medical aid he
could not have recovered.

After hearing the evidence, of which the above contains
the principal part, the gentlemen composing the jury were
locked up for three hours, when they returned a verdict of
manslaughter against Joseph Andrews, who was consequently
committed to take his trial for the offence.
The prisoner is the landlord of the Dog and Partridge pub.
lic-house, at Poulton, near Warrington.