The Potteries Examiner : — 1878-11-09 (Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, England)

TRU SIIRIWRBURY MURDER.  Thomas Humphreys, 50, spinner, was charged with the wilful murder of his wife, Ann Humphreys, at Shrewsbury, on the 30th of August. The prisoner, who was accommodated with a seat in the dock, appeared to be in a very weak condition. When arraigned, he admitted killing his wife; but on the nature of the charge being explained by his Lordship, he said he did not in.  tend to do it. Mr. Boughey prosecuted; and, at the request of his Lordship, Mr. Darling defended the prisoner.—ln opening the ease, Mr. Boughey said he thought the jury would have no doubt that the deceased met with her death at the hands of her husband; but the chief question for them to decide was, whether at the time of the„oceorrence the prisoner was resnonsible for his actions. The prisoner bad been married to the deceased some twenty years. He was a cloth weaver by trade, but in consequence of infirmity of health, proceeding from a succession of epileptic fits, he was unable to follow any occupation. He generally remained at home and slid the housework, his wife supporting the family as forewoman at a shirt-making establishment at Shrewsbury. They lived at 68. Cotton-hill, which they rented from the landlord of a neighbouring pnblic-house, the Bird-inHand, Mr. Tomkiss. Next door to them lived Mrs. Thomas, a widow, and both she and Mr. Tomkiss would prove the deceased and her husband had been living on apparently happy terms in their married life, and both were peaceable, sober people, bat that at times he had had fits the prisoner exhibited a very peculiar manner. On the morning of the 30th of August &boat four o'clock, Mrs. Thomas heard a rembling and wrestling noise in the house, occupied by the prisoner, followed by loud groanings. She colieltyled from this that prisoner was in a fit. At seven o'clock Mrs. Thomas got up, and hearing the groaning noise again she thought Mrs. Humphreye, who WAS rather hard of hearing, hod not heard bee- husbands groans, and was not aware that he was in a fit. She went to the bock door, and being unable to gain an entrance went round to the front. She repeated this several times, but could not get in. She then went and told the landlord, Mr. Tomkiss. The latter, finding that an entrance could not be obtained by means of the doors obtained a ladder and got in through one of the upstairs windows, followed by Policecon. stable Jones. In the bedroom they found a large pool of bloo 1, in which was a knife. On looking down the stairs they found the prisoner and his wife lying at the bottom. The woman was quite dead, haring eleven wounds in various parte of the body, and the prisoner was bleeding from seventeen wounds' principally on his left side. On being raised from the floor he was extremely violent, and resisted the efforts to remove him. He was token to the Infirmary, mad for a long time be treed to strike the doctor and those who were attending him—Evidence Wft9 then called in support of this statewent. All the witnesses agreed that after prisoner had had fits he acted strangely.—lfie Lordship having summed op. the jury. after a short consultation, acquittml the prisoner on the ground of insanity.—His Lordship ordered the prisoner to be detained during her Majesty's pleasure.