The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser. — 1843-09-05 (Liverpool, Merseyside, England)

ALLEGED MURDER AT LIVERPOOL.  John Ronnan, 24, (could read and write well,) stood charged with the murder of Margaret Dillon, at Liverpool, on the Bth Aug. It appeared the deceased was an unfortunate woman of the town, and on the night of the sth of August she went with the prisoner to a brothel in North-street, kept by a person named Deare, and went up stairs to a bed-room, underneath which the parties slept who kept the house. Towards morning a noise was heard as of some persons quarrelling, and the sound of blows, apparently given with the open hand, and Deare and his wife went up stairs, and saw deceased sitting on a pair of bedstocks, and prisoner standing near her. Just as Deare entered the room, the deceased fell backwards, and her head came in violent contact with the floor, where she lay for some minutes apparently dead. A police-officer was then sent for, and on his arrival the prisoner had the head of the deceased on his knees, chafing it with his hands. She was quite dead. He had not been seen by any one to strike the deceased, though it appeared he attempted to kick or push her when Deare entered the room. The prisoner said the deceased had fallen down over the bedstead, and that he had not done any thing to her.  Mr. Percival, surgeon, attributed the death of deceased to the effusion of blood on the brain, caused by injuries inflicted on the head, which injuries might have been produced by a blow.  Mr. WILKINS addressed the jury for the prisoner. His LORDSHIP then went over the evidence to the jury, who immediately returned a verdict of acquittal.  ALLEGED MURDER AT MANCHESTER  Jane Oliver, alias Jane Morris, 45, (could read and write imnerfectly,) was charged wtih the wilful murder of Robert Travis, at Manchester. _  Mr. MONK stated the case. It appeared that the prisoner and the deceased Robert Travis lived together at Salford, and were not married. They were both in the habit of indulging in liquor, and on the day in question were in that state. About two or three o'clock in the morning of the 11th April, the watchman who was on duty in Rusaman-street heard a person calling out, apparently in great distress, and soon after saw the prisoner standing on the steps of the Manor Inn, in Salford; and on inquiring what was the matter, she said " I cannot tell you ; but if you will go with me I will tell you." He then went with her to a house in Brunswick-street, and there, in a back room, found a man lying on the floor, with a deep cut in his belly, from which a portion of the intestines protruded. The prisoner said they had had a row, and Travis was going to cut her throat, but she took a knife and stabbed him. The watchman said he would go for a surgeon, on hearing which Travis opened his eyes, and said there was no occasion, as nothing was the matter with him. He was then placed in a chair, and afterwards put to bed, but died the next day. The prisoner was apprehended, and a knife marked with blood was found on a table up stairs in the bed-room. When the officer was taking her away, the prisoner said, " Robert, must they take me?" and he said, " No; no one shall take you, there is nothing wrong with me." The surgeon who examined the body was of opinion that the deceased's death was caused by the wound which he received. Mr. WILKINS made an eloquent appeal to the jury in behalf of the prisoner ; and, after a short consultation, a verdict of manslaughter was returned, with a recommendation to mercy. Sentence, two months' imprisonment.