Stockton Herald, South Durham and Cleveland Advertiser. — 1890-02-22 (Stockton-on-Tees, Cleveland, England)

MURDER OF A STEPMOTHER.  PRISONER SENTENCED TO DEATH.  At the Westmoreland Assizes on Thursday, at Appleby—before Mr .Justice Charles—John Metcalfe (33), farmer's son, was placed in the dock charged with the wilful murder of Rosamond Metcalfe, his stepmother, at Long Marton, on Saturday, the 30th November last. The ease caused considerable interest in and about the Court, hundreds being unable to gain admittance. Prisoner was well-known throughout the locality, and was a member of the Westmoreland and Cumberland Yeomanry Cavalry. in which regiment several of his comrades were doing duty as halberdiers, forming part of the High Sheriff's pageant. He was well dressed, am7i apparently bore his position with much conqo tare; altogether, from his personal appearance tic was the least likely to commit a crime of such um, mama barbarity. Mr Henry and Mr Dickinson prose.. cuted; and Mr Shea, Mr Mallinson, and Mr Nicholson were retained for the delence.—Mr Heury guys an outline of the circumstances which led up to the commission of the horrible crime. P:isoner, his father, and step-mother, formed the family. On Saturday morning, the 23rd November, the prisfiner and his step-mother quarrelled at breakfast sheet some eggs, which she accused hien ,of stealing. On his return from Appleby Market I at half-past one they were heard renewing the qua r-1 eel in the front kitchen, and angry words passed between them. His stepmother was standing at a table, apparently filling a lamp with paraffin. Prisoner was not in the house more than the minutes when he hurriedly pushed. the servant girl in the back kitchen. Prisoner rushed himself past with his face and clothes covered with blood. The servant at once alarmed the neighbours, and the poor woman was found lying on the floor in a pool of blood; her face itnd head presented a Lorrible spectacle. The police at Appleby were at once communicated with, and in a field house belonging to his father, about half a mile away, they found Metettlie deeply imbedded in the hay, and his clothes wet and a gun. ishot wound on the under side of his right ttrat. Hie first enquiry was, "Is she dead?" and hz;n4 told 1 she was, he replied, 'The gun went off p..cetdentally."—Dr. Smith, who made a post-en,riern era amination of the body ‘:.f the deceased woman, said the right side of her head was a mass of pip and blood and bones.—Mr ghee, in the course of a long and eloquent speech for the defence, held than . prisoner had been attacked by the unfortunate . woman with the gun, and that, having a shot fired at him, prisoner had %trunk her and inttieled the ' fatal injuries of which evidence had been given.— : The Judge, in summing up, laid special emphasis . on the absence of evidence as to what teck place in the kitchen.—After an absence of an hour and • half, the jury returned a verdict of guilty, with • strong recommendation to merey.—The Judgs ) passed sentence) of death in the usual form.  An elderly maiden lady named Boughton Leigh was burned to death at 23 Upham-read, Chiswick, London, early on Monday morning, while sleeping. The Government have decided to erect e the expense of the Slade a monument to the isio Conn. Andrassy.  V  1f  ohc ow Col Ito tar -111  V sib gld  WY be Om OW  PO tal As Fa Jai  the off Bo Th