The Barrow Herald and Furness Advertiser. — 1871-05-06 (Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria, England)

MURDER OF A WOMAN AT BRADFORD.  An inquest was held on Tuesday, by Mr. Win. Barstow, deputy coroner, on view of Elizabeth ' Shepherd, who came to her death on Saturday I morning by fulling from a lofty building at the corner of Manchester-road and Little Horton-lane, Bradford. Three young men, named Richard Gray, Henry Haste, and Samuel Barraclough, on going from a public-house in Bridge-street, Bradford, before midnight on Friday, met with the deceased near St. George's Hall, and at their invitation she accompanied them, when they had got a supply of ale and whiskey, to a workshop of Mr. Rhodes, a wireworker, in the building referred to. Barradough was in Mr. Rhodes's employ and took the party there. They drank for some time, and according to the statement of Barraclough, when apprehended, he and Haste retired at about one o'clock, leaving Gary and the deceased in the garret. Shortly after three o'clock some angry words, which indicated a quarrel between a man and a woman, were heard by police-officer Bower in the adjoining street, and he made an ineffective attempt to discover whence the noise proceeded. In a few minutes after, Bower and another officer, named Thompson, saw the deceased upon the buildings, and also saw her tall to the ground. She fell with her head 1/0011 the pavement, and was instantly killed. The workshop was afterwards found deserted, and Gray left about the time leaving his clogs behind. According to the testimony of Dr. LCSPOII, surgeon, death had been the result of severe fracture of the skull and the destruction of the brain But he said he found offer marks upon her face and person which satisfied him that she had been beaten with a fist. There were three distinct and separate bruises on different parts of the forehead. Her nose was broken and much bruised. There were a number of finger-nail marks about the lower portion of the face and nose. There were considerable bruises on both arms. There was a compound dislocation of the ring finger on the left hand. Theme were a few slight bruises and scratches about the top of the chest. There were bruises and abrasions on the legs. He was of opinion that many of these marks were made by blows from a fist, and that the marks on the arm were received in trying to guard her face from the blows. Another witness, named Wardman, a tenant, on the premises, said he saw many marks of blood on the staircase on Saturday morning, suggesting to him the occurence of a struggle. Other evidence was given that the deceased left her home after six o'clock without a penny in heepossesion, and when her body was taken to the Workhouse 2s. 3d. was found in her stocking. The inquiry which commenced at ten o'clock, did not close till seven in the evening.—The coroner summed up, and called the attention of the jury to the law involved in the case, and directed them as to their procedure. In about an hour the jury (16 out of 18) returned a verdict to the effect: " We find that the deceased, Elizabeth Shepherd, has died from fracture of the skull and the destruction of the brain, by reason of fall from the roof of a shop occupied by Mrs. Frost; such fall being the result of her attempting to escape from the violence of one Richard Gray, against whom we find a verdict of wilful murder."