The Potteries Examiner : — 1878-03-16 (Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, England)

SID AND TRAGICALLY FATAL  OCCURRENCE AT COBRIDGE.  Last Sunday, about half-past five, the startling tidings was spread :wound, causing no small excitement and consternation, that a 'Malan was found dead in a menthol, a little way off Paddock-street, just beyond the Flint Mill on the edge of the Burstein boundary. The deceased is supposed to have met a brutal and violent death at the bands of sent° fiendish miscreants. Her name is Mary Rush, a widow-comae, living at 11, Dale Street. She is the mother of a family. She was seen on Saturday evening last between ten and riven o'clock goiug up Bryan-street in the company of two men, who have been arrested on suspicion. We stall give further details of their examination before the magistrates a: we proceed with the relation of this awful affair. She was seen, it is said, by her daught, aboot nine o'clock ou Satnr.My night, and was then gait, sober. A crowd of people who were attracted to the spot grathered around the hideous scene, brit none seemed resdy .to enter the marlhole until Mr. Bowers, herbalist, of Hope.street, adventured to release her violated reinaills from the clay, whence it was conveyed to the Roe Buck Hopu.stnekt. 'rho body was greatly disfigured. 'no eyes were di.coloun d, considerably dilated, and two indentations were perceptible on the forehead. The left ear also was rather brni,ed. The low,r rortion of her features had a livid hue, and indicated signs of hay. ing received a heavy blow. Subsequently her bonnet an I shawl were found at a brick.oren, mart° where the dead and disfigured body was diseovered. When the body was released it bad neither ohms nor stockings, her clothes were very much torn, and her hair dis. heretic I. A clog also was found near the place. She waft seemingly about forty years of age. Having visited the spot, we are very much impressed that there niust bay,' been a struggle first of all in the oven, from the appearance of some of the tiers of bricks therein placed. Whether dead or alive, or in a dying condition from injuries received at the hand: of her ruffianly assamins, she seems to bave been dragged and pushed • down the elope of the large  clay.pit towards the bottom, t the extreme end o: which her dead and disordered body was found. Thee are marks as 'tware of a female's dress traceable on the side, bet no fort or bootmarks. One of the perpetras tees of this foul and fiendish homicide bad on evidontly a ribbed trouser, from the marks which were observable to the brick-kiln. The impression of her hair is plainly discernible on the snarl and over parts of bee tont where she was found lying on her Lack presenting a most sickening end ghastly sight. There is also tie impress of her naked foot in the soft cloy. As the in. quest proceeds, we shall possibly be able to trace the committal of this diabolical art to the guilty parties. There cannot be a doubt but what the poor worsen ba self could not Lave committed snicide. And if sha bed gltie out of her way and wandered to this grusome as d break.neek locality, instead of being found in tbc state she was, she would have been found with a diSlocat'ed neck and fractured limbs. As the two who were last seen with her are to und,go an examination, WI. wit. Oot prejudge the case by dilatiug tiny further upon it. "Murder will out," lea well-I:twerp, oft.ttnoted mho:, Circumstantial evidence, which at times is as decisive as evidence direct, may providentially 80 link itself by well collated incidents together as to leave no hesitation cm tin minds of everybody that the culpable party has been detected and honestly convicted of the doing to death of poor and unfortunate Mary Rush.