Northern Times. — 1857-07-25 (Liverpool, Merseyside, England)

DRUNK —WELCH IS WORST? STRANGE CASE.— Lavina Hitchman, a wild-looking woman, having the appearance of a drunkard, charged her husband, John Hitchman, a plasterer, living et Lord-street, Edge-hill, under the folloltowing strange circumstances. She began her story in a semi-wild manner, and as she proceeded she became more excited. Her story was not connected, but as well as coal 1 be collected, she said the prisoner had been in the habit of ill-using her for a long time, and was in the constant habit of biting her all over the body, and she had thirty wounds on her body from his biting her. There was no doubt, she said, he was mad, and he used to beat and bite her whilst mad ; he pulled her bowels out one time, and the doctors had to apply sixty leeches to her ; she was at one time sixteen months confined in consequence of his violence. He was decidedly mad, for his father and mother died mad; his brother was mad, and his uncle was at present in a marl-house, and she had been at the police court at least 100 times with him. Mr. Mansfield : Why was not this man removed to some lunatic asylum ? Mr. C 'zens, the crier of the court, said this woman has been here several times, bat she came raging drunk, and I could not make anything out of her statement. I believe bridewell-keeper Kelly knows something about her. Mr Kelly, the keeper of Olive street bridewell, said, this woman has called on me several times, and made many strange and contrary statements about her husband, bat could hardly make anything out of what she said. One time she would te.l terrible stories about him, and at others that he was a very good husband. Complainant (fiercely): No, I never said he was a godd husband to me. Mr. Kelly : You did, as often as you said otherwise. Complainant : No, never since 1829, when we were married, did he behave a good husband to me, but I know the cause of his biting and abusing me. Mr. Kelly said, so far as he could learn, the dispute was about some property, and he understood that their son had taken some deeds belonging to the property, and raised £l5O from an attorney on them, and this caused the dispute. Complainant : No ; long before he got any property, he beat and bit me, but he's mad. But its not about property he beats me ; it's because I am Irish, and a Rom. +re Catholic, and that's the only fault I have. The prisoner, in reply to Mr. Mansfield, slid the story told by his wife, was not at all correct ; it was all the fault of her horrible drunkenness. He never treated her as described, but was as quiet as a lamb. He had offered to give her 104 a week, but she would not take it, but continued to dr nk, and was drunk every day in the week, and he did not know what to do with her. The officer (George 297), who went to arrest the prisoner on a warrant, said he got the woman lying " dead drank" on a sofa ; the house was tossed about in the most awful manner. The complainant said she heard her husband's sister telling him to murder her. She was leaning over the stairs, and heard them speaking. when they imagined she was out. Mr. Mansfield said it was quite clear the parties could not agree or live together, and it was plain she was an abominable drunkard. He (the husband) could get rid of her by allowing her the 10.1 a week Go to Me. Evans at the parish-office, and agree to give him the 104 a week for her, and pay it regularly, and if she comes to annoy you after that, turn her out by the shoulder The poor man thanked his Worship, and was then discharged.