The Sun. — 1842-08-26 (London, England)

ROLFE.) MERDER.—Dennis Clements., a sea-faring man, 68 years of age, was indicted for the wilful murder of Bridgett Clements, alias Holloway. Mr. Bodkin conducted the prosecution. _Sophia Vincent stated. that ..she-.was a married woman and lived in Smith's-rents, Greenwich.' The prisoner was a pensioner in the Hospital, and consequently could only visit the deceased at particular periods. She and the prisoner were frequently in the habit of quarrelling when they met, and witness often heard what passed, through the partition. On Sunday. night she heard them quarrelling; there was a sealing, and witness heard the deceased cry murder, at first loudly, and then more indistinctly. The sound became gradually more faint, and at last ceased altogether, and the prisoner left the apartment. After this witness left her room, and informed Mrs. Smith, who lived on the ground floor, of what she had heard, and afterwards she returned •to her room for the night. The next morning she went into the room of the deceased-and found her in-bed undressed. She 'itielwed witness some bruises on her left side, and stated that the prisoner had knocked her down and punched her with his fists for sometime, she also said she was sure her ribs were broken, and that she was dying; at this time she was so weak she could hardly speak. This occurred on Monday the 10th of July ; on the 12th and 13th the deceased went out, but she died on the latter day. Susan Mary Matthews lived under the room of the last witness., On the evening of the 10th of July, she heard the deceased call out, " Oh, you infernal rogue, you have done it at last—you have killed me." The prisoner, who was on the landing, replied, " Serve you right, you infernal b—." The deceased was very ill next morning, lingered, and got worse, until she died on the Thursday. Susan Mary Smith lived in the same house as the deceased and the two last witnesses. On the Sunday night she heard part of the quarrel, and on the following morning she visited the deceased in her room. She found her suffering severely from a large bruise on her left side, and there were also bruises on her chest; she continued to get worse every day. On the day of her death the prisoner came into witness's room, about eight o'clock, and said coolly, " She's gone." He was asked whether he meant that she was gone to the union workhouse, to which he replied "No, she is dead." Witness went up stairs and found her lying with her injured side exposed. Mr. Robert Mitchell, who resided at Greenwich, stated that on Thursday, the 14th of July, he was called upon by the prisoner who asked him to give a certificate of the death of a woman. He went to see the body, the appearance of which, coupled with the assertion of the people of the house, led him to believe that she came to her death unfairly, he therefore refused to sign a certificate, and he was directed to make a post mortem examination by the Coroner, upon which he found the left side in a bruised state from the shoulder to the pelvis and there were also several bruises on other parts of the body.. Another surgeon of the name of Burrage, confirmed Mr. Mitchell's statement. The LEARNED JUDGE summed up the case, and the Jury, after ashort deliberation, found the prisoner guilty of manslaughter, but recommended him to mercy, on account of his age. Mr- Baron ROLFE then sentenced the prisoner to two-years imprisonment in the House of Correction, at Maidstone, observing that, but for the kind recommendation of the Jury, he should have ordered the prisoner to be transported for a term that would, probably, have exceeded the days that remained to him.