The Sun. — 1845-01-02 (London, England)

MURDER AT ULVERSTON. The conclus;on of the inquest on this horrible affair • •_;.! •  i., :Li .aaruea returned against the prisoner, Thomas Donahoo, for murdering his wife on Friday, the 20th, by striking her with an iron bar. The inquest occupied three days. The following is the most important evidence which came before the jury connected with this tragic affair. Mr. Barton, surgeon, stated that there were three wounds on the deceased's head, any of which were fatal; but that the immediate cause of death was a severe wound on the back part of the head, which might have been done by some obtuse instrument. He found about a spoonful of extravasated blood pressing on the brain. He also stated that the whole body, especially her legs, thighs, and arms, were severely bruised ; and on being shown a piece of square iron, round at the end, like a pistol, said the marks and bruises corresponded with this iron, and that he had measured them with it. That he had no doubt whatever but the deceased's death was caned by the wounds in her head, and that they could have been produced by such an instrument. He also distinctly stated that the deceased could not possibly have received such wounds by falling down stairs, as stated by the prisoner. That he had particularly examined the iron, and was confident that there was a spot of blood on the end, and that it had the appearance of being recently washed. Police .constable Sandwell examined—He had met the deceased between twelve and one o'clock oa Friday morning, and talked with her. She was drunk, and had then no bruises upon her. Soon after he saw her husband, who inquired for her, and he told him she had gone home ; when he said he wanted money, and would go home and give her a " d—d good kicking." That afterwards he went to the prisoner's house, and saw Donahoo and his son, a boy about 12 years of age, sitting by the fire. Donahoo was talking to the boy about his mother, and saying, the " b—h" came in and sat down on his stool, and he knocked her off ; and said she had been " spreeing ;" and then he took a can, apparently having water in it, and a cloth, and began washing about the foot and on the stairs, and took a stone after he had washed and scrubbed the flag. Soon after they went up stairs, and he went away, concluding all was peaceable. James Walker stated that he lived next door to Donahoo, and he was awoke by a violent falling against the wall which separated his room from theirs ; that it was a thin lath and plaster wall, and he could hear any ordinary conversation going on. When he awoke, he found that Donahoo and his wife were engaged, as he thought, in a quarrel, which was quite common with them, and he heard the deceased cry out, "Don't murder me, don't kill me," and immediately he heard a violent blow or kick given, which was quickly followed by two unnatural groans. Soon after he heard a dragging along the floor, and something falling down stairs like a dead weight, when he heard the boy exclaim, " Oh, you have killed, or will kill my mother," and then the prisoner gave a violent stamp with his foot, and said something which he did not catch. The jury were about to adjourn, it being half-past eight, but on being informed that the boy bad expressed a desire to give a statement of the affair, he was sent for, and gave an account that his father had kicked and struck his mother both up and down stairs, and dragged her by the hair of the head, and in various other ways abused her. The prisoner is a travelling razor-grinder and tinker. He is a fresh-coloured, strong muscular man, and stands about six feet high, possessing; a most brutal and savage temper. The prisoner and his wife have had six children, all of whom are dead, with the exception of a boy of about twelve years of age, and a little girl about three.