The Blackpool Herald. — 1879-01-31 (Blackpool, Lancashire, England)

THE HULL MURDER.  At the York Assizes, on Monday, Charles Artop, alias Bailey, 20, labourer, was indicted for the murder of Sarah Hannah France, at Hull, on the 27th October. The deceased woman was the wife of Joseph France, a seafaring man who occupied a cottage looking into a yard, in Windlass Buildings, Osborne-street, Hull, The prisoner and a man named " Tornmy " lodged with France. On the 22nd of October, Mr. France, who had been at sea, was expected home. At seven o'clock in the evening, a neighbour named Mary Elizabeth Morrell, wife of Peter Morrell, of Joseph Place, Hull, went to the house and found Mrs. France and her lodgers peacefully taking tea together, and after some conversation Mrs. Morrell left. She, however, returned at half-past nine, and then found the prisoner and the deceased alone. The latter said, "I should like you (Mrs. Morrell) to go with me to see if our Joe (her husband) has come up." She refused, but the request being repeated she agreed to accompany her. Mrs. France thereupon began to get ready to go out, when the prisoner, who had gone outside the door, called to her, "No, you won't go; neither of you will go out of this house without Igo with you." Mrs. France, however, continued her preparation, and when she had got her hat on went out into the yard in advance cf Mrs. Morrell. There the prisoner pulled the hat of the deceased off, and threw it into the house, and then taking her by the shoulders also threw her in and for a minute held the door. A Mrs. Macdonald now entered the house, and the three women crossed the yard to the cottage of the former. After remaining for two or three minutes deceased and Mr. Morrell returned, the former entering her house, the latter standing on the step, and prisoner pacing the yard just by the door. The prisoner again called into the doorway to dece ised, ." Yon are not going—you promised I should go with yen ;if I don't go, you shan't go," to which the deceased replied, "I shan't allow you to go without me." The prisoner thereat appeared annoyed, and the deceased coming on to the kitchen door step the prisoner pushed by her into the kitchen, and rushing to the fire-place possessed himself of the tongs. Returning with these into the yard he deliberately struck the deceased a violent blow on the head and knocked her down. Mr. Morrell cried "Murder," and the prisoner promised her "as much" if she interfered. He then lifted up the head of the deceased (who had never spoken, and lay on her back apparently insensible), and dashed it to the ground, after which, still holding the tongs by the feet, he ueliberately struck the deceased a number of blows on the head. Then throwing the murderous weapon (which he had considerably bent by the violence of his blows) from him, he rushed from the scene, but he was apprehended some short time afterwards. The deceased was removed to the Infirmary. There it was found that her skull had been fearfully fractured, and without fairly recovering consciousness she died five days afterwards as a result of the injuries inflicted by the prisoner. In defence it was not denied that death was the result of the violence of the prisoner, but it was alleged that it WAS inflicted in the heat of passion as a result of provocation, and that therefore the case might be reduced to one of manslaughter.—The prisoner was found guilty of manslaughter, and was sentenced to 20 years' penal servitude.