The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle. — 1868-08-15 (Stourbridge, West Midlands, England)

SHOCKING AFFAIR.  At the assizes held at Leeds, James Harris 11.18 been indicted for the wilful murder of Charlotte M'Ready. The prisoner and the deceased had been living together as man and wife in a small house, consisting only of one room, three and a half yards long by three wide, containing a bed, table, and chair. They had one daughter, a little girl nine years of age. The prisoner and deceased had been in company with two men during the day, drinking at different public-houses. They all went home together to have supper, and when the two men left the woman was quite well, and the man was beginning to swear at her. The little girl saw her father strike her mother on the face, and she ran away to the house of a neighbour. For some reason she would not tell all she knew, notwithstanding repeated endeavours ti elicit the truth on the part of counsel and of the learned judge. During the night the deceased went out to see a neighbour, Mrs. Garren, and had twopennyworth of ruin. She had at that time been drinking. She made a complaint to Mrs. Garren, who went back to the house with her. The prisoner was lying crosswise upon the bed. The deceased said, "Thank God, poor Jenuny ! I'll unloose ypur boots; it will ease your feet." She the began unlacing his boots. He jumped up, and said "You -- you've robbed me !" She said "Never mind, Jemmy; it's your Charlotte, and what I've got I'll give you in the morning." The prisoner then struck the deceased on the face with his fist and knocked her down. He was then standing on the bed. He next jumped oft the bed and kicked her three or four times in the side. Mrs. Garren took hold of him by the coat, and pulled him away, Raying, "You murdering villain! are you going to murder the woman ?" The prisoner then turned to Mrs. Garren, and snatched at a knife on thetable, crying, "You old—! I will serve you the same." Mrs. Green ran away to the door, and stood holding the door in her hand, and saw the prisoner kick the deceased three times upon the head. At the third kick the deceased cried out, "Oh, Jemmy, you have killed me!" After that he lifted his foot and stamped as hard as he could on her head. Mrs. Garren then went to look for a policeman, but could not find one. She then returned and listened at the door, but all was still, and she concluded they had gone to bed. A neighbour who came to the house at seven o'clock the next morning found the deceased lying dead upon the floor in a IRA of blood, and the prisoner on the heti with his clothes on, apparently asleep. This witness woke him, and he said, "Hallo, Jack, is that you ?" The witness answered, "Aye, to my sorrow; look here, Charlotte is lying dead." "He said, "Halls, what is that Jack ?" He then jumped up and said, "I have done for Charlotte at last." The witness said to him, "Only look at 3-, r boots, they are all over blood." He went and wiped them with a cloth. He said, "oh, Jack, what shall Ido —what will become of me?" Witness said, "Jem, it's no use running away, for whatever you do they will catch you." The witness went away for about five minutes, and when he returned the prisoner was gone. He was apprehended the same day, 14 miles away, at Doncaster. The prisoner, on being taken, said, "I found her drinking with two men; I went out and left them; when I came back she was laid on the floor, and the men were gone. That is how she was laid when Jack found her; I never touched her." The boots worn by the prisoner were very heavy ones, with a great quantity of large nails in them, and from the medical evidence it was clear that death had resulted from violent kicks upon the head and face, and not from a fall. Both the prisoner and the deceased were in liquor. The defence was that the prisoner did not intend to kill the deceased, and was drunk at the time. . .  The jury deliberated for six hours, and then found a verdict of Manslaughter. The judge sentenced the prisoner to penal servitude for life.