The Sun. — 1856-04-03 (London, England)

MURDER OF A SEAMAN BY STRANGULATION AT LIVERPOOL. Philip Wall, 25, and William, Carr, 28, both seamen, were charged with the wilful murder of a sailor named James House, at Liverpool, on the morning of the 20th February last. The facts of the case, as given by witnesses for the prosecution, were as follows :—The deceased was a seaman, about 44 years of age, and in February last he lodged with .a man named John in Nelson-street, Liverpool. Ile left his lodgings at eleven o'clock on the night of the -19th February, and be had then in his possession three half-crowns' two shillings, and some copper. He went to the house of Mr. Thorn a licensed publican, in Dennison-street, where he had three glasses of port wine and half a glass of bracdy. Ile left the house about ten minutes past twelve o'clock, in company with a girl named Jane Burst, with they intention of going home with her. At the corner of Chadwick-street the deceased left the woman, and turned back. A short time afterwards a police-officer, named Newsham, saw the prisoners and the deceased in company on Chisenhale Br idge. He asked them where they were going, and the deceased replied, " It's none of your business." One of the prisoners said, "It's all right, we'll take him away." About this time, a woman named Brennan, living in Chisenhale street, saw the pt isonere passivg her house. She knew Carr, and spoke hien. Whilst she was speaking, she saw the deceased lying on some steps. A man came up and raised him, but they both fell down again. She went up and told the deceased to go home, or the police would take him. He replied that if they did be had money. The prisoners came up .and took hold of., him, one by each arm, and, calling, him "shipmate," led him away. They went towards Baggins Entry. They went into Clement-street, and a constable saw them enter a bad house in No. 5, .Court in that street. They remained there about ten minutes, and then left. Abeut half-past 4 o'clock in the morning, a carter named James Bryan, on going to the stable where he kept his horses, in Baggin Entry, discovered the body of the deceased, lying in the entry, about five yards beyond thextable. The deceased then had on striped blue trousers, a shirt with a stripe dovin the front, a pair of stockings, and a singlet. There was a muffler, which bad been seen in the possession of Carr on the previous day, tied twice .round his neck, and fastened with a hard double knot under the right ear. No. money was found upon hiss. His face was black and swollen.—Dr. Sayer, a surgeon at the North Dispensary, who made a post-mortem examination of the body of the decf axed, gave it as his opinion, that death had beeli caused by strangulation. He was cross exemined by Mr. Tindal Atkinson, with the view of showing that death bad resulted from apoplexy, but his replies were inaudible to- the reporters. On the day 'after the murder, the'priSoners were found pawhing the cost and- vest of the deceased, and when they were approheeded, Wall was wearing the boots, and Carr the muffler, which had been taken from the person of the deceased. For the defence of the prisoners it was urged, that the evidence, such as.it -waete was, entirely circumstantial, and that th-ere was no sufficient motive shown for the Committal of the crime of murder ; and in conclusion it was sugge=ted, either that the deceased had met with his death by his own band, or.that it had been caused by an attack of apoplexy, brought on by excsSsive drinking. Ills lordship summed up the evidence, and at a quarter to six o'clock, the jury retired to consider their verdict. The jury found both Wall and Carr guilty, and both prisoners were sentenced to-death. Nisi