The Northern Daily Times. — 1857-03-06 (Liverpool, Merseyside, England)

SALE OF A WIFE IN LIVERPOOL.  EXTRAORDINARY CASE.—This day week we published the details of an extraordinary case of the above description, when a man named William Lowntles was charged with an attempt to murder his wife. The facts must be quite fresh in the recollection of our readers. The prisoner was remanded, as- Mr. Mansfield had-some notion that he *as not sane. Yesterday he was agate brought up before Mi. /Okla; .on remand. Mr. Bluck appeared for the prosecution. He said the case `vas one of a strange description, and he would lay the facts shortly before his worship. The prisoner, William LoWndes, with his wife, resided for about two years in the house of Mr. Wright, Benledi street. The prisoner was an idle fellow, and the only thing he would do was to get drunk. Theta arose a differelee between the prisoner and his wife in consequence of the drunken idle .habits .of' the • prisoner, when he offered to sell het to Mr. Wright. " haf.'S the .price,?" asked Mr. Wright. "A penny," replied the prisoner, "is too Much for ber." " I think she's worth more than that,o rejoined Mr, Wright, "and I'll give you a sovereign for her." The bargain was struck, aid Mr. Wright paid him a sovereign and a penny for the lady. (Here the lady, who stood in the witness box, blushed as deep as crimson—she is a good l:?oking woman, and speaks with a very strong Scotch accent.) 'laving completed the bargain, the " happy couple"— that is Mr. Wright and Mrs. Lowndes—oh, said the learned gentleman, I beg 'our Orden madam, I suppose I must not call you Mrs. Lowndes now. No, replied the " lady," I'm not Mrs. Lowndes •, I was sold regularly to Mr. Wright, and Mrs. Wright now—l like Mr. Wright. (Loud laughter.) That brute (the prisoner) offered me for sale before, but Mr. Wright refused to purchase me at that time. He bought me now, and I will remain with him. This small speech distrusted all who heard it. Mr. Black went on to state, that when the bargain was complete, the happy couple" went to Prescot for the first few days of the "honeymoon" the prisoner remaining in the house of Mr. Wright, ythere he had lodged for the previous two years. On the return of the parties from Prescot they lived together an man and wife, and the prisoner was still mean and contemptible and blackguard enough to remain in the house, take his meals there, and actually sleep in the next room to the bedroom occupied by Mr. Wright and his "lady." On Wednesday week, the prisoner came home drunk, when Mrs. Lowndes, alias Mrs. Wright. said to him, "You are drunk, as usual." and then he seized the axe, with which he would have killed her, had not the police succeeded in arresting him. This concluded the statement of Mr. Thuck, who called. the woman to prove it. She related her shame with unblushing effrontery, and treated the whole affair as a matter of course. She felt less for her degraded position than did the least unconcerned person in court. The daughter of Wright; oa nice looking girl (who cried bitterly), was examined to prove the violence of the prisoner towards the complainant and herself. Mr. Block said that the prisoner had been remanded in order to ascertain bis sanity. Mr. Garnett (the chief clerk) said the doctor of the prison had reported that the prisoner had not exhibited any symptoms of insanity in the jail. Mr. Aikin said there was no doubt any insanity that was in the case was brought on the prisoner by drink: It was a most disgraceful affair altogether on the part of the parties concerned in it; but at the same time the prisoner could not be allowed to go at at large. He ordered him to find bail in twq sureties of £25 each, or to be imprisoned for three months.