The Potteries Examiner : — 1877-03-31 (Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, England)

THE BIRMINGHAM MURDER.  At the Warwick assizes, on Monday, before Mr. Baron Amphlett, Frederik Edwin Baker, 30, barman, was indicted for the wilful murder of Mary Sanders, at Aston, near Birmingham, on the 16th January last. Mr. Duplale and Mr. Colmore prosecuted; Mr. Harris and Mr. Fitzgerald defended. The prisoner at times appeared greatly excited, and shed tears when reference was made to his attachment to the deceased, and whm the details of the tragedy were narrated. Once he rose and protested against part of Mr. Silvers's evidence, which he characterised as lies, when his Lordship advised him his best course was to leave his case in the hands of his experienced counsel. The ease for the prosecution was summarised by Mr. Dugdale, from which it appeared that deceased, who was about 38 years of age, was the widow of Daniel Sanders, who for neily kept the Black Horse public-house in Ashted Road, Birmingham. After remaining there some three months after her husband's death, she went to live at 63, Lichfield Road, Aston, where the prisoner, whose aNnaintanee she made just before leaving the Black Horse, went to reside with her as a lodger. Prisoner became enamoured of the deceased, and wanted to marry her, but she was known to have refused his offer. One of her executors was Mr. Silvers, a Birmingham glass.cutter, and the prisoner was exceedingly jealous of this man. On the night of the 16th January last, the deceased had been to the Theatre Royal with Silvers, and afterwards they went to a public-house in Hill. street. where they met another friend, named Beech. The three drove hevne in a cab to Lichfield Road, where they arrived shortly after midnight. Prisoner opened the door, and admitted deceased into the house, but said he would not let the men come in, or he would do something. Deceased insisted on their being admitted, but both the men drove away in the cab. Prisoner, who was in a great passion, threw a half gallon bottle of beer upon the floor, and smashed the lamp. Prisoner said, if deceased aggravated him, he would blow her brains out, and added, "Polly, don't aggravate me so; I love you, and I wouldn't mind having your heart." 'The servant went to bed, and prisoner was left alone with deceased, who was not quite sober. Next morning, shoot half-past nine o'clock, on the servant going downstairs, she found the body of the deceased. The deceased's throat had been eat with some sharp bistro. meat, evidently with great force, the head being nearly severed from the body. The prisoner went to New. street Station and there endeavoured to book for Liver. pool, but, finding there was 110 train, he went and slept at the General Elliot publie.house, in Turk-street, whore he gave the name of Jones. He left there at half.past eight in the morning, after the murder had become known, and booked by rail for Liverpool, but left the train at Stafford. There he was apprehended two days afterwards by Inspector Hine, of the County Constabulary. Prisoner was greatly excited, having been captured whilst in bed in Vine-street; but after being detained in Stafford Gaol until six o'clock the following morning, he was conveyed to Birmingham. On the way he said to Inspector Hine, "It inns use denying it, bat I shall plead not guilty, as I with the case to be thoroughly investigated." Several times prisoner said that Silvers 11114 the deceased had brought him to the position he was then in. As they passed the Golden Cross, on the way from Birmingham to Aston. the prisoner said, "That's n here I threw the razor." There a razor was subsequently found. The defence set up was homicidal mania, induced by jealousy, but his Lordship said it must be accepted cautiously. The jury, in twenty minutes, found the prisoner guilty, and the learned Judge passed sentence of death, remarking that the prisoner must not indulge any hope of mercy, but prepare for the awful doom inflicted for his crime. No doubt the prisoner was devoured by jealousy, and being enraged that deceased preferred someone else, he committed this horrid crime. The misoner heard the sentence with comparative calmness, and when the judge said he must not hope for any mercy, he murmured that he did not want any.