Brighouse & Rastrick Gazette. — 1883-03-03 (Brighouse, West Yorkshire, England)

CHARGE OF MURDER.  Willem Brown. 54, a man of colour, was charged at the Sheppey Union Hospital, before Lieutenant. Colonel Tyler, J.r. foe Kent, on Saturday, with the wilful murder of his wife. Elizabeth Brown, 48, at Sheerness on the 17th of January last. The inquiry was held at the hospital owing to the serious illness of Alfred Ramp, the principal witness, who was stabbed by the prisoner on the day of the 00CUIPeneee  Alfred Rump, a labmwr, said that he had resided with his mother and the Owner (who was her second husband), at 8, Etweemseglaos, Sheerness. About half-peat four on the lawaileg ewthe 19th of January his little brother Thomas areweed him, and he found the room was full of smoke. He ran immediately In his night clothes to hie mother's room and found the bed empty. He then ran downstairs into the back loom and found the cupboard under the stairs all ablaze. He put his bead on the floor and touched his mother, who was lying there, and found that she was dead. Brown was in the room undressed. He °aught hold of witness round the waist and attempted to throw him into the flames. He struggled with him, and after the third attempt be got away from him and went into the front room. During the struggle he felt a knife, which prisoner had in his hand, go into him. He broke two panes of glass with his fist, and shouted, " Fire ! Murdee ! " He saw a man named Hasson at the railway station opposite, and called him. He came across the road with a scaffold pole, burst the door open, and let him out. He went about seven or eight yards and thew fell down unconscious. His uncle (Mr. Baker) picked him up and took him to his hones. He afterwards found that he had been stabbed in the lung, on the hip, in the side, and on the shoulder. The hatchet produced was the one in ordinary use for chopping wood, and was generally kept in the cupboard in the back room. Witness also recognized the razor leroduced, which was usually kept in a box in the back room Prisoner and his mother were in the habit of qairepelling about the children and about money, and about • week before the occurrence he said "11l do for you yet." Dr. Arrol, M. 8., a surgeon practising at Sheerness, deposed that he made a postal:torten ex. aminatlen of the body of the deceased, and found eight fiwial and six scalp wounds. One of the wounds especially attracted his notice. It extended half way somas the base of the skull and must have been inHided by a heavy weapon, such as the hatchet produced. This alone was sufficient to canoe death. *Dr. George Bland, surgeon, practising at Master, deposed that he &WNW Dr. Arrol in making the posteseorisen examination, and could oftroborate his evidence. The prisoner was brought to the Workhouse Infismary on the day of the murder and had since beenvender his charge. He beds large•gesh in front of his throat, a little higher and deeper on the left than the right side. It had severed the larynx and caused* large wound in the poarynx at the back He believed the wounds were selfThe evidence being complete, the prisoner *aicf he would reeeeveiris defence. Prisoner was then committed to take his trial at the Kent Amain on the charge of wilfully murdering his wife El kebab Brown.  • wads. extracts :land Artists ot `4l OVIlp SINIONOS Lords 1586, Hoe lo•  In , eartain