The Sun. — 1862-08-12 (London, England)

FURTHER PARTICULARS.  CHESTER-LE-STREET AUG 10. ; • A most horrible murder has taken place in the little village of Hobbletrot, about three miles from this town during the night, the victim being an old woman 83 years of age.  The murdered woman is named Ann Halliday. She occupied a small cottage on the Witton Gilbertroad, the cottage in which she resided possessed only one room, with a loft above, the latter being very little used for any purpose ; the room beneath being used by the murdered woman both as a day room acid as her sleeping apartment. Next door there was a similar cottage, occupied by an Irishman named Cox, his wife, and their young child. The nearest house to them is called Broadmires, which is about 100 yards from them, and to that extent nearer Chester-le-street.  It now becomes necessary to state the circumstances under which the, poor old woman came to be living by herself in the cottage at Hobbletrot. She was a married woman, but had for a number of years been living apart from her husband. Her husband, Mr. William Halliday, now living at Broadmires, near the scene of the crime, formerly carried on business as a publican and butcher, at the sign of the Shoulder of Mutton, Chester-leStreet. His wife was most respectably connected, and is still remembered in that locality as having been a remarkably fine-looking woman in her younger days. Her separation from her husband, we are informed, was caused principally by her intemperate habits; from all we can learn, however, it appears that her conduct had much improved with advancing. years. After the separation her husband placed her in the cottage at Hobbletrot, providing liberally for her wants. Mr. Halliday afterwards left Chester-le-street, and went to reside upon his own property at Broadmires, where he opened a public-house. Although the intercourse between them does not appear, so far as we can ascertain, to have been on the footing of man and Wife, yet he seems to have taken a warm interest foruiero welfare, and to have ministered to the coma 11,3! her declining years. The dreadful nature pressieuend has naturally made a very serious imlived in Zen him. The unfortunate woman had iettaineottage inoffensive years, as already stated, hag on good If a most life, and keepwould have :e'er! with those around her. She Mast person supposed to be such a crime. pp likoelnytofall Saturday a7el,,et:.;:liheto been at a tea party Which unfortunate woman had A. had been held in the imIt4Z r spending the evenimn egdiiantecinueiei gt hebnoiu:l; who had assembled togetherunort her neighbours left for home, reaching it at an eirlie occasion, she circumstances which afterward. t"r asc,hoF . From pears that she had retired to rest at hsepirusual timeed it ap-t . Sunday I°'O About three o'clock on rum-- n • or husband was roused from his sleep by a kno.., door. Mr. Halliday's fi .._rst supposition at hi Was that some one wished to obtain a drink. He looked „at and saw the Irishman Cox's wife standing at the door. He asked her what she wanted. She merely , replied, " That old woman up the road i s very bad. He asked, " What old woman ?" when she again " answered, " That old woman up the road. This was all he could learn from her; but having an undefined impression that all was not right he aroused his housekeeper, an old woman, and told her to go and see what was the matter. She got a neighbour to go with her, and they set off for the cottage of the murdered woman, accompanied by the Irishwoman. When they reached the house they found the door open, and the Irishman, Cox, standing outside. They went in and found Mrs. Halliday dressed in her night clothes lying on the floor. 1 They immediately attended to her, but were horri