Swansea and Glamorgan Herald, and South Wales Free Press. — 1861-02-20 (Swansea, West Glamorgan, Wales)

MURDER IN THE ISLE OF WIGHT.—As the people of Hyde were coming from their churches and chapels on Sunday morning they heard that a man named Henry Lacy, a small farmer in the neighbourhood, and well known in the town, was in custody, on the charge of having murdered his wife. The rumour, unfortunately, proved true. Lacy occupied a farm at Westridge, known as Old-house-farm, situate about a mile and a-half from Hyde on the Brading-road. He is the son of a labouring man in the neighbourhood, but becoming possessed of some means by his marriage he was enabled to take this farm, which he had occupied now for 10 or 12 years. Lacy is a giant in both size and strength, and it is much feared that the evidence which will be given at the inquest will show that he had been habitually ill-treating his unfortunate wife. The farmhouse is situated in a lonely spot, there not being a habitation within half a mile of it, and the only inmates were Lacy and his wife, and a woman named Susan Wilder, a niece of the latter. In November last sum mOll4 was issued against Lacy for an assault upon this woman, but the matter was arranged without magisterial interference. Lacy was of very intemperate habits, and had been drinking freely at Newport on Saturday, which place be had visited, accompanied by Susan Wilder, the niece. He returned to the farm-house about 10 o'clock in the evening. The horrible event, full particulars respecting which will not be known till the inquest, must have occurred shortly afterwards. All that is at present known may be stated in a few words. The murdered woman has been confined to her bed for some time past, and on Sunday morning her medical attendant, Mr. 011ard, of Hyde, was called upon by the farm carter, and requested to vilit his patient at once, as she had accidentally fallen downstairs. When Mr. 011ard arrived at the farm he found Lacy in a violent state of excitement and evidently under the influence of drink. He refused to allow that gentleman to see his wife, and the answers given to inquiries by the niece were so unsatisfactory that Mr. 011ard considered it his duty at once to communicate with the police. Sergeant King and another police-constable, with Mr. Pinager, also a surgron of Hyde, accompanied Mr. 011ard on his return. As soon as Lacy saw the police-officers ha made a desperate attack upon the constable, but the ! olice-sergeant atones closed with him, and after a short struggle he was secured by the handcuffs. On proceeding upstairs a mist horrible spectacle presented itself. ! On the bed lay the body of the unfortunate woman, her features presenting the strongest evidence of her having been brutally murdered. Her head was one mass of bruises, and there were wounds on various parts of the lody, which was reduced by disease or want of nourishment to that of a mere skeleton. The beddress in which she had been murdered had been taken off, and was not to be found. The corpse had been carefully washed and laid out, and it is evident that some idea existed of passing off the story of her having fallen downstairs. Sergeant King, finding Lacy likely to offer great resistance, returned to Hyde for a carriage and assistance. The police-offieers were compelled to strap his lege, and it was with great difficulty he was brought to the station. It was not till the folliwing morning that he became conscious of his awful situation.