The Cotton Factory Times. — 1888-12-28 (Manchester, Greater Manchester, England)

SIXTEEN YEARS' PENAL SERVITUDE.  At the Liverpool Assizes, on Saturday, before Mr. Justice Wills, James Neil, 44, a labourer, was indicted for the murder of his wife, Ellen Neil, at Gersten, near Liverpool, on the 29th August last. From the case for the prosecution it appeared that the prisoner was a dock labourer, and had lived for about 20 years in Garston with his wife. They were both intemperate in their habits, and lived unhappily together, the prisoner frequently illtreating her. Early on the morning of the 29th August a quarrel took place between them, and the prisoner WAS heard to say to his wife that if she did not give up some money he would "swing for her." Some two or three hours later the prisoner was seen coming home from a publichouse very drunk, and being helped along the street by his son. He was put to bed, and nothing further was heard until about half-paoit four o'clock in the afternoon, when the woman was heard screaming. A neighbour found her lying on her back on the kitchen door. The prisoner was kneeling on her, and with his hands in her hair he was knocking her head violently against the tiled floor. Directly afterwards he threw a table, which was made out of an old bacon box, upon the body of the woman, got inside the box, and jumped up and down in it. He then struck his wife several times with a stool, dragged her towards the stairs, and kicked her violently. He also drew her to the fire, and pulled out some red-hot cinders, which fell upon the woman and burnt her about the breast. A policeman came upon the scene sliortly after five o'clock, but the prisoner told him ,that the woman was drunk, and nothing else was the matter, and be went away. It was not until the following day that a doctor saw the woman. She died from her injuries two days afterwards, death, according to the medical evidence, having resulted from the effusion of blood on the brain, the result of the violence she had received. The principal evidence against the prisoner was the deposition of Mrs. Doyle, one of the neighbours, who had witnessed most of the prisoner's violence, but had been unable to stop him. She was seriously ill, and could not attend the trial. Dr. Broome, who had made a post-mortem examination, said, in crossexamination, that the chief bruise on the head, from which the effusion of blood had risen, might have been caused by falling violently against a form. The organs of the body were healthy, and he did not see any signs of intemperance. The defence was that the despositious of Mrs. Doyle ' were not reliable, being inconsistent in many particulars, and there was no corroboration of her statements as to the prisoner having used threats. It was contended, therefore, that the crime could only be that of manslaughter, being the result of a fit of passion. The jury found the prisoner guilty of manslaughter.—His Lordship said it was manslaughter of the most desperate kind, the prisoner having abused the woman without any thought of the consequences, and the sentence must be a heavy one. He would be kept in penal servitude for sixteen years.  For the Relief of Pain, " AFRLCAN OINTMENT has many rivals (such as Oil, Embrocations, d:c.), but not cne of them can boast the same Unerring Efficacy in Curing those acute and persistent Attacks of Rheumatism, Neuralgia. Lumbago, etc., which yield not to Ordinary Rein,:lies.—Soid by all Chemists, in Is. and 2s. Pots. Wholesale of Messrs. WOOLLEY, Manchester.  " HARD TIMES," a Story of the Cotton Panic, is sold by all booksellers in volume form. Price Is.—eublished by J. ANDREW ilk CO., Cotton Factory Times Office, Blanchester.