The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser. — 1842-09-13 (Liverpool, Merseyside, England)

THE MURDER AT QUADRING.  ADDITIONAL PARTICULARS. (From the Stamford Mercury.)  The bloody shirt of the murderer was produced on Wednesday by his mother, and the other circumstances which transpired before the adjourned inquest yesterday led the jurors to return a verdict of " wilful murder against William Howitt." The wretched being's motive for the murder has not been clearly ascertained.  A letter from one of our correspondents contains some additional particulars, as follows :—The young man who is committed for the horrid murder has from his birth been deprived of the power of speaking and hearing, but has been long dreaded on account of his malicious disposition. The day after the murder he was at work in a field close by the house in which the mangled corpse lay, a mere wreck of what it was only a few hours before, and he was observed by by-standers satisfying his hunger before the door, (which was wide open,) and while gazing on the lifeless remains of his victim.  William Howitt was at large until Friday evening, when he was apprehended ; he had gone to rest for the night. The box which contained his wearing apparel was examined, and some of it, to all appearance, had been soaked in blood, and afterwards washed, but not dried. With them was found a knife, upon which blood remained, although it had evidently been thrust in the ground. Howitt was at once taken by the constable at Donington to his residence, where he remained that night. On the following morning the coroner's inquest was held on the body. The evidence was of so convincing a nature that there is not a shadow of doubt the prisoner was the murderer. James Howitt, the father, being questioned with regard to the time his son was at home on the night of the deed, deposed that William was at home in the afternoon about four o'clock, took his tea, and about seven o'clock went down the village. He was absent until some time in the night, the exact time the father could not say, he having been asleep. In the course of the night he heard the prisoner go down stairs, he supposed to drink. The mother was then called ; her statement was similar to that of the father.  Zachariah Dawson, a gardener of Quadring, was then brought forward : he had been the last person seen in company with the prisoner : they separated. Dawson declared, between 9 and 10 o'clock he was going home, and the prisoner either going another way, or staying near the publichouse in which they had been drinking together, and which was near the place where the bloody deed was committed. It being known that the prisoner had certain signs or movements by which he communicated with those who was intimately connected with, his father was desired to act as an interpreter; but the answers given by him to the questions proposed led the jury to suppose they were not in accordance with those of the son ; and it was on this account that an adjournment of the inquiry before the coroner took place, that an indifferent person might be found who was capable of interpreting satisfactorily.  At this time also the shirt of the prisoner, in which the foul murder was committed,- was missing : it was subsequently found under the bed in which he lay, and strong stains of blood are on it, notwithstanding great efforts seemed to have been made to wash them out. There is little doubt, from the state in which the night-dress of the poor murdered woman was found, (over her head,) and her body being quite exposed, that a lustful purpose had been entertained by the murderer, in resisting which she lost her life, the cruel tiger by whom she had been assailed cutting and mangling her neck and shoulders with various deep and dreadful gashes, in a way the most extraordinary. One wound extends from the upper part of the breastbone to an inch behind and above the right ear, being 9 inches in length, and completely dividing the integuments and muscles ; the scalp is cut to the bone, the right carotid artery is severed, as well as the internal and external jugular veins, and there are two gashes across the windpipe ; the hands are also cut to the bones ; and such a sight as the remains of the poor creature present has scarcely ever before met the eyes of humanity.