The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle. — 1872-07-27 (Stourbridge, West Midlands, England)

SENTENCED TO DEATH.  At the Maidstone Assizes, Thomas Moore, I orty-two, labourer, has been charged upon an indictment, and also by the coroner's inquisition, with the wilful murder of his wife, Mary Anne Moore. ---• • • • •  The prisoner was a labouring man, and resided at Ashford, and he had been married to the deceased woman for several years, but they separated about three years ago, and the wife went to live with her father, who was a labouring man, at a village called Kennington, not far from Ashford. The prisoner appeared to have been very desirous that his wife should return and live with him, but for some reason or other, and principally, as it was alleged, in consequence of the manlier in which he treated her, she refused to do so. and the prisoner was very angry on that account, and repeatedly was heard to utter threats against the deceased, one of the witnesses for the prosecution stating that in her presence upon a particular occasion the prisoner produced a knife and said that this weapon should be the cause of the death of one or the other. The fatal occurrence took place on Saturday, the lot of June. On that day the deceased took some dinner to one of her brothers, who was at work upon a farm in the neighbourhood, and she set out on her return home about one or two o'clock, and she was never again seen , alive; but on the following day her dead body was found on a barley field at Kennington, the head being in a ditch. Upon an examination bring made it was found that the deceased had been subjected to most brutal violence—her eyes were blackened, there was a large wound on her temple, and a portion of her skull appeared to be broken, this injury, according to the medical evidence, having been occasioned by a kick with a heavy boot. The evidence for the prosecution went to show that as the deceased was on her way home she met the prisoner, and they were seen walking near the spot where the dead body was found, but there was no direct evidence to show that any quarrel or act of violence took place between them. The immediate cause of death, it appeared, was atrangulation by throttling, and Dr. Thurston, a surgeon, from Ashford, expressed his opinion that the deceased had been seized violently round the throat by some person with both hands, and that this was the way in which she met her death. The prisoner was apprehended a day or two afterwards by Inspector Noakes, of the Kent constabulary, and upon his being told the charge against him was the murder of his wife on the lit of June, he said he had not seen her on that day, and that lie bad not seen her for a considerable time. It was also proved that a handkerchief belonging to the deceased, and which was in her possession on the day of the murder, was afterwards found upon the prisoner, and in addition to this there were some walks of blood upon his clothes, and these, and the other facts mentioned, were the main points relied upon by the prosecution in support of the charge. The jury retired to consider the verdict. They were out of court nearly 20 minutes, and when they came back they pronounced a verdict of Guilty. The prisoner, when called upon, said he was not The learned Judge then proceeded to pass sentence of death upon the prisoner, adding, he said, no words of his own as to the case. 'Draw no hope," he said, • "from my silence, for it is my practice in all cases." • The learned Judge then passed sentence of death in the usual form. The prisoner, who is a rough looking, powerful fellow, did not exhibit any emotion during the trial, and when he was leaving the dock he exclaimed that he was not guilty.