The Sun. — 1844-07-30 (London, England)

MURDER AT LIVERPOOL.  (From the Liverpool Albion, of Monday.) At an early hour, yesterday morning, an appalling murder is alleged to have been perpetrated in Peterstreet, in this town, by a tailor, of the name of Owen Leonard, upon his wife. The parties occupied the house No. 35, Peter-street, which is a narrow but densely-populated place, to the rear of St. Thomas'sbuildings, leading, by a circuitous route, from Whitechapel into the lower part of Dale-street. They kept a sort of lodging-house, occupying themselves the ground and upper floors, and letting off the second floor to some poor men, who gained a precarious livelihood by working about the town. Leonard himself occasionally followed his employment of a journeyman tailor ; but, from his dissipated and vicious habits, he appears to have been seldom successful in getting any work. Their principal means of support were derived from the rents paid by the lodgers, and also from the wages of their two daughters, grown-up young women, who were in service at respectable gentlemen's houses, one in Rodneystreet, and the other, we believe, in Everton. It was about half -past one o'clock yesterday morning when tne dreadful occurrence took place. The lodgers were singing and carousing in their apartment at the time, when suddenly Leonard rushed into their room, and accused one of them, a lame man, with having been on terms of more than ordinary intimacy with his wife. The lame man indignantly denied the charge, and Mrs. Leonard offered to restore him a small balance of tdioianetween the parties ensued, telb lodging money, which was to his credit, provided he 3', and thus terminated the which for a time ended by Leonard striking hie wife and the lame man striking Leonard in return. Leonard subsequently fastened the street door, and, in left dispute. the houseA n the presence of his son, a lad of thirteen years of age, mentioned before, deliberately took out his razor and commenced to sharpen the edge, mutalitnlermcae tering some threats, at the same' ime, as to what he intended to do to his wife. In a short time Mrs. Leonard came down stairs, and almost immediately upon her entering the apartment where he was, he struck her a blow on the head with his clenched fist, which felled her to the ground. He then caught hold of her by the hair, and, with the razor, partially cut her throat, first on one side and then on the other. After he had mangled her in this brutal manner, he suddenly raised the razor and cut off a part of her nose. She, beinc, a powerful muscular woman, made a desperate effort to release herself from his grasp, and, in the struggle, he gave her another deep cut with the razor upon the fleshy part of her left leg, and also two othergashes upon her arms. The I•male screamed terrifically ; so also did the lad, who, as we have before stated, was present during the transaction ; and in a short time the house was surrounded by the people of the neighbourhood. The door was speedily opened, but, before an entrance could be effected, the crowd was horrified at seeing the unfortunate woman, from whose neck, leg, and arms blood was flowing profusely, either kicked or pushed by her brutal husband down the steps and into the street. Here she lay upon the pavement for a short time in the greatest agony but at length a stretcher was brought,  and she was removed to the Infirmary where death speedily terminated her sufferings. dfficer 48 arrested Leonard almost upon the instant. He found him in the act of washing the blood from his hands, and he discovered the razor under the table. The wretched man was immediately conveyed to Bridewell, but, during the whole of yesterday, we understand that he betrayed but few symptoms of concern at the awful situation in which he has placed himself. He is sixty years of age, of rather diminutive stature, and an Irishman by birth. His wife, also a native of ie sister country, was about the same ago, and extremely corpulent. It is said that Leonard has before made several attempts to cut her throat.  An inquest will be held before the Borough Coroner to-day.