The Sun. — 1852-07-22 (London, England)

WIGHTMAN.) ' CROWN COURT.—(Before Mr. Justic(? Joseph Morley wai indicted fur the wilful murder of Sarah Senior, at High [Leyland, on the 26th of April last. Mr. Blanchard and Mr. Shaw prosecuted, and Mr. Bliss, Q.C., and Mr. Overend defended the prisoner. It appeared that the deceased was a widow, having several children, and residing in a cottage at Skelmanthorpe, near Mewsbury. The prisoner, who is a labourer, lived at the same place, and it appeared had established an improper intimacy with her. On Sunday night, the 25th of April, he called upon the deceased sod proposed to her to go out and take a walk. The eldest son of the deceased opposed her going out, as did the other children; but she contrived to soothe them by promises and halfpeace, and putting on her bonnet and shawl, went out with the prisoner, which was the last time she was seen alive. This was about half-past eleven o'clock, the prisoner having parted with a man named Whitehead at the top of a lane leading to the deceased's house, at a quarter-past eleven The prisoner's account was, that he spent two hours with hen, walking about, and at length wanted her to go h .me, but she said she was afraid of her eldest son. and they parted, he agreeing to meet her at a future day Ho watched her after they parted, and saw e her g . across a close called Fisher's Close, behind a haystack, where subsequently the body was found. Next morning, about half-past eleven, Joseph Fisher found the body of the deceased at his stack. She was lying on her back, quite dead. Her shawl was s and her clothes up to her knees. There was nopreadunder her, of any struggle having taken place. The evidence moved, and on being examined by two medical thereewn:g yfound extravasated blood mbout the right side of the bead, nec ere k, aud shoulder, and also down the back. The lungs w congested in a manner sufficient to cause death. One of the medical Men was of opinion that this congestion was the resultna named fda struggle and external violence. A labourer, James Walter stated that be hoard cries about half-past three o'clock in the morning in question apardocteheeding from the spot where the body was found; tody, and taken past the on being taken into cduss.e,l,dThwhere th e bode Where I covered, said to the officeer, did fired, as I had often done before.'r3'l;nteheofPth n cross-examination, said the blackness inikd hav: arisen from natural causes, as also the congesuoen been e surgeons, overflow of blood into the pericardium Inigh6 havxertion occasioned by mental excitement and oserse-e. acting on a body not altogether free from r ',do: prisoner, ' Mr. BLISS having addressed thejurY contended that he could have no hie she left the violence, for it was clear with who o:d- • which the nidi:irte to offer her Avon in The Pclorn, and there being house to accompany him. body was found, the dress being un _ ~ ed at no violence had no evidence of a struggle,es-weeks upon her person, she been offered to her, and atho aid y b the surgeons, might being in ill-health, itd wb excitement, or by natural eccasiorie YE, diseased. There was no have been causes, acting the prisoner bad offered h her any on a body evidence to show that H violeinee. Loarisoir be„ivg very carefully summed up the s eviTdhenocjeu,ry retired for a short time, and returned with a verdict of Not guilty.