Alston Herald, and East Cumberland Advertiser. — 1879-07-05 (Alston, Cumbria, England)

LIE EUSTON SQUARE MURDER.  Hannah Dobbs was indicted at the Central Criminal Court, on Wednesday, before Mr Justice Hawkins, for the murder of Matilda Hacker, at Easton Square, on or about October 14th, 1877. The AttorneyGeneral and Mr Gorst prosecuted for the Crown, and Mr Mead defended.  William Strohman, an errand boy in the iervice of Mr Basteudorff, gave evidence that, on clearing out the cellar, he came aeross a large bone, which he turned up with his shovel. He gave information to one of the workmen, who, with the assistance of his brother, dug a corpse from amongst the refuse. Inspector De Mead said that on examination of the corpse he found that the face had become unrecognisable, and that death had been probably caused by the cords of a window blind, which had been twisted so tightly round the neck that the indentation was on a level with the skin.—The other witnesses examined were Inspector Hagen and Sergeant Beeson, who deposed to the finding amongst the coal dust of a brooch and buckle, which had been recognised as the property of the deceased. Mrs Bastendorff said that on Monday, the 15th October, her husband sent the prisoner up to Miss Dish to ask her for her rent. Witness made the bill out and gave it to Hannah. She took the bill up and brought a£s note down for change. A day or two afterwards witness went upstairs into the room and there saw a large stain on the carpet, as though something hal been washed off. She called the prisoner's attention to it, and said, " Hannah, you are a dreadful girl to let my things be destroyed in this way. I wish I had seen it before Miss Uish left, for I would have made her pay for it." • Mr Justice Hawkins: What did the prisoner say ? Did she look at the stain ?—Yes, and she seemed conf used.  The rest of the witness's evidence wee much to the same effect as that given by her at the police court. and Mr Mead was permitted to postpone his cross-examination.  Dr Davies stated the results of his examination of the remains. In cross-examination he said: I could not tell the cause of death. I saw in the appearance of the body nothing ineonsistant with death by natural cause.  Mr Justice Hawkins : Have you hvd much experience? Are you well acquainted with the appearance of death by strangulation 2-4 cannot SST I have had great experience. Dr Pepper gave corroborative evidence, and said he had since had a circular piece of carpet brought to him, which he had examined. He found a large stain upon it, which on submitting to the usual tests, he found to have been produced by the blood of a mammal. (Cross.exarnined): The marks of the rope round the neck were rather higher up than I should have expected to find them from strangulation, unless the strangulation had been caused by a person very much taller than the deceased. If the marks arc very high up in the neck, they are more indicative of death by hanging than strangulation.  Dr Thomas Bond said he was asked to make an examination of the deceased by the Criminal Investigation Department of Scotland Yard. He had formed no opinion as to the cause of death, only that it had been produced by a cord. Mr Arthur Pearson, an analytical chemist, said he had made an analysis of portions of the remains , but could discover no traces of mineral poison. The trial was adjourned until Thursday. Other evidence was given on Thursday, and at night at 7.55 the jury retired, and returned into Court at 8.20, wheu the Foreman, in reply to the (usual quettion, said that they had found a verdict of 'Not g;ui!ty."  On Sunday morning, Catherine Halley, wife of Sergt. Halley, of the North Durham Militia, was found dead in hat home at Garrison, in ailesgate.