The Sun. — 1854-02-06 (London, England)

SUSPECTED MURDER BY A WOMAN. —On the 27th ult. a man named William Hines, residing at Ashtonunder-Line, died, and was interred in the burial-ground of the Roman Catholic chapel at Dukinfield. After his interment, however, in consequence of some suspicion that arose, police thought proper to apply to the coroner, Mr. Rutter, for a warrant to disinter the body, which was granted. The body was accordingly disinterrrd on Wednesday last, and a post mortem examination made by Dr. Lees, of Ashton. A woman with whom the deceased cohabited, named Catherine Hughes, was also apprehended on suspicion of having caused his death. An inquest was held on the body on Thursday, by Mr. G. Rutter, deputy coroner, at the Tim Bobbin public house. The woman Hughes was present at the inquest. Dr. Lees was first examiuined, who stated that he attended the deceased at his own house up to the time of his death. He saw then that there was a wound on his head and also an abscess. OnWednesday he made a post molten examination, when he found an external wound on the head. On raising the scalphe found marks on the skull, corresponding with the wounds upon the skin, and symptoms of recent inflammation between the skin and bone. He also found inflammation and effusion of matter upon the brain, that was quite sufficient to account for death. Hehad no doubt that death was caused by violence to the head which he had spoken of. That Violence might have been produced by a blunt instrument, such as a piece of iron, or the poker produced. A woman named Eliza Ann Orme, of Back Crab-street, Ashton-under.Lyne, stated that one night, soon after last Christmas, she and a girl named Bridget, who formerly kept company with the deceased, went out together. At the, corner of a passage in Crab-street, sh e saw the prisoner, Catherine Hughes, standing with something that looked like a stick, about the length of the piece of iron now produced. She lifted it up and threatened to give it her. A short time afterwards she heard the deceased and the prisoner quarrelling. She heard deceased say that prisoner had better not touch Bridget. Shortly after the deceased came to witness's house, his head covered with blood, and he had with him the piece of poker now produced. He went out to get some plaster. Alice Lees stated that on the evening of Monday or Tuesday, in the week immediately preceding New Year's-day, witness saw the prisoner run into a shop in Crab-street, and deceased after her. The prisoner ran through the shop into the kitchen, followed by the deceased, who hit her with his fist two or three times, kicked her, and struck her with a chair. The deceased then came from the kitchen into the shop, and witness saw that he was bleedfrom his head. The blood was running down both sides of his face. Witness did not see the prisoner strike the deceased. When the deceased came from the kitchen, witness saw him taking up something like a poker or stick. He went into the kitchen and struck the prisoner with it on the head. The prisoner came out of the shop. Her head was bleeding. Witness said to her, " Your head is cut ;" to which the prisoner replied, "Aye, and I have cut his." This was the last witness examined. The inquest was then adjourned until the 10th instant, for the evidence of a woman who is at present confined in New Bailey prison.