The Express. — 1866-06-07 (London, England)

BRUTAL M URDER. —Yesterday a man named John Banks, a labourer at a tanyard, was brought before the magistrates at the Preston Police-court, charged with murdering Ann Gilligan, a woman with whom Le had been living for some time. The deposition of the deceased was taken on Tuesday afternoon, at the workhouse. She said that on Monday she and Banks had been in a publichouse, and were coming home together, when ho said he had lost some money, knocked her down two or three times, seized her by the hair, dragged her upstairs, and threw her down to the bottom. While she lay moaning he jumped on her, kicked her, and struck her on the face. She had not done anything to him. Neither of them were sober. She had been in great pain ever since the occurrence took place, and felt herself getting worse. She did not think she should recover. Ann Lavrrenson, of No. 8, Turk's Head-yard, said that the prisoner and the deceased had lodged with her since the 21ith of May. Between 12 and 1 o'clock on Tuesday morning she heard the deceased scream out, " Annie !" Witness was in bed at the time, got up, went downstairs, and saw the prisoner attack the deceased in the manner described in the declaration. She then said, " For God's sake, Jack, let her alone ; are you going to murder her"' Ho said, " Yes, by God, I will, if she does not do different ; she has taken 3e. out of my pocket." The deceased replied that she had not. He then let her alone. About 5 o'clock in the morning the deceased got out of bed and put her head upon a box in the room, and moaned very much. The prisoner went and kicked her on the breast, and she fell with her head on the fire-grate. She was removed to the workhouse and died there. The prisoner said he did not murder the deceased ; she was drunk, and he was trying to carry her upstairs, when she slipped out of his arms and fell down the stairs. She had been drinking all day. The landlord of the Ship Inn had brought a barrel of ale into the house. The case was remanded until Friday. FATAL THUNDERsTosm.—On Monday this town and neighbourhood were visited by a storm of considerable severity and unusual duration. While it lasted a poor woman named Matilda Trudgett, 70 years of age, the wife of Edward Trudgett, • bedridden man of 78, was killed by lightning in the village of Troston. It appears that at about • quarter past 9 deceased was walking at the foot of her husband's bed, when she was struck dead in a moment, never moving afterwards. The electric fluid passed down the chimney of the cottage, knocking a hole in the ceiling. On examining the body of the deceased a slight bruise was found just above the breast-bone, and a little kerchief round the neck and her clothes smelt strong. An inquest was held the same day before G. A. Partridge, Esq., coroner, when a verdict of " Killed by lightning " was returned. At Holbrook, a wheat stack of 100 coorobs on the farm of Mr. W. Cornell, was struck by lightning, and before the flames could be extinguished the whole of the wheat was rendered unfit for human food. At Attleborough Mr. Wm. Muskett had a fat cow struck dead in the yard, one of his men *..'s knocked down, and • young woman at work in the turnip shed was much hurt ; part of the building was also considerably injured. Several other disasters also occurred at the same time—a donkey was struck dead, the telegraph wires melted, &c. At Rushford, two cottages, the property of Sir Robert J. Buxton, Bart., were struck by the electric fluid and burnt to the ground.—bury and Norwich Post.  The endeavours of the Grand Duke to effect a peaceful arrangement of the Auatro-Prussian differences have failed.