Denton Examiner, Audenshaw, Hooley Hill and Dukinfield Advertiser. — 1877-09-22 (Denton, Greater Manchester, England)

MURDER AT CIA  [WELL.  At Clerken well Police-court, London, Thom A Pratt, 27 years of age, described as a canal bargeman, was charged before Mr. Hannay with the wilful murder of a woman named Elizabeth Brockington, by stashing her with a knife. Caroline Ball said she was a French polisher, and lived in Golden-lane, St. Luke's. As about one o'clock that (Friday) morning, when passing through Old-street, she saw the woman with the prisoner and another man, and the woman and the prisoner appeared to he having angry , words. She crossed the road to the station-house, and the prisoner went after her. There were more words, and a police-constable from the station- interfered. The woman complained that the prisoner would not let her RO sloae, and ahe refused to go with him. She admitted that they had been living together at one time, but she had left him, and wanted him not to follow her. She was advised to go away, but she: would not. she would rather be locked up. The constable eventually succeeded in sending the prisoner one : way and the young woman the other. She went towards Goswell-road, and she, witness, walked with her, talking to her. Shortly afterwards the prisoner came up and struck the deceased a blow in the breast. ' As he did no he said, " There, Lis, I've done for you now." The deceased walked into the middle of the road, and then fell. A constable came up, but the prisoner did not go away, but corning up to where they stood said, "I did it." He handed a knife to the constable. The deceased did not strike prisoner, but when he c ime up to ber only asked him to go away. Police constable Crotchford, 192 G, said that at about one o'clock that morning he was on duty in Wildernessrow, and heard a woman scream. On going to the spot be saw a woman lying in the road. Blood was Sowing from a wound in her left side. While the witness was asking questions of the woman Ball another constable came up with the prisoner in his custody. The witness asked the prisoner what he had stabbed the woman with. The prisoner handed him a knife (prodneed). At the same time be said, "I've done it and I'll swing for it." The witness assisted to remove the woman to the station, where she died in about ten minutee. The prisoner asked the constable if he did not say, when giving him the knife, "I'm sorry for it, but could not help it. She drove me to its" The constable said that he heard no such remark from the prisoner. Police-constable Peek, 325 G, deposed that he heard loud shrieking in Wilderness-row, and saw three or four persons standing in the roadway. He saw a woman stagger and WI, and then PASV the prisoner leave the group and cross the road. The witness went up to the prisoner and caught him. The prisoner said very quietly, 'All right; I've done it; she's drove me to it." The witness told him to come back to the place with him, and as they went the prisoner said, "I worked hard for that girL I lost my work, and I went thieving for her. I. got three months in the House of Correction. I loved her as I loved my own life. I must suffer for it ; it's done, and can't be helped." The witness told the prisoner he would have to go to the'station for stabbing the woman. He went quietly with the witness. Mr. GE. Yarrose,dirisional surgeon of police,said that he examined the deceased. Ho saw at once that she was dying, and she was quite unconseious. The front of her clothing was saturated with blood, and witness found a punctured wound over the left breast. Blood was still issuing from the wound. It was a small wpund externally, about half Ail inch ,in lea‘th, but Witness found that it penetrated to the rib bone, a distance of about an inch and a half. He belie*" that it had, holverrer, penetrated dasper,'passing dff the rib bone and inwards. The knife produced he saw with fresh blood on it. It corresponded in shape and size with the wound, and would have caused it. At this point Mr. Hannay ordered a remand, during which time a post-mortem examination of the hesiy cbald be made. '