The Sun. — 1858-02-08 (London, England)

SUSPECTED MURDER AT CARLISLE.  On Wednesday evening last much excitement was created in Carlisle by a rumour that an old woman named Jane Thwaites, wife of J. Thwaites, aged 70, had been murdered by her husband. On the police proceeding to the house, the rumour was partly confirmed, as she was found to be quite dead, and to bear marks of ill-usage. Her husband, who is a hawker, is addicted to drinking, and when tipsy generally struck and abused his wife. He had olton turned her undressed into the streets, and had sometimes compelled her to sit for hours on the stairs, while almost in a state of nudity. He had twice broken her arm, once with a poker, and another time by throwing her down stairs. The deceased was a quiet woman, and never requested the neighbours to interfere ; but she was in the habit of drinking. On Tuesday night Thwaites got drunk, when he took a strap, and beat his wife unmercifully about the head. The next morning the neighbours observed that the deceased had a black eye. On Wednesday Thwaites was found drunk on a footpath, and taken home by a policeman. The death of his wife happened shortly after. Au inquest was held on the body on Thursday afternoon.  Catherine M‘Hard, a neighbour, stated that she heard the deceased and her husband some time about half-past lon Wednesday. They both went upstairs into their room. Thwaites spoke to deceased at the stair foot, and told her in abusive words to be gone. She made no answer, but turned round to see if he was coming, and he went right up after her. Nothing more was said till they got into the room. She heard a noise proceeding from their room shortly after two, when deceased came out of the room and went down stairs, leaving him inside. She did not hear her re:urn, nor did she hear any noise in the room after that time. M ary Lancaster stated that she lived in a house opposite to that of Thwaites, and was well acquain'ed with the deceased. She ssw her on Wednesday, when she came home with her husband. She bad a black eye, and as she passed she put her hand over it to bide it from the neighbours. Her husband used to abuse her as badly as he could. On Wednesday evening Thwaites came to her house with a neighbour named Hannah Purdham, and said, " Oh, Mary, come upstairs, for I believe my old woman's dead." Purdham and she went up, and found her lying on the floor, near the window, on her right side, with her right arm under her. Bloody matter was running from her mouth and nose, but not from any other part of the body. She had her clothes on, but they we'rerebni toktid struckcik a disordered, hery ehrmed. She was w dead. Witness said, " Oh, dear me, John, how has thil— he you here v Lot about Herethe esa a justedkiilia‘pe‘ happened?—have seeinuedst ifmaking. shes Nhv n did not offer t I o uld get upo hoagveet tuepa that I wont to her head and raised it, and it just dropped down again." He did not say where he had been or whether she had been out. Deceaed had twice bad her arm broken, and had told witness the injuries had been caused by her husband. Other witnesses gave corroborative evidence. Dr. Ilendrie said that the deceased appeared to have died from a fit of apoplexy, but the body must be opened before he could ascertain whether it was from injury to the head. After some discussion, the inquest was adjourned till Thursday next, to allow Dr. Hendrie to make a post mortem examination. —Manchester Guardian.