The Sun. — 1870-07-23 (London, England)

TIIE 3IURDER NEAR CHELMSFORD.7  tic (11,,alyn,third s 7..ta cti zumy , isNac 31, labourer, was charged with the wilful murder of his wife, Martha Finch, by cutting her throat, on the 25th of May last. Mr. Walf3rd and Mr. Croome conducted the prosecution. The prisoner had no legal assistance, but, at the request of the learned judge, Mr. Codd watched  the case 'on his behalf. This was a case of a very painful character, there being no doubt that the unfortunate deceased woman, to whom the prisoner appeared to have been previously tenderly attached, met her death at his har.ds by a dreadful act of violence, and it being equally clear that at the time the act was committed the prisoner was in such a state of mind as not to be responsible for his actions. It appeared that the prisoner and the deceased had been married for 12 years, and they had several children, the youngest at the time of the occurrence being an infant in arms. On the night of the 25th of May the prisoner and the deceased went to bed at their usual time, two children, aged respectively five and six years, sleeping in the same room, and the baby being in the bed with its father and mother. Nothing appeared to have been noticed during the night, but there appeared to be no doubt that the prisoner had got up early on the followin,, morning, and that he had cut the throat of the unfortunate woman while she was asleep. 111 on one of the elder children going into the bedroom in the morning of the 26th of May a dreadful sight presented itself—the mother lying dead, with the baby restin,, upon her arm, and both being almost covered with blood that had flowed from a fearful wound in the throat of the deceased. The prisoner appeared to have been in a very low and desponding state for several days before the dreadful occurrence, and on the evening before it happened it appeared that the unfortunate woman had had some conversation with Mrs. Crow, a neighbour, in the course of which she said that her husband had given her such a look with his eyes that he had frightened her, and she appeared to have a foreboding that something dreadful was about to happen. After the prisoner had committed the fearful act he seemed to be quite unconscious of what he had done, and he repeatedly called out to the deceased woman to come down to breakfast, and he inquired why she was so long before she came downstairs. The deed must have been done at an early hour of the morning, for when the body of the deceased woman was examined it was found to be quite cold. The prisoner went away from his cottage immediately after the discovery took place, and he was seen in a field some distance off ; and when the parish constable went towards him he jumped into a ditch, but immediately afterwards be went up to the constable, who told him that he should take hitn into custody on suspicion of murdering his wife, and he made no reply. It transpired that the prisoner ha,d been eight months confined in the county lunatic asylum, and that four of his brothers had also been under restraint as lunatics, and one of them died in the asylum. Besides this it appeared that the prisoner's mother had also been confined in the county asylum, and all the evidence tended to chew was that just before the fatal occurrence the prisoner was in a very low and desponding state, and exhibited every indication of insanity. Upon the prisoner beingsearched there were found in his possession a small knife and a Bible, which was turned down at several pages in which there were references to the shedding of blood. Upon a search being made in the coal *cellar there was found a chopper or bill-hook, upon which there was a quantity of blood and hair, and it was no doubt with this weapon that the fatal injuries were inflicted upon the unhappy deceased. The jury acquitted the prisoner on the ground of insanity, and he was ordered to be detained in safe custody until her Majesty's pleasure should be made known respecting him.  Mr. Mapleson is no longer associated with Mr. Gye in the management of the Royal Italian Opera. No less than three Cabinet Alinisters,— Mr. Cardwell, Mr. Lowe, and Mr. Forster—visited Wimbledon Camp on Wednesday evening. The distinguished party first dined with Lord Ducie, at Heathfield House, and afterwards made the tour of the encampment. A.