The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle. — 1874-08-01 (Stourbridge, West Midlands, England)

MURDER AND SENTENCE OF DEATH.  At the Eso.., Asbizes, Thomas Ificdonahl, 35, dischareed marine, hss been tried for the wilful murder of Bridget Welsh, at Plymouth.  Deceased was married, and had three children, but had left her husband, and had cohabited for some time with the prisoner, who two months ago was discharged from the service on account of bad health. The accused was an inmate of the Royal Naval Hospital several months prior to his leaving the Marines, and he seems to have become jealous in consequence of what he had heard respecting deceased's conduct while he was in the hospital. His jealousy led to frequent quarrels. There was also scene disagreement between them as to the furnitere of the house. On the night of Sunday, the 2;•tli June, one of the deceased's children (a boy aged 141 banal her and the prisoner quarrellimi. Thy were on the floor; Macdonald had tile woman by the throat with one hand and hail a poker in the other. On the appearance of the boyprisoner released the deceased. Later in the evening they were seen talking together in their usual manner, end appeared ti be " friends," as one of the witnesses said. Mrs. Welsh was not seen olive afterwards. About eight o'clock on Monday morning the prisoner went to a public house and honght lialf.mpint of brandy, half of which he drank, and returned home. Several hours later his ro..in was broken into, and both deceased and the prisoner were found stretched on the floor, the former dead beyond doubt, the latter apparently so. 'The deceased had two frightful wounds in the head. one just over the temple, the other on the top of the head, am! „ . .  the skull woe broken in pieces. Near her head was a pool of blood, but her dress was not soiled, and the medical man was of opinion that she was felled to the ground by a tremendous blow which killed her instantly. 'The prisoner, on being examined, was found to be alive, though his throat had been cut, and there were evidences teat he had taken poison. On being asked what he had done he said, • Justice," and he repeated the word several times. He also stated that he killed the woman with a cross-piece of a bedstead which lay by her side; and added he did it because she bad been unfaithful to him. Prisoner was removed to a hospital, and soon recovered. He had cut his windpipe badly, but none of the main arteries were injured. To the police superintendent he stated that deceased had been urfaithful, that they quarrelled 8.,,0ut the furniture, and that he killed her. In his room were found some pieces of paper containing statements to the saute effect, written before and after the murder. The papers eontained some rigmarole about justice and vice, and directions as to what should be done with his money, a portion of which was to go to the Roman Catholic priest for masses for the souls of himself and his "dear Bridget." For the defence, it woo contended that the de, meanour and the acts of the prisoner, coupled with I certain evidence given by the medical man, would enable the Jury to acquit the prisoner on the ground , of insanity. I The summing up of the Judge was against the theory of the defence ; and The Jury, after five minutes' consulbation, returned a verdict of Guilty. Mr. Justice Brett passed sentence of death, charac