The Sun. — 1858-09-24 (London, England)

LONDON, FRIDAY EVENING, SEPTEMBER 24, 1858.  HORRIBLE CHARGE OF WIFE MU.RDE.R IN MANCHESTER.  MANCHESTER, THURSDAY. This morning the neighbourhood of Lever-street, Manchester, was thrown into a state of great excitement in consequence of a rumour that Henry Reid, a carter, living in that street, had murdered his wife. Many persons were soon on the spot, the alarm being given by the sister of the deceased. Ultimately the man was apprehended on the charge of murder, and Mr. E. Herford, the city coroner, held an inquest on the body of the deceased this afternoon. The evidence showed that, on that morning, the deceased's sister, on going to the house, was unable to obtain admission, and on looking through the window, she saw deceased lying at the bottom of the stairs. She forced an entrance, and found her sister was dead. She called out to the prisoner, deceased's husband, who was in bed, "Henry, what have you done ?" and he answered, " She has hung. herself from the balustrade of the stairs." On being taken into custody he repeated the same assertion. _  Ann Holden said—The prisoner and deceased lived at the back of her house, and at three o'clock this morning she heard a great noise in their house. Something heavy appeared to be thrown down stairs. I heard the sound as if it fell three times. The falls appeared to be about a minute after one another: I heard a female voice say, " Oh, dear, oh dear I" and they was a reply, but I could not tell what was said. I and my daughter sleep together. After the noise we lay awake about half an hour, then all was quite still. We have often heard them quarrelling and fighting. John Elliott, jun., house surgeon at the Royal Infirmary, said—The deceased was taken there this morning about half-past ten o'clock. I examined the body, and found above the right eye a lacerated wedge-shaped wound, from which a quantity of blood had flowed. On dissecting the integuments I found the tissues infiltrated with coagulated blood. The wound penetrated to.the skull, and was about an inch across. The wound, I think, would be caused by some blunt instrument, or by falling against a hard corner. The skull was not fractured or indented. On the right cheek there was a recent bruise ; and she also had the remains of a black eye. I found this cord (produced) tied very tight round the neck. There was a mark upon the chin, which had been made by the cord. In front of the angle of the jaw there were corresponding livid marks, as if the force upon the ends of the rop e had,„come from behind. If she had suspended herself the noose must have slipped from where I found it. On opening the windpipe I found a corresponding indentation on it with the mark outside. If she had hung herself the head would have fallen back, and the weight of the body would have pushed the noose up closer under the chin ; and the marks I saw on the jaws would have been in another position. The mark round the throat was lougitudinally parallel. The liver presented the appearance of a person who drank a good deal. Deceased was about five months' advanced in pregnancy. The cause of death was undoubtedly strangulation. The subsequent evidence was unimportant, and finally the jury brought in a verdict of wilful murder.  The pri4oncr is a returned convict, 'who had re. ceived a ticket of leave in May last.