British Miner and General Newsman : — 1863-01-10 (London, England)

BRUTAL MURDER AT NEWCASTLE. NEWC A STLE-ON-TYN E, Monday.  George Vass, labourer, was brought up this morning, under remand, charged with the murder of Margaret Docherty, a woman fifty years of age, on the Back Walls, Newcastle, on New Year's morning. Serjeant Thomas Watson, of the borough police, stated that after the body had been removed from the Bank Walls to the station-house he made a search, and found a pair of shoes, an apron, and other articles of wearing apparel, stained with blood and mud, and much torn, near the spot where the body was found. The ground showed marks of a severe struggle at the place. There were marks of blood on the ground and on a wall near. The husband of the deceased, John Docherty, identified a portion of the articles produced as having been worn by his wife on the night precedinc.. the murder. S. W. Rayne, surgeon, stated that he had made a post mortem examination of the body of the deceased woman. Her hair was matted with blood, and her face was totally disfigured and covered with blood and dirt. The nose was smashed in and flattened. There was a bruised wound on the right hip, also marks and scratches on the right thigh. On the left side at the lower portion of the body there were marks of considerable violence, and several contused wounds on the inside of her thigh. There were marks upon her as if she had been engaged in a struggle, and had been knocked down and dragged along the ground. On removing the skull-cap blood was found to be effused on both sides over the frontal bone, and also over the posterior part. The temple muscles on each side were infiltrated with blood. On removing the scalp at the posterior part of the head, the periosteutu came away with it—a very unusual feature. The whole of the superior maxillary bones and malar bones were separated from each other, and reduced to ' , splinters. The whole of the orbital plates were I destroyed, and the cavities filled with blood. From the brow to the upper jaw the face was entirely smashed in. The brain was healthy, but very much congested. The windpipe was opened, and found to be free from all foreign bodies. There was no congestion of the lining membrane, which showed she was not suffocated. The superior portion of the right lung was gorged with fluid blood. The liver was ruptured. There was a great deal of ecchymosis upon the intestines. The mesentery, throughout its entire extent, had also ecchymose blood. The cause of death might have arisen from the effusion of blood upon the brain, the injuries to the face, or by the rupture of the liver. The rupture of the liver must have been caused by very great violence. She had not died of asphyxia. A witness named George Storey, cabman, said he was with two companions in Stowell-street, on Thursday morning, about two o'clock. They went into the prisoner's father's house. The prisoner was standing against the table, with his cap on, as if he had just come in. After remaining there about ten minutes they went out, and the prisoner followed them. Prisoner took his arm, and said, "Come along the Back Walls, there 's a woman there." They proceeded about forty yards further, and found the body of the deceased dead, and quite cold. Witness sent his two companions for the police, and they left the place. The prisoner told him while in the house that he bad been fighting, and that his hands were all over blood. Witness told him to go and get them washed, and he left. The prisoner was committed to take his trial at the assizes, for wilful murder.  AN