Stockton Herald, South Durham and Cleveland Advertiser. — 1858-10-09 (Stockton-on-Tees, Cleveland, England)

SUSPECTED MURDER BY A GENTLEMAN  AND HIS DAUGHTER AT RUNCORN.  On Thursday, the town of Runcorn was thrown into great excitement by a rumour that Mrs. William Janion, the wife of a retired sea captain,had been found dead in her own house, with such marks upon her body as Id the police to apprehend bolt Mr. Janion and his daughter, by a former marriage, on suspicion of murdering her. The inquest was held on Friday. The followaig evidence was given : Rosannah Kendal, of Runcorn, said she knew the deceased, but could lot WI whether she was the legal wife of William Janion. A boy knocked at her door on ThursdAy morning, about half-past seven o'clock, to say that &IMMO' Hardy (Mr. Janion's daught-r, who lived witb witness) was wanted. In a few minutes Mrs. Hardy came b•ick for w mess, who went with her to Mr. Janion's, where she found deceased lying on the parlour floor, with her face downwards, as it she had fallen off the sofa. There was a great deal of blood on her face, as if her nose had been bl eding from suffocation—and also on the ground. The daughter, who is now in custody, was in the kirchen at the time. Witness then went upstairs to Mr. Janion, whom she found sitting on a chair near the fire grate in h a bedroom. Ile was partly dressed. There was a lied in the room which presented the app-arance of having been slept 011 the previous night. Janion said to witness, "Oh, Mrs. Kendal, what's to be done ? I awoke this morning, and put my arm out to feel if my wife was in bed, and I only felt the child ; I got out of bed and went downstairs, aud found her as you see her." _ .  A woman named Chamberlain corroborated thia evidence.  George Frederick Mather said be lived nest door to Mr. Janion. There is a passage between his home and Janion's. Ile W 8 returning from his work on Wednesday night, and saw his wife and deceased talking together. Deceased appeared to have been drinking. Between twelve and one o'clock he was awoke in the night by a noise which appeared to come from the parlour in Janicn's house. It was a noise like some one knocking at the door to force it open. After that he heard f .ur bumps on the floor st four different interval,. Witness fancied it was Janion knocking deceased's head on the floor. He heart the children screaming upstairs, and a noise as from a man who was in a passion. In the intervals between the knocking witness heard Mr. Janion's voice, who appeared to be swearing and cursing. When he heard the noise, witness said to his wife, "That's Janion beating his wife."  James Griee, a man who lived on the opposite side of the street to Mr. Janion, was examined. On Thursday morning, about a quarter to one o'c'ock, he was awoke by a noise of thumping and screaming. Ile got up and went to the widow, and the noise appeared to come from Janion's house, the door of which was partly open. Ile remarked to his wife that Janion and his wife were disag-eeing again. Sool after one o'clock in the morning he heard that Mrs. Janion was dead ; he went immediately fora policeman.  Margaret Mather, wife of a former witness (Geo. Mather,) was next examined, tier only statement wirch differed from her husband's evidence was, that she heard no voice whatever, but only the pumping on the floor, which she supposed proceeded from Rfr. rssion hu-zpitur his wifs'e hecii en the parlour floor,