The Sun. — 1851-04-08 (London, England)

LIVERPOOL, APRIL 7. STOCK EXCIIANGIL—There is again a slight improvement in the market, and a fair business has been done at better prices.  MANCHESTER, Aprar, 7.  "Smelt ExcHarrax.—The share market has been very heavy to-day, but prices were maintained at fully last quotations. The transactions were as follow:—Manchester, Sheffield, and Lincolnshire, New 1261. Preference, bi p.— South-Eastern and Dover, 26 15-16.  MURDER OF A WIFE BY HER .HUSBAND GLOUCESTER, SATURDAY NlGHT.—Another crime of this nature, now unfortunately of too frequent occurrence in this part of the kingdom, has just been perpetrated within a few yards of our city. The unhappy woman was a delicate young creature, only in her 23d year, named Esther Curtis, and the mother of her first child, about fifteen months old. She had lately been subjected to much ill-usage at the hands oF her husband, a labourer, named Edmund Curtis, of Victoria-street, in this city. About seven o'clock this morning she left her home, and went direct to-the White Lion beer-shop, a few yards distant, to confer with her husband on some matter of domestic import. Having exhibited considerable churlish reluctance to comply with her request of a minute's conversation, Curtis at length complied. They had scarcely left the house, however, before the landlady, Mrs. Wilkes, was greatly alarmed by hearing the most piercing screams, proceeding from the garden by the site of the White Lion. Mrs. Wilkes immediately ran out, but only to return as speedily and shriek for assistance herself, imploring a stout young fellow, named William Kirkland, " for God sake to come out, for Curtis was mardering his wife !" Kirkland complied ; and on running into the garden he found that Curtis with his left hand had seized his wife by the collar of her dress and was forcing down her head on the other side of an iron fencing erected to part a garden from a pathway running para'lel. Holding her in this position, with the pit of her abdomen resting upon the top rail, with I:is right fist he was beating her in the most ferocious manner about the region of the lungs. With a view to separate him from the already senseless victim of his savage ferocity, Kirkland seized him by the collar of his coat from behind, but so insatiable was his brutal appetite that, retaining his hold of the unhappy woman, the brawny arm of Kirkland brought them simultaneously to the ground. Here, moreover, great difficulty was experienced in releasing the motionless woman from his grasp; and Kirkland could scarcely prevent a repetition of the assault while they were upon the ground. Additional assistance having, however, by this time arrived, Curtis was forced to release his hold ; and the necessary restraint of several neighbours having been applied, ho was prevented from repeating his violence, while brandy and other restoratives were being applied by Mrs. Wilkes and others to his wife, with the hope of producing re-animation. Every attempt which kindness and ingenuity could suggest was made with this view, but without success; already the livid hue of death had spread over the unhappy woman's mutilated features. _ .  Having been released from constraint, Curtis, with brutal composure had gone again into the tap-room, and was calmly proceeding to refill his pipe with tobacco, when he was told that he had better send for a surgeon, for his wife was dying. "Let her die and be d-, and a d-- good job too," was his brutal reply ; and without further care he again sat himself down to his cups perfectly sober. In the mean time the medical assistance of Mr. Alfred Clarke, surgeon, had been procured for the woman. Mr. Clarke only arrived in time to see the woman breathe her last. In less than half an hour after she had entered the White Lion she was a mutilated corpse, a victim of the murderous ferocity of her husband. The body presents marks of violence round the left eye; the immediate region of the left temple is also discoloured by a blow, and already (10 o'clock) the body is fast assuming general discolouration. Curtis is now in custody, awaiting the result of a coroner's inquisition, to be held on Monday.