The Sun. — 1841-12-24 (London, England)

MURDER AT STOKE-UPON-TRENT. -- On Monday evening and Tuesday last the town of Stoke was thrown into a state of great excitement, by a.report that a man named Thomas Morris, a brewer, had laid violent hands upon his wife, and thereby caused her death, whilst he was in a state of intoxication. The report proved but too true. On Tuesday afternoon an inquest was held on the body of the deceased, Elizabeth Morris, at the Old Swan Inn, Stoke. The first witness called was a niece of the prisoner's and deceaseffi, named Fanny Ililditch, a little girl ten years of age, who stated that Morris and deceased lived at their house. Witness remembered Morris coming home on Monday night, about nine o'clock.' Her aunt (the deceased) was nursing a baby about ten months old, and sat by the fire, making a cap and putting flowers in it, There was, no other person in the house except Morris, the deceased, witness, and the baby. Morris said he would not have the cap which the deceased was making in his house. He endeavoured to get the cap from her, and she resisted. He said he would throw it on the fire, and she replied that he " durst not," and he replied that he " durst ;" and some further altercation took place. lie then struck his wife a violent blow on her brow, upon which she fell with her head upon his knee. He pushed her off to the floor, which was of brick. After she was down he kicked her twice on the side, and some time - after tried to lift her head from the floor, but it fell down again ; and he then said that. he " could not help it." Deceased could not get up. Witness went to call a neigh. hour, named Mary Sweetnam, and told her that deceased was dying, upon which she went to Morris's directly. Morris was quite drunk. Mary Sweeeeeastnedamlsaayidaesrheesswtehnet to Morris's house with her ; the deceased home floor on her back, and Morris was kneeling down by the side of her. He exclaimed when witness entered the house, " Aye dear, aye clear, Mrs. Sweetnam." lie had his left arm under her head. Witness asked what was the matter, and he replied " he thought she was dead, as he perceived no breath." Witness then laid hold of deceased's hand and rubbed it, but she was quite dead. Morris said something must be done. Witness then went and called Sally Irarrison and Betsy Mitchell, telling them that Betsy Morris was either dead or dying. They came in soon, and then witness went to her own house, and sent a man who lodged with her to call Mr. Davis. When she went back to Morris's deceased was quite dead, was then adjourned until Wednesday, theirfurther v e. and they lifted her on the sofa. The inquest evidence had been adduced, the Jury r dict—" That the deceased came to her death by violence n;ted after used towards her by her husband Thomas Aforris," who was committed to take his trial for the offence at the next Assizes.  '-ve grieve to observe that the distress in Paisley •is still on the increase. There are at present above 13,000,_ people dependent on the supplies of charity for Sard theSiste subsistence. Tf •ti6uries a state of things truly lamentable, Of it is, that there are no immediate Prospects of a change for the better. The warehouses of the manufacturers are filled with goods, and so paralyzed are the few capitalists which the general wreck has left, that they have neither the spirit nor the energy to attempt ally new branch of industry.—Ayr Observer. The Bordeaux papers mention that, on Satur. ►la, ev ,„, the buildings of the Fish-market in that city fell down with a tremendous crash. Fortunately nobody was in them at the time. The cause of the ace', dent isfnnt specified. The Chamber of Commerce at Metz hat come to an unanimous resolution to promote the communica. Lion of the town with Germany and Paris, by means' of a railroad from Sarrebruck running through Metz to Sedan, Mezieres, and Reims, and joining at Compiegne the grand intended line from Paris to Lille.