The Sun. — 1857-08-11 (London, England)

NORTHERN CIRCUIT.—LANCASTER, AUG. 8. (Before Mr. Baron Watson.) Edward Hardman, shoemaker, of Chorley, was fully convicted of the wilful murder of his wife, Ellen Hardman, at Chorley, on the sth March. Mr. Monk, Mr. Assbeton Cross, and Mr. Allison prosecuted ; and Mr. Overend and Mr. Brett defended the prisoner. It appeared that the prisoner was married to the deceased about two years ago, and then lived at Brindle, near Chorley ; and it was averred that the difference in their religious persuasions, he being a catholic and she a protestant, was a cause of disagreement between them, and three months after their marriage they separated, and she went to live with her father, but in a short time they became reconciled and went to live together again. But this appears to have subsided on their removal to a small village called Botany Bay, about a mile from Chorley, which took plact about 12 months after they were married. He was unfortunately addicted to intemperance, and this appeared to cause some uneasiness, as she was frequently seen weepinc, when he was off work. On the 25th of Marsh she was taken suddenly ill, accompanied by vomiting and purging, the vomit being of a yellow ec,lour. Prisoner attributed her illness to some brothwhieh she had taken, and called in a medical man named Smith, who prescribed medicines for inflammation of the stomach and bowels, under which he sup. posed her to labour. Under this treatment she continued to mend until the 4th March, when she was again taken ill much more violently than before, her face became cadaverous,lher hands livid, a cold clammy sweat bedewed the body, and she was utterly unconscious ; and, after severe suffering, expired on the sth March. She was buried at Brindle on the 9th, and in a few days reports of foul play got circulated, and it was strongly suspected that she had been poisoned. The body was exhumed, and the stomach and viscera taken out, and submitted for analysis to Mr. H. Watson, who discovered both antimony and arsenic, and it being found that the prisoner had purchased both kind's of deadly poison a short time before her fatal illness, he was apprehended ou the charge of wilful murder. It was proved that the prisoner was in the possession of antimony in the latter end of last year, and was aware of its deadly effects. It was proved that in the early part of March (the 2nd), the prisoner purchased 60 grains of antimony, under the pretence that it was for a horse; and about the same period half a pound of arsenic was purchased by him, under the representation that it was to wash floors to kill bugs. On the 3d March, Mr. Smith gave the prisoner three Dover's powders for the deceased ; they were wrapped in a paper, but not tied. The prisoner took home some powders, tied up in a parcel, and two of them were administered, and then the fatal sickness came on ; and from the fact of the one powder left being found after the wife's death, causing a burning sensation in the mouth, it was suspected that the prisoner had substituted antimony for the medicine sent by Mr. Smith. Various motives were assigned—the attachment of the prisoner to another woman, the money he would receive at her death from burial clubs (131.), and other cause. The appearance presented by the body on the post mortem examination satisfied the two medical men, Messrs. Pilkington and Bumford, that death had been caused by an irritant poison, and this was further confirmed by the analysis of the contents of the stomach and viscera, and Professor Taylor, who attended to give evidence, expressed his decided conviction that antimony was the cause of death. Mr. Overend made an able address in defence of the prisoner. . . His lordship summed up, and the jury, after being absent from court 22 minutes, returned a verdict of Guilty ; and his lordship passed sentence of death, holding out no hope of any remission of the sentence.