The Wolverhampton and Midland Counties Advertiser. — 1876-09-09 (Wolverhampton, West Midlands, England)

EXTRAORDINARY WIFE ASSAULT CASE. At the Wolverhampton Police Court, on Wednesday, before the Stipendiary, William Gough, striker, was brought up on remand, charged with assaulting his wife, Emily, aged 21, on the 16th March, 1873. It will be remembered that prisoner had been seen to strike and kick his wife on the back, although she was then complaining of being ill, and that she died a week after the assault, an before her death complained to one of the witnesses of her injuries. Upon a warrant being issued for prisoner's apprehension, he absconded, and was not arrested until he returned to Wolverhampton, about a month ago. At the inquest held on the deceased, a verdict of " Death from natural causes" was returned. _ _  Mr. Vincent Jackson, surgeon, for whose attend. once the prisoner has been twice remanded, stated he made a post m orient examination of the body of Mrs. Gough, the wife of the prisoner, wbo died in March, 1873, and found that death resulted from apoplexy, there being extmvasation of blood on the right side of the brain. He heard of the woman having been beaten by her husband a short time before her death, but there were no marks about the body which he could say were the result of such beating. Mr. Barrow arldremsed the Stipendiary for the defence at sonic length, remarking that his client, who pleaded guilty to the assault, wished him to say that, although it might appear contradictory, he was very fond of his deceased wife, and that the assault was committed under circumstances which he did not wish to go into now that the woman was dead. He (Mr, Barrow) hoped that if his Worship could possibly see Ms way he would temper justice with mercy in this case.  Mr Spooner : Mercy for a man who has treated a woman so brutally! Ido not say that physically his treatment was the cause of her death, but morally, no doubt, he was the cruise of her death.  Mr. Barrow continued that the prisoner had loft the town shortly after the assault, and ho had for three years suffered mental torture by reason of his fears that he might be brought up on the grave charge of murder or of manslaughter, which was in itself a very severe punishment. _ .  Mr. gpooner : I would not give a halfpenny for the mental torture of a man who could treat a woman so cruelly. Although I am not satisfied that he physically caused her death, I cannot but think that a girl of 21 seldom dies of apoplexy without something being done to her.  Mr. Barrow : I ask you simply to look upon the case se a common assault. The evidence of the woman Williams was that there were no marks of violenee upon the body of the deceased. Mr. Spooner: His cruel usage was almost unrivalled. As to his mental torture, I have just had it suggested to me (by the chief constable) that he solaced himseif by marrying a second wife. Mr. Barrow Perhaps that would increase his mental torture.  Mr. Spooner : I cannot take mental torture into consideration. He ran away, and chose to keep out of the way of my warrant. I shall pass a heavy sentence, hot as I said before, the term will be reduced by the time which he has now been under remand, for the attendance of Mr. Jackson. Had he come earlier, he would have had the same sentence. The Stipendiary then sentenced the prisoner to six months' imprisonment, less two weeks, with hard labour.  The prisoner left the dock, apparently well satisfied with having received no heavier punishment.