Denton and Haughton Examiner, etc. — 1882-06-17 (Denton, Greater Manchester, England)

SHOCKING MURDER OF A WIFE.  A shocking murder has been committed in Waterlooplace, Samuel-street, St. Geor,3e's-in-the-East, London, the victim being a woman named Elizabeth Sullivan, the wife of Timothy Sullivan, a watemide labourer, who rmides at No. 7, Waterloo-place. It appears that a little before Bye o'clock Sallivan went home the worse for drink. At that time his wife and a son of the parties, Thnuthy Sullivan, jun., a boy of about 14 years of age, were sitting in the room. As soon as he had got kende the doorway Sullivan sat down on a chair, and his wife, seeing the state he was it, said to him "Oh, Tim, Tim, why don't you turn up the drink, it will Is your ruin if you don't mind; for Gars sake give it up, and have done with it." He made some reply to this, and the poor woman again spoke to him. Ho then told his eon to take off his boots, as he was going to bed. The boy did so, and the woman, in a coaxing kind of way, repeated, " Titn, boy, will you g;ve up the drink, an I it will be better for us all?' At this time Sullivan was standing close to the fireplace, and he sto; pal and picked up" has of iron, which did duty for a loker, and this he either threw at, or struck his wife with, over the bent. As soon as she received the blow, the unfortunate woman shrieked out and fell on the floor. Sullivan at once went into the yard, and got over a wall at the rear of the house whilst the boy screamed loudly for help. Several neighbours at once ran into the room, and found Mrs. Sullivan lying on the door in a large pool of blood insensible, and evidently dying. The police were summoned, and Police-constable James Strathan, 179 H. who was on duty in the vicinity, was quickly on the spot, closely followed by Chief Inspector Older and Sergeant Groves. Inspector Older sent immediately for medical aid, and Dr. Kay attended in a very few minutes, but by the time he bad arrived the poor woman had breathed her last. When the police entered the house they noticed a piece of iron lying near the woman on which were marks of blood and portions of the human brain; there was also blood all about the room, which presented a shocking appearance. The end of the poker or bar appeared to have entered the deceased's head, the right temple bones being completely shattered. In the meantime Police-co:Mehl° Strathan had made his way over the rear of the house in search of Sullivan, whom he prmently found getting over the wall of 42, Samuel-street, in the occupation of a man named Turner. The latter, it appears, on going into his kitchen found Sullivan standing there. He asked Win what he wanted, and he said that he had come there to hide, as the police were after him. Turner told hint that he could not stay there, on which he said that he would go out of the front door. Turner told him that he would not, but would return the sonic way as he came. He accordingly made Sullivan get over the back wall, and he was Just then seen and seized by the constable Strath., who, with the assistance of Sergeant Groves, conveyed him to the Leman-street Police-station, where the charge was taken by Chief Inspector Older. When the charge of murder was read over to the prisoner at the police-station he said, "I did not do it intentionally ; we have lived together for twenty-three years, and she was as good a woman as ever lived. I have never raised my hand to her before. She raid when I went in, Why don't you turn the drink up, Tim.' I said to her, We shall get over it all right,' and I had the bit of poker and I threw it back-handed, but I did not meal to hit her." When taken into custody Sullivan was collected. but had evidently been drinking.