The Sun. — 1844-05-08 (London, England)

ALDERSON.) THE MURDER AT MARYLEBONE. At ten o'clock this morning the prisoner, William Crouch, who was described in the calendar as " a groom, aged 28, remanded from last session, standing indicted for the wilful murder of Frances Elizabeth Crouch," was placed at the bar. The prisoner is rather boyish in his appearance, with a somewhat pleasing expression of countenance. Mr. Parry prosecuted, and Mr. Clarkson defended the prisoner. Mr. Parry having stated the case, called Mrs. Elizabeth Haynes, who said, I am the wife of Samuel Ha) nes, who resides at Chesterfield-street, Marylebone. I have known the prisoner since September last, at which time he resided in the same house that I did. His wife was residing with him. I remember the morning of Saturday, the 30th of March last, and saw the prisoner on that morning between seven and eight o'clock. He went out that morning about half-past ten. I saw him again about four o'clock the same afternoon, when he came home with a man. I went outside the door to him. I asked the prisoner If he had seen my husband, and he said he had not. He then left the house again and retuwed in about an hour afterwards. He was alone then, and I told him he had been drrnking, but he denied it. His appearance was that of a drunken man. He sat down in the room and said, "It must be done—it must be done—l can't wait." I said, " What is that, Mr. Crouch, are you in a hurry?" and he repeated the words three or four times. He then fell asleep, and I said nothing further to him. He was asleep for some time. When he woke up, I told him that Mrs. Lynes had sent his clean clothes ; and he said, " I shall never want them ;" and he got up and opened the bundle of clothes, and, pulling out a shirt which was torn, said, " There is a pretty thing for a fellow to put on his back." He said it had been lying in the box for six weeks, and " she " was too lazy to mend it, or sew any buttons on it. I told him I could sew buttons on it before the morning, and he said he should never wear it any more He sat down for a few moments, and then get up and looked for a pair of stockings, and, not finding them, he said, " I have not had a pair of stockings for these six weeks." He said, " Why the b— h— could she not mend my stockings ?" He remained for a few moments, and then left the room, and went into my bed-room, where his own box was placed. He unlocked the box, and locked it again, and then came into my room, and put the box key into his waistcoat pocket. He sat down for about five minutes, and then left the house. I did not see him again until seven o'clock, when an alarm was given, and on looking out of the window I saw him running. The prisoner's wife had left him about a fortnight before. Until that time she had lived with him, and after that time she used to come backwards and forwards. The night the prisoner's wife left he said, "I will lie wait for her, and give her a good hiding ; and if I had her here I would cut her throat with a razor." Cross-examined by Mr. CLARKsosr—The prisoner's wife lived about forty yards off. The night this happened the prisoner was tipsy. By the CouRT—I heard the alarm given about five minutes after he left the house. By Mr.