The Central Glamorgan Gazette, and General, Commercial, and Agricultural Advertiser. — 1872-12-13 (Bridgend, Mid Glamorgan, Wales)

IVIFE MURDERER SENTENCED TO  DEATH.  On Monday, at the Manchester ASSiZCS. before Mr. Justice Lush, Michael Kennedy, 55, was charged with the wilful murder of his wife, Ann Kennedy. —lsaac Harrop said the deceased and the prisoner were living next door to liiin in October. When witness was in his house on the afternoon of the sth he heard a report of firearms. He went to the window and saw the prisoner coining out of his house. He afterwards went to the prisoner's house, and saw the deceased on the deer-step, and blood running down her face. She said" Helms shot me."—Ellen Barnes, a married daughter of the prisoner, said she was living with her parents at the time of the murder. On Saturday, the sth of October, the prisoner came in, forward in drink. His dinner was not ready, and he appeared angry. He had to wait half an hour for his dinner. Witness went out, and on her return in three or four minutes saw her mother sitting on the doorstep. She died the following Tuesday.—ln cross-examination, the witness said the prisoner and the deceased had been married 56 years. The prisoner had worked at Messrs. Armitage and Cc.'s mill for ten years. Since July he had been out of employment. The deceased had had 14 children, of whom seven were alive. When sober the prisoner was always a very good husband. For the past nine months he had been addicted to drink. He began to drink soon after the death of a son, which grieved him very much. Four years ago he fell into a sewer and hurt the side of his head very much. He had had strange fancies over since when he was in liquor. He had been drinking for three or four days prior to the murder. Afterwards, on the day of the murder, he said his head pained him—Jas. Fleming, a police constable, said he was on duty at Pendleton on the day in question, and the prisoner came to him and said he had shot his wife. He took him to the police-station. Witness returned to the house, and found the woman lying on a sofa bleeding, and a pistol in the room, which had been recently discharged.—John King. a policeconstable, said the prisoner inquired of him whether his wife was dead, and when told alie was not, he said, "I am sorry for that, for I shot her intending to kill her."—Matthew Henry Woodhouse, general dealer, Shudehill, said the prisoner purchased a pistol, bullet mould, and caps from him on the morning on which the murder was committed.—The deceased's deposition was then pit in. It stated that the prisoner came behind her chair and asked her to kiss him. She replied, "I do netlike to kiss drunken people." He said, "You will perhaps rue it." She said, "I cannot help it," and immediately afterwards she heard a report of a pistol, and found she was wounded. She had given him no provocation beyond remonstrating with him for getting drunk and pawning things from the house.—Mr. Addison. who defended the priaoner, contended that by hie drinking he had become irresponsible, that there had been no premeditation, and no motive for the crime.—The jury found the prisoner guilty, and sentence of death was passed.