The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser. — 1836-12-06 (Liverpool, Merseyside, England)

SHOCKING MURDER AT SHEFFIELD.  Early on Tnesday morning last a horrid murder was com, mined at Sheffield, by John Farmer, a hotelier, residing in Farin town, ran the body of Joseph Wilks, his step-son. The wreteltA perpetrate,* of this crime has for several years past lieNt occasionally much addicted to liquor, and when in a state ot intoxication ex:tibited all the violence of an insane 'perann. His mai'gnity on these occasions was principally directed towards hiS•wile and her two sons by a former marriage. This produciA by a strong impression, then all powerful on his Blind, that he was suffering injury from:them hit pecuniary way. On the night in qiListion being in liquor, lie 'went home • about eleven o'cl.);!,, am'. having sat down in a room where his , family were at supper, the first. thing he did was to put his lomdin his pocket and draw therefrom five £5 notes,, which he, threw in the tire Tle'v were snatched from thence by his wife, who preyen,ed their deitruction by immersing 1111411 In some ale which chanced to he on the table. Farmer then took tip' a table knife and made a stroke at 'her. This being observefL she gave way, and received only a Cult CM the neck, which otherwise Mig}it have been fatal. Unon this outrageous behaviors taking place, all the members of the family left the house, wit the excevtion of the unfortunate youth, who was afterwardh murdered. He had gone to bed an hour previous to the ahoy i occurrence taking place and the 'author,' man was thus lefe in the house alone with the poor boy. It is believed that Farmer, after a while, then went tin stairs arid 'must open the door of the room where his step- son was sleeping, and what took place afterwards. can only 10-conjectured. A little hefore one o'clock, two young tern passing the house and bearing some noise, approached the shop-door in order to discover what was going on ; when the de,tr opened, and nut rushed the young man Wilks, who decle his tether had stuck him. They conveyed him to a neienhouring ptaie-house, the iminitt,s of which heing aroused, he was taken in, laid on a table, and serFie& assistsuee proc' but the medical men from the first pronounced it to he a fatal case. He languished about three hours, and then expired. Two wetehmen being ca led in, they • burst open the door Vermer's house. They then went in, ercompattiecl by Mr. ''hotnas Hunt, and found the author of the deed walking sic i• the house without his coat. After approaching him with c they threw the lights of their lanterns, increased to dazzling by reflectors, into his face; then . nit alit-et closed and seem-et! him. On Wednesday an. inquest wan held hethre Ai-. Badger, and a post tnortem examination tr.ok place nn the hotly of the deceased, in the presence of the )wry, when it the ant? • ee tnst a wound had been inflicted between inches in 14,7_';,`11i ribs on the right side. measuring about six theouse had produced death. In what part of evidence ; hot it ~eethe Z.°,l"V was perpetrated did not appear in eel, he went to bed, from Li! youth Was anticipating violence wtrn ings on, and the tahip sari slept with his trowsers and stockif they had been used as a chairs Itieing fnend about the door as • before the jury, arid after the rR-e.The father was brought evidence was reild to him, the coroner irrwiree, if he had ' plied. Obi. the least said sognnlestsauy, when lie briefly resome disapprobation of the company ;,",.`1:1. and expressed jury retirnert verdict of Wilful Murder'as,:•'',t """,,st• The which the cot— r ißsneri his warrant for his ttim "" Castle. The e,,,,aseri was about twenty years of age, end to York sad w" much respected fer his civil behaviour and his indu strtous ~i~ Leeds Intelligences.