The Birkenhead News and Wirral General Advertiser. — 1880-09-11 (Birkenhead, Merseyside, England)

THE EVENTS OF THE WEEK.  THE MURDER NEAR ST. ALBANS. THE chain of circumstantial evidence respecting the murder of a farmer near St. Albans seems to be strengthening against the accused, Thomas Wheeler, who has a hair lip and is of repulsive appearance. A number of witnesses swear that, on the night the crime was committed, a man answering his description was observed proceeding towards Marshall's Wick Farm with a double-barrelled gnu. After the tragedy, the gun, which has been identified as 2no stolen from a neighbouring farm house a few days before, was found close to his home. Wheeler is not directly connected with the gun, but the wife of the farmer to whom it belonged has declared that he is exactly similar in build and appearance to the man who entered her bedroom on the Light of the burglary. A reticule stolen at the same time was disposed of by the prisoner to another witness, who swears to him. The evidence of the police is that when he was arrested on the day of the murder his clothes were stained with blood, while in his pockets were shots similar to those found in the head of the murdered man. Then a witness affirms that a syringe which was found on Wheeler was the property of the murdered man and stolen from the latter's bedroom on the night of the murder. When first the prisoner was arrested he was defiant; but he is now extremely dejected, and appears to feel his position very keenly. His allegation that on the night of the murder he slept in the furze at Harpenden, until eleven o'clock the next morning, is almost conclusively proved to be false, as persons have come forward and testified that at various hours from a very early time in the morning her was seen at points between St. Albans and the neighbourhood of Luton and at one public-house on the roadside changed a florin when purchasing some bread and cheese. It was a florin that the housekeeper of the murdered man gave the man who entered her bedroom to induce him to go away a few minutes after the time the fatal shot was fired, and this is looked upon as important evidence, as the prisoner had no money the day before the murder, and begged for bread. A coroner's jury have returned a verdict of wilful murder against Thomas Wheeler.  I near Wrexham, on Tuesday, they discovered lying on the rails of the Great Western Railway line the body of a man, fearfully mutilated. With all speed they conveyed him to the Wrexham infirmary, where he arrived at halfpast six. Dr. Davies found that he was in a dying state, his right arm having boon cut off and his head and foot terribly injured. It was with great difficulty that animation was restored to the apparently lifeless form. The poor man declared that his name was Hugh Morris, that he had just returned from Bombay, and that he was travelling from Cardiff to Liverpool to meet his friends. In the train ho was beset by two ruffian, ttn4 he: consequently, prudently sought another department. But thia did not secure him from further illtreatment. He was soon followed by his assailants, who attacked him, their object being to commit a robbery. They kicked him about the face and body very badly, and, finally, pushed him out of the train (which was a fast one) on to the rails. While he was lying on the line in a prostrate condition another train passed over him. It is feared that the perpetrators of the diabolical outrage have escaped.