The Shropshire Examiner and all round the Wrekin advertiser. — 1874-12-05 (Wenlock, Shropshire, England)

THE MURDER NEAR BURTON-ONTRENT. At the Burton-on-Trent Police Court, on Wednesday, before Mes,rs. Tomlinson, Griffiths, and Wardley, a young man, who gave the name of Robert Tawlor, and said he was a sinker, belonging to Wigan, Lancashire, was brought up in the custody of Superintendent Bowen, charged with the wilful murder of Mary Kill, by cutting her throat at Hoarcross, on the evening of the 2.3 rd November.  John Kidd deposed I am a labourer, and reside at Hoarcross. A little after five o'clock on the evening of the 23rd of last month I received a communication respecting my wife, and, in consequence of which, I went to Lower Hoarcross, and near the reservoir there I found my wife quite dead, lying across the highroad, with her throat cut right across. The body was subsequently conveyed home. Deceased was about 57 years of age. Sarah Ann Hollis, a little girl eight years of age, residing with her parents atHoarcross, deposed I re. member last Monday week Mrs. Kidd asking me to go to Yoxall with her. I went, but do not rember the time we started back, but it was before dusk. On getting near the "Coppice Wood" we saw a man sitting on a gate. Mrs. Kidd asked him if he was going to sleep, to which he replied "No." She told him to go home, but he said, "I have never a home." We then walked on together along the road, but he soon afterwards overtook us, and asked Mrs. Kidd to give him half-a-crown. She told him she had not got one, but gave him twopence, all she had. He said he would cut her throat, and, taking a knife from his pocket, ran at the deceased. He cut her throat, threw her down on the ground, and while she was lying there cut her throat again. At that moment I heard a cart coining along the road, and the man then ran away. He got over a gate close by, and went in the direction of the wood. I went to Mrs. Kidd, raised her head, and asked her to go home, but she did not answer. I then ran home and told my mother what had happened. Prisoner is the man. I had never seen him before, but gave a description of him to the police. On Thursday last I remember being asked to pick out the murderer from several others, and I at once identified the prisoner as the man. The Rev. Francis Mountford, vicar of Newbro', deposed On the afternoon of the 23rd of November, I drove with my wife to Yoxall. We left Newbro' about four o'clock, and Yoxall about seven minutes past five. On returning home by the Lower Hoarcross-road, near the reservoir, I noticed something lying on the road. This would be about half-past five o'clock. The night was foggy, and I could not see distinctly what it was at first, and, as my pony refused to pass it, I got out and led him a little way past it. I then turned back, and found it was the woman Mary Kidd. She appeared quite dead, her throat being cut across. Near the top of the road I met a man named Cotterill, who asked me if I had seen a woman lying in the road with her throat cut, and I said it was true. While I was standing talking to them three men came up in a cart, and I told them to drive on to Yoxall and fetch a doctor and the police. I then drove off to Newborough and gave information to the police. Mr. Edward Hemmings Sneyd, surgeon, of Yoxall, said : On Monday evening, the 23rd November, I was called upon to go to Hoareross. I went immediately, and found a woman lying across the road near the reservoir, with her throat cut. She was quite dead. I examined her, and found a wound about six inches in length, on the right side of her neck, cutting through all the muscles and large blood vessels. Evidence was then given to prove that the prisoner was in the neighbourhood of Hoarcross at the time the murder was committed.  ...... In reply to the charge, the prisoner said, in quite an off-hand way, "I have nothing to say only I am guilty.'' The Bench then committed him for trial at the next Staffordshire assizes on the charge of "Wilful murder."