The Sun. — 1853-02-03 (London, England)

SHOCKING MURDER OF A SOLDIER'S WIFE.  At the Guildhall, Bath, on Wednesday, the Mayor (Mr. F. T. Allan) and a full bench of magistrates, were engaged for some hours in investigating the charge of murder, preferred by Mr. Hughes, the chief of police, against Lewis Perran, who was suspected of having caused the death of an Irish woman, named Honora Hanaford, who was following her husband to the Winchester barracks, but who (as the medical evidence at the inquest left little doubt) had been murdered on the night of the 11th of January. The particulars of the finding of the body in the river Avon, and also of the first examination of Perran, were given in the The Sun last week.  From the medical evidence, it was clear that a wound upon the crown of the head had been inflicted during lifetime, and little doubt remained that the unfortunate creature had met her death by foul means. The jury accordingly returned an open verdict. Two other prisoners were also arraigned with Perran —Bennett, who was again apprehended, and James Webb, both charged with being concerned in the murder. The only new evidence was that of Eliza Jarvis, who deposed that between 11 and 12 • clock on the night of the 11th of January, as she was at her door in Avon-street, she saw Bennett come back, after having seen him leave with the woman. Perran came back about a quarter of an hour after, and ran into her passage. His clothes were covered with mud, and witness caught him by the collar, and said, "Where have you been to get into such a mess ? What have you done with that poor Irishwoman 1" He said, " Drowned for what I know," Perran exclaimed : God Almighty forgive you. I said no such thing. Witness continued—Perran then tried to get into the kitchen, but witness said, "If you do not tell me where she is, I'll call my mother." He said, " She is in the sand. pit ; we both fell in together." The next morning witness went to Mrs. Champion's, where Perran lodged, and the parties present began talking about the woman's death. Mrs. Champion said to Perran, "You were not satisfied with ravishing the poor woman, and taking what she had got, but you must take her life, and throw stones at her." Ferran replied, "I did not, so help me God ; I only flung a lump of clay." Perran's girl, Sarah Trotman, who was there, looked up, and said, "If so, that is two you have murdered." Perran tried to strike the girl, but witness and Mrs. Champion prevented him. The following day Ellerton and Bennett were at Aness's house, and Bennett said Ellerton had sworn falsely, and added, " I can speak if I am wanted to speak." Mr. Hughes, the chief of po3ice, here handed in a note from Mr. Brown, the surgeon, who examined the body after it was taken from the water, to the Mayor, who read it, and handed it over to Mr. Slack, observing that it contained more than he was before aware of. _  Mr. Slack having addressed the Bench for his client, • His Worship said the magistrates would discharge Bennett and Webb, as the evidence did not implicate them, but they had decided upon committing Perran for trial on the charge of murder ; but he would be brought un again on Saturday, to have the depositions completed.