The Birkenhead News and Wirral General Advertiser. — 1880-09-04 (Birkenhead, Merseyside, England)

ALLEGED MURDER AT HIGHER BEBINGTON.  THE PRISONER IN CUSTODY.  Fon some time past a man named Thomas Williams, a labourer, has resided with his wife, Alice, at Mill-brow, Higher Bebington. On the night of Monday, the 23rd of August, County Constable Reece was on duty in Higher Bebington. Alice Williams came to him and made a statement to the effect that her husband had assaulted her, and bared her arms and exhibited discolourations in proof of the truth of her allegation. She said tha her husband was madly jealous of her and had threatened more than once to revenge himself for her infidelity. At the time she spoke to the officer she was much excited and he advised her to go into her house and try to live quietly. No sooner had she gone away than her husband appeared and told the constable that his wife was a woman of the very worst character, ana had gone wrong with several men. Williams then went into a neighbouring publichouse, where he was followed by his wife, who at once began to use with reference to him language of a very disgusting character. Owing to the dietarbance which was created Reece proceeded to the spot and succeeded in persuading Mrs. Williams to accompany him in the direction of her home, where he left her in the passage leading to the back door. The woman was not afterwards seen alive. The neighbours soon missed a person who had made herself conspicuous, and set at work to speculate as to where she could have gone. The husband was interrogated as to her whereabouts, and it is rumoured that the reply he made was— "l know where she is." On last Monday evening a number of children were playing at a deli about twenty yards from the house where the parties resided at Mill Brow. Stones were beinr, cast into the water and the children had not been long engaged in their innocent pastime when the dead body of a woman was seen to float on the surface of the water. An alarm was raised, and Constable Reece, who again happened to be on duty in the vicinity, was called to the dell, and there found lying in the water the corpse of Mrs. Williams. The body was taken out of the water, and deposited in an outhouse of the George Hotel, Higher Bebington. The husband was at once arrested, and made a statement that on the previous Monday night he had seen the deceased get over a wall near the delf, and did not after that see her alive. The prisoner had been before the magistrates on the capital charge, but no evidence had been taken pending the coroner's inquiry, which will be held on Tuesday next. The tragedy has caused much sensation throughout the whole district. It may be stated that the deceased woman had been summoned to appear at the County Hall on Monday last to answer a charge of having been guilty of disorderly conduct. The remains have been interred. The defence of the prisoner has been entrusted to Mr. It. B. Moore.  Why go to Liverpool when you can bay Tobaooo, Cigars, and Pipes, oheaper at Dioxin's Wholesale and Retail Bores, 29, Maaxerirrierr, Birkenhead. Publicans and Shopkeepers will find a great advantage here. Goodbody's osiebrated Thick Irish Twist. [finvr.