The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser. — 1842-04-05 (Liverpool, Merseyside, England)

CROWN COURT.-SATURDAY  MURDER  Thomas Hetherington was arraigned for the wilful murder of Peter Jackson, at Manchester, by striking him down and kicking him. He pleaded not guilty. Dr. BROWN proceeded to open the case, when his LORDslur inquired whether the prisoner had counsel. Dr. B. said he had not, and that he believed the case would turn on the question whether the prisoner were sane at the time of the assault. His LORDSHIP appointed counsel for the prisoner, and postponed the case, so that he (the counsel) might have time to look into the depositions.  MANSLAUGHTER CASES,  William Shaw, aged 27, was charged with having, at Ashton-under-Lyne, killed and slain a child, named Martha Ogden. The prisoner was a carter, and, while his cart, which was loaded with clover, was passing along the street, one of the wheels knocked the deceased down, and she was so much injured that, after sobbing once, she expired. The deceased was a year and nine months old, and was.the daughter of Mr. William Ogden, a butcher. She had been in company with her sister, who was four years of age, and who had left her and gone across the street. The prisoner had been talking to another man, and the cart went on a little way, he moving towards it backward while he talked. He ran after it, and immediately after a scream of some women was heard, just as the cart was turning a corner of the street. The wheel, however, passed over the deceased, who got into the way, before he reached the horse's head. The prisoner, on being apprehended, explained to the bead constable, Mr. Newton, the whole of the circumstances as they appeared in evidence, and expressed great sorrow for the unfortunate catastrophe. The prisoner had borne a good character for carefulness and humanity. He was ably defended by Mr. Brandt. The jury, after sitting some time, were allowed to retire, as they could not come to a decision. John Davies,23, stood indicted with having, at Manchester, killed and slain Joseph Lawson. Mr. Chapman conducted the prosecution. Patrick Starkie said he lodged at the time at Dooley's house, Cornwallis-street. 'Witness, on the 21st Nov., went to bed, and Lawson was also in the room. Davies came up into the room in a quarrelsome temper, and he challenged the deceased, and they had a struggle together. The landlord came up and separated them. The prisoner, however. attacked the deceased again, and in the struggle the deceased fell upon a peculiar kind of candlestick, used by shoemakers, on which the socket for the candle moved up and down to any required height, on an iron rod, about two feet long, and fixed in a stand formed of a block of wood. The point of the rod stood perpendicular, and the deceased's head, when he fell, struck the point of it, and it entered his temple, and penetrated the brain. The deceased died soon afterwards Irons this injury. The prisoner was drunk at the time, and was the friend of the deceased.  The jury immediately returned a verdict of guilty, with a recommendation to mercy. The learned JUDGE said that the prisoner did not, certainly, intend to take away the life of the deceased, but was culpable, inasmuch as he had got drunk. Considering that he had been in custody since the 23d November, be should only remand him to gaol for one week, at the end of which he should be discharged.