The Weekly Journal. — 1904-01-22 (Hartlepool, Cleveland, England)

IRE 'ROPE ROUND 1111.: NUE.  Two medical tritneasea whose evidence was of the greatest importance wore called. One was the local doctor, Dr. Williams, the other was Dr. Taylor, the celebrated professor of inedical jurisprudence. Dr. Williams said that from the way in which the rope was pat nand the neck, suicide was impossible. 'rlie Crot coil ;vas very tight; indeed, the flesh ve.al swelling over the rope, and it must have produced insensibility. The second coil was also pulled very tightly r•iund the throat. The th;rd coil was loose. As the first coil must have produced inseneibilitv, it was quite impossible she could have pulled the second coil as it was. hero were bruisos on the body, as if someone load knelt on it. Dr. Taylor also gave evidence that from the way the rope was knotted it could not have been suicide. In such a vise was it not difficult to tell u murder from a suicide, rulred Mr. Clarkson. In some cases it inigh's ho difficult; in thie case suicide wan absolutely impossible, replied Dr. Taylor. dramatic waness was an old ploughman 'timed George Nicholls. He was ploughing with the prisoner a week or so before the murder, when Drory began to talk of Jael Denny. George," he said, " you will hear something serious about Jael Denny; she told me on Sunday that she would make away with herself." "I hope, Thomas," replied the witness, who deems at once to have fathomed the other's purpose, "that you don't mean to do any such thing." The prisoner did not answer, but he let the plough go crooked, and then said, "1 :;on't know what I am about." " Thomas, I don't think you do," answered the witness. A labourer had seen Jed aud Drory meet 'oetween five and six on October 12th, and had watched them taJlt together for about twenty minutes. Another labourer had met the prisoner is the fields at about eight o'clock on the c.veuing of Octobcr 12th, between tho place where the body was found and Brentwood. Fur the deft see there were called two witmases, a labouring man named George Wheal, and his wife, Mary Wheal. In reading their ovidesre one can sympathise with the difficult position in which the counsel for the defence must have found himself, for it went to Emil). port tie theory that Jael Denny had committed suicide, and this theory was really destroyed by the medical evidenre as to the second coil. But, then, the proof of the two witnesses must have been strong enough as it appeared in the defending couriaela brief, for they were to give evidence to show that Jael Danny had threatened to commit suicide. Still, there was tha evidence of George Nicholls to he faced, and if counsel for the defence dropped the theory of suicide, he had to meet the awkward circumstance that a few days before the murder of Jael Denny the prisoner foretold her death in euch a manner as to make Nicholls think that he had some sinister design. It certainly must heve been with great misgivings that Mr. Clarkson called the two witnesses. It was a question for the jury and not for the defending counsel to decide, but he must have felt there was ground fur apprehendbig that the witnesses were unreliable, and that they would break down in the box.