Swansea and Glamorgan Herald, and South Wales Free Press. — 1867-03-16 (Swansea, West Glamorgan, Wales)

MURDER.  Edward Wager was tried at the Derby Assizes last week for the wilful murder of Ma wife Harriet Wager, at Great Longstone, on the 24th December last :  The story, as told by the witnesses, did.not differ in any respect from that which was reported at the time the crime was committed. The prisoner was a farmer, dwelling at Bleaklow House, a farm situated in the Peak district, Derbyenire. He was s very violent man, and his wife seems to have lived in great fear of him. On the day named above she had been to Stoney Middleton, a little town a mile or two off, and returned from there with a young woman, whom she prevailed to stay with her in the house all night. Her husband was not at home at the time, but came in shortly after, and at once began to illtreat his wife. She bore his attacks for some time, but at last ran away from him, and clambering over wall fences she did her best to escape him. He ran after her, and overtook her just as she WWI passing throush a little gateway near a deep pool known as the Veil Dam. Two miners chanced to be passing, and they saw the deceased throw her shawl from her head, and heard her cry" Oh, help me, or he'll murder me." The lower part of her face was then covered with blood. The miners feared to interfere, and turned away, but had not got more than a few steps when they heard the prisoner say, "Come back, her's in the water." They did not go back, but on their way home told some persons what they had seen. An inspector of police then went with assistance to the dam, and found Mrs. Wager lying in it drowned. She had scarcely any underclothing on, and her crinoline and petticoat were found in the water several yards from the place where her body was. She was carried to her house, and her husband was found there sitting on a sofa drinking gin. On being asked why he had not pulled her out of the water, he said that he dared not, for she had threatened to drown him if he came in. He then went to where her body lay, and, pulling down the sheet which covered it, said, "There, thou poor innocent. Thou hut drowned thyself at last then, turn. ing to the bystanders, "She has drowned herself through jealousy of Alice Hancock." He was taken into custody, and, on the way to the station, said to the inspector, "I can innocent of doing her any harm. It was all through jealousy. Alice Hancock came here this afternoon. I began to kiss and trip her. My wife jumped up and began to curse and swear, and said she would do away with herself. She left the house. I followed her in the direction of Vein Dam, and could'nt catch her. When she got there she plunged in, and when she was in I conld'nt think she was drowning." A post mortem examination was held, the result of which showed that there were many bruises on her head, legs, and body. There was , a deep wound, cutting through her upper lip, and extending into her mouth and nostril. Her tongue wag  cut; her brain congented; her nose and upper jaw fractured, and her liver was ruptured. All these is. juries were the result of blows, and the injury to the liver would alone have caused death. The proximate cause of death was drowning. For the defence it was admitted that if the prisoner pushed his wife into the dam ; or if, bewildered hy his ill-treatment, she fell intuit; or if she rushed into the dam, seeing that death was inevitalde, and chroming that method of death WI ON lose, of two evils, - in all these citees the prisoner would be guilty of noinl.r. It was emtended, however, that the deceased, being a free agent, voluntarily committed suicide, choosing to , put an end to her life rather than continue to live with the prisoner. After a very careful summing up from his lordship, the jury found the prisoner Guilty, but recommended him to mercy. His lordship asked upon what grounde, to which 'rho jury said that they believed that the prisoner 1 Wars not quite muster of himself, and that he did not put the deceased in the wiver, but deprived her of the power of knowing what she wag doing, and that I she fell into the dam when in that state. IHis lordship said that he quite understood the recommendation, and would forward it to the proper rirrtrter. llin lordship then passed amtniace of death , upon the prisoner.