The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser. — 1839-10-08 (Liverpool, Merseyside, England)

MURDER OF A WOMAN BY HER HUSBAND, AND SUICIDE OF THE MURDERER.  It this week falls to our lot to lay before our readers the details of one of the most distressing and shocking occurrences which is to be found in the annals of crime,—an occurrence, the bare thought of which cannot but impart a feeling of terror and dismay to every mind. As soon as we heard of the circumstance, we took pains to obtain the fullest particulars of the barbarous and bloody tragedy. On Thursday evening last the villages of Raiford and Tarleton and the neighbourhood were thrown into a state of intense dread and consternation, by the report that a man named Robert Dawson, a labourer, in the employ of Sir T. I). Hesketh, Bart., of Rufford Hall, had murdered his wife, Phoebe Dawson, and had afterwards put an end to his own existence. The report, unhappily, proved too true, as the following circumstantial particulars of the tragical event will show. The wretched man resided, with his wife and five of his children, in a cottage, in the hamlet of Holmes Wood, in the parish of Rufford, about twelve miles from Preston. On the evening in question, Dawson came home about nine o'clock when his wife was undressed, prepared to go to bed, all the children at home being at the time asleep, in a bed adjoining the one in which Dawson and his wife usually slept. He enquired for some senna, which he had requested her to send for to Ormskirk, by a neighbour, and on her acquainting him that she had forgotten to send for it, high words, and ultimately a violent quarrel ensued. From the appearance of the wounds, and other circumstances, it is highly probable that there had been, on the part of the wife, stout resistance, and that a severe struggle took place. before the wretched murderer accomplished his horrid purpose. It is most likely, indeed, that they had been quarrelling, and perhaps fighting, for some time, and that the husband had somewhat gradually worked himself up to a state of infuriated rage, nothing short of madness.—The children were awakened by the scuffle, and they gave an alarm, when a sister of the murderer entered the house, followed immediately by other persons, relations and neighbours of the deceased. When these persons entered, which was about half-past nine o'clock, they were affrighted by the horrid spectacle of both husband and wife walking about in the kitchen or " house" part, with their throats cut. Dawson, alarmed, it is supposed, at his wife's approaching end, a :d his own wound not being sufficiently deep to cause death, . escaped during the consternation and went immediately and hanged himself in the shippon adjoining the house, with a cow tie. When Mr. Barron, surgeon, of Tarieton, arrived shortly afterwards, the woman was not quite dead. She was perfectly sensible, knew her relations and friends, and told her mother that the quarrel was simply on account of her not having sent for the medicine to Ormskirk. The poor creature asked for something to drink, and some water was given to her, but as not only the windpipe was cut, but also the passage to the stomach opened, the water ruu out of the aperture down her neck, The bed on which she lay was completely saturated with blood, and there were several cuts on her chin, and on the lower part of her thrc at, inflicted, it is supposed, in the course of the struggle, anti before the mortal wound was given. Her right eye was also black, and much swollen as if from a blow. Search being made for Dawson, the miserable man was found suspended in the out house, as already mentioned, and quite dead. The age of the man was about 37, and that of his ill-fated wife about 40. They have left behind them 7 children, the eldest of whom is a girl about 16 years old, and the age of the youngest is about 18 months. The unfortunate woman was at the time in a state of pregnancy. They had resided all their lives in the neigbourhood, the father and mother of Dawson occupying a farm near the cottage in which the appalling tragedy occurred. Dawson has also 5 brothers and 2 sisters. The mother of the murdered woman lives in the neighbourhood. She has left 6 brothers and 3 sisters. Her father (whose name was Caunce) was killed about two years ago, at Rufford, by falling from a cart. The unfortunate couple had previously borne good characters, and she is spoken of by her neighbours as having been a woman of a very mild and patient disposition. Dawson was a favourite servant with Sir T. D. Hesketh, Bart. as a proof of which, we may state, that when a short time ago, he was sick, he was visited by the worthy baronet, and although he had an allowance from an Odd Fellows' Society, of which he was a member, Sir Thomas kindly paid him his wages during the whole period of his sickness. He was an active member of the Wesleyan Methodists' Society, and had frequent prayer meetings at his house. He had also been, for about two years, a member of a temperance society. They had as his wife had recently asserted to a friend, lived very comfortly for the last six or seven years ; but we are informed that at the early period of their matrimonial career they had frequent quarrels, and were supposed to live very unhappily. The neighbours do not speak of the murderer as having been a passionate man, nor was he at any time subject to insanity or melancholy. An inquest will be held on the bodies this day at Mr. Worthington's, Hesketh Arms, Rufford, before Mr. Palmer, coroner. We understand that the bodies of the ill-fated pair are to be interred on Sunday next, at Rufford. The transaction, as may well be imagined, has excited an intensely painful sensation throughout the whole neighbourhood, and scarcely anything else is talked about.—Preston Chronicle.