The Sun. — 1825-07-12 (London, England)

MURDER. AT MANCHESTER.  On Wednesday last an Inquest was held by adjournment at the Spread Eagle, in Chapel-street, Salford, on the body of Martha Standring. The husband of the deceased was a dyer, and on Wednesday morning John Hardy, a man who works in the same shop, called him up to go to his business ; this was a quarter to five o'clock, and on looking over the rails, Hardy noticed the deceased lying on the flags before the window. Her head was towards the steps, and her feet towards her own door. Hardy did not go down to her, but called " Joseph," as he had been accustomed to do. Joseph answered him from the house, that lie would be with him directly, and Hardy went away, leaving the woman laid down ; he bad seen her before at the bottom of the steps, but whether drunk or not he could not say. When he got opposite the Wheat Sheaf, in Salford, he saw Standring coming after him : when he came up, he looked a good deal fluttered. He said, " Did you see any thing of my btossoni younder ?" Hardy told him he did. He said, " I think she is dead." :lardy said, " Do you think she is ?" He said he thought she was. They went back to the place, and stood at the top of the cellar steps: There was no person about at the tune; the body had not been stirred since they were there before. Standring said he did not stir her; strode over her. Hardy said he would have nothing to do with her, and bade him waken the neighbours or go to the police. He said he would go to the police-office. In the mean time, an alarm was given, that the woman was murdered, and she was found in the state described by Hardy. The body was quite warm, and every joint was suple ; and it was the opinion of those who found her, that she had not been dead more than twenty minutes. 4, Standring's door was broken open, and the body was carried into the House. When they got her in, Standring returned with a man named Diggles, and began to abuse the persons for breaking the door open. He asked no questions about his wife. Hardy further stated : I have lived near him for about twelve inontlis ; lie and his wife have quarrelled a great many times ; she has run many a time to our house to save herself, and I have got up to let her in two or three dines; he gets a little liquor sometimes on a Saturday night, but lie is not a man that drinks much in the week days; ?,know he used to make a practice of locking her out if she was tot in at his bed hours; I dO not think she was very regular in her hours, he came to our house about halfpast eight on. Tuesday evening ; he was quite sober then ; saw her on the Monday; she had two black eyes; she said her husband gave her them. John niggles stated, about half-past five o'clock on Wed. nesday morning, Joseph Standring called me up. 4 previously t.knew both him and his wife very well. When I went to the window, he said, " I have found my wife dead at the door; what must I do with her ?" 1 said, " thou hast been doing something at her again, for I saw her yesterday with a pair of black eyes ;" he said, " I have not touched her ; I gave her those black eyes on Sunday morning, and I have never touched het since ;" I went down stairs, and went along with him ; when he had gone a few yards, lie said, " I do think she has choked herself with a handkerchief or something; she often promised what .he would do, through drink and jealousy ;" we went on to the cellar ; I examined the body, and from the marks on the face, I thought I should be justified in taking him into custody ; I did so ; I did not see the mark upon the neck until after lie was lodged in the New Bailey; my first opinion was, that he had caused her death by beating her ; Roger Brown afterwards searched the house, hut no cord was found. He found a batting frame, and there appeared to be some cord gone from it. [The batting frame was then produced; it was covered with cords rather thicker than a goose-quill ;' some of which appeared to have been very recently taken away. • One end had been wound round an iron screw in the frame, and the rusty marks showed very plainly where the cord had been.] Mr. Bouttlower, surgeon, stated, that he examined the body of the deceased. He found the face greatly discoloured, the eyes very black, and marks and bruises on the lower part of the left jaw. There was also a scratch over the right collarbone; but the principal appearance which attracted his no: tice was a deep furrow extending across the fore part of the neck, and coming immediately behind the ear on the right side of the head, and to the roots of the hair on the left side. He was of opinion that the deceased had died from strangulation, and from the deep furrow extending nearly round the neck, he had no doubt that it had been effected by a small cord. It could not have been done by the hands of any person, for in that case the marks of the fingerS would have been left on the skin. Witness conceives it quite impossible that the deceased could have been strangled by her cap-strings. After hearing some further unimportant evidence, the Jury returned a verdict of " Wilful Murder" against Joseph Stand. ring, the husband. The prisoner was then brought into the room. He appeared to be about 45 years of age, and looked very ill. The CoRONER said to him, "•Jossepli Standring, it is my duty to inform you; that the Jury have returned a unanimous verdict of wilful murder against you ; and you must be committed to Lancaster Gaol, to take your trial." The wretched man, on hearing this, exclaimed—" Oh dear, oh dear ! I'm innocent, Gentlemen. I never saw her from the time she went out until I saw her dead. I'm innocent, so help me God !" The prisoner was then taken away. As lie was going-out of the door, he again exclaimed, " I'm as innocent as the child unborn. It's murder, and nothing but fair murder."  SUICIDt.