The Tamworth Examiner and Working Men's Journal. — 1874-10-03 (Tamworth, Staffordshire, England)

SUPPOSED MURDER. AT CAMBERWELL.  It the Lambeth Polies Court, on Monday, before Mr. Chance. John Amos, engine litter, was brought up on remand charged on suspic.on of having caused the death of his wife 13 pushing her into the Surrey canal. Mr. Oily appered for the prisoner, who, on the last oceasiim, was admitted to 'bail.—The Clerk, on the prisoner's surrendering, asked if there was any further evidence.—The inspec•or said very little beyond that of the doctor. —Thomas Edward Mill, 26, Commercial road, Peckham, surgeon, said he made a pest-two:ism examination of the Lody of deceased, on the 12th of September, and found it, as a whole, in a perfectly healthy condition. There were no marks if violence, snd he believed that death was caused by asphyxia from drowning.— r. Chance: Could you judge how the woman came into the water ?_Witness: No, it would be the same if she had fallen into the canal.—if she bad committed suicide.—Mary Jane M'litty said: Ile' tweet two and three o'clock in the inclining of the 9th September she was in bed, and heard piercing shrieks of "police." On gchig to the window with her lamp she saw a splash in the water. She saw foam on the water, and heard afterwards the repeated cry of " police " two or three times. The sounds seemed to come from under the bridge.— Mr. Chance: Were the cries from the person in the water, do you think ?—Witness: Yes.—Mr. Chance: How far is your house from the canal P-..Witness: About two or three yards.— Mr. Chance How many times did you hear cries of Police" before you heard the splashing.—Witness: Twenty at least—Mr. Chance Were there any other cries but that of police P—Witness: None other.—Crossexamined by Mr. Ody: Did you see the prislsner there on the spot'— Witness: No.—Mr. Ody: lAs usual, the police were not there at the time they were wanted.—Mr. Chance: That seems like a charge against the police; but if the police had been there Something might have been happening at some other place P—Mr. Ody Yes ; I don't want to make any charge against the police, but screams for pollee were heard to the extent of thirty or forty times before she got into the water, according to the present evidence.—This being the who‘e of the evidence, I Mr. Ody submitted that under all the circumstances his worship could come to no other conclusion than that the woman was what was called a "gay woman." She had a key to let herself in at any time of the night, and might have made the acquaintance of other men besides the prisoner. There was also a proved tendency on the part of the deceased to commit suicide, as far as threats , were concerned. He (Mr. Ody) submitte I there was not a scintilla of evidence against the prisoner, and asked for a discharge. The Chairman said he did not hesitate to say he had great difficuliy in dealing with this case. It was his duty to say whether there was a sufficiently strong case against the defendant to commit him for trial. Weighing the whole of the circumstances, and se,ing no I proof of a struggle from which death could result, he thought he should better perform his duty by not sending the man for trial, but to order him to be liberated on his own recognisance in £lOO, and two sureties for £5O, to come up when further called upon.