The Express. — 1851-08-01 (London, England)

THE SHEFYIELD-PARK NIURDER.—We are informed on very good authority that the convicts William Battersby and Eliza Wilkinson, who have been found guilty of manslaughter of the husband of the last named individual, have made a statement which, if true, explains to a certain extent what has hitherto been a most mysterious transaction. The communication is made to us verbally, and in respect of exact details is not very complete. The put, port of it is as follows: On the Saturday upon which the unfortunate Wilkinson perished in so horrible a manner he went out into the yard for a few minutes, leaving his wife and Battersby alone, the little girl having gone to bed. During that interval his wife and Battenby were toying with each other respecting a handkerchief, of which he was endeavounng to gain posetiasioe, and while so engaged Battersby placed his am round the woman's waist. In that relative position they were surprised by Wilkinson, who, inferring a more grave impropriety than the facts warranted, became very angry. " Collie, Battershy," he exclaimed, " we'll have no more a this; there has been too much of it already; you shall leave my house this night, and see that you never enter it again." He then turned fiercely towards he wife, and, snatching up a knife that lay on the table swore he woald kill her instantly. At this moment Battersby interposed, and strove to take the knife from him. the  There was, and is dill, A strait6i tossed, in which. a youth in the public hospital, accessible to 311, and whose hands of both of them were cut, as deposed to by certain of ease i. duly attested by medical certification, who. I the witnesses. The woman, taking advantage of this motaken to the police station in a street quarrel, was ' mentary withdrawal of attention from herself, snatched up subjected with perfect impunity at the hands of the police the poker, struck her husband on the wrist, and knocked ruffians, of whom sixteen are implicated in the horrible the knife out of his hand. Wilkinson upon that became transaction, to outrages so cruel and revolting that a modest quite furious, and she, to screen herself from violence, ran pen must refuse to trace, and a respectable newspaper hesi- upstairs, and leaped out of the window. Battersby, findtate to publish, such disgusting viliany. ing the stream of the jealous husband's rage turned wholly This ease is universally known at Rome. Mr. Petre against himself, then got possession of the poker or coalcannot be ignorant of it. I have authority for stating rake, and dealt him that terrific blow which made such that Mr. Baillie Cochrane when at Rome had proofs of . havoc on his head ; and, afterwards, observing that the this horrible story offered him—that is to say, a sight of the , disabled man was dead, conceiving the thought of presentvictim. and of the attestations of the surgeons attending ' ing the appearance of suicide, he cut the dead man's throat, him, but turned a deaf ear to the proposition ; and lastly, and laid the clasp-knife upon the floor, where it was found 1 challenge our consular agent, Mr. Freeborn, to deny my the following morning. Haring completed his gory work, statement, if he be inclined to do so, which I cannot be- he then ran upstairs, hastily changed his dress, and ran leers away in the manner described by the witness Mary Sarah I ask, therefore, whether under such a system we ought Pearson. If this were so, it would seem that the statement to permit a British subject to undergo secret trial I—whe- of the woman as to her own conduct was in the main true, thee any evidence against him ought not to be given in the and that she acted deceitfully only in suppressing such demoonlight of day, and ten times over sifted and re sifted, tails as would have prejudiced herself and Battersby.— before admitting it against him Shefidd Times.