Blandford, Wimborne and Poole Telegram. — 1875-08-20 (Blandford, Dorset, England)

WIFE MURDER AT BRISTOL. . • •  PJWip suwri.:4:4, described ;,-;a-1.:To.U;;;, but who wis for 25 years a private in the Royal A.rtillery and was discharged with a pension of 10s. per week, was indicted for the wilful murder of his wife Catherine at Bristol. The prisoner and the deceased lived in a single apartment In a house on the Narrow Quay. In addition to his pension of 10s. a week, Morris earned about lBs. a week as an extra man at the Customs House, and the deceased earned money by tailoring. They both gave way to Intemperate habits, and on the morning of April sth they drank a pint and a half of whisky between them before nine o'clock, and sent out for more. While lying down in bed sleeping off the effects of the drink, the landlord's daughter came for the rent, and Morris then discovered there were four months due. This appeared to have exasperated him, and he and his wife were heard wrangling. Soon after he went out, and in the middle of the day Mrs. Morris was found lying in bed bleeding from four wounds on the head and the room covered with blood. She was taken to an infirmary but died in about eight days, When a post-morteta examination was made it was found that her skull was fractured in five places, and the medical men described it has being cracked like an eggshell. The prisoner, when taken into custody, asked if his wife was dead, and when told she was not, he said he would "dead her." He complained bitterly of her drunkenness, and of her violence towards him. The defence set up was that the crime was committed in a moment of passion, and that the jury ought to find hint guilty of manslaughter only. The jury found the prisoner Guilty of wilful murder, but recommended him to mercy on account of previous good character. Sentence of death was passed in the usual form. SHOCKING TRAGEDY IN SOITTHWARIt. Soon after ten o'clock, on Sunday morning, piercing shrieks directed attention to a house in one of the narrow streets of Southwark. Mrs. Grove, a neighbour, rushing in, found a man named George Herbert, an Admiralty pensioner, holding a widow, named Mrs. Indermaur firmly round the back part of the neck with his left hand, whilst with his right he was jagging and cutting her throat with a razor. Mrs. Maynard, who had followed Mrs. Grove into the house, struck Herbert, and he released his hold . of the injured woman, who fell into her arms, deluging her with blood. Herbert retreated into his room, locking the door. On the arrival of the police, the door was burst open_ The room was bespattered with blood, and in one corner Herbert was seen lying in a pool of blood, with a razor grasped in his right hand, and his throat cat from ear to ear. Two cabs were sent for, and both were taken to the hospital. The unfortunate woman, although almost choking with hoornorrhage, managed to articulate the following statement :—" For the past six months I have been keeping company with Herbert. When I entered his room he kissed me, and drawing attention to my state (she being near her confinement), pressed me to come and live with him altogether as his wife. I replied, 'Certainly not ; I will never have anything more to do with you.' He replied, 'Oh, if that's going to be your game, I will de for you.' He then seized hold of me, and threw me on the floor. He then took up the razor. I screamed for help, when he cut my throat I said, 'Oh, Herbert, pray, for God's sake don t." Herbert was suffering from an attack of delirium tremens. On Sunday evening no hopes were entertained sate the woman's recovery, as sbe was sinking from exhaustion. A singular document was discovered in the room, which bore the signatures of both Herbert and Mrs. Indermaur, and which, after expressing the strong affection they bore each other, announced their resolve to die together by suicide. The unfortunate woman has a family of three young children. Her husband died about two years ago.