The Express. — 1867-09-11 (London, England)

THE TRAGEDY IN LLVEHOUSE.  Yesterday, John Wiggins, a lighterman, was brought up on remand before Mr. Paget, a* the Thames Police Court, Stepney, charged with the wilful murder of Agnes Oakes, aged ?a years, at No. 1, Temperanceoottage, Lower North-street, Linaehones, on the morning of the 24th of July last. He was also charged with attempting to oonmeit suicide by cutting his own throat, at the same time sad place.  Mr. Poland, barrister (ins, rooted by Mr. Pollard, clerk to the Treasury solicitor) conducted the prosecution ; IMr. Charles Young, solicitor, defended the prisoner.The prisoner and the deceased woman, it will be remembered, bad cohabited as man and wife for six months. On the 24th of July, at 10 'abutter before 2in the morning, cries of murder were heard to proceed from the direction of the prisoner's dwelling, and at 10 minutes to 5 the same morning the prisoner emerged from his house into the street with his throat cut, and said his wife had out her own throat. Many persons entered the house, and found the unfortunate woman lying on the floor dead, her head covered with a chair, an extensive wound on her throat, and a blood-stained table knife on the table.  Mr. James Horton, surgeon, of High-street, Stepney, who was called in to see the deceased, said, after describing the nature of the wounds—The deceased was healthy, and appeared to be well nourished. I should think she was from 26 to 30 years of age. Portions of the body not covered over were cold when I entered the room. The arms and legs were cold. The body was becoming rigid, but not completely so. lam sore rigidity bad commenced. Taking all the appearances together, the drynees of the blood on the throat and shift and on various parts of the room, I should say that death must have taken place two or three hours before I saw the body. I was led to the supposition it was two hours—it might be more. lam sure that it could not have been so recent as three-quarters of an hour. I see no reason to modify the opinions I have expressed on the whole transaction. In cross-examination by Mr. Charles Young the witness said he was not aware that the appearances on which he founded his opinions were a disputed point with the proUnion. The hemorrhage was very considerable from the wound on the throat. He wee certain, taking all the appearances together, the deceased had expired more than an hour when he was called in. Dr. Alfred Swains Taylor, M.D., and professor of Medical Jurisprudence at Guy's Hospital for more than 30 years, said—l have heard all the evidence of Mr. Horton, and the description of the large wound on the deceased's throat. I cannot my it is impossible she could have inflicted such a wound herself, but it is highly improbable. Death would have immediately followed the severance of the carotid artery and jugular vein, and her cries would have ceased on the division of the windpipe. From the direction of the wound, the knife or instrument with which it was inflicted must have been plunged first to the spine and then drawn from left to right. The wound began on the left side. Immense force must have been used to have carried such a wound with that knife, assuming it was inflicted with that knife. I gather from Mr. Horton's statement that there was a general coldness and stiffness of the body. My opinion is, taking the case of an adult woman in the month of July, and in a close room, that two hours bad elapsed between the time of death and Mr. Horton seeing the body at half-past five o'clock in the morning. It is more consistent with the condition of a deed body like that described that four or five hours bad elapsed since the time of death. Some dead bodies became rigid while warm, but here was the case of a healthy young woman. The loss of blood would make no material difference in the cooling of the body. Coagulation of the blood might take place in a few minutes, but the drying of the blood required time. The quantity of blood on the knife is small, but a thick layer of blood on it might have taken a longer time to dry. All that has been stated by Mr. Horton is corroborative of my opinion that death had taken place more than two hours before he was called in. Dr. Taylor then referred to other cases in which he had been called upon by the government to give an opinion, the teats he and Dr. Wilkes had made to discover the time rigidity and coldness of bodies commenced, and other matters in confirmation of his opinion. Mr. Charles Young cross-examined the professor, but elicited nothing materiaL Mr. Paget salted Dr. Taylor if he had ever beard of case of suicide like this. Dr. Taylor—l never did, sir. Dr. Wilkes, a physician of Gel's Hospital, and examiner in medicine of the University of Loudon, confirmed Dr. Taylor in every particular, and added—When I heard Mr. Horton give hie evidence I had a strong impression the deceased must have been dead from three to five hours.  Mr. Paget—After auffenng ouch an extensive wound on the throat wee it possible for the deserved to have placed a chub. over her heed on the floor ?  ; I will not say It is absolutely impossible. Mr. Paget then read the whole of the voluminous evidence of twenty witnesses, which occupied two hours. The only alteration in the written depositions taken by Mr. Nairn, the second clerk, in a very careful manner, wag at the Instigation of Professor Taylor, who wished one portion of his testimony, in answer to the prisoner's solicitor, to appear as follows:—I have known oases of suicide, where the wound had been inflicted by the person himself, penetrating as far ea the anterior ligaments of the spine, where a sharp instrument like a razor was used cutting through the soft parts of the lower parts of the neck by a drawn cut. Such • ease was extremely rare. The prisoner having received the usual caution, said—l am entirely innocent of the charge against me. I have witnesses who can oome forward and speak for me, but as you are determined to send me for trial would rather that they should speak for me on my triaL Mr. Paget then ordered the names of the witnesses to be called; nineteen answered, and it was stated that the twentieth was too ill to appear or leave his room. Mr. Paget—Then he cannot be bound over. If he is well enough when the sessions commence he can be taken there, and the judge in his discretion may allow him to give evidence or not. The witnesses present were then bound over in the usual recognisance* to appear at the next sessions of the Central Criminal Court, and, after a six hours' investigation, Mr. Paget committed the prisoner for trial for wilful murder.