MURDER OF A WIFE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume IV, Issue 1207, 27 September 1867, Page 4

MURDER OF A WIFE.

A frightful tragedy has taken plaee'ntWoolverton, a village in Somertehire. A fire was discovered in a malt-house at an early hour on Saturday morning, July 20, by a boy who was going: to bis work. An alarm was raised, and the fire was. speedily extinguished. .It was then found that the charred remains of a, human body were lying on a board' over tho spot where the fire had broken out. Ari examination led to the belief that the corpse wa's that of a former's wife, named Britton, who livcd-only a few-yards from the spot. She was missing; Her'husband, who assisted at the fire, was taken into custody?' on a charge of murder, and at the inquest-which was held on July 22, Mr. Deggan, superintendent of - police, gave evidence which left no doubt; of >the guilt of tho accused. Witness went to i-'ie house and took the prisoner to the malt-house. Witness then .said to .him, "Look at that tody. Is not that your Wife?" He said, " No, it n not." I said, " Look at her head, hair, and teeth The p.lsoner went down.; on one knee and K'ted up the hesd to show' the hair, and I pointed to her prominent teeth in front. He put up his hand and trembled' very He said, " I cannot recognise her." I s'lid, "Look again." He loolc-d very clcse to the body, pnd said, " I believe it is—l. am sure it is her." . I then took him into liis house and' took him into custody at once. I too him into Frome, and at the polic j'stafioii' I charged him with wilfully rurdering his wife, and set* ! ting fire to Mr. Moger's malt-house for the. purpose oE consuming the hody.He Etiid,lt's a bad job." I neither threatened nor cautioned him cither at the house or the station. X produce a statement written by the prisoner. When I wont into tho place where he wai with Mr. Woolly, his brother-in-law, Conata ble W<!3teombe was with the prisoner. The prisoner immediately handed the paper 1 produco to Mr.Woolly, and I took it out of his hand: It was directed to Mr. Woolly. The statement ib as follows—

t: Mr. Wocl'y, I do to you whut I; could not do to any one else. With Bhame, andtrue'abhorrence.'and repentance of the deed X lvive done. X.confess it was I who foully murdered my poor -wife; , It wag done in the heat of passion and in a fit'of jealousy, and arose thus. I eaw what I should keep to myself: told her of it. She treated it lightly, which ema.gcd me. X caught hold of the first thing that camo to hand; struck her with it three or four times. Oh, how I wish I had been blind or God had struck ms dead before I did so. Oh, what power the devil must have over me. It seem'.i as——."

In the afternoon, about-4 o'clock, the prisoner asked me for moro foolscap paper to finish tie letter he had begun in tho morning. I took hin in the sheet of foolscap paper. I now produce, and gave him it. He commenced writing, and I stopped with him all the time. Ho did not speak the whole time he was writing the fetter, nor did. he hand it to me. Tne following is the continuation of the statement:— "It seemed as though I had almost a hundred devils in me, and I believe hud twenty people been there I should, had they interfered, have served them in a similar manner; but afcer it -was (lono, and I reflected a little time, oh, how I detested and deplored tho act—viewed it with übhorrfnee; ahd, oh, what I would have gave to bring her to life .again. I fully intended then to have destroyed myself, but was prevented by two thoughts. First, that alone in the houae tho child would come down and first find us, and no doubt would lose his reason, or something as bad; second, that probably God may forgive murder even, but not self-murder. Then X thought of .at once giving myself up; but then the devil or my own evil heart tempted and induced me to try and hide my act from the world which I did immediately by carrying her poor body or.; r the wall by the pear-tree, into the malt-house; and-irnished the next night. 1 The-remainder'of tho statement. consisted of expressions of penitence and the hope that his child would be taken. caro of. Witness continued his evideuco as followsMo shook very much and said, " 1 could writo m<m\ but I cun't." He then voluntarily made this statement to me : — " X killed her on. Thursday night. I put her body in two sacks. I tied a rope round her neck. I dragged her body up the Ndderby the pear-tree, drew it over the tiles, draje ml it over the plank which was over the cistern, ami then set Ere to the place. Oh, Ofod! • forgive me. I lovea her. .X Btruck her "with a piece of lead dov/n stairs." The jury returned a verdict of |C Tftilfal murder " against the accused, and he haa been committed for trial.,. -