The circumstances having reached the ears of the Police, Inspector Tacey, an active and efficient Officer immediately went to the house and from the statement made by the husband of the deceased , he was forthwith apprehended and committed to prison.
The information given to Tacey by Robert Clark , the murderer, that he had beaten the poor woman for getting drunk with a broom-shaft which he broke in two, was confirmed by a Surgeon named Huntington in his evidence before the Coroner on Saturday evening last.
Mr Huntington, on being sworn said "I was called upon on Wednesday afternoon last by the husband of the deceased about a quarter before 3 in the afternoon. In going along I said what is the matter with her? and he replied "oh she is very ill; I do not think she will be very long; I just want you to come and look at her." On reaching the house I found her in bed , on her back, with her eyes closed and the mouth partly open and apparently in a sound sleep. I tried to feel her pulse and found it difficult to move her arm from the stiffness of the elbow. The husband said she had been in the habit of drinking very hard but had promised to join a Teetotal Society and instead of having done so he found on returning home on friday that she was in a state of intoxication.
She had been taking a quantity of rum and laudanum.
In this state he had beaten her with a thick broom handle which he had broken in two. He said he had beaten her in different parts of the body. He said he had slapped her on the head with his open hand but not with his stick or fist. From his saying she was under the effect of drink and from my own observation I thought it advisable to see her again the next day.
I went on thursday morning and found her worse; and at that time Tacey, the Police Inspector, questioned him as to his beating her , when he replied that she had fallen backward with her head against the edge of the door. From the symptoms I saw I believed there to be an effusion of blood upon her brain. She was insensitive from the time I first saw her. I and Mr Wallis have made a Post Mortem examination.
On the body we found marks of external violence on both shoulders, upon the outside of both hands and on the right knee; on the left side of the head there was a slight indentation on the parietal bone and on removing the hair, blood followed. The right eye was slightly discoloured and the discolouration extended down the side of the cheek. The skin was broken in a very trifling degree. The parts contained within the chest and the body were comparatively in a healthy state; but opposite to where the wound on the head was , the upper surface of the right hemisphere of the dura mater was occupied with extravasated .blood.
Found no bloodvessel ruptured; but from the blood seen there must have been. and sufficient blood on the brain to have caused death. Taking opium or laudanum would have a tendency to cause a rupture of a blood vessel on the brain. There were no external marks to lead to the belief that her head had been struck with a stick.
A Juryman here enquired whether the prisoner might not be allowed to be present at the Inquest.
The Coroner said the Magistrates had been applied to and had refused the prisoner permission to be taken from the gaol until monday. He (|The Coroner) regretted such an order because he thought it was always right for a man to hear the evidence adduced against him. before a Jury, where a charge like the present was pending. (This order emanated from a body of Liberal Magistrates).
Further evidence was given tending to corroborate Mr Huntington's statement. The son of deceased had seen his father beat her on the saturday; and the Druggist who usually sold her the laudanum stated that she was a confirmed laudanum drinker and would drink one, two or even three ounces per day.
The Jury retired to consider the evidence and returned a verdict of "Manslaughter" against the husband.
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