Child Dispute Leads to Parent's Death

When a man was angry due to his daughter being injured by a neighbour while out playing, he responded by killing the father of the other child.

On Saturday 6th October 1855 in a court off Oriel Street a man named John O'Neill went to seek out neighbour Thomas Cahill. He then accused Cahill's son of injuring his daughter the previous day. After some words were exchanged, O'Neill stabbed Cahill in the chest and being taken into custody charged with assault.

On the Monday morning O'Neill, described by the Liverpool Mercury as a 'reckless looking fellow' was remanded in custody for a week. The court had heard that the injured man's life was in jeopardy and that depositions had been taken. It was reported that both men were Irish and worked as labourers.

A surgeon from the North Dispensary attended to Cahill for five days but he remained in an insensible state and died on the 11th October. The inquest the next day returned a verdict of wilful murder. On hearing that the deceased had left a pregnant widow and five children, the jury held a collection and raised £3 and 15 shillings, equivalent to two to three weeks wages .

On 12th December O'Neill, stood trial before Justice Wightman. In opening the case, prosecutor Mr Simon told the jury that to find twenty-five year old O'Neill guilty of murder they would have to be satisfied that he had 'malice aforethought. 

Thomas's widow Hannah recalled how O'Neill had told her on the Friday night that he wanted blood for blood and stated he would be back when her husband was home. She went on to say that on the Saturday evening Thomas came home sober at 8pm, had supper and went to bed. Hearing O'Neill making a great noise in his own house and fearing for her safety and wary of his threats, Hannah then fastened her own door with a poker.

Hannah described how O'Neill came out and hammered at her door threatening to break it down and demanding that either of the Cahills come out, referring to Thomas and his brother who lodged with them. She then recalled how Thomas went down to reason with O'Neill, only to be punched twice. Thomas pleaded that they did not argue over the children, only to be struck again before being stabbed.  

Under cross examination, Hannah denied having laughed on the Friday night when shown the injuries on O'Neill's daughter. She also insisted that she did not say 'You may get what satisfaction you please.' Hannah's daughter Mary bravely gave evidence, saying that on the Friday O'Neill had chased her five year old brother with a knife and that she had also seen him with a knife on the night of the killing.

Thomas's deposition was then read out. It stated that he had not wanted a quarrel and opened the door to try and pacify O'Neill. He had not struck O'Neill and fell after being stabbed in the breast. The doctor who carried out the postmortem confirmed that wound had pierced the heart and the blow was so violent it had cut an artery and a rib. The police officer who apprehended O'Neill stated that he was drunk and resisted violently while being taken into custody.

The defence had no evidence to offer, but could only mitigate in the hope of having the jury return a verdict of manslaughter rather than murder. O'Neill's counsel Mr McDonald pointed to his drunkenness, the fact such violent threats were commonplace amongst people of his class, and that there had been mental aggravation.

In summing up Justice Wightman thanked Mr McDonald for his defence, but was not favourable towards the prisoner. He acknowledged that there had been some provocation on the Friday  but he could not see any from the Saturday, when O'Neill created a disturbance in his own house then knocked at the door of the Cahill's.

After the jury found O'Neill guilty of the lesser charge, the judge told him they had taken a favourable view of his case. Describing the killing as one of the worst cases that he could recollect, the judge said O'Neill was of ungovernable temper and must be transported for the term of his natural life. As he was led from the dock, there were shrieks of horror from the public gallery.

Rent Dispute Leads to Killing

A Good Samaritan who intervened in a dispute over rent arrears died after being hit on the head by the landlord's wife. 

In September 1855 John Woods evicted tenants from his cellar in Wellington Street, off Scotland Road due to them owing rent arrears of ten shillings and sixpence. On the tenth of that month, the tenants' son Thomas Nolan went to query the eviction with Mr Woods only to be punched to the ground and kicked.

A neighbour, William Appleton, intervened to help Nolan, much to the anger of Woods' wife Margaret. She took a poker from her apron and hit Appleton over the head with it, then kicked him as he lay on the ground.

A crowd had gathered and some of them helped Appleton to his home. A doctor was summonsed from St Annes Dispensary, but the twenty year old died within an hour. Mr and Mrs Woods were taken into custody by the police.

At the inquest on 12th September, Nolan was described as 'a wooden legged cripple'. It heard that Appleton had intervened to ensure 'fair play.' Nolan gave evidence and said that he had been punched and kicked to the ground, but did not see what Appleton had been struck with. He also admitted that Appleton had thrown the first punch. The police officer who apprehended Mr and Mrs Woods said that Mrs Woods had said on being arrested 'I warmed the bastard once with a poker and will do so again if he comes here.'

The doctor who carried out the postmortem said that death was a result of extravasation of blood on the brain caused by external violence. Mrs Woods denied striking Appleton and said that he had been the aggressor. After the coroner summed up the jury returned a verdict of manslaughter and both man and wife were committed to the assizes for trial.

On 10th December at the South Lancashire Assizes Mr Woods was described as a shoemaker and Mrs Woods as a boot binder. Thirty-nine year old Mr Woods was acquitted but his wife, aged twenty-seven, was found guilty with a recommendation to mercy. She was sentenced by Justice Wightman to three months imprisonment. 

Horror at Princes Dock

There was a terrible scene at Princes Dock in 1841 when a ship's crew member was stabbed to death by a passenger who was later declared to be insane.

On 1st June that year the United States arrived at Princes Dock after a voyage from New Orleans that had lasted six weeks. As passengers prepared to disembark Patrick Cahill, who had been in steerage class, began to argue with a steward named Eli Robinson over some tobacco. Second Mate Robert Deakin observed Cahill threaten to kill Robinson and then chase him to the starboard side of the ship. Once there, Cahill struck him in the neck and then plunged a knife into the abdomen two or three times.

Deakin managed to use a rope to tie Cahill to a mast and he then turned his attentions to Robinson, who was bleeding heavily. Fifty five year old Robinson was rushed to the Northern Hospital where he was dead on arrival. Assistant house surgeon Edward Parker carried out a postmortem and found five wounds in all, one of which had pierced the heart.

At the inquest the following day Deakin described how Cahill had been a quiet and sober passenger throughout the crossing. It was only when the ship reached Holyhead that his mood changed and he began pacing the deck all night. Other witnesses  said that they had seen Cahill use the knife and Dr Parker said the wound to the heart as the cause of death. 

After a verdict of wilful murder was returned, the borough coroner made out a warrant for Cahill's trial at the next assizes and the twenty eight year old was taken to Kirkdale Gaol.

When Cahill appeared before Mr Justice Wightman on 25th August the first witness was a woman called Sarah Barrow. She had been stood on the dockside and said that she saw Cahill run after Robinson with a knife. One of the Liverpool pilots told how he boarded the United States as Cahill came out of a cabin carrying a knife and appeared sober at the time. Under cross examination, the second mate Deakin admitted that Cahill had talked of little men dancing on the bow the night before the ship reached Liverpool.

Cahill's defence counsel argued  that he had carried out the act under mental aberration and had no motive. The fact that there were so many present, it was argued, showed that Cahill was the slave of some supernatural agency as he had no hope of escape after carrying out the stabbing. Cahill's Irish father gave evidence as to his background, stating that his son had fractured his skull in 1838 at a fair and gone to America unexpectedly. He visited his son in gaol and been told that the devil was from Yorkshire, leading him to believe him of unsound mind.

The Governor of Kirkdale Gaol, Mr Amos, described Cahill as odd, singular and troublesome since he had been committed there. Without having to leave the box, the jury acquitted Cahill on the grounds of insanity and he was detained at Her Majesty's pleasure.

Cholera, Murder and Attempted Suicide

A grief  stricken man whose wife and daughter died of cholera killed his two other children before attempting suicide himself.

Patrick Culkin was a schoolmaster from Carlow in Ireland who like many others, fled the famine in the 1840s and settled in Liverpool with his wife and three children. Unable to find work, thirty four year old Patrick fell upon hard times and was forced to seek parish relief to feed his family.

On the morning of Wednesday 1st August 1849 seven year old Sarah Culkin died of cholera at the family's home in a court off Oriel Street, Vauxhall. The following day Mrs Culkin died of the same disease. A neighbour named Jane Kane did what she could to help, but Patrick said he could not live without his wife and refused to even accept a cup of tea.

On the Friday afternoon Jane went to see how Patrick was and found the door locked. With the help of neighbours, she got in through a window and found Patrick lying on the bed with his arm around the body of his wife. He was barely alive and on another bed were the dead bodies eight year old James and eleven month old Catherine, their throats cut.    

Patrick was taken to the Northern Hospital in a state of semi consciousness, calling out on the way to God so that he could be taken to his wife and children. The four bodies were examined by a local surgeon, Dr Kilner. Sarah and her mother had been laid out as if for burial, while the two other children had been dead for some hours, their throats cut from one end to the other.

The inquest took place on 6th August before the borough coroner Mr P F Curry. Mrs Cain told how Patrick had been a loving husband and father but his mood changed immediately with the death of his wife and he said he would never again eat meat in this world.  Dr Kilner said that the throat wounds could not have been self inflicted. 

Another neighbour Ellen Bent recalled how on the day of his wife's death Patrick had said he could not live any longer and that she should not be alarmed if she read anything bad about him on the papers. On the morning of the killings, Patrick told her how he had been to the Harp pub on Vauxhall Road and been given wine and brandy by the landlord as charity.

Mr Lea from the parish recalled that on the Thursday he had gone to the house and saw Sarah's body lying on the table and Patrick and his two remaining children on the bed next to the corpse of his wife. Mr Lea told him to get up as it was dangerous to lie next to a dead body and that he would arrange for the interment. When he returned that evening with some food, Patrick said that he was awaiting some money from his sister in the Isle of Man and would arrange the burials himself. Mr Lea told the Coroner that he did not fear for Patrick's welfare and apart from the ordinary dejection resulting from his loss, there was nothing unusual in his manner.

As Mr Curry was about to sum up, a female stepped forward to say that Patrick was a friend of her husband and had visited their house in Hanover Street on the Thursday night. She was ordered to give her evidence on oath and testified that Patrick had told them he had lost two of his closest friends and if he said more it would lead to astonishment. The female said she was of the opinion Patrick was of unsound mind at the time.

The Coroner told the jury that they were unable to determine on Patrick's state of mind, that was for the assizes to decide. Referring to it as a 'most frightful case' he said that the only verdict they could return was one of wilful murder against Patrick, who was described by the Liverpool Mail as of 'superior attainment' and well respected in his neighbourhood.

The assizes were due to start just two days later but with Patrick still in hospital under police supervision his case could not be heard. It was another month before he was discharged to Kirkdale gaol to await his trial which took place on 14th December. On being asked to enter a plea, he replied 'I am not conscious of having done it, surrounded with death as I was, my poor wife and daughter - my favourites.' A plea of not guilty was recorded and as was customary at the time, Patrick was tried only for the murder of one of the victims, his daughter Catherine.

For the prosecution, Mr James described the case as 'the most heartrending and painful'. He told the jury that he would simply relay the facts and let them decide as to Patrick's state of mind. Patrick was described as someone of 'kindness and affection' who had fallen into 'extreme destitution'. Mr James went on to say that the cholera had taken many in Liverpool and the Kingdom that autumn and this led to Patrick telling others he could not survive his loss. He told the jury that the only decision they had to make was as to the state of mind of Patrick at the time of the killings.

Jane Cain and Mrs Bent were both called to give evidence about the events in the immediate aftermaths of the deaths of Patrick's wife and eldest daughter. Jane said that Patrick had been talking to the corpses as if they were still alive and even opened Sarah's eyes. Mrs Bent described him as deranged and a doctor from the Northern Hospital felt he was not of sound mind from the time of admission.

Mr Justice Wightman summed up by saying that this was one of the most lamentable and painful that had ever come before a court. He asked the jury to set aside feeling and instead decide if Patrick could distinguish between right and wrong at the time of the killings. If they believed that the distress of mind, coupled with lack of sleep and food, had made the mind so unsettled then a verdict of insanity could be returned. On the other hand, if they felt that Patrick was sane then they would have to find him guilty of murder, no matter how painful that could be.

It took just a few minutes deliberation for the jury to acquit Patrick on the grounds of insanity. He was then detained until Her Majesty's pleasure be known.

Horror by the Custom House.

A man who stabbed a sailor in the shadow of Liverpool's Custom House was transported for life after being found guilty of manslaughter.

At around one o' clock in the morning on Tuesday 24th November 1846 a 22 year old sailor named Charles Winslow was stood at the corner of South Castle Street and Paradise Street with two friends. Out of the blue he was stabbed by a man who had ran at him from the direction of the docks and fell to the ground.

As he lay on the floor and cried out for a doctor, a night watchman from the Custom House summonsed police who managed to detain the offender, who was later identified as James Hunter. Winslow was taken to the Northern Hospital where he was found to be in a critical condition. His bowels were protruding from the abdomen and the wound was one and a half inches deep. 

Hunter was removed to the Bridewell and appeared before a magistrate when daybreak came. After hearing the evidence of the night watchman he was remanded in custody. As Winslow's condition deteriorated a magistrate's clerk took a deposition from him that afternoon. He told how he had just returned to Liverpool aboard the Champion which had sailed from Newfoundland. Hunter, Winslow said, had made an insulting remark to one of his companions. He recounted how he did not think much of it and continued walking only for for Hunter, who appeared intoxicated, to follow and plunge the knife into him.

Despite surgical procedures being carried out complications set in and Winslow died on the Wednesday afternoon. The inquest took place on 1st December and Winslow's two companions admitted they had not seen the stabbing and were only aware when he called out to them. The night watchman said he had seen a blow struck but did not see any knife, however a police officer said a bloodied knife was seized from Hunter's person. A doctor from the Northern Hospital was of the opinion that death was a direct result of the wound, which was of the size that it could have been caused by the knife seized from Hunter.  A verdict of wilful murder was returned and 37 year old Hunter was committed to the Assizes on a coroner's warrant.

On 10th December Hunter appeared before Mr Justice Wightman, with his defence counsel Mr James arguing that as the stabbing was the result of a brief argument then manslaughter was more appropriate. The jury agreed and returned such a verdict, but the judge was in no mood for leniency and sentenced Hunter to be transported for life. 

Farmer's Hay Selling Trip Ends in Death

A farmer died of head injuries after a trip to Liverpool to sell hay, but nobody was convicted of killing him as he got himself into more than one altercation on the day.

At midnight on Saturday 21st March 1846  William Rimmer returned to his home in Ditton after a trip to Liverpool to sell hay. His horse and cart was missing and he had a large cut on his head, but couldn't recall how he had sustained it.

Rimmer died on 1st April and after enquiries found that he had fought in Brownlow Hill with the man named Smith who bought his hay, the buyer was arrested. However witnesses testified before the Coroner that the fight was with fists only and no weapons were used, leading to Smith being released.

This led to further tracing of Rimmer's route home and it was found that he had stopped at The Lamb in Wavertree and left his horse in the charge of the hostler Thomas Ivey before drinking several glasses of ale. Ivey was then arrested after admitting hitting Rimmer with a poker after being woken abruptly by him. The inquest was resumed on 6th April with Ivey in attendance and after a verdict of manslaughter he was committed for trial.

On 17th August Ivey appeared at the Liverpool assizes before Mr Justice Wightman. He admitted hitting a drunken Rimmer with the poker, but pleaded that he had been woken suddenly by being shaken. After what the Liverpool Mail described as an eloquent and able speech by the defence, Ivey was acquitted and discharged from the dock.

Stool Killing

A man who battered his wife to death with a stool narrowly avoided a murder convicttion and was instead found guilty of manslaughter and transported for life.

On 15th June 1846 a labourer called Charles Lear was sat on the steps of his home in Gore Street, Toxteth Park, when he saw a mug thrown onto the street from a house nearby. Kate Wignall who lived there came to the door but was pulled back in by her husband Richard who then shut it.


Five minutes later Kate opened the door again but this time she was on her knees and Richard was beating her about the head with a stool. She then fell down and Richard kicked her in the ribs before raising his cap above his head and shouting 'That is the way to do business.' He then went to his father's house nearby while other neighbours, disturbed by the commotion, rushed to the aid of Kate who was bleeding heavily from facial wounds.

A police inspector named Samuel Maddox arrived shortly afterwards, only to find that Kate had died from her injuries after being taken down into the cellar. Richard Wignall had tried to escape but was restrained by a joiner named William Ellis, who had heard the cries of 'murder' but at first taken no notice as he felt it was a generally disturbed neighbourhood. Ellis handed Wignall over to Inspector Maddox, who also seized the stool which had been used as a weapon.

Wignall was taken to the Bridewell where he said an argument broke out over him forgetting to repair some panes of glass. A post mortem was carried out on Kate's body and found that all the organs were healthy. There was bruising in various places, while the cause of death was put down to effusion on the brain.

A coroner's inquest returned a verdict of wilful murder and Wignall was remanded in Kirkdale gaol pending his committal to the assizes. All he had to say was that he was drunk at the time and his wife was not a sober woman.

Wignall appeared before Mr Justice Wightman on 28th August. Due to the fact an argument had occurred the jury found him guilty of manslaughter although added that it was 'one of the most aggravated cases on record.' In addressing Wignall before sentence the judge told him it was an awful crime that had deprived a mother of her son and a child of both parents. He then ordered that Wignall be transported for life and he landed at Tasmania early the following year.

Ten Years to Establish Husbands Insanity

A man who killed his wife was held in jail for ten years before it was decided he was insane at the time of the murder.

On the morning of 30th September 1840 Mrs Philburn was in her home in Stockdale Street in Vauxhall when she heard a major commotion upstairs. When she went to investigate she was confronted by the sight of her lodger Ann Kehoe coming out of her room covered in blood and screaming.

Soon afterwards she was met by Ann's husband Owen who was holding a ship's scraper and said 'I have done a nice job, I am not sorry for it, if I had not done it now I would do it again, this is what I have done it with.' As Mrs Philburn tried to come to terms with Owen's words, Ann ran out into the court and begged for help from a labourer named Anthony Griffin, telling him 'For God's sake carry me to a doctors or I shall fall dead.

Griffin took Ann to a druggists where she begged for her children to be brought to her before she died. She said that Owen had just had his breakfast and things seemed normal but without warning he got up and took hold of the scraper, saying 'This instrument is very sharp and three blows from this would take a man's life.' He then stabbed her twice in the head and when then had her hands slashed when she put them up to stop a third blow.

Dock labourer Owen remained calm as he was taken into custody, telling officers that he had murdered her at last. Whilst in the Northern Hospital Ann was visited by Bridget Collins, her daughter in law from an earlier marriage. Ann told her that Owen had considerably more difficulty in removing the ships scraper than embedding it in her head. She described how he had been perfectly sober as he did it, laughing that he would only get twelve months for it.

Ann lingered until 7th October, when she died. A post mortem by Dr Woodward revealed two fractures to the skull, with pieces of bone having embedded into the brain. Death, he believed, was due to abscesses on the brain caused by violence.

A post mortem before the coroner Mr P F Curry returned a verdict of wilful murder, but Owen's trials were repeatedly postponed due to his mental state. On one appearance he stood at the bar whistling and biting his thumb.

Eventually, on 12th August 1850 he appeared before Mr Justice Wightman at the South Lancashire assizes at St George's Hall.  Mrs Philburn gave evidence as to what she had witnessed while Dr Chalmer from Walton gaol stated that he had observed Owen for a long time in prison and felt he was insane at the time of the killing, but now better. The jury found him guilty but insane, and with him still being deemed a danger was held at Her Majesty's pleasure.

The Woolton Hand of God Murder

One Sunday afternoon in 1857 the village of Woolton was horrified when an elderly resident was killed by her son in law, who was later found guilty but insane.

In May of that year Ellen Molyneux, a 66 year old widowed milk dealer retired to Woolton and took up lodgings with the Moss family in Allerton Road. She was often visited by her daughter Mary and her husband Andrew O'Brien, who had remained in Liverpool and ran the Jolly Tars public house in Hanover Street.

On the evening of 30th October O'Brien was drunk when he arrived with his wife, who left to return to Liverpool, at about 4pm the next day. The following morning, a Sunday, Ellen asked her landlords for some whisky for him to have with his breakfast. She then arranged for a local catholic priest named Mr Kershaw to attend and O'Brien recited prayers loudly, causing alarm to Mr Moss who was advised by a neighbour called Mr Atherton to notify the police of his concerns.

Ellen to the two men that they needn't worry and O'Brien would be returning to Liverpool and she replied that it would be on the 6pm omnibus. That afternoon at 2.30pm Mr and Mrs Moss went to Gateacre, leaving Ellen and O'Brien, who was sat in an armchair and much calmer, alone in the house.

Soon after Ellen was last seen alive a neighbour named Ellen Kaye was passing on her way to chapel and heard a female voice saying 'oh dear' two or three times but she thought nothing of it and continued on her way. Margaret Collins, the wife of a stonemason who lived two doors away heard a knocking sound and did decide to investigate. When she went to the back of the house she saw Ellen hanging out of the window, her head and one arm covered in blood.

Ellen's brother Richard Gore, a local shopkeeper, was sent for and he fetched Sergeant Green of the Woolton Constabulary and Mr Kershaw, a local minister. They forced entry into the house at 320pm  and went upstairs, where O'Brien had now laid the body out on the floor. He calmly said that he had 'done it' and was taken into custody, with the news being conveyed to Superintendent Fowler at Prescot, who would conduct the investigation and present the case to magistrates the following day.

After hearing evidence from neighbours and Sergeant Green 36 year old O'Brien was asked if he had anything to say to which he replied 'I was obliged to do it Mr Kershaw will prove my innocence.'Dr Cross then presented the results of the post mortem, which showed that Ellen was in a healthy condition and that the death had been a as a result of strangulation and severance of the windpipe. He explained that he had spoken to O'Brien at the police station and he had said 'the hand of God made me do it' and that he did not think the prisoner appeared insane.

O'Brien then spoke again, saying he was 'in a state never before after drink, the pictures all around the room moved and an influence came over me I was to do it. I would lose my life rather than take the woman's life. I would not take her life for all the money in the world. That woman was the same to me as my own mother and the only mother I had in the world.' O'Brien was remanded then formally committed to the assizes for trial after an inquest at the Coffee House pub returned a verdict of wilful murder.

The killing and O'Brien's appearance before the magistrates' court was reported in the Liverpool Mercury the following Wednesday. The paper described O'Brien as 'a man of dissipated habits' who was 'tall, athletic and excited but conscious of what was going on around him' as he stood handcuffed in the dock surrounded by three police officers. the paper also reported that O'Brien had been committed to the workhouse the previous August suffering from delirium tremens after attempting to drown himself at Bootle.

At the Liverpool assizes on 10th December neighbours again recollected the events of the day as the prosecution which proved that there was no doubt O'Brien had murdered Ellen. Mr Kershaw said he was in a state of agitation when he saw him, but Dr Cross felt that O'Brien was acting perfectly rationally. He also said that if the killing had been the result of any seizure, then the effects would not have worn off so quickly as he saw him only half an hour afterwards. With respect to any erratic behaviour by O'Brien at the magistrates' court the next day, Dr Cross believed this was being feigned. His opinion was backed up by Dr Rigg, who had assisted with the post mortem and been present at the magistrates' court.

The surgeon from Kirkdale gaol was also called to give evidence and he said he had not seen any signs of madness being exhibited by O'Brien whilst on remand. Mr Cleaton from the Rainhill Lunatic Asylum also said he had been asked to examine him on three occasions and each time he was well. However doctors from the workhouse hospital explained that when O'Brien was committed there he had an attack of delirium fox, which led to him becoming very violent and delusional, attempting to eat his arm as he believed he was being starved to death. Other doctors who had treated O'Brien at the Infirmary over the last couple of years also said he had been prone to delusions and sudden violent tendencies. A police officer also described how he had once found him kneeling praying in the street at 230am, saying he was waiting to be taken away.

O'Brien's defence counsel Mr Monk told the jury at the end of the trial that he had been on good terms with his mother in law and there was no financial motive for the killing, as any income from her will was small considering he owned two pubs. He pointed to the alarming religious chanting beforehand as proof he was not in a state of sound mind at the time.

In summing up, the judge said that O'Brien had managed to run two pubs without assistance, but the jury had to concentrate on his state of mind at the time of the killing and if it was capable of exercising any reasonable understanding. The jury retired and came back into court after half an hour, with the foreman saying 'We find the prisoner not guilty, that he was insane at the time of the offence.' There was a great deal of clapping in the court which took time to be quelled, then after it went quiet Justice Wightman told O'Brien that he would be detained at Her Majesty's pleasure.

Sailor Who Wouldn't Buy Drink Killed

In 1853 a woman  stabbed a sailor to death when he refused to buy her a drink after she met him in a public house.

On the night of 12th July that year seaman William Goodfen and his friend went to Lovelady's spirit vaults in Pall Mall. At around 11pm Susan Campbell, described by the Liverpool Mercury as 'A woman of dissolute habits', went in and asked William for a glass of ale, which he refused to buy her.

Campbell was intoxicated and responded with foul language, leading to William slapping her in the face. She did not seem to be perturbed by this and left, with the seaman and his friends leaving soon afterwards.

When they got outside Campbell was still there and followed them for a short while before striking him on the neck. A passer by shouted at her that it was not proper conduct but she hit William again, shouting 'take that.' On feeling his neck William noticed that it was bleeding and he soon fell to the ground.

Two police officers in Tithebarn Street heard cries for help and ran to Pall Mall, where they found William in an insensible state on the pavement. He was taken to the Northern Hospital, while others in the vicinity pointed out Campbell as the person who struck the blow. On apprehension though she said that she had no weapon and only poked him with her fingers, although she also commented that she didn't care if she was hanged or transported.

A search of the area recovered a clasp knife which was covered in blood and identified as having been seen in the hands of Campbell. After William died a few days later Campbell was committed to the assizes for trial, appearing before Justice Wightman on 18th August. Her defence counsel argued that there was an element of provocation as she had been struck and a surgeon also admitted that William's life may have been saved if he had been operated upon sooner.

The jury returned a verdict of manslaughter but the judge had little time for leniency. Stating that this crime was one of many rising from the fearful tide of intemperance, he sentenced Campbell to 20 years transportation.

Insane Mother Almost Sever's Baby's Head

A woman who killed her baby son as she feared he would starve otherwise was cleared of murder on the grounds of insanity.

In 1853 Mary Hodkinson was living in Rigby Street with her brewer husband and five children, the youngest of which was just six weeks old. On the night of 3rd August Mary went to bed with her husband and the baby William, but woke up and called out that she was so ill that she was dying.

Mary's husband called for help from their lodger Mrs Kenyon who came to find Mary crying that William was dead, even though he was beside her and perfectly well. She was given some brandy which seemed to calm her down and she slept soundly for the rest of the night.

The following morning her husband got up early and left for work, but soon afterwards the Mrs Kenyon was disturbed by screaming from upstairs. After running to Mary's room she was greeted with the terrifying sight of her holding a knife in her arms and shouting 'I have done it the child will be no more hungered.' William was clearly dead, the cut having been so deep that his head was almost severed.

When police arrived Mary told them that she had been told to do it by Mrs Kenyon, and somebody else sharpened the knife. After being taken into custody Mary was taken to the Northern Hospital where a surgeon determined that she was of unsound mind.

When Mary appeared at the assizes on 18th August on a murder charge Dr Thorburn, who carried out the examination in the immediate aftermath, reiterated his confidence in respect of her state of mind at the time. In summing up Justice Wightman said it was a most painful case and the only question for the jury was to whether Mary could be held accountable for her conduct. They soon acquitted her on the grounds of insanity and she was detained at Her Majesty's Pleasure.

Dead Baby in a Confectioners

An confectioners suspicions that his shop assistant was pregnant were confirmed when the body of a dead baby was found amongst her possessions, but she avoided a murder conviction due to doubts over the medical evidence.

In 1853 Hannah Poole worked as an assistant for Mr Roberts who owned confectionery shops in Church Street and Castle Street. When he suspected her of being in the family way she strenuously denied it. On the morning of 1st August Hannah was heard to get up in the night for some time then return to bed. In the morning she got up and left Church Street for Castle Street, but Mr Roberts found evidence in the kitchen that a birth had taken place.

Roberts reported his suspicions to the police and a search of her room found the body of a newborn baby in a box hidden amongst her clothing. Hannah was then arrested at Castle Street, whilst a surgeon examined the body and was of the opinion the baby had been born alive.

Hannah was committed to the assizes for a trial which took place on 18th August. Dr Leather, who carried out the post mortem said that although he could confirm that the child had lived and then died of congestion of the brain and lungs, he could not say to what extent this was due to a deliberate act on the mother's part. Mr Justice Wightman then intervened and stated it was impossible to find Hannah guilty on a capital charge. He directed the jury to find her guilty of concealment of birth and sentenced her to one years imprisonment with hard labour.