Wife-murder

At the Central Criminal Court, Isaac Harmond, bricklayer, was charged, on the coroner's inquisition, with the wilful murder of his wife, by throwing her out of the window. This was a case of the greatest brutality. The prisoner was a drunken brute, and when intoxicated conducted himself with outrageous violence. The unfortunate woman, his wife, was not of sober habits, but appears to have been a quiet woman. She was unceasingly the victim of the prisoner's ill-usage. On the morning of the 15th of September, the prisoner appeared to be already drunk; he was heard inquiring for his wife, and on being told that she was out, said that when she came home he would do for her; and he then proceeded to demolish the crockery and furniture of their miserable home. The wife came home, and the prisoner declared he would have her entrails out, and would stick a knife in her. At 7 o'clock the wretched pair went out together; they returned at 10 P.M., and directly they got into the room the door was locked, and the prisoner exclaimed, “You have had your turn with me to-day; now I'll have mine.” The deceased exclaimed, “Pray let me out;" but the prisoner answered, “No: I've got you here now, and I'll do for you.” Cries and a scuffle were heard. Immediately afterwards the body of deceased was seen falling from the window, on the stones under which she was found, mortally injured. She was removed to the hospital.

Such are the habits and necessities of humble life, that even this terrible brute had some place in the affections of his ill-used companion. In a statement made before the police-magistrate, she attempted to shield her murderer by declaring that she had fallen from the window by her own act. But when the hand of death was upon her, she shrank from maintaining the affectionate lie, and confessed that having got upon the bed to escape his brutality, the prisoner had pushed her out of the window; and the prisoner himself, who to the world had treated the matter very indifferently and ascribed it to accident, stated that he had struck the poor creature on the head with a poker, and, on her running to the window to cry for aid, had pushed her out.

The jury took the mild view of the case, and found the prisoner guilty of manslaughter only. Baron Bramwell said that the jury had felt themselves justified in considering the prisoner to be guilty of manslaughter; and he did not complain that they had returned this verdict: but he certainly should not have been dissatisfied if they had found him guilty of murder, and if that verdict had been returned he would have been hanged, and he would have deserved it. He then sentenced him to be kept in penal servitude for the rest of his life.