St Helens Murder - Extraordinary Case

James Clitheroe, 22, was indicted for the murder of Mary Woods, a schoolmistress, at St. Helens. Mr. Higgin and Mr. McCulloch  appeared for the prosecution, and Mr. Torr for the defence. The prisoner, a small-made, dark, sharp-featured man, looked very pale and anxious. Before Mr. Higgin opened the case the learned Judge said that upon looking over the depositions he found a series of witnesses whose evidence appeared inadmissable, and tending merely to prejudice. 

Mr. Higgin said he had gone carefully through the evidence, and had marked the most important passages. He then went on to say that the facts of this case were very curious, and such as would necessitate a most serious and careful investigation. He should lay three propositions before the jury, and if they decided that either of these propositions was proved it was their duty to find the prisoner guilty of the offence. The woman who was alleged to have been murdered was a cripple (having had a paralytic attack when very young), and was in the habit of using a crutch. She was unmarried, and had living with her a little girl, who was, however, absent at West Derby at the time of the occurrence in question. The deceased kept a children's school, and also sold small beer, which was obtained from a neighbouring brewery, where her father and brother worked. There could be no doubt that the prisoner and the deceased were upon terms of intimacy. 

It would be shown also that the prisoner's children went to Mary Wood's school. On the night of the 28th December (Sunday night), the prisoner was at a public house kept by a person named Morgan. While there the conversation turned upon the notorious Townley case, and the prisoner made the observation that , 

" next morning there would be a greater bother than ever there had been about Townley."

Immediately afterwards he went away to the house of the deceased, and in all probability passed the night with her, as they were found in the same bed on the following morning about nine o'clock. A witness named Lawton (who was not examined before the Coroner) would state that he lived close to the deceased's house, and that on getting up at five o'clock on Monday morning to go to his work he heard a woman's voice call out, "Oh ! don't" or words of that character. The next matter in point of time was that the little children assembled at school on Monday morning, but being unable to gain admittance a man named Monnsell was asked to break open the door. But before he did so it was discovered that the back door was open, and when Monnsell went up stairs he was extremely alarmed to find Mary Woods in bed with her throat cut, and dead. He rushed down stairs, and meeting with a police officer they both went up to the deceased's room, and it was found that the blood upon the deceased's throat was so dry, that in thr opinion of the medical men she must have been dead for some time. The prisoner was also in bed lying beside the deceased. He has three wounds upon his throat which seem to have been recently made, and whence the blood was issuing in large quantities. The prisoner was put under the care of a surgeon, and was now recovered so as to be able to appear in the dock. Mr. Higgins then entered minutely into the case; several witnesses were examined; Mr. Torr addressed the jury for the defence, contending that there was a total absence of motive for the murder. 

After an elaborate summing up from the Judge, the jury retired for about a quarter of an hour, and upon their return they gave a verdict of "guilty". His Lordship then put on the black cap and passed sentence of death on the prisoner, who, though he seemed most painfully affected, managed to walk from the dock.

James Clitheroe was executed by hanging at Kirkdale prison on 16th April  1864.