FOUR ATTEMPTS TO BURN A WIFE.

Evening Star, Issue 4229, 15 September 1876, Page 4

FOUR ATTEMPTS TO BURN A WIFE.

The case of a woman, named Ellen Webb (50), Of Water street, Birmingham, who was admitted into the general hospital, reveals shocking cruelty on . the parjb of her husband. She was suffering ftom severe burns on her side and the lower parts of her body. When questioned as -to how she sustained these injuries, she stated that her husband set fire to her clothing, and added that latterly, in consequence of his drunkenness and brutality, they had led a very unhappy' life. He was in the habit of returning home intoxicated and behaving in a very violent manner. On the Saturday night she went to the house of her daughter, in •Hospital street, to which place her husband afterwards came, and asked her for some money. She refused to give him any, and they had an altercation. He afterwards sat down, and she reclined on a sofa and fell asleep. When he thought she was asleep he got the candle or a piece of lighted paper and . set fire to her dress. The flames soon spread to her other clothing, and the pain awoke her. The other inmates of the house who were upstairs, smelt something burning, and came dowstairs to put the fire out. Her husband, who did not appear at all concerned, remained in the house all night, and left early next morning, taking away with him all her money. It was all she had got to provide food for her children. He had not given her any money for some time. Although badly burned she did not go to the hospital until Tuesday. It was not then considered ' necessary to detain her, and after she had received medical treatment she returned home. That same night her husband came to the house drunk. As on the previous Saturday night, she went to sleep on the sofa. She had not been asleep long before he set fire to the sofa, and but for the children smelling the fire and coming to her assistance she would have been badly burnt. After that he made two more attempts to burn her by firing the sofa, but they were unsuccessful. She was afraid to go to sleep that night. Her injuries became worse in consequence, and she was obliged to seek admission into the hospital. Her husband had repeatedly threatened to cut her throat and burn her to death. —' Birmingham Post.'