The Falkirk Herald, in its edition of Saturday, 26th September 1874, brought its readers news of a particularly horrible case that, not only showed how wickedly evil some men were in Victorian society, but also how drunken arguments could so easily boil over into murder:-

A TERRIBLE MURDER IN LONDON

At the Marlborough Street Police Court, London, on Monday morning, John Bishop, 50, described as a labourer or excavator, of No. 13 Princes’ Row, Newport Market, was charged before Mr Newton with causing the death of a woman named Mary Ann Ford, about 33 years old, with whom he had resided.

The place in which they lived was a back street – one of those dirty delipidated-looking byways which abut the newly-renovated Leicester Square, and in the locality known as Newport Market.

Here are a number of lodging houses possessing innumerable rooms, none of them any better than pigstyes, where dwell the lowest grades of misery and vice.

These tenements are approached by rickety flights of stairs sadly out of repair.

THEY WENT OUT ON SATURDAY

The two went out together shortly after dark on Saturday, where is not known, but it is supposed some adjoining pothouse.

They returned home between twelve and one o’clock on Sunday morning, both of them the worse for drink, Ford, it is stated, being the worst of the two.

THEY ARGUED OVER MONEY

Another quarrel was the consequence,  and it arose in this wise.

The man, it seems, had £1 3s and 6d in his pockets earlier in the evening, which he was unable to find on his return.

He accused Ford of having purloined it, which she denied, and the two of them having then what is described as a “pitched battle.”

SHE TOOK REFUGE

Of this fight the woman had much the worse, and she took refuge with a Mrs. Allan, who occupies a room on the same floor, and sought her protection.

Bishop, however, followed her, dragged her out, and again beat her with his belt, and kicked her in a frightful manner, telling neighbours who remonstrated with him to mind their own business.

The prisoner was remonstrated with on his brutality, and he threw the deceased back again into the room.

All appeared then to be quiet, but, in the course of the morning, the prisoner went and informed the deceased’s sister that her sister was dead.

THE POLICE SENT FOR

The police were then sent for, and the prisoner was given into custody.

The deceased’s body was found to be in a dreadful state, there not being a space about it larger than a hand without the mark of a kick or a blow, and the deceased’s face was badly bruised and swollen.

When the charge was read over at the station by Inspector Browning, the prisoner said that she had brought it all on herself, that she should have kept out of his pocket, but that he did not think it would come that.

THE SISTER’S TESTIMONY

Francis Acourt, sister of the deceased, said that the prisoner came to her on Sunday morning, about eight o’clock, and said, “Get up quick, your sister’s dead. Put on your clothes. I’ve killed her.”

He afterwards said, “I’ve done it, and I will have to swing for it.”

he then sat down and had his breakfast.

Her sister was addicted to drink, and she was in the habit of pledging things for drink.

In reply to a question by the prisoner, the witness said that he was not a bad man to her.

She brought it all on herself through drink.

HE WAS REMANDED

The prisoner denied having, said he would swing for her,

After some further evidence, the prisoner was remanded.

HIS OLD BAILEY TRIAL

On the 26th of October 1874, John Bishop stood trial at the Old Bailey, charged with the wilful murder of Mary Ann Ford.

However, the jury returned a verdict of guilty of manslaughter, and the judge sentenced him to Penal Servitude for life.