The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1878-02-16 00:00:00

HALE SOWEN

The adjourned inquest on the bodies of the victims

of Joseph Harris was resumed on Tuesday morning at
Mr. Melly's, the New Inn, Halesowen, before Mr.
Ralph Docker, coroner. Colonel Carmichael, Chief
Constable of the county, was present, as was also
Superintendent Kemp under whose command were a
large number of officers. A cowiderable crowd assem-
bled outside the house and the excitement was intense-
_

The prisoner Harris has, we are informed, preserved
his indifferent composure all along, has taken his meals
regularly, and generally had the appearance of sanity.
His taciturnity was as noticeable as during the first
few days of his arrest, and while the evivence was being
taken at the inquest he sat quietly by the fire in the
room in an attitude of listening, though quite unmoved
by anything he heard. Before the proceedings com-
menced the Rev. J. F. Keatch, Vicar of Blackheath (who
attended him during his illness some time ag)), spoke to
him with the idea of bringing him to the recognition of
hts situation, but the man did not scorn at all al! -cted.
Sin ee the murder the house where it took place has
been visited by great numbers of people; and the fuueral
of tke .deceaeed, which took place on Friday, the Bth
inst, was else largely attended. The names of the
deceased are—Amelia Harris (24) ; Alien Harris (7) ; and
Eva Harris (3).
Phoebe Jones was the first witness. She said she was
the wife of James Jones, and lived at Coombes Wood,
ILlesowen. She had seen the three bodies which had
been viewed by the jury. One of them was that of her
daughter, Amelia Harris, whose hueband was Joseph
Harris. Her age was 24 or a little over. Another was
the body of Eva, four years old, and the third was Alice
Harris, whose age was seven. Joseph Harris and his
wife and these children lived with her at her cottage at
Coombee Wood. She last saw tee deceased alive on the
morning of Tuesday, the sth met, when she was in the
house. Her daughter and the little one Eva were downs
stairs in the kitchen. Joseph Harris was sitting beside
the fire in the kitchen, and her daughter, Hrs. Harris,
who had just come down, was putting on her shoes.
Harris was nursing his daughter Eva ; the other child,
Alice, was upstairs in bed. He never spoke to the child
or to his wife or herself all the white she was in the
house, and she did not hear her daughter say anything
to him. About half-past eight she left the house for the
purpose of taking breakfast to her husband and son, and
the only persons then is the house were her daughter,
the prisoner, and the two children. When she came
back the clock of the church was striking nine, She
opened the house door, which she had left unfastened.
On reaching the inside she found her daughter lying on
the floer dead in the kitchen, where she had left her.
She had dreadful injuries, and was lying on her back.
The child Eva was lying ou the floor face downwards,
and her head and face were injured like her mother's.
She was dead. She picked the body of the little one up,
and ran out of doors screaming " Murder" at the top
of her voice. The first person who came was Mr.
Samuel Harris, from the farm near by, one or two hun-
dred yards from the house. He followed her into the
house, no one else coming up just then. For the time
she had forgotten all about the other child, Alice, who
was upstairs in bed. On remembering it she ran np•
stairs, and found her lying in a 'lake " of blood. Sne
was not quite dead, bat unconscious. Joseph Harris
himself was not in the house Soon after Mr. Harris
came to her, her son James Jones came up. Her
daughter and her husband had not lived very happily
together. They quarrelled very often, but she had never
seen a blow struck. Harris used to threaten her and
say whatjie would do: but he never struck a blow that
she saw. She could seldom make out what were his
werds, except that they were threats. From what she
heard him say she thought the cause of thelquarrelling
was his jealousy of his wife. On the morning of the
murder Harris and his wife had not quarrelled, but tiley
had the night before at twelve o'clock; she could hear
them while in bed. She could not say what was the
coarse of that quarrel. About twelve she told them she
wished they would " Give over" that she might go to
sleen, and then they were quiet. The next morning her
husbaud got up, and said to Harris, "Now then; it's
hart-past six, it's time you were up; and her daugnter
also said to Harris, " Are you going to get up? " but he
made no reply. Her daughter then lit a candle, but
when she brought it near him he blew it out, and stud
he was " Going to have a week's play." Witness told
him she was sure he was not going t have a week's play;
his father had got to wt Is, and she was sure he would
not encourage idle folks in his house. After that
nothing more was said, and Harris got up, but said
nothing to her, as neither did she to him, before she
went to take her husband's breakfast. There was no
quarrelling between her daughter and her husband.
Harris had been in the lunatic asylum, but not more
than once. He was discharged a fortnight after Row ey
Wake (in September last). She did not know how long
he was in the asylum. He went to the hospital first,
then to Winson Green, and then to 'Powick; and after
he came back from there he lived with her—that was
since the let of October. Someone had told Harris
that his wife had been pregnant while he was away,, and
had had a miscarriage. He accused his wife of this
some two or three months after be returned.

In answer to the Coroner, the witness said she only
knew this from her daughter's lips ; she had never heard
Harris say anything of it.
Witness continuing, said there were reports of Mrs.
Harris being "in the family way," but such a thing as
her infidelity was not alluded to in their jealous quarrels
in her hearing. For some two or three months after
his return home they lived together happily enough
The report of Mrs. Harris's miscarriage was untrue.
Harris bad not recently removed any of his clothes from
the house. Before she left home on Tuesday morning,
as she was throwing her shawl over her head to go
away, her daughter said, " Don't be long mother," but
gave no reason for saying this. She could not say
whether Harris heard it. lie was " very quick of hear
-
jog." There was usually an axe hanging on a nail
in the kitchen. She dii not see It on the morning
of Tuesday. [The axe was produced in order to be
identified by the witness, on her saying she would not
mind seeing it. She appeared greatly affected at the
sight of it.]
By the Jury : Harris threatened to injure her
daughter; and the latter had told her several times that
" Murder would be the ending of it," but never said any-
thing about the cause of this.
Samuel Harris, Ooombes Farm, Halesowen, said his
house was pretty nearly 200 yards from that where the
murders took place. On Tuesday morning, the sth
that, he heard Mrs. Jones "hooting " " Murder " at
about five minutes after nine o'clock. He ran to her,
and from what she told him he went to her cottage. In
the kitchen he found Mrs. Harris lying dead. From the
mass of blood and brains about her head he could see
no features. He saw the other two children, the one
dead and the other not quite dead. A great many
people came soon to the house, and he went to Black-
heath to fetch a doctor.

After this evidence the Coroner told Harris's brother,
who was present, that he might suggest any question
he pleased to be put to the witnesses. Mr. Docker then
asked the prisoner, Joseph Harris, who sat by the fire,
" Have you heard what is going on 2" Prisoner re-
plied, " Yes, Sir."
The Coroner : Well, fist of all, should you like to
ask Mrs. Jones any questions ?
Prison3r : No, Sir.
The Coroner: Would you like to ask the last witness
any question—Samuel Harris?
Prisoner replied, qnietly," No Sir."

_
James Jones, a boy, grandson of Mrs. Jones, said
that on the morning of Tuasday, as near as he could
tell ;about nine o'clock, he saw the prisoner, Joseph
Harris, near the Coombes Farm, running away from his
house. When he met him witness was taking his
father's breakfast, and had to pass by Harris's cottage.
Harris said to him " Your grandmother's gone with the
breakfast; don't you go in make haste." After he left
his Uncle Harris he went on, and did not stop at the
cottage.
The Coroner (to the prisoner) : Harris, you've heard
what has been said; have you any question to ask the
boy?
Harris: No.
Mary Ann Jones, wife of John Jones, New Building,
Coombea Wood, said that on the morning of the murder
she saw the prisoner standing in a field just below his
cottage *bolt ten o'clock. He was about a dozen yards
from his cottage. She then knew what had happened,
and sail to Harris, " What have you been doing? " He
said, Done what? I've done nothing." She said,
.1I here's Amelia awl the two children lying in tlae
house " He said, Igo to 'ess ; let me go and see
hcr."

A juryman explained that " 'ess was a slang word for
" ashes."
Witness continuing, said prisoner stood in the same
place whera she found him, and did not go to the
cottage, did not see any blood on his clothes. There
might have been without her noticing it. Witness did
not know any reason why Harris and his wife should not
have lived any
together ; there were tales about
Witness first went to the cottage about a quarter•past
nine: her mother, Mrs. Jones, was there then. She
went in and saw the bodies, that of Mrs. Harris being
upon_ the floor, and that of the child on the couch,
where Mrs.,Jones had placed it. She was there when
Poree-sergeant Cooper arrived, and the positioa of the
bodies were undisturbed, _

Adam Jones, son of Mrs Jones, and brother of Mrs.
Harris, said he slept at Harris's cottage on the night
previous to the tragedy. He heard no quarrelling
during the night, until about half-past sir on the Tues-
day morning, when his sister asked her husband (the
prisoner) if he was going to gat up, and he gave her no
answer. When she lit a candle he blew it out as he lay
in bed, and she then got into bed again. She asked
him again if he was going to get up, and he answered he
was going to have a week's play, after which be got
up. When witness got up at eight o'clock Harris
was cutting some tobacco, and said nothing to him
before he (witness) went to work On the night
before (Monday) Harris took a pair of trousers
and a waistcoat to a pawnbroker's at Blackheath,
where he had purchased them a week before.
He know nothing of any other clothes, and thought
Harris took those back because they were too large for
him. _ _ .

By the Jury: Never heard Harris use any threat to-
wards his wife. Had lived with them ever since Harris
came from the asylum.
Samuel Parkes, of Coombes Wood, said he knew the
prisoner Harris, and saw hire about a hundred yards
away from his (Harris's) house on the morning of the
murder. A. man named Silas Plant took hold of his
coat, and witness said, '• Joseph, what have you done
that murder for ? Harris replied, " I hayen't done
it.': There was no farther conversation, and he and
Plant held the prisoner until Police constable Knowles
came up and took him into sustody. Two mem Earned
Tomyns and Toy, and another named Palmer, got the
clothes-line out of the cottage gaiden, and bound Harris
with it. He did not assist, or say anything. Witness
saw no blood upon his clothing or his hands; he did not
esamine them.
Police-constable Peter Knowles, stationed at Cake-
more, said that at about 9.15 en the previous Tuesday.
morning he received information of the murder, mid
went to Jonos'e (or Harris's) cottage • at Coorabes Wood,
The house was full of people, and outside the prisoner
Joseph Harris, as in the custody of the last witneas
and others. Witness went into the house and found
the bodies of Mrs. Harris and the child Eva, with the
other child Alice, lying upstairs. Twenty minutes after
he got to the place Superintenderrt retail crme,
and witness went outside and handcuffed the prisrmer
Ho said nothing to Harris, but Harris said to him'
"It wasn't me as done it." Se appeared quite cool

and Polluted, and when witness took him into the
house he just glanced at the body of his wife, seem-
ingly not being at all impressed by the sight. Harris
was given np to the custody of the Superintendent.
Witness noticed some blood on his trousers and shirt
sleeve. _ _ .

Superintendent Kemp (Halesowen Police) said that in
consequence of something he heard he went to the
house of Joseph Harris at Coembcs Wood on Tuesday,
the sth just, about ten o'clock. He saw Police-constable
Knowles there with Joseph Harris in custody. Harris
was taken into the cottage, and witness went in himself.
In the kitchen he saw the body of Amelia Harris lying
upon the floor. She was quite dead; her feet lay to-
wards the window' and her face was badly cut and
bruised. She was bleeding from wounds of the head,
and there was a quantity of blood upon the floor. The
body of Eva Harris was lying up -bn a seat near the win-
dow, the head and face being covered with blood and
braises. After seeing this he went opstairs, and on a
bed in one of the rooms he saw the child Alice. There
was blood upon her head and face, and she was lying
upon her, left side ; there was a quantity of blood about
the bed. Witness made a search of the house, and in a
reeeis in the kitchen there were a number of tools in a
very dry and rusty state. On these tools he found the
axe produced wet, as if it had been eipped in water and
had partly dried. There were spots of blood upon the
axe, and of water and blood, the blood being quite ft eih.
He called the attention of Sergeant cooper and Mr.
Dann, surgeon, to these marks. On returning to the
prisoner he asked him to heave up his foot, and then
found some spots of blood spattered about his trousers
at the bottom. On Harris's snirt there were some spots
of blood—two on the left sleeve near the wrist, three on
the arm, ated others on the right sleeve. These were
partially dry he thought. After calling the surgeon's
attention to them he went to the prisoner, who was in
the house, and said to him, " I wish you to pay great
attention to what lam about to say to you You are
n)t obliged to make any reply to anything I say to you
unless you desire to do so. Anything you do Bay I shall
give in evidence When you are on your trial." Before
this he said, "Do you hear and understand what I say
to you? " and pr.soner said, " Yes." lie then said.
"You will be charged with murdering your wife, Amelia,
and your child, Eva ; and also with maliciously wound-
ing your child, Alice Harris." Harris made no reply.
The following morning witness again went to the cottage.
and saw the child Alice dead, after which he saw the
prisoner in the cell at Halesowen. He said to him, "It
is my duty to inform you that your child Alice ia dead ;
you will now be charged with murdering her." He re-
mained with him a few miwates, cud the prisoner made
no reply. Next day he was remanded to Worcester
gaol. On Thursday, the 7th mat, when walking through
the streets of Worcester, the prisoner, without being
questioned, said, " I know this road, I've been this way
before ; I went this way when I was going to Powick,
and we came back this way. That is why we of ten
quarrelled. When we had had a few words my mother-
in-law and 'Melia used to vex me by saying they would
send me to Powick again." That morning, when in the
railway carriage coming from Worcester, prisoner asked
where the inquest was to be held and Witness told him. He
then asked when he would be tried, witness replying that
he didn't know, when he did he would tell him. Harris
said, " I think it would be best for me to say nothing
about it, wouldn't it; but leave them to say as much as
they like ? " Witness replied, " You will have an
opportunity of saying as much as you like." Nothing
more passed.
The inquiry was here adjourned for a few miuntes,
after velicu Mr. (.1, P. Dunn, surgeon, dalesowen, gave
evidence as to his examination of the deceased woman.
There were five wounds upon the head and face, one in
the centre of the forehead, contused and incised, about
11 inches long, passing through the bone to the brain.
There was a compound fracture of the nasal bone, a
lacerated flesh-wound over the left eyebrow, small in
,ize ; a lacerated wound reaching to the bone (the right
temple) ; a lacerated wound of the lower lip, the teeth
being knocked out ; the jaws were fractured. The
wounds might have been inflicaid by such an instrument
as the axe produced. Mr. Dunn also spoke as to his
post-mortem examination of the internal organe, an I as
to the spots of blood on the axe and the clothes of the
prisoner Harris.
Mr. Walker, surgeon, Blackheath, also gave evi-
den e.
The Coroner, in summing up the evidence, expressed
his regret that according to the two surgeons there was
no means of determining by the analysis whether the
spots of blood found on Harris's clothes were human or
not, because if they were proved to be those of a
human being the fact would go a good way towards
establishing the case against the accused, while if
they were not a strong suspicion against him would be
removed.

Me jury considered their verdict in private, and
eventually returned a verdict of " Wilful murder"
against the prisoner.
The Coroner conveyed this to the prisoner, who said
nothing.

Harris was with some difficulty taken. by the police
out of the house afterwards and conyeyed to the police-
station, where he was brought before Mr. E. B. Phillips
and remanded again.
The proceedings did not terminate until after six
o'clock, and during the whole of the time a great crowd
was waiting outside the public-house.