The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1870-03-12 00:00:00

SHOCKING OCCURRENCE AT
OLD FORD.

A shockii, discovery was made on Sunday evening
at a small house, N. 12, Grafton-terrace, Old Ford-
road, lear London, which has been occupied for some
tune pw.t by • man named Edward Banks—who de-
scribed himself as having been formerly a builder, but
latcly a bricklayer—and Emma, his wife.
. . . .

It seems that Banks has been in the habit of ill-
treating his wife, and that on this account his landlord
had given him notice to have the house, which seemed
to prey greatly upon his mind. Ile sent away a
female lodger who had been living with them, and
welling was seen of either Banks or his wife after
Wedneelay last, when they were noticed entering the
house together. On the following days the blinds were
all down, and on Saturday evening, when their son called
at the house, he could get no answer. lie repeated his
visit with the same result on Sunday evening, and then,
becoming alarmed, he sought the aid of the police, aril
entered the house forcibly. In one of the rooms, the door
of which was locked, they found the dead body of the
woman, fully dreamed, lying on a bed. Her eyes were
wide open, her hair was thrown back, aed blood was
issuing from her tostrilm ; die wile quite cell, and as
decomposition had set in, it was evident she had been
dead some clays. Underneath the bed was the body of
the man Banks, also fully dressed, and without any
appearances of a struggle having taken place. Near
the body was found a dead cat, which had apparently
been suffocated. A further search showed that all
apertures about the TOMn had had paper pasted over
thew, and on the hearth wan a saucepan, which con-
tained the remains of some burnt coke and charcoal.
In a cupboard were several bottles labelled "Poison,"
and in a pocket of the woman's dress was a bottle with
laudanum in it, also marked "Poison," and a letter
addresired to" My mother." It was apparently in a
woman's handwriting, and on the inside the words
"Iran bear it no Innoer," were written. In the
opinion of the medical men the woman must have
been dead four, and the man two days; and it is sup-
, posed that the former died from the effects of poison
and the latter from suffocation.

A paper was also found in the cupboard showing
that Banks had received a " Ticket-of• Leave," in re.
ference to a portion of a sentence of five years' penal
servitwle pa,sed upon him for an attempt to murder his
wife. It was quite unknown to the neighbours that
he had been convicted of any offence, and it is thought
that the fear of this secret having been discovered may
have had something to do with the shocking occur.
renre above narrated. They appear to have been in
very reedy circumstances.

Oa Tuesday, a young man, named Samuel England,
made the following statement to the police
- • • - - • . _ •

"1 am the brother of the deceased woman, and I live at
9, Charles-street, City. Iler mother lives with me. On
Tuesday last the deceased called at our house, crying, and
she said 'I have never been comfortable with my husband.
Ile is always ilitreating me' She remained talking to my
mother for a long time The deceased. Banks was a very ex-
citable man when he drank anything, which he frequently
slid. My sister was also very excitable, and when her hus-
band became excited, so did she, and then furious quarrels
used to take place between them. When he struck her on
the head before, he got penal servitude. lie wao excited by
drink. Ile cut her head open with a pair of tongs. Ile was
kept in prison for four years and three months before he was
let out on • ticket-of-leave."

The police have also discovered Mary Neal, the
femala lodger in the house, and she also speaks to the
systematically brutal manner in which he treated his
wife.

At the inquest on Tuesday, the following letter, in
the handwriting of the unfortunate woman, wee pro-
duced:— _ .

-
" 12, Gretton-terrace.
" My Dear, Good Mother,—This Is the last writing you will
receive from poor Emma. It is come to the last, a lit ending
to a miserable life. I hope Mr. England will be quite satis-
fied now. Dear mother, receive my loving thanks for all the
kindness to me. I can't bear any more. Keep the enclosed
money for yourself, but pay my card. Take my things and
do w hat you like with them. I ani very sorry to make your heart
ache, but cannot help it. So no more from your loving
daughter, Mime BANKS."

_
After hearing the evidence, the jury returned a ver-
dict of suicide whilst in a state of temporary insanity,
in each cam.