The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1869-05-29 00:00:00

A SHOCKING TRAGEDY.

A shocking murder of a wife was committed on
Sunday, at Ashburnham, near Hastings. Adjacent
the village is a quantity of land called "Gardener's
Farm," which is farmed by an old man named Stubber-
field and his eon Jeremiah. The son, who is married,
and about forty years old, has a separate residence
about sixty yards from that of his parent. On Satur-
day evening there were living in the same house with
the son, his wife Matilda, their son, Mary Deeprose
(a companion to Mrs. Stubberfield), and several farm-
labourers and domestic servants. The boy, eight years
old, who occupied the same room as his parente,
states that early on Sunday morning, whilst it was
scarcely light, he saw his father kneeling upon his
mother, and squeezing her throat. Hearing his mother
say "Oh !"feebly, and as if in pain. he said to his
father, " You're hurting mother !" "You hold your
tongue," replied the father, "I'm only tickling her !"
The boy again made a similar remark, upon which his
father said that if he didn't hold his tongue he would
'See to him." Stubberfield then dressed himself, and
having kissed his wife and child, took his coat over his
arm, and went down stairs. The boy then immediately
aroused the other inmates of the house. In the rnesn-
time, Mies Deeprose. having heard a moaning noise in
the Stubbertields' bedroom, and thinking something
was the matter had gone to the father's house for
assistance. On her return in about ten minutes she
met Jeremiah Stubberfield at the door, 98 he was about
to leave the house, and tried to prevent his escape, but
did not succeed in doing so, although she struggled
with him for some minutes.
James Honeysett. a carter, who was one of the first
persons aroused by the boy, got up directly, and went
into the bed-room, where he found Mrs. Stubherfield
lying in the bed dead. Heals° says he heard a "pretty
smart" struggle in the yard ; that he went there im-
mediately, and found Miss Deeprose exhausted by her
efforts to detain Mr. Stubbertield.
Several other persons were soon in the bedroom of
the murdered woman, and Dr. Simmonds, who lived a
mile and a half distant. WB.B at once sent for. It was
six o'clock when that gentleman reached the Louse,
and there being no appearance of a struggle, he was
first led to suppose that deceased had died suddenly
from natural causes. An examination of the neck,
however, revealed marks, and the doctor then came to
the opinion that the woman had been murdered.
It in said that Stubberfiedi had been in a depressed
state of mind some time. He had been married nine
years, was much respected, and understood to have
lived very happily with his wife.

The Sussex Advertiser gives the following additional
particulars relative to the above shocking occurrence:—
Information having at once been given to the police,
Superintendent Jenner sent to the different police stations,
so that in a very short time some 200 persons were scour-
ing the neighbourhawl in search of Stubbertleld. Men
. from Ashburnham Rouse hronght a boat and dragged
the ponds, and it was not till the afternoon that he
was found, and then he was making his way from
Cowden Farm towards home. It is .opposed that
he had secreted himself in a pit where there MAr
water, and that he had tni. d to drown himself,
for when taken he wee completely saturated with. wet

and eorertd with mud the police toot rum to
the farm to change his clothes lie ass then taken to
tratVe, where he remains at present muter the cltarge of
the superintendent; he is exceeding quiet, and cannot
give any rrtiler reason for the deed than he felt corn-
Pelted to do it. He said he loved her so urneh he did
not like to leave her bthind, but now he would give the
world to have her back again." Ile also states that he
attempted to drown himself several times, but could not
do so, for he always floated on the top of the water.
Our reporter was Informed by his father that some
twelve or eighteen months ago he met with a very serious
fall; he was on the top of • ladder some twenty or twenty-
five feet high, cutting a very high hedge, and he tell back-
wards, falling en his head. He lay senseless for some time,
and not coming in to dinner his mother went ont just &she
had come to. They advised a doctor should be sent for, and
that he should be bled; but Jeremiah would riot have a
doctor, and they date his insanity from that tnne. His
father and mother, and the poor wile's father visited him on
Monday morning, the intervw being • most painful one."