The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1884-05-24 00:00:00

THE STOURBRIDGE OBSERVER

MURDER OF TWO CHILDREN.

In London, on Friday last, Wm. Albert Norris, 28,
a singular-looking man described as a waterside
labourer, was brought before Mr. Bridge, at the
Southwiirk Police-court, charged with wilfully murder-
ing Beatrice Alice Norris, three years and four months
old, and George William Norris, one year and three
months old, his children, by cutting their throats at
33, Kinross-street, Bermondsey. The prisoner, who
seemed it A weak state was undefended.
• Thoma 4 Biggs, police-sergeant 12 M, said: This
"tnorning at ten minutes past seven I was on duty at
the Bermond§ey Police-station, when the prisoner
entered in a very excited state and exclaimed,
"I have just murdered my two children; at .33,
Kinross-street;ty cutting their throats with a knife."
I asked him the names of the children, when
he said, ‘,-Beatrice Alice, three years and two
months old;' and William, one ,year and three
months old, both lying dead on the bed." J had
him detained at the station-house. while I proceeded
to 33, Kinross-street, and on knocking at the diior I
was told that the prisoner and his wife and family
lodged there. The prisoner's wife was out. I went
upstairs, and in a back room I found the two children
lying on the bed with their throats cut, and the knife
produced lying on the bed by their side. There was
a rolling-pin under each shoulder, lying side by side.
I immediately sent for Dr. Gittens, and returned to
the station-house and spoke to the prisoner. Ile said,
"I stunned the girl first and then the boy. I then
took the girl and put her head across my knee and
cut her throat with the knife. I afterwards served
the boy in the same manner."
Mr. Bridge: Where was the prisoner's wife when
you found the children murdered.?
Witness: She left at six o'clock to go to her work,
leaving the prisoner in the room with the children.
Mr. Bridge: Was the prisoner sober when he came
to the station?

Witness : Yes, sir; perfectly sobe_.
Mr. Bridge (to the prisoner) : Do you wish to ask
any questions?
Prisor..er : No, sir. The gentlemen has spoken the
truth what I said. _ _

Mr. John Gittens, M.R.C.S., said that at half-past
seven that morning he was called to 33, Kinross-street,
and in a back bedroom he found two children with
their heads hanging over the side of the bed, and
their throats cut completely through to the bone.
They had not long been dead, as they were quite
warm. There were no marks of violence about the
bodies, excepting the cuts, Witness 'Afterwards pro-
ceeded to the station-house, where he saw ths
prisoner, who told him that he had been discharged
from prison about a week ago, and could not get an
work, and did not like to see his children without
food. - `". _ _ _ _

Prisoner: I did not say "without food." I said I
did not like to see them want. The doctor knew
rue.
Dr. Gittens was recalled, and in answer to Mr.
Bridge he said he had known the prisoner two years,
and believed him to be weak-minded at times. Last
Christmas twelve months he came to witness and corn-
plained of people following him abdut and playing
music at his side all day and night.
Mr. Bridge remanded the prisoner, giving instruc-
tions that he should be carefully attended to, and
examined by the medical authorities.
The prisoner was at once removed to the House of
Detention in a cab.

THE HEALTH EXHIItrrION.

Saturday undoubtedly put the mark of success upcn
the Health Exhibition, not only byithe grand total of
20,764 visitors, but also by the representation theie
of every class of society.
Taking the exhibition, as it is so far presented, it is
a very fine one (says the Standard). Immense good
is being done by the preparation therein in public of
various kinds of food, and by the 'tleanliness which
the performance of these preparations before the eyes
of everybody enforces. How much nicer the frozen
meat from New Zealand and Australia looks through
the glass windows of the cold-air chambers in which
the carcases and the joints are hung! In the bakeries
machines mix and knead the dough and the weighing
and baking and serving is 'done by men and
women with clean hands and tidy dresses. Still
better is the lesson of cleanliness enforced in all
the dairies. The "Express " and the "London and
Provincial" are reputed amongst the best of the
supplying Companies, and their exhibits are in every
way patterns. It is, indeed, never any other than a
pleasure to go into any farm-house dairy. In the
Exhibition Messrs. Bradford's model of the type for
farms or country houses is crowded by the multitude.
But of all the shows the Warwick Dairy is the finest.
Within an area as large as a whole farm-house are all
the best of modern appliances. In the shed at the
rear cows of the finest breeds are milked; the milk
put direct into pans and run through separator
machines, in which by centrifugal force acting on con-
stituents of two specific gravities the cream is separated,
and flows out of one pipe and the skimmed milk runs
out of another. There are churns revolving and butter
' making; and there the experienced manageress—a for-
mer pupil of the Kensington School of Cookery—makes
up into pats and sells and explains the mxlern art
with the tact and ability of a practised lecturer. The
Pure Standard Food Company has the least preten-
tious show; but nevertheless, some interesting things.
The milk-heating apparatits is one, the mutton-saus-
age machine another. Scalding is practised to preserve
, the milk, which, however, requires to be cooled imme-
diately after heating, otherwise it acquires an
unpleasant smell. The milk is run over a series of
metal pines, heated to a proper temperature. As the
milk falls further it encounters a snnilar but longer
series of pipes, cooled by internal admission of cold
water. Thus both operations are performed during
this gravitation of the milk through a fall of six feet.
No damage can be done to the milk, the duration
interval of treatment being so short. The
Vegetarian Society has provided a sixpenny dinner,
which is one of the most interesting things in the
exhibition. The dining hall is worth visiting for
the sake of seeing how clean even a sixpenny dining-
room can be kept; how well ventilated it can be,
although the kitchen adjoins it. The tables are laid
with scrupulously white linen cloths; two forks and
a spoon, as bright as silver, are placed for each
person, and water-bottles and tumblers, clear as
crystal, are put upon the table. Three courses are
given. Spirituous liquors are not sold, but the
customer can be served with a drink which looks like
beer, tastes like beer, but is not beer, and does not
inebriate. The public, attention is, indeed, being
strongly. drawn towards cleanliness by the present
exhibition in a manner so marked that it cannot do
other than exert a very wide influence.
The collective Waterworks Committee made dis-
plays of their new fountains in the great pool on
Saturday at half-past four. The effect of the lofty
central jet, surrounded by a forest of less lofty jets
driven into the whitest spray, was very beautiful, the
sun shining on the rain of water and producing a
splendid rainbow. At night the fountain display was
repeated. When the electric light was projected
from the clock tower upon the vapoury spray the
effect was extremely delicate.
The natural antagonism between fire and water
was exemplified on Saturday morning in a more usual
phrase. Fortunately, owing to the difficulty of igni-
ting the asbestos-painted walls, the fire was put out
by the aid of a portable engine in five minutes from
, its discovery.

LORD HAMPDEN ON STUDY.
Viscount Hampden presented at the Dome at the
Royal Pavilion, Brighton, the prizes to the successful
candidates at the recent Oxford and Cambridge Local
Examinations. Subsequently, in reply to a vote of
thanks, ho delivered an interesting address to the
young people present. In the course of his remarks
he said he felt sure that the one lesson they had
learned was the lesson of knowing the value of work.
He was quite persuaded there was not one amongst
them who had gained prizes that day who regretted
the amount of work, however large, bestowed on the
acquisition of those prizes. At the same time let him
guard them against the notion that their work was
done. Far from it. He hoped that they had before
them long and prosperous lives, and he wished them
all not only useful but bright lives. • Nothing
according to his experience and it was a
long one—brightened life more than honest, well-
directed work. They would find it to be the sun-
shine of life. This work-a-day world was not so bad
as it was sometimes painted, and he might say it was
a world which mended from day to day, though
slowly; still by their exertions, and by pulling together
they would be the means of helping to make it
brighter and better. There was one point which had
been brought under their notice, and which gave him
great satisfaction. He alluded to the circumstance
that the Government of the day would be relieved of
any anxiety with regard to examination in secondary
education, through the organisation which had been
established by the universities, and said in this way
they would get rid of centralisation in the matter of
eduction: and it would be a great thing in his
opinion if the machinery in regard to :'primary
education might be adapted so that they
might decentralise instead of centralising its
area. He was delighted to find in the
statement of the secretary how many ladies
had taken part in the examinations lately in-
stituted, and thought the fields of labour for the
gentler sex should be opened as much as possible. He
said that in the most serious way, but at the same
time, lest they should draw a conclusion from what
he had said that he should desire to see the gentler
sex take a part in political action, he wished to guard
himself against expressing any approval of that, and
he confessed, for his part, that he should be wholly
opposed to see ladies taking part in any political
affairs unless he found that the gentler sex, by a
large majority, desired it; and until that time he
phould dvoliun nuterlazin nuell a proposition. He
had been drawn into making that observation of a
political character, but he felt bound to do so as he
feared that, from his remarks with regard to the
education and employment of women, they might
suppose he went so far as to desire their admission to
the Government of the country.