The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1884-01-05 00:00:00

CHARGE OF WIFE MURDER.

In London, on Saturday, at the Southwark Police-
court, Robert Plumpton, 49, described as a labourer,
was brought before Mr. Bridge, charged with wilfully
murdering his wife Emily Maria Plumpton, at 4,
Princes'-place, Bankside, by stabbing her on the side
of her neck with a knife.

The first witness called was George Cook. He
said :—The prisoner is my uncle, and I lodge with him
and my aunt, the deceased, at 4, Princee'•place, Bank.
side. My uncle is a labourer, and last Friday evening,
a little after four, I met him in Guildford-street,
Borough. He was not sober. He asked me to go
home with him to take some tea. We went home to
4, Princes'-place, and when we got there my aunt was
out. She, however, came in in about a quarter of an
hour, when the prisoner said to her, "Are you going
to get me my tea ? " She replied, "Yes, if you
like to wait for it." The prisoner looked round the
room, and, net seeing any blankets on the bed, he
said to deceased, "What have you done with the
blankets?" She replied, "I have pawned them. I may
as well tell you that as to tell you anything else." The
prisoner then said to her, "What have you done with
the 10a. I gave you yesterday ?" She replied, "I
have spelt it." They then began to quarrel, when
she webt towards the cupboard, and while she was
reaching for something he went up to her, and a
moment afterwards I heard my aunt call out, "Oh,
George, he has done for me." The prisoner went
back and left us. I saw him coming towards her
again, when I saw blood coming from her neck, and I
caught hold of the prisoner. She passed us and went
down the stairs into the court, I left him in the
room and went after her and found her about 30
doors off, lying down on the pavement in front of
Mr. Farmer's door, saturated with blood, I went
for a doctor, and, not finding one, I returned to the
house where I bad left her and found she had been re-
moved to Guy's Hospital. I then went to the house
and sew, cnr3tshle at the door. We both went no
-
stairs and found the prisoner lying on the bed. As
soon as we entered, the prisoner got up and exclaimed,
"I know what you want. You want me. I have
done it, and there is the knife I did it with," and he
gave the knife to the constable. I saw the knife open
in his band when I saw him go back from his wife. I
afterwards went to the hospital and saw my aunt
Emily Maria Plumpton. She was dead.
Mr. Denby, house surgeon at Guy's Hospital, said
that about a quarter past five on Friday evening the
deceased woman was brought in. He immediately
examined her and found she was dead. There was a
small incised wound about half an inch vertically
below the lobe of the left ear.

No further evidence was offered, and the prisoner
was remanded,

On Tuesday Mr. W. J. Payne held an inquest at
Guy's Hospital on the body of Emily Maria Plump.
ton.

George Cook, nephew of the deceased, repeated the
evidence which he gave at the Police-court.

By the Coroner: He did not see where prisoner got
the knife from. He was not sober.

By the Jury: There were no blows. The quarrel
did not last many minutes. They did not seem to be
having very high words, and he took no particular
notice, RS he had heard them quarrel before.

Mary Donovan, the landlady of the house in ques-
tion, deposed that the deceased was really in the house
before Plumpton and,Cook got home on Friday af tern eon.
She and the accused had been drinking together that
day. Witnesi heard the prisoner ask the deceased as
soon as he got into the house whether "that rabbit"
was not cooked yet for supper, as neither he nor
Cook had had anything to eat that day. The deceased
said they had not had tea yet, and she would go down
and borrow a saucepan of witness to cook the rabbit in
for supper. He replied that there was not a plate or
any other article in the place that was not borrowed
and she should not borrow any more of that woman's
things downstairs. He told her to go and buy a
saucepan, and asked her how long she was going to be
gone. She replied he had better go with her if he
could not trust her, but if he did come she would
make him pay for it. She went out alone and was
away some time, and then came back with a borrowed
saucepan. More quarrelling then ensiled about the
meal being delayed and about the blankets being
missing. Witness next heard her shout, "George,
George, the knife !—the knife in his hand! He has
done for me—l am stabbed!" The deceased then
came downstairs bleeding from the neck. Witness
did what she could to stanch the wound, and after-
wards fetched the police.
By the jury : They had only lived with her a few
weeks, and there had been no particular quarrelling
before.

Police•constable Roberts, 119 M, corrobotated the
evidence of Cook as to what took place when he went
to arrest Plumpton. The knife was shut when the
accused handed it to him, and he remarked, "He was
always a man and would not deny having stabbed his
wife." There was blood on the small blade of the
knife. On being charged at StoneEeend Police-station
with the murder, after it was known that death had
taken place, the prisoner said the charge was quite
right, and that his wife ought to have been dead long
ago.

The jury returned a verdict of " Wilful_murder "
ainet Robert Plumpton.