The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1876-12-23 00:00:00

rm STOURBRIDGE OI3SERVEII

appointment for the day before. He said "No ; I have
not been home all night." Mr. Collins came in a few
minutes afterwards, and they stopped talking together
in the front kitchen. Mr. Collins asked him it he had
had his breakfast, and he said "Yes." It being about 11
o'clock, witness began to get the dinner ready. Mr. CJilins
had Just come in with the meat It was put on the table
about half-past one, the conversation between them still ,
going on. She went in and out of the room frequently, but
did not remark what they were talking about. Mr. Collins
a,ked the prisoner to st-iy to dinner, but whether he ate
anything or not she could not say. After dinner witness
clearea away the thiugs and went into the back kitchen,
leaving the prisoner and her husbe-nd talking t, gather in
the breakfast-room. That was somewhere about two o'clock,
but she could no, issy xi.ctly. The prisouer stopped until
abut three o'clock. Witness was in and out of the breakfast-
room many times. She never heard any high words, but
mere l) the conversation going on as before. She went into
tho back kitchen to get some water, and while there heard a
report of firearms. She turned round to go and see what it
was—here the witness fainted, but was revived by some-
powerful stimulant—and she went towe.,,,ds the breakfast
room. The prisoner was in the doorway. She said, "What's
that?' and he said, "I don't know." Here witness again
fainted, and Dr. Folewell expreved his ophaiou that she
would not be able to give farther evidence that day,
Mr Woolrych (the magistrate) said he did not from the
first wish the examination to be proceeded with.

The witness, reviving, said she would prefer to continue
her evidence. She had scarcely spoken when the prisoner
tired and she felt a blow. He then went as fast as he broad to
the area door. She followed him and selSed him by the coat.
or rather caught hold of his 'Mottles. She was gowg to cry
"Murder," but, putting one hand in (over) her mouth, and
the other be/ow the ear, he threw her down and beat
her bead on the flagstones outsiie of the area door. One
of her hands being loose she to, k hold of him somewhere
ilarsin by the clothes, and in the struggle got to her feet.
Then he left her and ran up the area steps. She followed
him, begging of the people in mercy to fetch a doctor and to
stop him. Than she went downstairs, and in the front
kitchen saw her husband on the floor She said, "011
what has he done? Has he shot you? Speak I speak I" Her
husband, however, was dead, but she saw a very slight quiver
on the lip. The dcctor caner, but she scarcely knew what
followed.

Woolrych asked her what !darks she had reeefied
herself.

Witness said the saw the flash of the pistol and felt some-
thing like a blow on the head. Dr. lrolowell was still attend-
ing her.

Mr. Woolrych asked if the prisoner was professionally
represented,

_
Mr. Chief Inspector Foinett said he had seen the prisoner's
uncle and his father that morning, and they had informed
him that professional assistance would be provided on the
remand.

The prison er, on bein g asked if he had any question to
a.k. repliel "No," and directly afttrwarda tainted in the
dock.

Mr. William Folessen, physician and surgeon,
Glocester•street, said that on Friday last be w.is called by
youeg man to 99, Stanley-street. about 25 minutes past
three in the afternoen. and went down the area steps
Into the front kitchen. The deceased was lying on the flour
dead. Tnere was a small mark on the forehead such as
might have been produced by a i ullet. It was just on
the left side of the frontal hone. There was another mark
at the back of the head, partly, he should thick,
through the billet strikirg against the bone inter-
nally, and partly through a fall an the floor. Witness
poured some brandy. down his throat, but it was of no
avail. Witness then attended to Mrs. Collins, who was
bleeding fast trent the left ear. Mrs. Collins had received
a severe blow under the let ear trio something very
hard. She had also marks on the front of the neck, as
though an a..terr pt had been made to strangle her In one or
two places the skin had been scraped cif by the finger-Wile.
She bled in the inside of her month from scratches and lacera.
ton. That might have been done by a hand, or by the action
of four false teeth on a plate which had been forcibly re-
moved from the mouth, and which had not since been found.
Mrs. C llins was still under his care. He had also to state
that there were several bruises at the back of her bead fr im
the bumps on the fi,gstones outside the area doer. The
arnorrhege in the ear was caused by a blow under the ear,
Foal by the pressure, ot the vessels of the throat Mrs.
C Tins was no Ong on favourably. The post mortem
f %raination was to be made that day. The bullet had lodged
either in tbe brain or the skull. That was, in his opinion,
the cause of death.

The prisoner said he would reserve his defence.
J,hn Edwards, a labourer, in the emp:oy of Mt errs.
Howard and Gantlett, builders, of Winchester street,
Pimlico, proved that he saw a man snswering the descrit,
lion of the prisoner rush away from the direction of the house.
He pursued him, but fell down and lost him at the corner
of Clarendon-street. He never saw the man's face.

Tolice•constable Thomas Wort, 431 T, proved that he was
employed in plain clothes on Saturday last at Isleworth. In
the evening he went to the house of a Mr. John Wlgglnteld
Warton-lane, Isleworth, and remained there till 7.40. Some
one then knocked at the door, and on its being opened by
)drts. Wiggins the prisoner entered. Having exchanged corn-
"pliments he sat down by'the fire and commenced to smoke.
Witness crossed the room and told him he was a police offi-
cer, and should have to take him into custody. The prisoner
asked, "What for ?" He told him he would explain the
charge to him when they arrived at the station Ile replied,
"Very well; I'll go with you." Witness asked him it he had
any unlawful weapon about him, and he did not answer.
Witness felt his pockets, but could not find any. They then
:proceeded to the station, a distance of a mile, and a six-
chambered revolver was found hanging to his breed on the
right side inside his trousers, In answer to Mr. Woolrych,
witness said the chambers of the revolver were not loaded.
Neither said a word on the way to the station relative to the
charge. I k
Police•sergeant George Edbrook, 9 T ID:vision, said that
at a quarter past eight on Saturday night he was informed
that the prisoner was in custody at the Isloworth station,
and he took the charge against him for the murder of
Mr. John Collins. Oa the way to the cells, the prisoner
asked to be allowed to have a handkerchief which had been
taken from him, but the witness refused it. Tne prisoner
said, " Nonserse, had I contemplated suicide I could easily
have RC:•omplished it, being armed. What I have done was
in a moment of madness." Witness took the statement in
writing, but did not ask the prisoner to sign it. The prisoner
was left in charge of a constable with the cell door open until
Detective Inspector Sayer and Chief Inspector Foinett, of the
B Division, came down to take charge of him at 12.15, and at
their request the prisoner also was charged with the at-
tempted murder of Sirs. Collins. He was conveyed to London
at 1.15 by those officers.

_Wiggins la I wo)

prisoner I

Mr. Thomas Foinett, Chief Inspector of the B Division,
said he went to Itleworth Station to take charge of the 1
prisoner. When charged with the attempted murder of
Mn. Collins he took no notice; indeed seemed perfectly
rtupetled. Witness said to him, "Do you understand
what I have said to you ?" Ile then replied, "I don't
know how I CAMS to do it. It seems a blank to me."
On his way to London he said, "I must have
been mad." I asked him how he accounted for the pore
session of the revolver, as from inquiries instituted at his
father's it appeared that whcn he left home on the Thurs-
day morning he had not hAd any. such weapon. He
said be bad boutzht It on Thursday morning, Just after he
had left home, at a pawnhrekr's in the Seven Ststers-road,
Holloway, and he intended to use it, Trituots was not sure
whether he said "on" or "for myself " but it wait one or
the other. "Things," the prisoner added, had been very
miserable at home, and he was out of employment. He
further said that on the morning after the affair he went
away, not knowing where he was going or what be was
doing. He only had 2d. With one penny lie bought a
tewspaper to read about the affair, and said it was all wrong.
He never took a cab or went to Victoria Statien to
go to Dover, for he had no money. The other penny he
spent in "returns" tobacco. When he left Pimlico
he welked to.wards Hyde Park, across Regent's Park
towards Kentiah - town Fe had been out ell the
previous night, at east from five in the morning, and
up to that time be had been staying with a friend.
- named Milton, in Caatle-road, Kentish-town. On the morn-
ing after the aft bir he took the north roe, passing through
• Finchley and Barnet on to St. Alban's. On finding out that
he was at St. Alban's he retraced his steps, wishing to see
Mrs. Wiggins once more. He did not wish to be appre-
hended in London. On reaching Kentish Town on his re-
Fro• he found a pair of spectacles in the road, and these
put :n and wore through Kensington and Hammersmith.
Whoa they reached London the prisoner was put in a cell,
and his father and mother saw him in the afternoon.
The prisoner sulked for pen, ink, and paper to write a letter.
Witness told him he could have them, but he should read
whetever he wrote before sending it away. He said, "I
know that, I only wanted to write to Mrs. Milton to explain
to her why I cut off my whiskers at her place, as this
seemed to surprise tee." Witness told him he thought he
had better no; write the letter, but that he would send a
message for Mrs. Milton or any other friend he wished to see.
The letter was not written.
Tne CRBS was then adjourned. -
e art -w te.
On Tuesday, Mr. Bedford, the coroner for Westminster,
held an inquest upon the body of Mr. Collins. As at the
Westminster police-ceurt on the previous day, the principal
evidence was given by Mrs. Collins, who, tlll wearing a
white handkerchief round her head, and looking terribly
distressed, was led into court and placed in a chair by the
side of the coroner, and at times it was with considerable
difficulty that she was able to repeat the incidents of the
tragedy. After a very few minutes consultation the jury
returned a verdict of Wilful Murder against Frederick
Treadaway.

EXECUTION AT CARLISLE.
On Tuesday morning, James Dalgleish, 27 years of
, was hanged within the Comity Prison at Carlisle
)r the wilful murder of Sarah Wright, at Penrith,
on the 24th of-. September last. 2 He was con-
demned to death at Manchester. winter assizes, and
after condemnation was removed to Carlisle where,
during the remaining fortnight of his life 'he had
the benefit of the spiritual ministrations of the
~ gaol chaplain, the Rev. A. Edwards, and also of the
t Rev. James Christie, a Presbyterian minister, who
was called in at the convict's own request, he being a
Scotchman, and a member of the Presbyterian
-Church. While in gaol he remained very taciturn;
before his death the clergyman in attendanm looked
upon him as a penitent In a letter written
a few days ago to a .friend at Penrith, he
said :—" You will rejoice with me when I tell
you that although I have been snch-a -sinner
there is pardon. Jesus Christ sass, 'Come unto me
all ye that are weary and heavy Wen, and I will give
you rest.' 'Him that comsth to Me, I will in no wise
cast out ; ' and now I can die happy." In part of the
same letter he warned his companions against lettieg
drink get the master of thcm, as it had brought him to
a dreadful end, and he hoped his fate would turn
many from their evil ways. Petitions had been sent
to the Home Secretary, praying for a reprieve on the
ground of the prisoner's insanity, but Mr. Cross de-
clined to advise her Majesty to interfere with the
course of the law.
The scaffold was erected in an inner yard in the
prison, surrounded by high walls, and none but the
officials required to be present were admitted, the
High Sheriff having refused to grant any other orders
for admirsion whatever, even the reporters of the
press being all excluded. A crowd of over a thousand
people congregated in the street in front of the gaol
to hear the bell of the prison chapel toll, and see the
black flag hoisted as a sign that the execution had
taken place. At four minutes past eight o'clock a man
appeared with the flag, and at five minutes past eight
It was run up the flag staff. This was the first
private execution in Carlisle. Askern, of York, was
the executioner.

EXECUTION AT HORSEMONGER LANE
GAOL.
Silas Barlow, who was convioted at the November
sessions of the CE ntral Criminal Court of the murder of
Ellen Sloper, with whom he lived at Vauxhall, was exe-
cuted on Tuesday morning at 9 o'clock within the walls
of the Surrey county prison, Horsemonger-lane. The
woman was shown at the trial to have been poisoned by
the continuous administration of strychnine. It was
also believed that the prisoner had caused the death
of the illegitimate child of the deceased, but he
was convicted only of the murder of the woman.
Down to Monday eiterncon the prisoner persisted in
t.ssertmg that he was innocent, but after he had been
visited by a nephew and niece and two old friends,
who earnestly entreated him to tell the truth, the Rev.
Mr. Jessepo, the chaplain, when they bad left, asked
him if he still declared his innocence, and he then for
the first time admitted that he "did away" with his
child, hut said there were others in it. He still, how-
ever, at this time persisted in saying that he did not
murder the woman. When he was visited on Tuesday
morning by the chaplain he was asked whrtner he
desired to make any further statement with regard to
the murder of his child. His rei ly was that he was
in such a state of mind that he could not do so, but
he at the same time said he would not deny that
his sentence was a just one. He then thanked Mr.
Jessopp for the kindness which he had recei red and also
acknowledged the kindness that had been shown him
by Mr. Keene, the Governor of the prison, and the
warders who had had charge of him. Mr. Abbott, the
under-sheriff, arrived at the prison shortly before
eight, and proceeded with the governor to the prisoner's
cell. He was brought out into one of the corridors to
be pinioned, and he did not say a word while the opera-
tion was being performed. Since the last execution a
permanent scaffold has been erected in one of the airing
yards of the prison and the new apparatus seemed to
ork very satisfactorily. After the drop fell the pri-
soner seemed to be dead almost instantly. Marwood
was the executioner.