The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1880-06-12 00:00:00

CONFESSION OF MURDER.

In London, on Saturday, shortly after six o'clock
in the morning, a man named Key accosted a police-
constable in the Bethnal-green-road, and said that he
had murdered his wife. The officer questioned the
man, somewhat doubtful of his being serious,but as he
persisted in his statement, he took him to the station.
To Inspector Smith, whom they met on the way
thither, the man repeated his statement. His wife,
he said, he had found, on waking that morning, stand-
ing over him with a poker in the act of striking him,
and, on the spur of the moment, he jumped out of bed,
seized a flat-iron, and dealt her a fatal blow. The man,
who was calm and self-possessed, was asked whether
he was speaking the truth, and replied that he was.
He was unable to give the number of the house
in which he lived, but said that it was "the
first house on the right-hand side in Patriot-
square." Thither the inspector and constable pro-
ceeded. Patriot-square is a quiet thoroughfare within
200 yards of the East-end Museum, with rows
of small houses tenanted by respectable mechanics
and working people. At the house No. 5, nobody
could give the officers any information. The house is
in the occupation of a '3114:1-tai.Y, a widow. John Key
and his wife, Martha Key, occupied a front room on
the top floor. A lodger in the adjoining room had
heard no sound during the night. When the officers
opened the door they found lying on the bedstead the
body of a woman covered in blood, which had also
saturated the bed. The body was undressed, and lay
with the face upwards. A surgeon was sent for, and
pronounced the woman to be dead. The flat-iron men-
tioned by the man was found covered with blood. On
the other hand, the poker also mentioned by the pri-
soner lay in its usual place in the fender. There was
no evidence of a struggle. The woman, who, it is said,
was 48 years of age, is believed to be Key's second wife.
He was quite calm and communicative.

On Saturday, at the Worship-street Police-court,
John Key, described on the police-sheet as a smith, of
5, Patriot-square, Cambridge-road, Bethnal-green,
was charged with the wilful murder of his wife, Martha
Key.
The only witness examined was Inspector Smith, K
Division, who deposed as follows :—At twenty minutes
past six on Saturday morning I met Police-constable
Charles Coventry in the Bethnal-green-road, and he
had the prisoner in his custody. He said to me,
"This man wishes to give himself no for killing his
wife." I turned to the prisoner and asked whether
it was true, and he said, " That is so. I struck
her with a flat-iron, and I believe she is dead." I
said, " Where ?" And he said, " The first house on the
right-hand side in Patriot-square." I asked the number,
but he did not know it. We went to the station
together, and then I mentioned to him that what he
said I should give as evidence against him, and he
said he would tell me all about it. He made this
statement :—" I woke up at six this murning, and I
found my wife holding the poker over my head, and I
jumped out of bed and took up a flat-iron, with which
I hit her. The prisoner added that his wife did not
move after she fell on the bed, and when he believed
she was dead he dressed himself and left the house.
After the prisoner had made this statement witness left
the station and went to the house, 5, Patriot-square. In
a bedroom occupied by the prisoner and his wife he found
a woman lying on a bed, which was saturated with blood.
She had a wound on the head, She appeared to be
dead. Witness sent for a doctor, who came and
examined her, and pronounced her to be dead. Wit-
ness looked about the room, and found a flat-iron of
about 41b. weight. It had fresh blood upon it. The
witness went back to the station and charged the pri-
soner. He made no other statement. The inspector
added that he had a witness present, but such a short tllle
having elapsed he had not been able to inqui tnrefur 1
into the facts.
The magistrate said the evidence of the witness
would be sufficient for a remand. He told the pri-
soner he should remand him for a week.
The prisoner, who said he was rather deaf, made
no remark on the evidence given against him, and was
removed in custody.

An inquest was held on Monday, when the jury
returned a verdict of Wilful Murder against J ohn
Key.

It is stated that Prince Henry of Prussia, second
son of the Crown Prince; who will return shortly frcm
hiS
voyage round the. world, will commence his studies at ,the
Btrasburg University nat winter.

PIWORM