The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1880-10-30 00:00:00

THE INQUEST.

Dr. Hardwicke, the coroner for Central Middlesex, held
an inquest on Tuesday at the Holloway Coroner's-court,
touching the death of Jane Messenger.
The deceased, who was the wife of a labourer named Mes-
senger, living at 41, Edward-square, and had been living
with Herbert, had only returned to her husband on the day
before the occurrence

Inspector 3l'Fadden watched the case on behalf of the
police. _ _

Henry James Messenger was first called. He said—l live
at 41, Edward-square, Caledonian-road. I am a wood
turner. lam the husband of the deceased We have had
one girl. My wife left me on the 16th day of August. When
I came home on that day I found the drawers stripped. She
went away with the child, with her brother and brother-in-
law, William Herbert. These people had been living in
my house. Herbert was staying there as my brother. He
did not pay. My wife's brother had only been at the house
for a fortnight. I saw my wife last Friday week. She came
to me where I was at work. She said she wanted a separation
order, and I said I would not give her one; if she liked to come
tiler' %Nob g Vi'dy la 011 uky,-itd-,m .r.tua.e:Acick _and
and I Lock her to Deacon's Music Hall. On Thursday she
came and brought all her things to my house. On Tuesday
she went and took two rooms for us to live at. She went
hack to Notting-hill, and came again on Thursday night.
The rooms were at 15, Albany-street. I left her at about
half-past nine on Friday morning, and the next I heard of
her was that she had been shot. A police-constable came
with the landlady and told me what had happened. I kept
at work until I was paid at eight o'clock, and I went to see
her at the Great Northern Hospital dead-house. I have
identified her as my wife, and I have been told that she was
shot by her brother-in-law, Herbert.
Dr. Wharry, house surgeon at the Great Northern Hos-
pital, said the deceased was brought to that institution on
Friday last. She was then dead. She had a circular wound
between the third and fourth ribs. There was a bruise under
the stays. The bullet had passed through the front part of
the lung and the side of the heart. The bullet was lodged in
the sixth rib. The body was well nourished, and there was
no disease of any kind. I have no doubt that death was
caused from the effects of the pistol shot.
John Bradley said: I live at 25, Chatterron-road, Finsbury-
park. lam a canvasser. on Friday I saw at about a quarter.
past twelve a man and a lady walking on the north side of
Finsbury-park towards the lake. I saw them after that
slitting down opposite the lake. The man appeared to be
taking something out a the hand of the lady. I remarked
to myself how strange to see a lady and gentleman sitting
there on so cold a morning. I passed them on my
way. The two then got up, and I heard a shot,
and then I turned round, and the man appeared
to be pulling her shawl. He again fired at her, and I
ran towards them, and the lady then fell on her knees.
I could not hear what she said, but she appeared
to be imploring him to spare her. He then
fired at her a third shot, and the lady fell on the ground.
Herbert then pulled off his coat, threw it away, and pointed
the pistol to his own breast and pulled the trigger. He then
fell down. I got up to him at this time, and Herbert got up
again with the revolver in his hand. I did not know what to
do, but thought of striking him in the face. I then saw the
revolver on the grass, and at this time several persons had
come up, and the revolver was picked up. Herbert said,
"Let me have it,- but I took it away from the persoa who
had it, and put it in my pocket.
Inspector M`Faciden here produced the pistol.
Witness continued—A police-constable came up, and I gave
him the pistol. He then took lierbert in custody, put him
In a cab, and took him to the Hornsey-road Police-station.
I have since heard that ho was taken to the hospital. There
were several persons attending to the lady, and I called
another cab. When I saw him shoot himself there was
something sticking out of his pocket like a knife, and Herbert
appeared very anxious to get at this. I heard afterwards
that it was a knife, and he threw it out of the cab window.

Police:tonstable Taylor said: I was called at about half-
past twelve to Finsbury Park. The first thing I saw was a
woman lying on the grass apparently dead. The people
said, "This woman has been shot by that man." I then took
Herbert into custody. He said, "I shan't try to run away.
as I have shot myself, and am fast bleeding to death." He
opened his waistcoat, and showed a wound on the breast. Mr.
Bradley then handed me the pistol, and a bullet which dropped
out of the lady's stays. In passing down to the gate Herbert
tried to get the pistol from me. He said, "Let me have that,
so that I may finish myself." At the station I found two
charges in the pistol, which were withdrawn. At the
gates, whilst handing him into the cab, he took a
knifettut of his pocket and threw it out of the cab
window. This I got a boy to pick up. Whilst in the
cab he took out a packet of cartridges, and said, "I don't
want to hide anything from you." Dr. Berry, the divisional
surgeon, saw him, and ordered him to be taken to the hos-
pital. On the way to the hospital he asked me if the lady
was dead. I replied that I did not kllow. Whilst passing
down the Caledonian-road he pointed to a house and said,
"That is where her husband works." At 1.30 p.m., on the
23rd inst.' he made toe following statement, in reply to a
cousin who came to see him, and who said, "For God's sake,
whatever caused you to do this?" :--" Thera was a certain
object I had in view. I wanted to speak to her about it,
and I took a tram car to Finsbury Park for that purpose
with the full intention of doing what I have done if the in-
terview was not satisfactory to me. The reason of my doing
so no one on the living earth shall know."
Inspector M'Fadden said that at a quarter to one on Fri-
day Herbert WAS brought in by the last witness, who said
that he had shot a woman in Finsbury Park. The revolver
and cartridges were handed to me. Herbert was then
charged. The pistol was then unloaded, and the packet
contained 44 cartridges opened. I have just come from the
hospital hero, and he is still improving in strength.
At the station I asked him where he lived, and he said
at a house in Notting-hill, but he did not know the
street. Herbert said, when asked, that the woman
lived at 41, Edward-square. I went there, and the
deceased's sister went to the hospital and identified
the body as that of Jane Messenger. I found after-
ward that the deceased and Herbert had been living
at 45, Stonebridge-street, Notting-hill. In the daytime
they were in one room, but they did not sleep together.
The deceased slept with the landlady at night. Her-
bert has a wife living in Australia. and the deceased
woman is her sister.
•From letters which were produced it
appears that Herbert had come over to this country to see
about some property, and one of the letters complained of
his not having written to his wife so frequently as he was
expected to do. Herbert had been in Melbourne following
the business of a bootmaker. At the house where the
deceased had lived she handed the landlady a bottle of
laudanum and made a statement, but perhaps it would be
as well to have them from the landlady herself. On the
Saturday he went to live at No. 133, Walmer-road, where the
papers produced had been found. On the Sunday previous
the deceased went to Herbert's lodgings, and was taken
ill; but lie had inquired of the doctor who attended her at the
time, who said there was nothing in that.
Sarah De 800 said, on the 16th of August Herbert and Mrs.
Messenger came to look at her lodgings, and it was arranged
that Herbert should live up stairs and Mrs. Messenger should
sleep in her room. About a week before they left, Mrs.
Messenger found a bottle of laudanum in Herbert's pocket,
and Mrs. Messenger then smashed the bottle, saying, " Ah,
he meant that for me." When Herbert came home she told
him what she had done, and he was very angry. He after-
wards got another bottle of laudanum, which was left in the
house.

John Allcock said he was walking in Finsbury Park at the
time, and he heard a report of a pistol, and saw a woman
trying to get away from a man. lie heard a second and a
third shot, and then the woman fell down. The man then
shot himself. Herbert had then dropped the revolver, and
Witness took it up. Herbert took hold of his collar, and he
took hold of his. Bradley took the revolver out of his hand}
He then looked to the woman and unfastened her shawl, and
found her clothes burning. This he tried to extinguish.

Mr. Cochrain, the mtrnager of the Finsbury Park, gave evi-
dence as‘to taking the deceased tp the Royal Free Mospital,
but she died as they'were passing along the Isledon-road.

-
The Coroner pointed out that it was a clear case of wilful
murder. .

One of the jury asked if they might have evidence as to
the state of the man's mind.

Dr. Hardwick said that they might adjourn for that purpose,
but he did not think it of any great iruportanoe.

- _
The jury then returned a verdict of Wilful Murder against
William lierloert.