The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1874-04-11 00:00:00

SHOCKING TRAGEDY IN LONDON.

A sad case of homicidal mania in a woman occurred
on Saturday morning at Hoxton, resulting in the
murder of her daughter, a little girl, the wounding of
her husband, and an attempt of the murderess to
commit suicide. The woman's name is Newman. She
is forty two years of age, the wife of a respectable
shoemaker, carrying on business at 43, Brunswick.
place, and the mother of a large family. Her mind
appears to have become affected by grief at the loss
of her children, of whom the fifth, an infant, died
about a year shire. Her condition appears to
have been known to the medical man who has
been in the habit of attending her, but he did not think
it a case calling for physical restraint. So lately as
Good Friday evening there was nothing unusual in the
woman's manner, and after a walk with her husband
the pair partook of supper and retired to bed. About
eight o'clock on Saturday morning she rose, according
to custom, and went down to the ground floor to light
a lire and prepare breakfast for the family. Her son,
a boy of eleven, hail risen, and was taking down the
shutters of the shop, when his mother reproached him
for not having done so before, and threatened to mur-
der him. Her wildness of manner excited the boy's
apprehension, and when she shortly afterrushed through
the shop at him with a carving knife in her hand, and
her intention plainly indicated in her distorted
features, he fled for his life. She did not pursue him
far, but rushed upstairs to a room occupied by her
brother, whom, with menacing gestures, she theeatened
to murder. A brief struggle ensued between them;
but her strength wns so great that he was unable to
secure her, and breaking away, she ran into another
room, where two of her daughters had been sleeping.
The elder girl had risen and gone downstairs, an act
which no doubt saved her life; but a younger child,
Jane, four and a half years of age, was left still asleep.
The unhappy woman immediately cut the poor; little
creature's throat, almost severing the head from the
body. Going again downstairs she was followed by
her -husband, who had become alarmed by the nois
of the struggle between the woman and her brother,
and by her frantic rushing about, Directly the mur-
deress saw her husband she flew at him, wounding him
in the arm. Only then realising his wife's condition
he closed with her, and tried to obtain possession of
the knife. A struggle ensued ; but he found him-
self 'mane to cope with the unhappy woman,
who, after inflicting several other wounds on his hands
and arms, broke away, and, her paroxysm taking a
fresh direction, she cut her own throat, and fall
to the ground insensible. The cries of "Murder"
while this horrible scene was being enacted reached
the ears of Police-constable Perritt, who was on
duty near, and he ran to the house, but too late to
prevent mischief. He at once sent for Inspector
Ramsay, wino, seeing the condition of the wretched
woman, sent her off at once to St. Bartho-
lomew's HospitaL She has hitherto borne the
character of a kind and affectionate mother; but out
of a family of eight children, she lost five within a com-
paratively brief period, and her grief is known to have
affected her mind, though no one of her friends ever
anticipated it would show itself iii so terrible a fonn.
On her arrival at St. Bartholomew's Hospital she
was in a very excited state, and it was found necessary
to place her under restraint. Mr. Jepson, the house
surgeon has stated that the wounds inflicted on herself
were merely superficial, none of the important arteries
having been severed ; and although in a very despond-
ing state it was thought that two or three days' quiet.
nese might lead to a great improvement.

An inquest was held on Tuesday iipon the body of
the unfortunate little girL The jury, after a few
minutes' deliberation, returned a verdict of wilful
murder, and a warrant was made out for Mm.
Newman's committal to Newgate. She remains in
Bartholoniew's Hospital, and is progreaeing favourably,
though still requiring care and watching.

EASTER GIFTS TO THE POPE—The West-
minster Gazette Bays: "Shortly after Easter a deputa-
tion will proceed to Home to present to the Holy
Father the bourse containing the offerings of the girls
of Great Britain and Ireland. The offerings, amount-
ing to about £3,000, are regarded with especial faitour
by the Holy Father, as a tribute of fealty and affec-
tion on the part of the most innocent and feeble of his
children, at a time when he is forsaken by so many of
the mightv,i.nes of the earth. His Holiness comment-
ing recently on such exhibitions of Catholic faith on the
part of the young, is reported to have said, 'that to
the Catholic youth belongs the future of Europe.'"