The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1874-09-05 00:00:00

THE DREADFUL TRAGEDY AT
CAMBERWELL.

On Saturday a coroner's jury returned a verdict of
"Wilful Murder" against John Walter Coppen, in
respect to the death of his wife which occurred under
the following circumstances:—
On Thursday morning in last week, just before ten
o'clock, Coppen went to a neighbouring butcher's shop,
and saying that he had broken his knife, a knife used
by butchers to cut up meat, which proved to be a fact,
asked to borrow one. A knife was given to him, and
he asked to have it sharpened. It was sharpened ac-
cordingly, and he returned to his house. What
occurred afterwards is briefly told. He employed him-
self in cutting up meat with which to form the beef-
steak puddings sold at coffee and eating houses to the
artisan classes, and while at this work his wife and he
had what is termed "a few words." The upshot of
the few words was that she said she would go out, and
went upstairs and put on her outdoor dress. He must
have heard her come down the stairs, for he went to
meet her at the foot, when the ill words were renewed,
and he, armed with the sharp butcher's knife, stabbed
her under the left breast.
Cries of alarm were raised, and it would seem that
the man was as much frightened at the deed as any one
else, for he made no attempt at escape, and remained
with his wounded wife, giving her brandy and trying
to staunch the blood. Dr. Finder, the medical officer
of the district, attended, and saw at once that the
wound was fatal; but the unhappy man stood by the
woman he had killed until she breathed her last, which
was about half an hour after the fatal blow. On the
death of the poor woman, Sergeant Pearman, who had
been called, took the man into custody, and Coppen
made no demur, hut when taken to the police cells he
strongly objected to the preliminary searching, but he
ultimately gave in.
The evidence at the inquest, which was held on
Saturday at the " Artichoke " Tavern, Camberwell,
before Mr. Carter, the Surrey coroner, disclosed the
full particulars of the dreadful occurence. The pri-
soner and the murdered woman had been married for
several years and had been in the publican trade to-
gether at Reading, and the man is 31 years of age,
while the woman was '29.
The Brat witness called was the servant girl, Charlotte
Berry, whose evidence was that she had lived in the service
of the Coppens, who kept the eoffeehouse, the Clarendon, in
Church-street, Camberwell, for a month. Brought to the
time of what was spoken of as "the occurrence," the girl
stated that on Thursday morning last, about ten o'clock,
the prisoner, his sister, who lived with them, and herself
were all in the kitchen, which is immediately in the rear
of the shop, the witness making puddings, and the prisoner
cutting up the steak. While they were thus engaged
witness heard Mrs. Coppen come down the stairs, dressed
as if to go out, and these stairs led into the kitchen,
through which a person had to go when passing out
Into the shop, and so to the street. While Mrs. Coppin
was coming down the stairs Mr. Coppen went toward,
her, and immediately afterwards Mrs. Coppen ex-
claimed, "I'm stabbed ! I'm stabbed " and can through
the kitchen into the yard at the back. Witness fol-
lowed her mistress, and seeing blood corning through the
dress, unfastened it, and the poor woman then ran up-
stairs to the front room on the first floor, used as a par-
lour, followed there ty her sister-hi-law, Miss Copper], and
witness. In sheaf. time Dr. Finder came. At the time
Mrs Coppen first called out "I'm stabbed at the bottom
of the stairs nothing, that witne,is heard, had passed be-
tween the prisoner sad Mn, Coppeu. When lie went towards
her he did not say anything, and alter she called out and
ran into the yard Mr. Coppeu walked into the shop.
Before Mrs. Coppen came downstairs Mr. Coppen had been
engaged in cutting up meat for the puddings, and he broke
his knife while chopping up Issues to make gravy Ile then
touts a common bread knife to go on with the work, but
this would not do, and he went out for a short time. She
did not notice that ha had another knife when he returned,
but he went on cutting up the meat until Mrs. Coppen
came down stairs. Witness said she had never heard, all
the time she had been in the service of the Coppens, any
threat held out by the husband against the wife. On the
morning of Thursday Mrs. Coppen, before she went upstairs
to dress to go out, wanted to do the puddings," but her
husband said he could do without her assistance and refused
; to let her help him.
The sister of the prisoner, Emily Caroline Coppen, a very
young woman, was then called, and stated in answer to gees-
tious that she lived with her brother and his deceased wife
' for about five weeks. On the morning of Thursday her
bother had been outand in, and he was decidedly " in drink"
• before ten o'clock Iler narration of the circumstances attend-
ing the crime ran as follows was in the kitchen with the
. hist witness and my brother, and I was mixing a cup of cocoa
for a customer in the shop, when my sister-in-law ran to me
and said, " I am stabbed ' Cm dying !" She then ran into
; the back yard, and I ran into the shop and asked the customer
to fetch a iliktor My sister-in-law came back and ran upstairs,
and I ran after her. she laid herself on the sofa. I saw
; that she is as bleeding from a wound in the left side, nuder
' the left bosom, and blood was then flowing from it. It
appeared to be a large wound, but the blood did not seem to
come fest. The deceased still kept saying, "I'm stabbed !
I'm dying ! lord have mercy on my soul !" At the time
when the deceased first called out I did not see in brother
do anything, for my back was towards him. I did not hear
any other words than those uttered by herself. I after-
wards saw my brother in her presence. She spoke first,
for looking up and seeing idin there she said "I'm sorry
It's you. I hope you'll not be punished." He was
then giving her brandy. Dr. Finder Was there at the same
time. In my presence my brother did not say anything—
nothing that I heard When the deceased came down
stairs she had a bonnet and silk Jacket on. Previously she
had said she would go out, and that she told my brother. I
: was not aware that words passed between them that morn-
ing All I heard her say was "I shall go,” and that was
said to him. I never heard him threaten to take her life.
My sister-in-law prayed fervently to the Almighty to take
her soul, and when asked by the police-sergeant if she had
any statement to make she said, " I aggravated Walter to do
, it The young woman was pressed to say if she had not
heard more said, but she said she could not remember more.
The Coroner said he would spare the poor woman's feelings
as much as possihit., and he asked her it her brother was at
all given to drink, and she said that he had been "on the
• drink "for the two days previous to the death of his wife,
and that the deceased woman would not sleep with him on
the Wednesday night in consequence.
A working man named Peacock stated that on Thursday
; morning, about ten o'clock, he went into the Clarendon
Coffeehouse to have a cup of cocoa and to look at the papers.
' The was Cowin and the two young women were in the
kitchen, and his bilOrt time witness heard a Wolhall scream
. and cry out, "I'm stabbed !" and the trisoner coppen came
into the shop and said. "I've done something for you now,"
' holding in his hand a loag-biaded butcher!. Pate. Wltneea
I want for Pr linler, and when he returned the prisoner we.