The Express.
London, England, 1863-10-07 00:00:00

DREADPUL'DEATH OF d WIFE.

BURY ST. EDMUNDS, TUESDAY.

A shocking occurrence has just taken place at
this town. Mr. J. A. flooteher, a guilmaker, has resided in
the meat market for the lad five or six ears, and is stated to
have lived with his wife on the most affeetioeste terms. The
smooth COUTIO of their life was, however, diaturbed about
three week@ sloe., when Mrs. Sootcher had or fancied she
had reasons for entertaining suspicious reacting her bus-
baud, and accused him of inconstancy. The charge seems
to have been felt by him acutely, so much so that he was
only prevented from shooting himself about a fortnight since
by the arrival at the critical moment of him brother. On
I Saturday Mr. and Mrs. &etcher passed the day aa usual,
nobody in the home observing anything like a quarrel, and
about five o'clock they were heard conversing and laughing
with an elderly man named Lockwood. At about twenty
minutes past five o'clock one of the workmen, named Shaw,
heard the capon of a pistol while he was in the back shop,
but he was not at all alarmed, as it was a very common on.
curronce for gentlemen about purchasing pistols to try them
in the shop. He had occasion, however, to go into the
shop to ask Mr. Sootcher a question, and directly he did so
he heard his master come from the parlour into the passage
which separated the parlour from the shop, and es/1 the
servant and the apprentice, while he was himself told to
" Run for Dr. Cooper directly." He went into the back shop,
and sent the boy for Dr. Cooper, and when he returned to
the front he saw the servant girl and another woman in
the act of preventing Mr. Suotcher from going into the shop.
Shaw afterwards went into the parlour, where Mn.
Scotcher was lying on the door, and Mr. Scotcher explained
to him how it had happened. He maid she had seemed him
again—that he could stand it no longer—and that he bad
taken up a pistol off the counter with the intention of
shooting himself. He then showed how he was holding !
the pistol, vix, in his right hand raised above him, at
arn.'s length, with the muule pointing towards his breast,
and added that his wife ran after him to save
him from shooting himself, and in the struggle it
went off. The weapon is a revolver of modern con-
struction, and having neither guard nor trigger it
explodes so readily that drawing it through the band is
sufficient to make it fire. Mr. Sooteher helped Shaw and
one of the women to carry the senseless body of his wife
upstairs and place it upon a bed, and then finding that Dr.
Cooper wasfrom home, went himself for Mr. Smith, • our-
goon, living near, who attended directly, and to whom he
gave the name version of the affair. On his arrival Mr.
Smith foaled Mrs. Scotch., just alive, but die expired in 'a
few moments afterwards. Mr. Sootcher was in • most ex-
cited state, so much so that it was deemed advisable to keep
two men with him lest he should carry out his original in-
tention. He remained all night in great agitation. and fre-
quently gave vent to expressions of affection for his
wife. An inquest was opened yesterday afternoon before
Mr. James Sparks, coroner for the borough, when Mr.
Smith detailed the result of the post-mortem examination,
which proved that the bullet bad entered the right aide of
the head of the deceased just above the temple, and pared
obliquely through the brain, and lodged on the opposite
aide below the ear. There was also upon her band a mark
aimed by the expladan of • gun-cap, which pro,. that at
the time the pistol went off she bed her head near the
asp. The jury wished to have an portunity of bearing
from Mr. Scotcher himself some as to the case
et the quarrel between himself his wile, and the inquiry
was adjourned. To-day be was committed for trial ea a
charge of manslaughter, bail being accepted.