The Express.
London, England, 1864-07-26 00:00:00

SHOCKING MURDER AND RUICIDZ.

Yesterday, a shocking murder was discovered to
have been committed in flanith•strest, fiornere.town. Upon
the police proceeding to No. 15 in that greet., they found in
areal cellar in a back kitchen the body of a woman in an
advanced state of putrefaction. For some years past the mur-
dered woman, whom proper name is Rosins Bishop, has
been cohabiting with a man of the name of James Brown, a
carpenter, about 50 years of age, the demised Laing on!,
about 35. They lived together in the above Ito re as man
and wife, sod occupied the two parlours and the b•CIL
kitchen, the front kitchen and the first floor being let off to
lodgers. lo addition to being known as frequently giving
way to drink, they quarrelled, and the man has fre.
(meetly ill-used the woman, so much so that the
neighbours end lodgers have for a long while de.
Blind to interfere between them. On Tuesday
morning last both parties were seen about together, and
they were then apparently on the best of terms. A
short time afterwards they were heard qoarrellieg in the
beck kitchen, and the doomed woman was heard to scream
as if in great agony, and then a heavy fall was heard. The
man Brown was sees about the house ea usual that day, and
on the following he reported that he and his old woman had
bad arow, sad that she had left him. No notice was taken
of We, nor of the fort that the man did not return. as he
had given out that he bad got work at the docks, and be hail
before been known not to return till the Saturday
night, Oa the Saturday night be returned as usual,
and appeared as if nothing had happened. His sot, a youth,
called tome him, and they, it is stated, had supper together,
and then slept in the same lad. At the usual Lour on
Sunday morning both got up, and as it was supposed that
the murdered woman did not intend to return, the man
Brown was invited to take dinner with his lodger in the tr,t
floor, and he did so. Before dinner he was asked why be
did not return on the days he had been absent, and he at
once replied that he did not like to do so, as he thought he
would give the woman an opportunity of returning, and he
WIG surprised that she had not done so. He ate a hearty
dinner, and late on Sunday night retired, an it was
thought, to bed, he at the time being u cheerful as he
timidly was.
Yesterday mornirg an old woman who occupies the front
kitchea took notice of a very unpleasant smell that per-
vaded the whole of the house, which apparently had its
origin in the beck kitchen. About 12 o'clock a Lein door
neighbour came in, and in speaking about the smell oar of
them remarked that it was strange that nothing hail been
seen of the deceased woman since the day of the screams
and the heavy fall, and the neighbour ventured an opinion
that the deceased had been murdered, and that the bad
smell arose from the fact that the body was buried in the
house. She tried the back kitchen door, and boding
that she could not get admission there she
and the lodger went into the yard, and looked into
the room. Everything was to all appearance
in proper order, but the woman's suspicions being aroused,
she determined on entering the room, and said if the body
was anywhere it was in the coal cellar under the stain, as
there was one in her home like the one there. The window
was forced, and one of the women entered, and from her
exclawatioa the other followed, and they were horrified to
find, on opening the cellar door, the body of the deceased
wows°. The police were at once sent tor, and Inspector
Gibson, of the S divisioe and Police-eoristable Woodrow,
165 8, immediately attended. On entering the back
kitchen the coestable found in the coal cellar the
body of the murdered woman. She had been violently
pushed is, sad as there was hardly length enough,
her shoulders and head were partly resting against
the wall. Dr. Jackson, of Brewer.etreet, Somers-town was
sent for. A horrible sight. then presented itself. The face
of the woman was black, and the whole body was much
deootoposed. On the side of the bead was a hectare so
large that a man could place his fist in it. A further exami-
nation wade by Dr. ffutherin, of Fit. Pancras.road, in con.
junction with Dr. Jackson, showed other bruises about the
heed, arms, and body. Os theists were six large bruises,
and their appearance demoted that they had been inflicted
shortly before death. Impeder Gibson having obtained the
particulars mix•eary proceeded to search the place, and
findieg both parlour doonsbutand lacked, proceeded to break
open the door of the front parlour. On entering he wee
surprised to find the body of the man hanging ekes
to the folding doors. It was close to the ground, with
his heed leaning on one aide, and round his neck was a
common clothes hoe. He was in a sitting position, and
appeared to have expired without a struggle. The in-
spector immediately cut him down, and the
doctors pronounced that from all appearances he
had been dead for many hours. To make a fastening for
the rope the man had tied a piece of stick to the cord, and
Winn placed the cad over the top portico of the door
had shut it closely too. The appearances denote that it mad
bavebeen a most determined act of suicide, as the murderer,
although only a few inches from the ground, had to hang
his head on one side to render the rope taut. The deceased
women is described as having been of very prepossessing ap.
pomace, and of the most cleanly habits, as her garments
and the appearance of the house denote. It is stated that
she was • married women, that her husband is alive, awl re-
sides and works at Birmingham, and that she bag had no
children. The murderer Is ales said to be married, and to
have • wife and family now liviag.