The Express.
London, England, 1851-12-03 00:00:00

THE TOLLESBURY MURDER.

Yesterday, the coroner's inquest on the body of
the murdered woman, Mrs. Cobb, was resumed at the
Queen's Head, Tollesbury, having, it will be remembered,
stood adjourned till that day. The excitement in the
village had in no degree diminished in the interval. There
was a tremendous rush for places in the room where the
inquiry was conducted, and all the available space in the
inn was occupied throughout the day. In fact, all ordi-
nary business in the village appeared to he suspended. The
prisoner Harrington was placed at one end of the table,
under the guard of two policemen. Ills demeanour during
the earlier part of the day was remarkably calm, though be
did not look unconcerned. Though twenty years of age,
he is quite a lad in appearance. Ile is of thick sturdy
build, rather short in stature, of dark complexion, and of a
resolute or dogged east of countenance. He wore a black
frock coat, not in very good condition. He was ably de-
fended by Mr. Church, a solicitor at Islildon.
The first witness called was the prisoner's sister, with
whom he lodged.
Wash, examined by the coroner—On the morning
of the murder, the 25th ult., my husband got up a little be-
fore 6 o'clock, and left almost immediately to go to his
work. Coates and his son, our lodgers, went away, I be-
lieve, at the same time. I got up about 6 o'clock. The
clock was striking whilst I was dressing, and I came down-
stairs about half-past six. I did not go upstairs again till
between 10 and 11 • nor did I leave the house. My bro-
ther left the bona just as I was sonnag down stain. I
heard Inn shit tho iir. I did net see kim afterwards
that day, bat I saw bias before he went down stairs. He
had on a dark plaid coat [this sea. produced], and dark
trowsers [also produced]. He had worn these hawsers
some days before the murder. I did nut observe spots of
' any sort on his trowsers. There ware three other pairs of
trowsen belonging to him. One was a pair of dark tweed ;
another was a pair of dark fustian, which hail got rather
light by washing ; the other I believe to have been fustian.
i He wore them all occasionally. I never observed any spots
of any kind upon anrof them. lam quite sure my
bro-
ther, the prisoner, never came into the house that morning
after he left. 1 did not leave the down-stairs room before 8
o'clock, and he could not have come into the house without my
. seeing him. The window of that room was fastened that
morning; it bad not been opened lately to my knowledge. I
- did not observe my husband's razor on the window-sill when
I came down stairs. The last time I recollect seeing it was
on the Sunday before the murder, and my husband was
then shaving with it. I don't at all know what money he
, bad about him when he left. Mrs. Orrin came to my house
t on the morning of the murder about eight o'clock. That
r was before I heard the child scream.
_ _

Croas•examined by Mr. Church.—My brother, the pri-
soner, helped to kill a pig about a month or five weeks be-
fore the murder, and he brought home part of a pig in a
cloth, which had been killed a few days before. The cloth
was bloody. I washed it. The three pairs of trowsers
which he had besides those he wore were found in the house
after the murder. Ile had three other coats besides the ono

he wore—two were Tweed, and the other was au old black
one. These three coats were found in my house after the
murder. I did not observe how he was dressed on the
morning he brought part of the pig home. On Saturday
last I found in my drawer down stairs a white handker-
chief dotted with pink. It belonged to my brother, the
prisoner. Yesterday (Monday) I placed it on the table be-
fore the superintendent of police. Some other person wit=
prosent, but I don't know who it was. As soon as they
left the house I missed the handkerchief, and I hays nut
seen it since.
Two handkerchiefs were then produced, one of which was
stated to have been found in a field near Saleot, while the
other was that which the witness deposed to having found
in her drawer last Saturday. They had • general resem-
blance, except that the one was dirty and marked appa-
rently with blood, and the other clean, as though recently
washed. The pattern of the two was exactly the same : a
white ground, with pink dots, and a pink border about an
inch wide ; but the one alleged to have been found in the
drawer was much mole faded than the other • unlike the
other, it had nearly lost the original outline Of pattern.
In reply to repeated questions from the coroner, the wit-
ness said positively that the handkerchief marked with blood
was not her brother's ; but on being pressed to state how
she knew this, she admitted that she could not have

sworn that it was not his had she not found another like
it in the drawer. He had only one handkerchief of that
pattern.
George Archer, a policeman, examined by the coroner—
Yesterday, about 1 o'clock, I went with Superintendent
Cook to the house of John Wash, where the prisoner
lodged. Mr. Cook asked Mrs. Wash how many handker-
chiefs her brother, the prisoner, had ? She said two, one a
blue one ' • that Mr. Cook had taken two blue ones away,
one of which belonged to her husband. She added that
sho had found the old pink one belonging to Henry
in his drawer. She then opened a drawer and
showed us the handkerchief now produced, which
is similar in size and pattern to the one with blood
on it. It was clean, and looked as though it had
been recently washed and ironed. It was more faded than
the one with blood on it. Before going to the house I had
not beard anything about the finding of a handkerchief.
Mrs. Wash said nothing more about the handkerchief I
have mentioned. I took charge of it.
The Coroner (to Mrs. Wash)—Do you know where your
brother bought this handkerchief ?
Mrs. Wash—No; he had it when he came to lodge with
me, which was about last Christmas.
George Archer cross-examined by Mr. Church—Mrs.
Wash produced the handkerchief immediately after being
questioned. Since yesterday morning I have not men-
taoned it to any one. When given to me it was dry. I
cannot say from its appearance how long it had been
folded up.
By a Juryman.—There were other clean things in the
drawer.
The Coroner (to Mrs. Wash.)—Why, did you not say,
when the handkerchief was produced, that the dots on your
brother's handkerchief were scarcely perceptible ?
The witness.—Well, the soda has washed out the dots of
his handkerchief.
. .

The two handkerchiefs were here measured ; their sire is
exactly the lame.
Mr. Dawson (the surgeon examined on the previou day),
recalled and examined by the coroner.—On Thursday I ex-
amined the head of the deceased, by dissection, being as-
sisted by Mr. Smith end Mr. Tomlinson. The skin and the
muscles over the fracture were in such a condition that I
think the blow must have been given previous to death.
The upper portion of the temporal bone, which is
a very thin and brittle bone, was broken into
ten or twelve fragments ; not having connected them
I cannot state the exact number. I refer now to that part
of the skull to which the hammer fitted. The blow on the
temple was not sufficient to cause immediate death. I have
some doubts—more than I had—as to the hammer being
the instrument which was used. I think a blow from a
heavy hammer would have forced the bones into the brain.
It is possible that the hammer may have done it.
The witness here produced a human skull, which he used
to explain the nature and probable effect of a blow from
tit basasmor. The hammer is an instrument about a foot
toad, dadrobaprd at the head, and entirely of iron.
`.alit end a hedge stake, afterwards alleged to have
bora hurl by the police, were here placed on the table.
Th. Amor was a riouty-looking tool, but not otherwise
warthy *limitation ; while the latter, the hedge stake, was
about a yard long, an inch thick, nearly covered with bark,
sad sengistoly broken about the centre, as if from a violent
eartasem.
inetelination continued—The wounds at the back did not
barer the skin. I doubt whether the hedge stake
would 'save produced the marks on tho bead
' Had Int be weed, I think the wound would have been

laalettiuseh said If these articles were to be used agaiast
the primer, they must be made the subject of regular evi-
duce.
Mr. Dawson's examination continued—lf the hammer
was used them must have been repeated blows with it.
The extremity of the yoke of the temporal bone was
broken. It ispossible that the hedge stake produced may
have made such a wooed, but with ex light an instrument
the Um most have been given with great force. I have
so rum is alter my previously expressed opinion, that
the ward in the dwelt was iodicted with a Tarot. Several
move awaubsa bays bessaw apparent as the body ha. de-
-1 believe • sharp instrument was used with a
amm edge. I think it possible for a party ia.
Madmen& a wetted with a razor to have made it without
having Ms shirt or shirt-sleeves stained with blood; this,
however, is sot probable. There was no rupture of the
inandensent of the brain.
Crosionendesdi by Mr. Church—lt is my opinion that
the lime es the heed rendered the deceased insensible; if
so ether worm had been given she might possibly have
lived SIM hence. er seen days. It is a delicate thing to
say stsit bedewwwat prodesed death. If the hammer was
aced OMNI fan haw boon ••••••1 blows. My impression
is Mbar dist dm beams. was sot used ; lem disposed to
think Ilse the ketemment said was ad so hoary. It is
pasepls Ilse themellot geodased was the indewneent used ;
this smirk wields* to the bedgestelso. Had the cue
keens ewe of sahib I shed" have popped a razor to have
Ism said. If then wee a dews* the neurdarer mast hay
ran a doh of editing Marra
Mr. AMY= Smith, eneridesii—l assisted Mr. Dawson
in easseinieg dee sited. end I s with hint with regard
to it. On the afternoon of the Eet ay hat at
I again examined the mend in throat of the deceased.
I see no scree to dew the egad= I lint pre, that it was
sot Misted with ea lastrunesat so sharp as a ruse. The
jigs whisk I Ind sheens" about the wooed were on the
skis, sad sot lathe &ob. I asesider it possible that the
wound was hellotot with • razor. The jags may
lore boa oelleilded by the party holding the
valor sot being aide is keep it steady. The laser
garde* at the wood was • little uneven, bat the
ward might dal have bees inflicted with • neer. The
_unman sdilhe he,. bias occasioned by the unsteadisan
di*aNti the Meletehewt was bald. -I agree with Mr.