The Express.
London, England, 1867-07-25 00:00:00

A YOUNG WOMAN FOUND WITH HER THROAT

CUT.

A shocking and, at present, a very mysterious
occurrence has taken place at Limehouse, and the circum-
stances surrounding it are of • very strange character.
It appears that at 5 o'clock yesterday morning, a young
man, named William Deeny, ran out of • small house,
called Temperancecottage, North-street, Limehouse,
and called a policeman(Bannister 138%) and told him that
• young woman had tried to cut • young man's throat. The
police-constable at once entered the house and found John
Wiggins, lighterman, bleeding from the neck and he
held out his thumb and showed a wound upon it which
bled a great deaL He said that • young woman had
done it, and upon the policeman asking where she was
that he was told upstairs in the front room. Upon enter-
ing that room, the policeman found it " looking like •
slaughter-house," for the floor was deluged with blood.
In a corner of the room he found the dead body of a young
woman, and from the look of the place there
appeared to have been a struggle. The blood was
splashed about. On the table he saw a brown-handled
table-knife, the blade of which appeared to have been
steeped in blood. Dr. Home, of High-street, Stepney,
the divisional surgeon, was at once sent for, and he made
an examination of a wound which was on the woman. He
bee reserved his opinion as to whether the
wound was self-inflicted or not, but upon
that subject it would not be fair to say more
at present. The police et onoe made the
most searching inquiries, and they ascertained that the
young woman's name was Agnes Floakes, aged 22 years,
and that she had for some time past cohabited with John
Wiggins. Thedectased and Wiggins have lived in Temperance
Cottage, with Wiggins's father and mother. Forabout a week
past he and she have quarrelled very much, at least so
the neighbours state, and Wiggins mays that there had been
• few words between them. The quarrelling at last be-
' came so distasteful to both parties that it had been re-
solved to separate yeeterday, and the deceased was to
leave Wiggins's house. It is not at present known
whether it was the deceased or Wiggins that objected to
the separation. The father and mother of Wiggins were
asked if they had heard any noise of screaming or scuf-
fling, and they replied in the negative. The neighbours
also state that they did not hear any noise.
Wiggins has made a statement and be says that on
Tuesday night he and the deceased went to sleep
in the same room. As they had had • few
words he would not sleep with her but lay
down on a rug in front of the fire place. While he was
dozing be saw the deceased get off the bed and walk to-
wards him, and leaning over him she suddenly seized him
by the left hand. He then perceived that she was hold-
ing a knife across his throat, and before be could
do anything she gave him two gashes. He put up
his band to save himself, and his thumb was
cut. He managed to throw her off him, and he screamed
to his father and mother. While he was running out of
the room the deceased fell on the floor, and he saw her cut
her throat. After she bad inflicted a gash she took the
point of the knife and tamed it round in the wound.
That was the last he saw of her.
When the police-constable found her she was lying with
her head under a chair.
Dr. Horne ordered Wiggins to be placed in • cab, and
taken to the London Hospital. The house surgeon there
stated that his wounds were not very serious.
The excitement in the neighbourhood is very great, and
there are various 111/1:1011111100St about the occurrence.