The Express.
London, England, 1867-09-03 00:00:00

HORRIBLE MIIRDF.R OF A WOMAN BY A

FRENCHMAN.

This morning, aliortl;aft---er 6 o'clock, a frightful
tragedy took place on the south side of the river,
From inquiries made it appears that for some
time past • man named Louis Bordier, aged '4,
a native of France, and by trade a currier, has resided at
No. 3, Millatead-terrace, Church-street, Old Kent-road,
The house, which is one of six rooms, was rented by
Mrs. Caroline Snow, and let out by her in apartments,
The front and back parlours were occupied by Louis Bee.
dier and a young female named Emma Snow
(the niece of the landlady), who had for sone
years cohabited with him, and by whom she had three
children. It does not seem that any ill-feeling had existed,
and the man appears to have attended well to work. After
supper Bordier and the young woman and children retired
to rest shortly before 10 o'clock, and this morning
there was nothing unusual in the conduct of the man,
About 6 o'clock she was awakened by feeling a hand grasp
hertightly by the bead, and on looking up she saw Bordier
with • knife in his right hand. He pulled back her heed
and drew the knife across her throat, from which the blood
spirted out. She struggled with him, and managed to get
out of the room into the passage. She then put her
hands up to her throat, which she tightly grasped. She
then made her way up some twenty stairs to the reels
occupied by Mrs. Snow. She awoke Mrs. Snow,
who, seeing blood oozing through her fingers,
asked her what was the matter. She replied,
" Oh, see what Bordier has done." She then approached
the bed, and drawing down the clothes, got into bed with
her aunt. The latter then perceived that her niece's
throat was cut in a dreadful manner. Mrs. Snow at
once got up and gave an alarm, and messengers
were sent off to medical gentlemen and to the police-eta
tion. Police-constable 138 P was the first to enter the
house, and shortly after was followed by Sergeant Turner,
35 P. They proceeded upstairs, in company with Dr.
Simpson, of 759, Old Kent-road, who had come in. Is
the bed wherein the aunt had slept Emma Snow was lying
with a frightful gash in her throat. Dr. Simpson, on
making an examination, found life to be quite extinct.
Bordier afterwards came upstairs, and in answer to Mrs.
Snow, who said, " Oh, what did you do this for!" he
replied, " I have done it. I could not help it,
for I could not part from her." The police then
made a search, and on going into the front
parlour where Bordier and the unfortunate woman
had slept, they found on the floor covered si:th
blood, • large, sharp knife, such as would be used by a
currier in his trade. The bedclothes were stained with
blood, marks of which were about the floor, along the
passage, and upstairs to the aunt's room, where deceased
had managed to get after the injury had been inflicted.
Some letters, written in French, were found, but
at present it is not known whether their con.
tents at all relate so the dreadful deed. It
seems, further, that although the man and his victim had
been on very good terms for a long time, yet, owing le
some quarrel between them, she had threatened to leave
him, and went so far as to say she would leave him in •
week.

From the statement made by one of the children, • girl
►bout 10 years of age, it seems that Bordier, after having
cut the woman's throat, passed into the back parlour.
He stooped down on the bed, where the child
was lying, and, seizing her by the throat pushed her
head back and looked her full in the face. After remain.
ing in this positicn a few moments he suddenly threw her
back, and said " Lay down again." At that time he held
one hand behind him, from which she noticed the handle
of a knife. He did not touch her or say another word,
but left the room. No doubt prisoner intended to destroy
the child, but at the moment of doing so relented.
On being questioned by the police the man, who did not
at first seem distressed in mind, or to feel the dreadful
position in which be was placed, said, " Yes—l did it, sad
the knife is the one you have got that I did it with." He
then begged to be taken to see the woman before they took
him away. This was done, and on the way up
stain prisoner said he hoped she would not live. The
prisoner, In the custody of the police, was then removed
to Peckham station, and thence to Lambeth police•couß
During the morning there was a large crowd gathered in
front of the house.

After the disposal of the night charges at Lam-
beth Police-court, the prisoner was brought before
Mr. Partridge, charged with the wilful murder of
Emma Snow. Caroline Snow, the aunt, who was the
first witness, deposed to deceased coming to her bed-
room about ix this morning with her throat cut, and
saying, " Look what Bordier has done."
The other witnesses examined were Celestine Bordier,
daughter of the deceased, aged 11 ; Police-constable
Barrett, who went to the house with the doctor,
Mr. George Simpson ; and the latter, who described the
nature of the wound, and said that when he asked
Bordier why he did the deed, be replied, "It was
necessary I should do it." Witncu asked " Why?" and
the prisoner replied, " I shall keep it to myself." The
witness added that the murderer was not excited, and
appeared quite sober, and that he took tobacco out of his
pocket and filled his pipe. The prisoner afterwards
said he had meant to do it for a fortnight and to kill
himself and his children. He also added, " The blood
from my wife's throat prevented me getting my own
throat with a knife ; besides, I found it rathur hard to cut
her throat.'

A letter was found in the prisoner's pocket addressed to
his brother in France, declaring his intention to commit
the murder.

The prisoner made no answer to the charge, and was re•
moved for the completion of the depositions.

SUICIDE AT BETHLEREII ARTLllll.—Lastevening
Mr.W..T. Payne, the deputy-coroner, held an inquiry as
Bethlehem Hospital respecting the suicide of Miss Mary
Anne Cornwall. The deceased was a member of a respect-
able family living at Brighton. She had latterly been sub-
ject to a religious mania, which terminated in • desire to
commit suicide. She alarmed her family by attempting
upon several occasions to leap from heights, and they
called in two medical gentlemen, who signed a certifi-
cate, and she was on the Ist of June removed to
Bethlehem Asylum. Dr. Henry Low Ken.pthorn, medical
attendant at the asylum, said the deceased had tried
to commit suicide while in that institution. She had said,
" If you don't kill me or give me arsenic 111 do away with
myself." The attendants, therefore, had special orders to
watch her. On Thursday he was called to her after the had
set herself on fire. She was burnt and charred all down
the right side of the body. As the sparks were dying
from her burning dress she said, " Let me die ; the 1.
pain of my body is nothing to the pain of my mind.'
She showed signs of suicidal tendency just as strong as
ever. She died on Friday from shock from burns and
mania. She wished to die, and that accelerated her
death. Emily Cousins, nurse of No. 4 ward, said the d •
ceased had once tried to leap from one of the galleries at
the asylum. She was always wishing to commit suicide. Os
Thursday she had to leave her in the care of other patients
for 11 minute., and she suddenly heard an alarm and saw
the deceased enveloped in flames. The witness threw her-
self upon her and tried to extinguish them. She asked
her hew she did it, and she said, "By lucifers. I got they
from the attendant's room, and set fire to my skirt. I hart
waited for opportunities, and that was the first one I hare
had." The attendant.' room was being scrubbed, and the
deceased slipped into it and carried off a box of matcher-
A juror said it was very incautious to leave the matches
there. The witness said that an attendant had removed