The Express.
London, England, 1858-03-25 00:00:00

THE ATTEMPTEDMUIDES AND SUICIDE AT,

18L1210TO-N:

INQUEST.

Yesterlay afternoon Mr. Wakley, the coroner for
the stestern division of Middlesex, opened an inquest at the
Marquis of Salisbury, Pembroke-street, Islington, upon the
. . . - .

body of George Osborne, whose melancholy death we have
already reported ; the inquiry being held closely adjacent to
the house in which the lamentable occurrence took place, in-
cited great interest amongst the inhabitants of the neigh-
bourhood. The jury, in viewing the body, were accompa-
nied by a large conconne of persons, who had aseembled in
the immediate vicinity of the Inquest room and in front of the
house, which was in charge of two polite constables.
The first wiener called was Ann Smith, who stated that
she was a lodger in the hour where the tragedy occurred,
and had been so for du last seven or eight months. Witness
was a married woman, the wife of William Smith, a collector
of goods for wholesale houses. She had known the dammed
during that time. lie was a gas worker, and lived with his
wife. They had no children, but were bringing one up.
She saw the deceased inflict the wound. It was on Sunday
evening, at about a quarter to 7 o'clock. He was with his
wife in the back kitchen. Witness heard them quarrelling,
and the deceased said to his wife, " No, you shan't, old girl,
but witness did not know what it was about. She then
went badoors, and had scarcely Mrs.to her own room when
elle hard the screams and cries o Osborne. Witness ran
down, and saw the man cutting and choppinfalrirer about the
head. (The chopper was here produced. It is • band
• such as is used for chopping up wood. t was skeet
12 inches long.) He continued striking her as long as she
blood up, and when she fell he continued striking her. Wit,
sew tin to the front door and eallad tar 11111181011411, be%
wee emit Illeggingentlo the httaleig, when be emir
=out of hand and commenced enttflorhis throat
per his
a large black.handled table knife. He castinoad
cutting for a few moments when he fell on the floor, over his
wife, in a pool of blood. Mr. Richardson, the surgeon,
soon afterwards arrived. Hie wife had nothing in her
hand. During the time that witness had lodged in the
house she never saw the deceased the worse for liquor but
twice. She saw him twice on the Sunday. On Saturday
evening she let him in about half-past six, and went and
told his wife that he had come, when the letter replied that
she was glad of it. They had no quarrel that witness beard
of, but in the morning the wife told wiener that they had
had • little quarrelling during the night, and that be bad
taken a razor to cut her throat. She said that if he meant
to do so, he might as well do so at first as last. He then
told her that he was only joking, and wanted to frighten
her, when she said she was not frightened at any He
had complained of her conduct. There were other
in the house—a widow named Jones, a widower named
(the man who is said to be the canes of the deceased's jaw.
lousy), and • woman named Bromwich. Witness had never
threatened to Injure his wife, nor did he ever strike her.
Witness had no positive proof that Mrs. Osborne gave
him noon to believe that her conduct was improper.
From what witness knew, she had seen East and Mr..
Osborne goad very often. It was Bast's child that they
were keeping, and it died last Friday. Haat and Mrs.
Osborne used to take their meals together, end she bad add
that she was fonder of him than her own husband. Oa the
night when the affair happened East had not gone out mere
than two minutes. Osborne had told his wife that if she did
not live with him no other man should have her. Hs wee
very little at home—on Saturdays coming at five o'clock and
going back at ten, and scarcely at all on Sundays. He worked
at the gas works, Bow, and his wife refused to live there.
Mary East, the sister of East, said that she lodged at 16,
Pembroke-street, and her brother occupied a room on the se-
cond floor back. She was at home on Sunday evening last,
tund saw the commencement of the attack upon Mrs. Osborne

by her hothead. Wirer was sitting births kitchen, and
had been all day. He cleaned himself, and said be wee
going to Somers-town. He had his breakfast, and went to
Somers-town, returning at • quarter to four. He then had
his dinner, but he was not sober; his wife was in the kitchen
at the time, but he laid Weep on the sofa. After dinner he
laid down his bead on the table and went to sleep; he woke
about half-pest five. He asked his wife to get the tea, and
she replied she would gut it soon. He got up then. and went
out of the hors ; there was no quarrelling between then
at that time. He returned about a quarter to six, and wept
to • cupboard, his wife being in the kitchen, titer which
he too CAMS into the kitchen. He said to her, " Have you
had your tea, Nance?" and she said "Yes, I have." He
then said " That shall be the last you shall ever have,"
and she said " The same to you." Be had nothing to
his hand at the time ; he spoke very angrily. Witness
said, "Prey, Smith (one of his aliases), don't talk like that,"
and he said " I'm if I don't do for her before I go back
to Bow to-night." His wits made no remark. She was
perfectly sober, but he was not quite sober. Witness never
saw him worse in liquor. She asked him why be went out
before he had any tea? and he said he could see that she did
did not want him to have any tea. She made no reply, and
he left the kitchen. Witness was afraid that there was going
to be a quarrel, and begged his wife to say nothing to him.
The latter replied, "Oh, if he is going to do it, let him do
it if he likes. Witness arose and met him at the kitchen
door—he had the chopper in his hand. She said, "Oh, pray
don't, Smith ;" and he took her up in his an= and threw
her spinet the parlour door, saying, "You have nothing to
do with it."
(The witness here swooned away and had to be removed
from the table, attended by &medical gentleman.
Mr. Richardson. surgeon, said he was called in about a
quarter to 7 o'clock, and found the man quite dead. Ha had
examined the body of the deceased, and found a wound about
six inches inilength, which Included the carotid artery, and
was quite sufficient to cause death.
Maly Oswald, the wife of John Oswald, a blacksmith, re-
siding near Leighton Buzzard—The decreed was her son.
When he wee a little boy he had the brain fever, and had
never been since what he was before. When he was gams
up he had the fever again, which affected his head sea fwd.
He was in hospital for it some weeks. He was spddaly
taken, when at work at Farringdon, in the country, as if not
right in his mind, and wee moved to the infirmary. He
complained of noises in the head. She never saw him intox-
icated. He bad been married about nine years. He had never
been confined in a lunatic asylum for the complaint.
The witness East, having recovered from the swoon, taw
anued her evidence—When Osborne threw her against the
parlour door she fell on the floor. On getting up he Mid
the billhook over her, saying, "Ti. nothing to you." He ,
then took hold of his wife by the hair of the head and struck'
her with the chopper. Witness then ran out of the front
door to call for rosters, and did not see him cut his throat.
There was nothing whatever that happened either on Satur-
day night or Sunday to provoke him. Witness was with
them up to eleven o'clock on Saturday. They had ease
quarrelling. He said that he had heard • good deal about
her. He did not threaten her ; he told her that she had hem
"pest" with East, and she owned that she had. He Ira
eked for a reason why she wanted to have Red Wand el
Ideadt Her answer was, " Beater she liked hiat belie dhe
ted him very much, and said that " mama as the
eh rmes buried she would go sad live with Ent
(This was East's child, that had died ontbsprerems Irddv.)
He did not threaten her in witness's presence, bet li
threatened her on the Saturday night.
The Coroner here stopped the case, end said that then
rosily was no use in pushing the matter further, r Slap were
not trying a question of adultery, but whether the lara yes
labouring under a delusion respecting his wife's
and it appeared he was labouring under no illei=lll4
for the wife confessed it. His mother had shown that hews
affected in his bead from early childhood, and was just
a man as an affair of this kind would be likely to dries in-
sane. It was his opinion that the poor fellow had brim
irresponsible for him actions ou account of the rumours holed
beard about his wife, and her open declaration to hie thane
she intended as soon as she could to leave him and go sad
live with East; the women, in an unblushing manner,
acknowledged her guilt to him, thereby leaving no doubt at
all about the matter. Mary East had given her evidence
very fairly, considering the parties involved; and It
appeared him one atlas clearest cases he ever knew.
to
jury immediately returned a verdict that the deceased
had destroyed himself while in en unsound state of mind,
sad the proceedings terminated.

ACCIDENT TO THE ABERTETWITH MAIL COACH.—
His Thursday night last, when the moil was proomedlng
through Bicton, • little abort of three miles from Shrews-
bury, the near fore-wheel flew off, and the coach was upset
on the footpath, all the preengen being precipitated to the
Fortunately the pole tamed, sad the traces broke
away,otherwise serious *skier, might have been ocossioned
to some of the passengers through the horses dragging the
coach after them. There were no lady passengers, and we
understand that the gentlemen who IMO travelling by the
coach escaped without much damage.—aestreiwry Jesweal.
THE ATTEMPTED MURDER AT BLACILANDR—At
the recast Devon Anima, it will be remembered that Bog-
horst, Coleman, and Brown ware eauvloted of setemptiag to
murder Mr. Brecidon' an old gentlemen residing at Bieck-
lends, near Plymouth. Store timdr conaktion the primmer
Brown hos voluntarily air= up to the et the
county poi a ring, which wee Mahn from Yr. Broddcm's
dressing-table, but which the elbows et *astir bed *died to
dimmer. It now appears that whenever Brown weenie abed
he put the rW is bk month, whisk will account fee be not
having been Mohamed before.
METROPOLITAN RAILWAT.—Last night at the
etestbsg of the board of and directors of the united
=LBe.Antfrew, inborn, and Si. George the Martyr,
e el
board-rem, Little Gray's-hen-leae, Mr. Bari-
slow in the chair, a neolution was moved by Mr. Weems,
Mthe Whet that time comiltestien of the ceakeapktei
weed Nero-
ay be Wily egreeketeere
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is
New Fierkseka-eweet a esavealeat Worm kr three
aireetmoharesillszninitheet vellweygensed..l•Themmusimixeaelre.
bradeathmanhy be
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turd as a 'hew of Naas bag lehea wwee de-
clared to be carried.