Northern Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1859-03-30 00:00:00

A WIFE MURDERED IN THE STREET, AND
SUICIDE OF THE HUSBAND.

For some years the town of West Bromwich has not been
in a state of such intense excitement as existed at a late hour
on Friday night, last, on its becoming known that a young
collier, named John Corbett, had cut his wife's throat
in Reform-street, and directly after inflicted two such deep
gashes in his own throat that it was thought he could not
live many hours The circumstances under which this
double murder, as it may well be called, occurred, stand
thus. For a period of five years, the unhappy pair lived
together in Walsall-street, and there is no question that,
although they had two fine little boys, the issue of the
marriage, yet jealousy on both sides prevailed, and mutual
accusation.' and suspicions led to freqnent quarrels, and
sometimes to blows, Two weeks ago they separated, Mrs.
Corbett and the children going to the house of her father,
John Bird, of Reform-street, and her husband taking lodg-
ings in Gad's-lane, near the Shoulder of Mutton public-
house. It would seem, from circumstances, that the man
himself desired to make matters up ; at all events, the mur-
dered woman went to him at his lodgings on Sunday last.,
and passed the night in his company. Since the period of
the separation Mrs. Corbett worked at " nailing" with her
sister, Sarah Bird, in a shop at the back of the Hen and
Chickens beerhouse, kept by Mrs Lydia Biddlestone.
Corbett himself was employed at the Messrs. Dawes's new
pit near Bromford Works. Here he was at his labour as
usual until half-past six nn the night of the fatal occurrence.
We have no particular account of him further until
about eight o'clock the same evening, when he was seen in
Reform-street, proceeding in the direction of the nailing
shop where his wife worked. If he bad been drinking at
all in the interval, we are assured that at this hour,
although in a state of some excitement, he was quite sober.
However, some person heard him remark, "There will be
murder done this night." At 20 minutes past eight, his wife,
accompanied by her sister, left the workshop. They had
not proceeded many yards up Reform-street, on their road
to their father's, when Corbett, who had hid himself
behind a low wall just opposite the Hen and Chickens,
sprang out into the road, and in an instant, putting
his left arm round his wife's neck, inflicted a fearful
cut on one side of her throat with a large clasp knife
which he held in his right hand. The poor creature
screamed "Murder," but instantly seizing her again in the
same manner, Corbett made a fearful gash with the knife on
the other side of her throat, a third in the direction of her
bosom, and instantly ran off. A woman, named Weaver,
coming up at the moment, by her aid and that of her sister,
Corbett was led, or rather carried, bleeding profusely, as far
as Mr. Grainger's, the Globe Tavern. This is within a few
yards of her father's house, and being taken there, the poor
creature died from loss of blood and exhaustion, at a quarter
to nine, less than half an hour after her throat was eut, as
above described. Messrs. Keyte, Cotterill, and Manley,
surgeons, were sent for.by Major McKnight, who was soon
on the spot, and these gentlemen promptly attended, but
they arrived only in time to hear from the poor sufferer the
deep long-drawn sigh, which closed her life. The sister of
deceased says that the tragic scene she witnessed was
enacted without the murderer speaking a word, but Mrs.
Weaver states that Corbett, asking his wife, " Will yon
come and live with me ?" and receiving the word " No" in
answer, said, " Then you shall live with no one else," and then
did the murder. We have said that Corbett ran up Reform-
street with the bloody knife still in his hand, as seen by his own
sister, Mrs. Harris, whose garden looks into this street. Ar-
rived at the top of Bull-street, the wretched man pointed the
fatal weapon at his own throat, and by a desperate cut sepa-
rated his windpipe, and fell, bleeding and senseless, to the
ground. Major M‘Knight, accompanied by Inspectcr Hclland
and Police-constables Barris and Moss, came to the
spot where Corbett lay with the knife still in his hand, and
.whilst the officers remained with the poor wretch, who was
taken to Mr. Broom's beerhouse close by, the medical gen-
tlemen referred to also arrived. The wounds which the
murderer had inflicted upon himself were sewn up; and
although Mr. Keyte aad Mr. Cotterill certified that he
might be removed to his brother-in-law's (John Harris),
Walsall-street, which was done in the course of Saturday
morning, yet they considered his recovery impossible.
Corbett was about 27 years of age, and h
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There is a collateral circumstance in immediate connection
with this tragedy which we publish, as the name of the
party implicated was voluntarily and frealy communicated
to us. Corbett, as previously stated, worked in a pit at
Bromford, and the doggy of the pit is said by Corbett him-
self, when he left his work, to have repeatedly during the
day of the murder, jeered him before the men in the pit
with reference to his wife's leaving him. Ho was unmanly
and base enough to avow that he had been improperly
intimate with her during the week, and made other state-
ments which were well calculated to cause the deepest feel-
ings of anger and revenge in a husband against a woman
who could thus act.—Birmingham Daily Post.

BRIGHT I AND " THE " FUTTERMAN
(Air —" Villikins and his Dinah.")
Oh ! 'tis of a famed merchant 'who Liverpool does dwell.
Who supply folks with Butter who want it to sell ;
Ins name it is Kelly, you scarce need be told,
Whose Butter is worth all your silver and gold.
As Kelly was wSeiingiginiiiig—oßultitit3elirtit-7-oBnn-ar3;li—Butter-li-day.
In walks REFORM BRIGHT, and to him did say,
Come leave your shop Kelly, and with me away,
And I'll find you a place with no work and good pay.
Singin'—Butter-li—Butter-li—Butter-li-day.
Oh! no, my brave BRIGHT, that wont suit my mind,
For to" cut my " old place" I do not feel inclined,
So
Tote you the good pay I will gladly make o'er,
rve England with Butter a year or two more.
Singin'—Butter-li—Butter-li—Butter-li-day.
That's a good noble Kelly—then John Bright replied,
You're a "Brick," my "old buck," and not to cc bribed;
So, in order your Butter to put to the test,
Send me weekly, henceforward a ton of your best.
Singin' —Butter-li—Butter-li—Butter-li-day•
MORAL.
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And as all want full value for their "tin," and t
Think of Kelly the Butterman, and ReformerJohn

SINGING AND DANCING.—The jos' of the heart is
expressed by singing; the delight of the mind and life by
dancing. Both are perfectly compatible with, and indeed
flow from, interior religion. In ancient times, dancing w
joined with praise of the Lord; and when it was done frost
gratitnde to God, and a desire to make others happy, there
is every reason to restore dancing to its honoured position,
as with singing, a pure handmaid to the pure joys of reli-
gion. - Dr. Bayley.

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