The Sun.
London, England, 1855-12-28 00:00:00

THE MURDER NEAR THE MINORIES.

EXAMINATION OF THE PRISONER.

Yesterday Thos. Writ. John Corrigan, a respectable-
looking man, about 30 years of age, was brought before
Mr. Ingham, at the Thames police-court, Stepney,
charged with the wilful murder of his wife, Louisa.
The investigation was one of a most painful descrip-
tion, and excited great interest in a crowded court. The
prisoner is a man rather under than over the middle size,
with a somewhat mild-looking countenance, not indicat-
ing any want of humanity. He has been for many years
in the employ of the East India Company, at their ware-
houses in Leadenhall-street, in the capacity of "com-
modore," or foreman, and lived on tolerably good terms
with his unfortunate wife up to the time of her murder.
Four young children were the offspring of the marriage,
who are all living.
The first witness called was Mr. Andrew Gernon, an
inspector of police, H division, who said—Yesterday
afternoon the prisoner was brought to the station-house
in Leman-street by two City policemen, who said he had
stabbed his wife. I asked where she was, and was in-
formed that she was at Dr. Cooke's surgery, in the
Minories. I went there, and found the woman lying on a
sofa in the surgery, quite dead. There were two wounds
on her left shoulder, a large and a small one, and a very
deep wound on the left breast. I afterwards proceeded
to the house of Mr. E. Burton, optician and mathemati-
cal instrument maker, 47, Church-street, Minoriee, and
was shown into a bed-room where the prisoner's wife had
been wounded. The bed clothes were stained with blood,
and there was blood on the floor.
Clara Brown, servant to Mr. and Mrs. Burton, stated
that on Wednesday afternoon, about 4 o'clock, she was
going up stairs in
in his
house, and saw Mr. Cor-
rigan with a kite his hand going towards her master
and mistress's bedroom. She screamed aloud for help.
Inspector Gernon here produced a new clasp knife
stained with blood, and the witness Brown said the
knife which the prisoner had in his hand was such an
one as that produced, but she did not take particular
notice of it. The prisoner did not seem to be in a passion,
and said nothing. Directly after he rushed into the
bed-room, she heard loud screams from Mrs. Corrigan
and Mrs. Fearon, who were both in that apartment.
Soon afterwards Mrs. Corrigan rushed down stairs, and
her gown appeared to be cut about the shoulders, and
there was blood upon it. Mrs. Corrigan waited at the
street door fora policeman a short time, and then went
away. In answer to questions by Mr. Ingham, the wit-
ness said that, when she saw the prisoner, he walked
slowly towards the bed-room where his wife was. She had
known him to visit her master and mistress occasionally.
Mr.lngham asked the prisoner if he would ask the wit-
ness any questions, and he replied in the negative.
Mrs. Elizabeth Fearon, a respectable woman, who had
been wounded by the prisoner while she was attempting
to rescue the deceased from his fury, was here led into
court and accommodated with a seat. She appeared
greatly agitated, and after being sworn appeared in a
state of hysteria, Mr. Cooke applied some restoratives, an d
said she would be able to give evidence in a few minutes.
The prisoner, on seeing the weakly condition of the
witness, was much affected. He buried his face in his
bands, and sobbed aloud. Mrs. Fearon, after the lapse
of some time, said she was a married woman, and lived
at 89, Nichols-square. This was said in a low tone, and
she was unable to utter another word. The agitation of
the prisoner, his sobs and groans, were quite painful to
see and hear. Mr. Ingham, having waited for some
time, begged of Mrs. Fearon to state what she knew of
the affair in as few words as possible. She uttered a few
words, which were quite inaudible to Mr. Pyer, the
chief clerk, and to:our reporter, who was seated near
him. At last the witness fell back in her chair and
fainted. She was removed into the clerk's zoom, and
attended by Mr. Cooke, and a loud and piercing sbriek
was directly afterwards heard to proceed from the room.
Mrs. Ann Burton, who had also been wounded by the
prisoner, and was also greatly agitated, was next led
into the court, and accommodated with a chair. Mr.
Cooke having given his opinion that she was able to
give evidence, she was sworn. She said that the prisoner
and his wife had been on a visit to her on Christmas-
day and Boxing-day. On Wednesday, afternoon, while
she was preparing tea in her parlour, she heard loud
screams issuing from her bed-room on the second floor.
She hastened to the room and found the prisoner there
in a very excited state with a knife in his hand, and
partly kneeling on the bed and making blows at his
wife, who bad fallen back on the bed. Witness rushed
forward and caught his hand, and also fell upon his arm,
and kept him in that position for some time until her
husband, Mr. Daniel Marney, and others came to her
assistance. They all tried to get the knife from the pri-
soner, who made a great resistance. At last Mr. Fearon
came into the room and wrenched the knife out of the
prisoner's hand. Mr. Fearon delivered the knife to
witness, and she locked it up in an iron safe, and after-
wards delivered it to Mr. Gernon. The knife was pro-
duced, and identified by Mrs. Burton, who said she was
too much excited on Wednesday afternoon to nctice if
there was any blood upon it when she received it of Mr.
Fearon, but when she took it out of the safe she remarked
it was covered with blood. Witness was cut in the
band in attempting to take the knife from the prisoner.
She did not recollect anything afterwards.
In answer to questions by Mr. Ingham the witness
said Mr. and Mrs. Corrigan spent part of Christmas-day
with her. The prisoner was very reserved on Christmas-
day, and looked very serious. Mrs. Corrigan slept ei ith
witness on Tuesday night, and the male visitors remained
up all night. On Wednesday morning Mrs. Corrigan,
who was accompanied by Air,. Fearon, went home to
her ',e.t.d.... in Selby-street, Waterloo-town, Bethnal-
green, to see her children. The prisoner called in her
absence, and asked for his wife ; and witness, not then
knowing she bad left, told him to go right up stairs and
seek for her. He then looked round very curiously, and
appeared in a very abstracted mood. As he was leaving
the house, she said, " Where are you going to !" to which
he replied, "Home." That was an hour and a halt before
the murder was committed.
Mr. Ingham—Do you know of any unpleasantness
existing between the prisoner and his wife, or any com-
plaint on his part relating to her !
Mrs. Burton—Not any, sir. On Christmas-day the
prisoner was particularly quiet ; very quiet, indeed. He
was in general a quiet, reserved man, but on Christmas-
day he was quieter than usual, and I rallied him upon
it, and applied some name to him, which I now forget.
Mr. Ingham—Where was the prisoner on Christmas
night ?

Mrs. Burton—He was in the parlour with my hus-
band and other male visitors ; Mrs. Corrigan slept up-
stairs along with me.
Mrs. Fearon was again led into oourt, and seated. She
was so exhausted and so much agitated that, notwith-
standing restoratives and stimulants were constantly ap-
plied to her by Mr. Caoke, she could only speak in a
low whisper ; and Mr. Ingham kindly stooped by the
side of her chair, and received her evidence that way,
and repeated it aloud, as follows, for the in!orrnation of
Mr. Pyer, the chief clerk.
The magistrate said :—The witness says that she
and the prisoner's wife had just returned from Beth-
nal-green to Mr. Burton's house in a cab, and went
up stairs. The prisoner's wife was untying her bonnet,
when they heard something click like the opening of a
knife. Mrs. Corrigan called out, "Is that you, Tom 1'
The prisoner made no reply, but rushed into the room,
separated me and his wife, and got between us and
struggled with her. She finally fell on the bed, and he
closed in upon her, and I thought he was punching her.
I was surprised, and went in between them, and said,
" What are you quarrelling for ?" He took no notice of
me whatever. I put out my left hand to save the pri-
soner from striking his wife. I struggled a few minutes
more with the prisoner, and found my hands wet with
blood. I then became conscious he was using some in-
strument. I rushed out of the room shrieking, "He
has murdered her !" I did not at that time see any-
thing in his hand. When I screamed and said "He has
murdered her," Mr. and Mrs. Burton, my husband, and
a Mr. Marney came up. I rushed towards the doctor's
shop, and Mr. John Marney followed me, holding my
arm, which was cut. I told Mr. John Marney to look
to the prisoner's wife. When we got three or four
yards from the house I heard a loud scream. I looked
round and saw the prisoner's wife a few yards behind
me, and she exclaimed, "Betsy, Betsy!" and almost
directly fell. We went on to the doctor's, thinking she
had only fainted. Mr. Cooke's assistant began bathing
my arm. I then saw it was very badly cut. I did not
dare to look at it before. I clasped it with my other
hand all the way to the doctor's shop. The prisoner's
wife was brought into the doctor's shop by four teen. I
saw her brought in; and left the room. I had noticed,
before I left the prisoner's wife, that there was a cut in
her dress, I did not notice anything more of what hap-
pened. As soon as I got to the doctor's shop, I saw she
had a cut on the arm, but saw nothing more.
Mr. Ingham asked the witness to turn round and look
at the prisoner for the purpose of identifying him, but
her terror was so great that she was afraid to do so. At
length she was raised from her ohair, and was being led
dut of the court, when she wildly rushed towards the dock
in which the prisoner stood, and stretched out the arm
that was not wounded to shake hands with him. The

prisoner eagerly leant forward, caught her hand in his,
and exclaimed, "God bless you." He then gave way
to a paroxysm of grief, and again leant over the edge of
the dock in a stooping position, and buried his face in
his hands. As Mrs. Fearon was being led into the
clerk's room, she exclaimed, Oh, my arm, my arm,"
and fainted away.
Mr. Edward Burton, optician and mathematical in-
strument maker, of 47, Church-street, Minories, who
lost all self-possession when he entered the witness-box,
and was sworn, was desired by the magistrate to he
seated, and said—The prisoner is no relation of mine,
but 1 have known him some time. On Christmas night
we were as happy and as convivial as possible, arid
when the hour grew late I advised Mrs. Corrigan to
sleep with my wife, make herself as comfortable as pos-
sible, and go home early in the morning. The prisonerremained up with me and some friends. I made him as
comfortable as I could.',. We had tea and coffee in thu
morning, and shortly before nine o'clock he went to his
place of business quite collected. At half-past two
o'clock in the afternoon ho came into my room, and be
inquired for his wife. He was very excited, and I said
to hint in a joke, " Your wife is in the next room," al-
though I knew she was gone home to see her children,
in company with Mrs. Fearon. He went into the bed-

room, came out again, and went down stairs directly.
I remarked how distant he was in his manner. We gos-
sipped until four o'clocic, and I told my servant girl to
get the tea ready. A few minutes afterwards the pri-
soner came into the room where I was, and said Mrs.
Corrigan and Mrs. Fearon had just come home in a cab.
He made no other remark. The two females went into
my bed-room to take off their bonnets and shawls. 1
sat down with the two Marneys and Mr. Fearon, ray
brother-in-law, and we were in social conversation
together, when I heard some screams from the ad-
joining room, which,. is my bed-room, and, to tell the
truth! I thought the ;cream were in fun
but the