The Sun.
London, England, 1864-10-06 00:00:00

motel to be first-class assist-engineer—W. U. F. Colley,
seoend-class sresist.-engineer to the SharpBhooter—and W.
Savage, secomi-class assist engineer to the Assurance.

The Shocking Tragedy at Old Windsor.

Yesterday Mr Rupert Clark, one of the coroners for Berks
opened an inquiry at the board room of the workhouse, Old
Windsor, into the circumstances touching the deaths of
John Richard Cook, aged about 42, Mary Ann Cook, aged
5, Eugenie Cook, aged 4, and Louisa E. Cook, aged 2.
The coroner and jury assembled' at Cook's cottage and
viewed the bodies of the deceased, after which they ad-
journed to the board-room of the Windsor Union Work-
house, where the following evidence was taken :
Joseph Brant, gardener, brother-in-law to Cook, said—
Cook was a hairdresser, and lived at a cottage at Old Wind-
sor-green. I saw Cook and his family occasionally; some-
times three or four times a week. Cook was a widower,
and lost his wife about three months ago. I saw him on
Monday week, when I gave him something to drink at the
Wheatsheaf. I saw his eldest daughter on Friday evening,
but had no conversation with her. I had not had any con-
versation with Cook since his wife's death. He seemed to
have very little to say to me. I had not noticed any alters•
tion in him since the death of his wife. I never saw him
intoxicated. I think he has had but little employment since
his wife's death. While living at Slough Cook was bank-
rupt. He was supported by his wife for some time, up to
the date of her death. He has lived at Old Windsor for
about two years. His wife was a laundress.
A juryman said ho believed deceased received a small
allowance from Eton College.
The witness said he could give no information as to the
cause of this occurrence. Cook was a high-spirited man,
and reserved in his manner. He had not seemed a different
man since the death of his wife,
Caroline Amelia Brant, wife of the last witness, said—
The late Mrs Cook was my sister. I lived about a quarter
of a mile from Cook's cottage. I did not see Cook's family
very often. I was very seldom out, and Cook did not come
to our house. I think Cook and his family were dependent
a good deal since his wife's death on the kindness of the
neighbouring gentry. I had not had a conversation with
Cook for three weeks or a month prior to his death. I last
met him at Windsor, when he told me the children were well.
I saw the eldest girl more frequently than the rest. I saw
her on Friday evening at about half-past 6. She said her
father had sent her to borrow two candles, and I lent her
one. She said her sisters were not very well. I did not
notice anything particular in her manner or appearance.
The next time I saw her was on Sunday afternoon about a
quarter past 4. She was upstairs in a back bedroom. I had
no conversation with her then. She seemed too ill to speak.
I do not know any relative who could give any information
about Cook's proceedings during the last week. The girl
said nothing to me on Friday evening about her father
being unkind to her. I have not noticed any change in his
habits since his wife died.
By the Vicar—The girl had not a black eye when she
came to me en Friday.
A juryman said that ho recently saw the girl with a
black eye.
The Vicar (the Rev. J. N. John Blunt, vicar of Old
Windsor), who was present, here made a statement, from
which it appeared that Cook applied to him in September
to write out a petition for assistance fJr him, which he de-
clined to do. He wrote a letter, however, which Cook took
to gentlemen in the neighbourhood, and ho obtained seve-
ral :pounds by that means—X2 5s were received by the
clergy in addition to what had been given to Cook himself
From that money Cook had received weekly supplies of
grocery and other necessaries, and those supplies were
going on up to the time of his death.
Mrs Arnold, who lived close to Cook's cottage, said—l
saw Cook on Saturday about 1 o'clock. I had not spoken to
him for two months. We exchanged very few words. I
spoke to the eldest girl, Mary Ann, about a week ago. I
saw Adelaide (who is now in the infirmary) on Saturday,
between 11 and 12 o'clock, and Cook was playing with her
and Mary Ann in the garden. That was the last time I
saw her. I last saw the others on Thursday.
By the Jury—Cook was a disagreeable neighbour—he
disliked people to look at the children when he was at home.
He did not appear to wish any one to go into his house.
He seemed kind to his children. I have never seen him
drink. He generally went to Eton College to his work on
Saturday. A few persons used to come to him to have
their hair cut. He has told me he received 8a a week from

,he college. He also had bread from Eton College every

Saturday. It consisted of four 21b loaves. On Saturday,
between 1 and 2 o'clock, Cook was walking up and down
his garden with his arms folded, and he had a very wild
look, If ho had anything in his hand I should have been
afraid that ho would kill me. He walked towards me as
if he was going to say something to me, but I went into the
house for I was frightened at him. He was paid at the col-
lege quarterly. The children did not complain to me of
want of food. Ido not know whether there was any per-
son who attended to the children. I did not hear the chil-
dren make any noise on Friday or Saturday. I saw nothing
of them or Cook after Saturday night.
A juryman said that about a month ago he met Cook
with a 41b loaf under his ann, and he said it was allowed
him from the college.

Henry Pope, gardener, living about a quarter of a mile

from Cook's cottage, said—l am brother-in-law to Cook. I
have seen Cook in liquor, but only occasionally. Ile always
seemed remarkably kind to his children. Mary Ann came
to me at 1 o'clock on Friday to borrow 2s, and I asked her
to have a little beer, as I was at dinner. She replied " No,
thank you; I had a glass of ale at home this morning and
it made me quite sick." I did not notico any difference in

the child's appearance. She writ and played with some
other children afterwards. I saw her and Adelaide playing
with their father at 7 o'clock on Friday evening, and Cook
wanted to borrow 6.1 of me.

By the Jury—Cook appeared vary strange at the time of
his wife's death, and did not appear willing to have a woman

to sit up with her.
Brant said Cook was a desperate kind of man, and when
his wife died there were strange reports tending to the do•

famation of his character; but he could not tell whether
those reports were true.

George Lovell, No. 26, Berke Constabulary, stationed at
Old Windsor, said—l knew Cook and his family by seeing
them. In consequence of something that was said by a
neighbour of Cook's in my presence on Saturday I looked
through the parlour window at Cook's house at about a
quarter past 2 o'clock. As I could not get an answer when
I knocked at the back and front door, and as I thought I
saw a child lying on a bed upon the floor of the parlour, I
opened the back window and got in. The first thing I saw
was a pail with about half a gallon of blood in it. I cast my
eye round, and saw on the mantel the razor produced, with
blood and hairs upon it. The hairs were black. I thee went
into the front room and saw three dead bodies on a bed placed
on the floor. I then called into the house a man named
Temple, and we went into the back room upstairs, and saw
Mary Ann, who had something black about her mouth, and
in the next room we found Cook and saw he had his throat cut
We also saw another girl with a bandage round her neck,
and we concluded her throat was also cut. I sent for Dr.
Pearl immediately. I found three bottles which I thought
had contained poison. 'When Cook saw me he said, "For
God's sake, give me some water, Lovell ; I am famishing
with thirst I" He appeared in great agony and pain. I
sent for Inspector Reece and Dr Pearl, surgeon, and he ar
rived about the same time. Cook kept calling out for cold
water before Dr Pearl arrived, but I did not know what to
do until Dr Pearl came. He died about a quarter-past 7.
Mary Ann died this morning at half-past 12. Cook was in
such agony that he did not inquire for the children.
Inspector Reece said—l arrived at Cook's cottage at about
4 o'clock on Sunday afternoon. Lovell was at the house. I
wont upstairs into the front room, and saw Cook lying in
bed. He was vomiting a black fluid. I said, "Have you
been taking poison ?" and he said " Yes." Dr Pearl came
into the room and inquired if he had not been taking vitriol,
and I understood him to say ho had. On a chest of
drawers in the room I found the pint bottle produced, about
half full of vitriol. In the adjoining room I found the
bottles produced, and Des Pearl and Goosh said they thought
they contained laudanum. In a basin at the foot of the bed
on which the child Mary Ann was lying was a quantity of
tea containing vitriol. I asked the eldest girl if that was
the tea her father gave to her, and she said it was, I asked
her when her father gave it to her, and she said "on Fri-
day." I asked her at what hour, and she said "Dinner
time." She answered me in a very low voice, but she was
squtiutera\tcaconscious.
wtia
I searched a cupboard in the room where
Cooka v lying
blood.a n
and found ind a
Downstairsquantity
in
theof
front children's
room
found
two memorials or petitions addressed to the nobility and
gentry of Old Windsor, in which Cook appealed to them for
assistance. I afterwards took the girl whose throat was cut
to the infirmary. I also found a letter written by the Vicar,
stating he would receive subscriptions for Coot, and I also
found an agreement between Mr Clarke, the lessee of Wind-
sor Theatre, and Cook—Cook having agreed to pay £lO for
the proceeds ora night's performance ; a summons for £3
18a 6d, disposed of at the April court, and two bills from
Mr Tuscan, a tradesman at Slough, and also an order of
bankruptcy made in 1862.
Police-constable Halley, Barks constabulary, stationed at
Clewer, said--I found some letters under Cook's pillow just
after his death. One was addressed to the vicar, another
to Cook's brother. There were several other papers with
pencil-writing on each.
The Vicar reed the letter which was addressed to him.
It stated that his poor wife visited him nightly, and told
him to come to her and bring the children with him ; and
that Mr Blunt, the vicar, would allow him and his chil-
dren to be btaried by her side. The other papers read by
Inspector Reece, contained Cook's request that his brother
would see to the funeral of himself and the children, and
that Mr Pearl would not cut and hack their bodies about
after death, as he could see the cause. In one he states that
he had almost lost his senses ; that this would nevar have
happened if his wife had been alive for he loved her dearly ;
that they loved the children, and that he had prayed
writingwsaawi\s deceased,i
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afternoon,
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with blood, I saw his throat was eut,but the blood was Con-