The Sun.
London, England, 1864-10-05 00:00:00

The Windsor Tragedy.

WINDSOR, Tuesday.

Last night, at 10 o'clock, the eldest daughter of the mur-
derer, John Richard Cook, was still alive. But faint hopes
of her recovery are, however, entertained by her medical.
attendant. At present she is only kept alive by the injec-
tion of nourishing stimulants, brandy, &c., and the poor
child lies in the humble bedroom of her father's cottage, at
Old Windsor, moaning piteously. The policeman, George
Lovell, 26, of the Berke Constabulary, who discovered the
murder, states that on sending out into the village for the
assistance of a woman to tend the suffering girl, none of the
neighbours would give their services. He was then forced
to send to the union, whence one of the aged inmates was
sent to wait upon the sufferer.
The cottage of Cook, a small four-roomed building, with
white-washed front, surrcunded by a small garden, bounded
by a low hedge, with the flower beds trampled and flattened
by the feet of the children, is a perfect house of death, and
few would expect to find such a scene of horror in such a
quiet and innocent looking village as Old Windsor,
The scene in the little front parlour is heart-rending.
There, on a bed made upon the floor, lie three interesting
little girls in their death slumber undressed—with the
exception of the youngest, who is clothed in a little dark
frock and white pinafore. They are lying side by side in a
row, with countenances almost placid, and one might
almost fancy they are sleeping, and it is not till the bed-
clothes are removed from the upper portions of their bodies
that the hideous and violent nature of their death becomes
apparent.
In their dying agony the children would seem to have
turned upon their right sides, while their mouths and necks,
as in the case of the elder girl, were scorched and blackened
with the vitriol. The girl who was found with her throat
cut, lying beside her father, and conveyed to the Windsor
Infirmary, is, Dr. Pear thinks, improving, and her life will
probably be saved. She is under the care of the infirmary
surg eon.
This day at noon Drs. Pearl and Gooch, of Windsor,
proceeded to the cottage of Cook for the purpose of making
a post. mortem examination of the body of the eldest of the
three girls who were poisoned. Tho examination lasted
several hours, and after a very minute inspection no traces
of the poison could be found. The contents of the stomach
have been preserved from the purpose of analyeation
should the coroner so direct. At the first cursory in-
spection, and till the post-mortem examination of to-day,
it was thought that as the eldest girl, who is still alive,
was poisoned with vitriol, the three younger had met their
deaths from a similar poison, as the symptoms in all the
oases appeared similar, The examination of to-day
has, however, altered the opinion of the medical men, who
now think that the three younger children may possibly
have been poisoned with laudanum, three empty bottles
smelling strongly of this poison having since been disco-
vered—or some other narcotic; the precise nature of the
deadly agent used in carrying out the murderer's intention
will only be ascertained on the analysis of the stomach of
the deceased child.

In the meantime the eldest girl is yet living, though
suffering frightfully from the poison she has imbibed, end
her case was spoken more favourably of by the medical at-
tendants. The girl who was found with her throat cut and
who was removed to the Windsor Infirmary, is under the
care of Mr Bricknell, the surgeon, and is going on as
favourably as can be expected.
The premises are now in charge of the Berks constabu-
lary till the inquezt.
The gentry in the neighbourhood of Old Windsor have
been very kind in their attention to the girl who was poi-
soned, and many little comforts, such as ices, grapes,
have been sent by Mrs Lovibond and Miss Thackeray, ladies
residing in the district. Two letters have been found, one
directed to the vicar end the other to the brother, written
by the murderer Cook, which will no doubt reveal the trio •
tives for the commission of this dreadful murder. Numbers
of people, actuated by a morbid feeling of curiosity, have
visited the premises. .