The Sun.
London, England, 1863-08-04 00:00:00

Child Murder in the Marylebone-road.

The details of a horrible tragedy committed on Friday last
at No. 108, Marylebone-road, have just been made public.
It appears that for several months past there have been
residing on the first floor of the house, 108, Marylebone-road,
young woman, her child, and a nurse, who also occupied
a room on the second floor. On taking these apartments the
mother of the child stated that her name was Mrs. Chappel,
and that her nurse was Miss Russell. She also stated that
her husband, through business engagements, could only
periodically visit her. After she had taken the lodgings a
gentleman repeatedly visited her, and represented himself
as her husband. These visits continued until seven weeks
ago, when they had a quarrel, and the visits were discon-
tinued. On Friday at 1 o'clock Mrs. Chappel sent her nurse
to Covent-garden market to buy a peach. On her return,
at half-past 3, she found that the door of Mrs. Chappul's
room was locked. She knocked several times, and then
became alarmed by hearing moaning sounds, which pro-
ceeded from the interior of the room. Not being able to
obtain admittance, in her fright she ran for Mr. Cathrow,
Mrs. Chappel's medical adviser, who lives at 42,1Veymouth-
;Arcot, Marylebone, and he returned with her to Mrs.
Chappel's residence. Mr. Cathrow knocked at the door
several times, and hearing no noise was dubious as to any
one being inside, but after waiting about five minutes he
heard a groan, when he kicked in a panel of the door, mak-
ing an aperture sufficiently large to admit him and the
nurse. On their entering the room they were horrified at
seeing Mrs. Chappel lying on the floor bathed in blood,
which proceeded from the wounds inflicted on her throat.
Making further search, Mr. Cathrow found the child on the
bed, covered over with a pillow. The bed and wool mattress
were soaked through with blood, which Mr. Cathrow found
to come from a wound inflicted about an inch below the
child's left nipple. First directing his attention to Mrs.
Chappel, he sewed up three large gashes in her throat. He
next attended the child, and bandaged up its wounds. Mr.
Cathrow was desirous of avoiding an exposure, and, think-
ing both the lady and her child would recover, he refrained
from informing the police. However, on Sunday morning
the child was seized with alarming symptoms, and died at 12
o'clock. Mr. Cathrow then addressed a letter to Mr. Tiddy,
the superintendent of the D division, notifying that a
murder and an attempted suicide had been committed, and
that he should continue in charge of the mother until the
arrival of the police. At 1 o'clock Mr. Inspector Simms, and
Isaacson, a constable, both of the D division, arrived on the
spot, and on being acquainted by Mr. Cathrow with the facts
of the case they commenced to search the room. Behind the
shutters Isaacson found a small stiletto or dagger, the end of
which was bloody up to about three inches. The surgeon
handed to Mr. Simms a razor, the handle of which was
covered with blood. They found the child quite dead, and
Mrs. Chappel in a low delirous state. On making a further
search they discovered a quantity of bedding and clothing
covered with blood and steeped in cold water, On the side-
board a Bible was laid open, with the 9th, 10th, 12th, 13th,
15th, and 18th verses of the 37th Psalm underscored in ink.
There was also en the sideboard a lecture by Hugh Miller,
on " Courtship and Matrimony," several passages of which
were underscored. They also found a quantity of money
and documents, among the latter of which there was a copy
of a will, containing a codicil leaving a large sum to Mrs.
Chappel. It appeared from further investigation, and the
admission of the young woman herself, that after she had
sent the nurse to market she fetched the child from the
upper room to her own apartment, when, after stabbing it in
the place mentioned, she cut her own throat and then fainted.
Reviving after some time, and finding her child still alive,
she, after giving her throat two other cuts with the razor,
took a pillow and, placing it upon the face of her child, lay
upon it ; but it appears she afterwards slipped down on the
floor to the position in which Mr. Cathrow found her. The
police also ascertained that just prior to committing the
deed the woman had dressed herself and her child in
white clothing, and had put out on the bed side
all the linen necessary for laying them out when dead.
Subsequently it has been ascertained that the young
woman's real name is Sarah Emily Mitchell, aged 24, and
that the nurse, Mary Mitchell, is her sister. She is said to
have been seduced by the person who visited her, while in
his employment as housekeeper. Both the razor and the
dagger were new, and in such a state as showed that they
never had been used before. The woman is at present in a
most dangerous condition. She is in the custody of the
police, and will remain so until the case is fully investigated.
Dr. Lankester will hold an inquest on the body of the
child this day.