The Sun.
London, England, 1862-09-27 00:00:00

POLICE INTELLIGENCE.—Sept. 26.

LAMBETH.—THE SERIOUS AND FATAL CASE
OF STABBING.--Henry King, a man about 40 years
of age, against whom a coroner's jury has returned
a verdict of " Wilful Murder," was brought up on
remand, and placed at the bar before Mr. Elliott,
for final examination on a charge of stabbing and
causing the death of Sarah Ann Day, by stabbing
her in the abdomen.

It will be recollected, from the evidence given on
a former examination by police-constables Charles
Marks Cooke, 168, and George Pike, 95, of the L
division, that about half-past three o'clock in the
afternoon of Thursday, the 18th inst., the prisoner
called at the residence of the deceased, 75, Tower-
street, Westminster-road, and after some alterca-
tion with her stabbed her in two places, once with,
a screw-driver, and a second time with a chisel, in-
flicting deep and dangerous wounds, which pene-
trated her abdomen, and caused her death on the
following day. It further appeared that the pri-
soner and the deceased had been married, but the
former having discovered that the latter had been
been married before, and that her husband, a
soldier, was still living, gave her into custody for
bigamy. He did not, however, appear against her
but the result was a separation for some time. On
the prisoner being now placed at the bar the first
witness called was Cooke the constable, 168 L, who
said he was in the room of and alone with the de-
ceased when the prisoner came to the house, and on
seeing him the deceased said, " Halloo, Harry,
what do you want here ?" but he did not remember
his answer, nor did he pay particular attention to
them while they talked for five or six minutes
together. The first thing he remembered was the
prisoner saying to the deceased, "Do you intend to
come back to me or not ?" and the deceased said " No,
King. You never acted like a man to me ; and not
all your persuasion shall induce me to return to
you." The prisoner made some reply to this, but
in so low a tone that he did not hear it. Prisoner
then suddenly stepped forward, and struck the de-
ceased on the stomach with the chisel and a screw-
driver, and she gave a loud and fearful shriek,
During the conversation between the prisoner and
the deceased he (witness) asked the former if he
had any claim on the latter, and he replied " No."
He then said, " Then why do you come here annoy-
ing her in the way you do ?" and he made no reply.

In cross-examination by Mr. Beard, who ap-
peared for the prisoner, the witness said the first
time he saw the prisoner was about five weeks be-
fore the occurrence : and at that time he was in the
company of the deceased. He did not then know
that they were married, nor had he seen the deceased
before. On the 18th inst. he was at the house of
the deceased by invitation, and taking tea with her
when the prisoner called. Was not then aware that
she was a married woman ; on the contrary, he had
been given to understand that she was not. Had
known the mother of the deceased, who lived at 75,
Tower-street, and the deceased resided with her,
and not in Stanorte -street as he was aware. He
did not know of his own knowledge that the pri-
soner was a carpenter, but believed he was ; and
would therefore require such articles as those he
carried with him on the day of the fatal occurrence,
namely, a hammer, a chisel, and screw-driver, in
the course of his trade. Did not hear the prisoner
when he first came to the door ask the deceased for
a pair of stockings; but on seeing him witness
knew him to be the person who had been married
to the deceased. Did not hear the deceased say to
the prisoner, in allusion to him, " I told you I had
a young man," or anything to that effect. If she had
said so he thought he must have heard and noticed
it. Did not hear the deceased use any bad lan-
guage to the prisoner for the three or four minutes
he was in the room, and before he struck her. The
deceased had told him that she had been married
to the prisoner about three weeks, or it might be
a month ago. He had been frequently to the house
of the deceased on her invitation, to take tea, and
once dined there, and at the time of the alleged
fatal occurrence he was alone with her at tea, and
the only persons present were the deceased, the
prisoner, and himself.
Mr. Elliott—When the deceased told you she
had been married to the prisoner, did she say any-
thing about their separation
Witness—Yes, sir. She said she was separated
from him by a process of court.
George Pike, 95 L, said he found the chisel he
produced in the bed of the deceased, and on coni
paring it and the screw-driver, also found in the
room, with the marks on the clothes of the deceased
they fitted exactly.
Mr. Donahoo, a surgeon in the Westminster-
road, said that on the day in question he was sent
for to attend thetdeceased, whom he found bleeding
profusely from two wounds, one on the left side of
the abdomen, inflicted with some blunt instrument,
and another nearer the hip, by some sharp instru-
ment. She was in a very dangerous state, and he
attended her up to the time of her death, which
took place on the following day. On making a
post-mortem examination he found both wounds
extended to the cavity of the abdomen, and that
internal hemorrhage was the cause of death.
Ann Jones, residing at 74, Tower-street, said that
on the afternoon of the 18th inst. she heard a great
disturbance next door, and saw the policeman Cooke
in the act of scuffling with ,the prisoner, removing
him from the house. She went down to see what
the itiatter was, and saw the deceased standing by
the foot of the bed, and heard her exclaim, " Oh,
dear, lam in such pain ! I believe that King has
stabbed me." She (witness) assisted in shifting
her and putting her to bed, and saw that the de-
ceased had two wounds, one on the side of the ab-
domen and the other near the hip. About five
weeks ago the prisoner came to the house of the de-
ceased fora looking-glass which he elaimed,and some
person whom she could not see gave him one. The
prisoner by his motion appeared as if be had at-
tempted to strike the person on the head with the
glass, and appeared to be in a great passion. She
heard him then quarrelling with the deceased, and
heard him say, " You I'll murder you. If I
can't have you, no one else shall, for I'll do for you
and myself."
Cross-examined—He did not say this in reference
to the looking-glass, that if he did not have it no-
body else should. She first told this to Cooke, the
policeman, but thought Pike was present at the time.
Sergeant Thompson said he was on duty in Tower-
street when the prisoner wan brought there in charge
of Pike and Cooke, and took down the charge against
him. In doing so he asked the prisoner whatfanhe
_
d
had to say to the charge of stabbing his e,
the constable Cooke said she was not his wife. The
him him to go with others, as she had with
h meant
(point-
ing to Cooke). Witness asked him what
prisoner replied that she was his wife, but had left
it on wit
he replied, " Oh, she has been carrying
Mr. Beard expressed a
him for some time, and he knows it.
by making such a charge against the constable ; and
.h
Would not feel called on to commit the prisoner on
wilful murder. The prisoner,
the ding that, after
chae of wilful murder, contending
and
hadwn beenhd regularlyb een
b
from the testimony of the woman Jones, and
hope that his worship
Cooke, the ease bore none of the characteristics of
'0 it not been for the
unfortunate occurrencewho up to the present
bore an excellent character,
married to the deceased, and had
rouyht forward by the constable
conduct of the constable
improper