The Sun.
London, England, 1865-12-27 00:00:00

BRUTAL MURDER NEAR NEWCASTLE

On Sunday morning a hind, named John Cook, murdered
his wife at Wideopen, about five miles from Newcastle.
The appearance of the murdered woman's body indicates
that she must have beenassaultedin a savage and inhuman
manner, and it appears that even after the assault from
which she died was committed the victim was treated in a
madly cruel way. Cook had been engaged as a hind on
the farm of Mr. John Davison, Wideopen, and had been in
this service for about seven months. Ho and his wife had
lived together in a cottage a few hundred yards from the
farm-house. The farm-house is situated near the north
road leading to Morpeth, and is entered by a lane which
leads at the sane time to the cottage in which Cook and
his wife lived. The cottage was doubly tenanted, Cook
occupying one half, and a Mrs. Thompson the other half.
With Mrs. Thompson lived a nephew and niece, Peter and
Catherine Conlin ; and it seems from the testimony of these
people, who will constitute important witnesses in the pro-
secution, that Cook and his wife had had frequent quarrel-
lings. Both are said to have been addicted to some extent
to drink, and, as may be supposed, it was generally while
under the influence of liquor the quarrellings took place.
Cook generally finished his work for the day at an early
hour in the evening. He stopped on Saturday evening about
eight, and after looking after some horses on the farm pro-
ceeded home, whore his wife was waiting for him. He spent
some time in his house, and left about nine; accompanying
his wife to Seaton Burn, for the purchase of groceries.
Leaving Seaton Burn they took the road home, but stopped
at the half-way public-house, where drink was ordered.
They sat drinking together, and when the wife rose to de-
part the husband. seemed disinclined to go. Ultimately she
left him and went away herself. Whether she went home
at first or not has not been clearly ascertained, but at any
rate she called at the farm-house at a late hour, and stayed
there until 2 o'clock on the Sunday morning. She had evi-
dently take]; a quantity of drink, but did not seem much the
worse for it. It was different with the husband. He did
not leave the public house till 12 o'clock, when he was
forced to go, it being the hour for closing. When he
reached home he appears to have been exasperated at the
absence of his wife, and left in a -violent passion for the
farm house, where he hoped to find her. Here they both met,
and sat together for upwards of an hour, and eventually they
rose to go home at two o'clock, the woman carrying a
lantern. After going along the lane for some distance—for
fully 200 yards, and far enough from the high road and the
farm to be out of observation, if not of hearing—the man
must have commenced the assault upon his wife. How
he proceeded, or whether the assault was all committed
at one spot, there is no clear evidence to show, the woman,
although she lingered for several hours, remaining utterly
unconscious the whole time. At this particular spot, how-
ever, there are clear cases of a desperate scuffle. The
night was frosty, and the marks of the scuffle that were
discovered on the ground were only too indubitable. At
this spot the murderer seems to have rendered his victim
insensible, and had afterwards attempted to drag her home.
He must have seized the poor woman by the hair, and
have pulled her along in the direction of his house in this
horrible manner ; this appearing to have been the case
from the fact of quantities of the wife's hair being found
along the road. His intention seems to have been to take
her home and place her in bed, judging from his after
conduct ; but when he had taken her about half way his
strength seems to have failed him, or he must have taken
another thought, for leaving his senseless victim at the
road side he went on to the cottage himself, and wakened
up his neighbours, getting Peter and Catherine Conlin to
come back with him and help his wife home. They found
the poor woman quite senseless, and unable to move
almost, but strangely enough, notwithstanding her bruised
and bleeding condition, they merely carried her into the
house, leaving her lying at the fire and went to their
beds. It would now be about three o'clock in the morning.
Cook does not seem to have gone to bed himself, but to
have sat up dozing by the fire. The effect of the drink he
had consumed gradually wore off, and lifting his wife from
the position in which she was placed he laid her in bed, and
beginning to get frightened, called upon Mrs. Thompson at
an early hour and asked her to come in. Mrs. Thompson
found his wife in a dying state, but still insensible ; and it
was ultimately agreed to send for medical assistance. Drs
Hislop and Hays, of Dudley, arrived at the house ear in
the forenoon, but all that could be done to prolong life was
useless, and Mrs. Cook died at eleven o'clock. She con-
tinued insensible all the time. Cook himself seemed to feel
his position acutely. He made no effort to leave the place,
and was apprehended in the afternoon by Police-constable
(50) Robinson. The body of the murdered woman is in a
fearfully bruised condition. The left arm is broken, with
the bone protruding; there aro two cuts on the head, and
several ribs are broken as if from kicking The bruises
upon the woman's face are such as would have been caused
by the form of a lantern, while there are marks which
could alone have been caused by the 'rough perforations on
such an article. The lantern, the woman's cap, bonnet
and handkerchief were found next morning lying at the
spot where the scuffle is supposed to have taken place.
Cook is a little, thick-set man, about forty years of age.
His wife was about the same age, and was a fine looking
woman.

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