The Sun.
London, England, 1858-06-17 00:00:00

DREADFLL MuJWIW AND SUICIDE Ar
MLINGT(IN.

YeaqricfaY another Of those dreadful deeurrences
which have -too- often of late shoekid the'publio
wind in connection With the great qt.t?O`sigti of "the
social evil," was brought to light, atd cause gnat
excitement and sensation in the parish of Itlngton
and the immediate neighbourhood, . it having be-
come known that a dreadful muri.'er of a fclnalp had
been committed by a man, who is at present un-
known, and that the victim was an " unfortunate,"
of the name of Phillips, better known in Ole neigh!.
b heod as "Mrs. Cooke," who, e sit 10,
Park-road, Barnsbury-read, a plac© of apparently
great resreetability.

The circumstances connected with ,this case are
of the most melancholy description, at once show-
ing that the commission of the dreadful crime was
premeditated, and actuated by jealousy. The un.
fortunioe female was one of that vast number who
swell the "social evil" of the metropolis ; but al-
though not iu the habit of throwing herself in tiro
way of her admirers by common parade, she was,
to all intents, one of that number. She made assign-
ations, and thus carried on her means of livelihood.
She was about 32 years of age, of somewhat mas-
culine appearance, nothing particularly prepo- Bess.
ing in feature, but dressed fashionably and gay ;
and although, it is supposed, under the care of one
gentleman, she received the attention of others.
Her house was handsomely furnished. It was not
what was generally known as a " common," but as
i a "gay" house, and' the neighbours affirmed that
broughams, gentlemen on horseback, and o here
moving in a high sphere of society; were constant-
vt,itors, and that a female lodger had there resided'
about three months. A wealthy tradesman in the
neighbourhood was &so stated as being one of her
numerous admirers, and it was at first thought
that the deceased was his son. A most melancholy
portion of this tragic scene is that themale deceased,
although his mind must have been fully prepared
to commit this drea iful murder and suicide, a
short time previously to its commission actually ac-
companied a street organ with his voice in its per-
f nauance of the " Old Hundredth," at the same
time having in his possession a loaded-six-barrelled
revolver—the instrument with which he intended
to carry out his murderous designs, and a new
clasp-handled knife with a blade fully six inches in
length. The cause of this shocking affair was pro-
bably jealousy, as in the pocket-book of the man
was found a document, on which the following
words were wri.ten in a very legible hand :—" I
said it should not last a twelvemonth. Mr. Els-
mere and Mr. Horlick ate to blame, and I leave
them to the everlasting curse of a dying man." On
the back of the document there was written, "In
Chancery' At the suit or ' very.'" The supposi-
tion is that the unfortunate man was attached to
the law. On searching the male deceased, in his
pockets were found the portrait of a ballet-girl, and
in his pocket-book several poetical effusions, illus-
trative of his love of female society were also found,
as also several receipes and matters connected with
science. He was very fashionably attired, and from
the connection of the female withlhimself there did
not appear to have been the slightest mistrust on
her part, as on Thursday next there was an ap-
pointment existing between them for visiting the
Royal Botanical Gardens, Regent's-park.
ut 12 o'clock yesterday, Mr. Inspector Judge,
of the N division, was informed that something
was believed to be wrong at the above house, in
consequence of the oily other lodger in the house,
a female of the name of Sarah Scott, not having
seen her landlady or "her friend" about during the
morning. In the most prompt manner Mr. Judge,
accompanied by Sergeant Witberiugton, 24 N, and
Police-constable Ryan, 157 N, proceeded to the
house in question, and having knocked at the back
parlour door, found they could not gain admittance.
Finding that the door could not be forced the in-
sp. ctor directed the constable to procure a ladder,
which having been done, an entry by the back par-
lour window was effected. In that small room,
about eight feet wide by ten feet long, a most hor-
rible sight met their gaze. Ou the bed was disco-
vered the lifeless body of a young man, fully
dressed, with a revolver having still a charge in it,
weltering in blood, and by his aide the victim of
his jealousy, dreadfully wounded, and quite dead.
The top part of the bed and the floor presented a
very dreadful appearance, both being literally
covered wilt blood.

Mr. Judge at once sent off for medical assistance,
and Mr. J. W. Wilson, surgeon, of 22, Brunswick-
place, Barnsbury-road, arr►ved shortly after one
o'clock, and proceeded to make an examination of
the bodies. Mr. Wilson found on the female two
pistol wouods above the left ear, each would being
about an inch from each other. There was a great
amount of effusion of blood under the left eye-lid,

which causei it to have the appearance of having
received a severe blow, with rigidity of the body,
showing the deceasedi had been dead some hours ;
the body, however, at the lime Leinga little :arm.
Ou examining the body of the female be found no
external marks of violence, although this cannot be
clearly ascertained until the pest mortem examina-
tion takes place. It may be stated that the deceased
had every appearance of being pregnant, although
this could not be easily ascertained, as the police
at present could not allow the bodies to be re-
moved. On examining the body of the man, it was
discoveted that both his hands were much con-
tracted, and one of them was blackened by the
effEcts of the powder. The police took the re-
volver, which was firmly clenched in deco .ed's right
baud, and on removing it, proceeded to examine
the body as to the spot of the mortal wound. This
was not a matter of much time, for, although the
escape of blood presented a frightful appearance,
yet its source was easily and at once to be traced,
a large pistol shot wound with laceration of the in-
teguments being found in the front of the forehead,
the wound penetrating the skull. Mr. Wilson's
opinion ,s that the deceased must have placed tie
pistol direct to his forehead, and without a mo-
ment's thought h.ve discharged it, the ball passing
into the skull, and completely shattering the brain.
No mark of the ball could be observed as having
passed through the back of the head. The mouth
was next examined, for the purpose of ascertainingpistol
therein, but fr m the appearances presented there
is not the slightest reason for so supposing, as the
teeth are not in the least disturbed, nor the mouth
blackened or smelling of powder. There is every
reasonable telief that the man destroyed himself in
the way described, and that death must have
resulted instantaneously. From the calm and com-
posed appearance of the unfortunate woman, the
supposition is that her life was taken during sleep,
as she was lying in bed undressed.
The only lodger at present in the house,
Mrs. Sarah Scott, who states that she is a
married woman, but not residing with her
husband, informed Inspector Judge that she
only knew the deceased man by hearing the unfor-
tunate female call him " her dear friend Henry."
Last night he came to see her and had with
them some " old Tom." She left them, as
usual, sitting in the parlour, and then retired to
rest, her Ledrootn being on the floor immediately
over that in which the tragical occurrence hap-
pened. She, being a round sleeper, was not, dis-
turbed in bed during the night, and in the morning
got, up and went down stairs about nine o'clock.
She went about the house and did her work in the
ordinary wanner, and when she had finished was
rather surprised that she had seen n_oraht theeard door
any-
thing of either party. She knocked
answerthe sister of the
stairs, and f eling alarmed sent
hfor i .
sortie time, and not receiving any went up
residing at 19,
date neighbourhood.
dTtrcienaitsyed_s,tiMeerts:
i 1.40 ortheraimPmerlllips,
policebreak
were then sent for.
st
hu arrived,
ut av avail,
and
and tri e dt
the
oe
open the door, b Although
She shortly afteruwtarwdi
that three shots were fired, Mrs. Scott
it has been previ-
ouslysays that she never heard the least noise or disturb.
mice whatever.
stated
That the noise of the explosions was beard is
plainly proved by the following statement, volun-
teered by a female residing three doors off, and
which was given in our reporter's hearing. She
:—" This morning, abut two o'clock, I was
it ting up in bed with the face-ache. It was light-
ning at the time. I heard a report, which I at first
thought was thunder, although it did not sound so
strong, and it caused the dog to bark. About two
minutes afterwards I heard a second report, and
after the same interval I heard another. After
that all was quiet." Other and closer neighbours,
it may be remarked, also heard the noise of the
explosions.
As the deceased man is not known, we give the
following description of him, premising that the
whole of his linen is !talked "U. R. H. ' He
is rather thin, of light complexion, about five
feet ten inches in height, has light and bushy
whiskers, grey eyes, perfect teeth, and hair light
and inclining to be sandy. He is dressed in Twee 4
pepper-and-salt coat, dark Tweed waistcoat, and
doeskin trousers, with a small plaid pattern and
stripe down the side. His necktie as what _
generally known as the " Cambridge blue," al! d
he
is
had a tourist's brown hat without the maker's
name,
The revolver, which is not a new one, is a Six-
barrel one, also without the maker's name.
the cool and deliberate manner w
Great praise is due to Mr. Inspectorhiche carried
h Judge for
in
out his arrangements, and for the efforts he made
to identify the body of the deceased man.
The inquest will be held, it is stated, on Sstur•
day morning.