The Sun.
London, England, 1866-04-24 00:00:00

The Coppenhall Murder.

HYDE LEA, Monday.
Mr. William Morgan, coroner, held an inquest at
the Crown Inn, Hyde Lea, near Coppenhall, onthe
body of Ellen Buckley, who was found murdered in
her cottage at the last-named place on Friday
evening.

Colonel Hogg, the Chigf Constable of Stafford-
shire, was present on behalf of the police authorities.
James Buckley, son of the deceased, deposed
that he was a farmer's labourer, and that he lived
with his mother at Coppenhall. She was a widow,
aged 78 years. He left her in her usual good
health at half-past five o'clock on Friday morning.
A man named John Cooper had for the last three
years been in the habit of eating his dinner at their
house, and of late had spent a great deal of his
time there--too much of it, in fact. He did not

know the billhook produced, but he was aware

that Cooper worked with one like it. There had
been no quarrel between Cooper and Mrs. Buckley,
although the latter had been rather sharp with him
lately because of his disposition to stay too long at
his meals. _ _

Mr. John William Moore, farmer, of The Tol

Dunston, deposed that he was passing through
Coppenhall at 20 minutes past 6 o'clock on Friday
evening. He observed a ground roller lying in the
road, and thinking that it might occasion an acci-
dent he went to the cottage to request that the last
witness should remove it. Upon opening the door
he saw the deceased lying on the floor. Much
alarmed, and thinking that she had ruptured a
blood vessel, he went for assistance. On his return
with a shepherd named Salt, he turned the body
over, and then found that her neck was fearfully
cut in two places, and that her face had been gashed
across one cheek. A handkerchief she wore round
her neck had been cut in two or three places, as if
pierced with some sharp instrument. Suspecting
the man Cooper, he at once sent for the police.
Samuel Mainwaring deposed that he is a labourer
working for Mr. Ward, farmer, of Coppenhall.
John Cooper, of- Dunston, was also employed
there. Cooper and he went to dinner at twenty
minutes to one o'clock on Friday, and when he
(witness) returned to the farm the deceased re-
quested him to come and turn Cooper out of the
cottage. Cooper was then sitting on one side of
the fireplace, smoking, with thebill-hook produced
dangling between his legs. He would not return
to work until his master fetched him, and then,
after having tied straw for about half an hour, he
suddenly left. Cooper was sober, but did not talk
much.

Arthur Ward, farmer, of Coppenhall, deposed to
having fetched Cooper from the deeeased's house.
He had then nothing in his hand. As Mainwaring
left the cottage the deceased said, " The master's
coming," and before he (witness) entered Cooper
would have time to put the billhook away.
Francis Handley, wheelwright, in the employ of
Mr. Ward, deposed that he saw Cooper leave the
rick-yard at about half-past 2on Friday afternoon.
He went in thedirection oflMrs. Buckley's house.
George Allsop deposed that on Friday afternoon
about 3 o'clock, he saw Cooper about 300 yards
from deceased's house, walking very sharply in the
direction of Dunston.
Thomas Pickstoff, farmer, gave similar evidence.
He then had a billhook in his hand.
Aaron Mincher deposed to seeing Co u
peorv;lrliZg.
towards his own home at about 3 o'clock
He had something under his left arm.
Edward Pursall, shoemaker,
heath, also saw Cooper about t
with Cooper's
had a billhook under his ,uannstdoliii-e
Hannah Glover deposed
,ihvohnalteborninFgrsidyaoyu
thatai . ,shhee samew aswatiti
hen
Ward has turned me away.
afternoon.
rmat I,lrihs.dohgo“uirleisrwl.i
woman.Fleacamether " I e had a bill-
hook oannlle
n?
o"
looked so wild that
nslihoeo kw, assayi veryn
she was
hook in his hand, and
children, bleitetesralth an and
would
would
theld n coltu loserenth,
eand b
g 7
It is
• the usefullest thing I've got." The daughter,
however, afterwards took it from him.
farfirgaliicitehned. e
Em ma Holdford deposed that on Friday afternoon
she was at work in a field with Cooper's wife.
Cooper came up to them at about 4 o'clock, laughed,
and said " Wife, I've done that that will hang me.
The police will soon be after me now." She no-
ticed blood on the back of one of his hands, and he
trembled very much, while the perspiration dropped
from him.

Patience Hill, servant to Mr. Ward, deposedthat
early on Friday morning Cooper remarked to her
that he felt very queer. She told him not to feel