The Sun.
London, England, 1866-07-25 00:00:00

The Double. Murder in Somers-town.

Yesterday afternoon Dr. Lankester, the coroner
for Central Middlesex, opened an inquest at the
Rising Sun, Euston-road, on the bodies of Emma
Butcher, aged three years and six months, and
Agnes Butcher, aged 12 months, who were, as
alleged, murdered by their mother on Saturday
morning at No. 67, Wilsted-street, Somers-town.
Mr. Superintendent Webb and Mr. Inspector Fraser
attended to watch the case on behalf of the police
authorities. The Coroner said that doubtless the
jury were fully aware of the circumstances of the
case, and as it would be necessary to adjourn the
inquiry for the attendance of the woman, such
evidence would only be taken as was ad-
visable, having that object in view. William
Butcher, the husband, who was deeply affected in
giving his sevidence, said he was the father of
the children, who were respectively three and
a-half and twelve mouths old. He had three
other children. He left his wife and five children at
home on Friday about 12 o'clock, the children being
in bed, and after getting his supper his wife pre-
pared the bed. He was a baker and worked at
night. He had no idea :how the children came by
their death, and he had no reason to suppose the
mother had made away with them. He could not
say the children were his. Since the birth of the
last child his wife had not been well. For the last
month she hadbeen in a strange way, always speak-
ing of policemen and others being round the win-
dows, and saying " we were going to prison" and
referring to " money we owed." She also spoke of
the children being taken away, and said there would
and then
a nt
be more trouble than ever. On the night he went
he
away she said, " Don't leavoeylie!
take See
you, i Look
theml
and roundtheoh theildr
owni
wn
110 window
a; they'll hto
go to the workhouse."
Her sister threw herself out of a window at
Guy's Hospital about six months ago,., llis wife did
not drink, and was very fond of tier sister. She had
another sister, who was so queer that they had not
let her know what had occurred. About five years
ago his wife was in a very sad state, but he then was
in a position to send her out of town, Witness went
into the room and saw the children very quiet, and
told Annie to go down and tell her grandmother to
come up. Witness thought he saw them lying with
their faces tied up, and said " Dear me, how quiet
they lie ;" and then he went to the bed and saw
they were dead. He snatched them out of bed and
carried them about, for he could not think they were
dead though they were quite cold. A doctor was
sent for as soon as the
mother was found in the
waterbutt. There was a tub standing near the bed
under the table, but his wife had ben washing in
the day and had used the tub. Mr. Jackson, sur-
geon, of 65, Euston-road, deposed that he had been
called in, and, having attended to the mother, saw
the children, who were dead. Their night clothes
and hair were saturated, and the bandages round
the head, as being laid out, were also wet. A.
post-mortem examination, with other appear-
ances, showed that death had resulted from
drowning in both cases. Inspector Frazer pro-
duced a slate on which the woman had written,
" May God forgive me for what I have done.
I cannot bear this. Browns and Pits is the cause of
this. lam not what they say, as God is my judge.
Emma, look to my dear children as much as you
can. I cannot bear to—O my God, have mercy."
The Coroner said it would be advisable to adjourn
the inquiry for the presence of the accused IVolllan,
and the jury would, therefore, attend again on Satur-
day morning, at half-past 10 o'clock, to which time
the inquest would be adjourned.

ENS 0N 'S GOLD JEWELLERY. Novel
and Artistic.

lENSON'S ILLUSTRATED PAMPHLET.
J) 2d.