The Sun.
London, England, 1859-11-15 00:00:00

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THE MURDER AT COVENTRY.

The sang froid and coolness of the author of this
horrid deed are almost unexampled. As soon as
he arrived at the station where he was to be con-
fined prior to appearing before the magistrates, he
said he should want something to eat, and he went
on to say, with indescribable harshness, that if the
knife had been sharper, he would have cut his
wife's head quite off.
An inquiry, touching her death, was held before
E. Poole, Esq., yesterday, when Mr. Smallbone
appeared on behalf of the father.
Henry Quinney was the first witness examined.
It appeared from his evidence that he saw the
murderer and his wife " wrangling together in a
field, and heard the former say, " I only asked you
how you were, and how the child was." She re-
plied, " That's nothing to do with you ;" and he
rejoined, "It has—everything." The woman then
asked witness to fetch a policeman, and ho went
away.
Elizabeth Elliott said—l saw Kingston and his
wife together on Saturday morning last. He
knocked her down and knelt upon her. I saw him
cut her throat with a knife. She screamed out,
and I ran away.
The next witness was a factory girl, who also saw
the couple. He said, " I have forgiven you times
enough, and you may thank your father for it all ;"
and he said if her father had been there he would
"do for him," as well as her. He said so while ho
was cutting her throat. If I had been near enough
I should have tried to take the knife from him.
When she gave over speaking, I said " There, let
her alone now ; you have done enough !" I was
about 20 yards off. Jones came up and called him
a villain. Kingston accused his wife, after he had
done the dee'l, of selling up his house twice.
Edward Salmon, sergeant of the Coventry police
force, was next called, and said :—On Saturday
morning last I received information of a murder,
and came up with Kingston in Ford. lte called
me by name, and said " Salmon, I'm here; I'll go
with you quietly." When I got near him he said,
" Don't handle me !" I asked a man who was with
him where the knife was ? The prisoner replied
himself, "It lays beside her. She's dead enough.
If she had gone to live with me lavt night this would
not have happened ; but lam satisfied now." He
also said that the last words of his wife, when she
was dying, were, " Jack, Jack, it's my father's
fault." I took him to the police-station. His hands
were covered with blood ; so was one knee, which
was saturated. There was also blood on his face.
He said he fhould have come to the station if I had
not come.

Mr. W. Dresser, surgeon, described the post mor-
tem appearances of the deceased. There were three
gashes on the right-hand side of the head, the prin-
cipal one severing the arteries of the face. Another
cut severed the windpipe and carotid artery. These
appearances went to show that there had been
peat resistance on the part of the woman.
The jury, accordingly to the direction of the Co-
roner, returned a► verdict of " Wilful Murder "
against John Kingston.
The prisoner will be committed for trial at the
Warwick Winter Assizes.

The widow of Balzae is married to Gigoux, the
painter and expert of the Louvre. The condition of the
marriage is singular enough. The lady is to retain the
name of Balzac, even in signing legal documents, and to
be called in her domestic circle by no other name than that
of her first husband, from whose glory she will not depart.
—Court Journal.
W A VETERAN CHARGER.—There is at present
serving in the 11th Hussars a chestnut coloured troop-
horse, named Bob, of the remarkable age of 30 years. By
the horse register of the regiment it is seen that this horse
joined the 14th Dragoons as a 4-yr-old on October the 2d,
1833, and was transferred in 1842 to tho 11th Hussse ars.
in ale
embarked for the Crimea in 1854 and was p
,
the actions, including Balaklava. in which that regiment
rent
was engaged, being one of very.few horses who survived
the exposure of that winter, and is still fit for duty in 1859.
It is to be hoped that such a horse may never leave his mi.
moo, whatsoever infirmities may oyeltako