The Sun.
London, England, 1861-09-10 00:00:00

THE ALLEGED MURDER IN NEWTON-

STREET, HOLBORN.

CORONER'S INQUEST--(THIS DAY,

The adjourned investigation into the circumstances at-
tending the death of the unfortunate woman Cogan was
resumed this afternoon, at the Archer public-house, New-
ton-street.
It will be recollected, when the inquiry was first opened,
that Cogan, who stands charged with the murder of his
wife, was in such a dangerous state, from the wounds in-
flicted on his neck, that he was obliged to be conveyed to
the hospital, where he has remained, under the care of the
police, until to-day.
Cogan arrrived from King's College Hospital a few
minutes before two o'clock in custody of Inspector Mac-
kenzie, of the F division of police, and immediately had an
audience with his solicitor, Mr. G. Lewis, of Ely-place.
The Coroner said as Cogan was now present he proposed
that the evidence taken in his absence should be read over,
in order that he might make any statement he thought
proper.

The evidence of Sarah Harwood, the deceased's sister,
was then read over to her.
In answer to questions from Mr. Lewis, she said her sister
was rather of a hasty temper. She never knew that de-
ceased had been in custody for stabbing her husband. The
deceased was very much attached to Cogan, and she never
knew them to quarrel except when she had been taking
drink with him.
Police-constable 144 F was next called. It will be recol-
lected that this was the constable who took the prisoner into
custody in Holborn, on the morning of the occurrence, and
bis evidence was to the effect that he saw Cogan and his
wife quarrelling previous to the death of the woman, and
also that afterwards he conveyed Cogan to King's College
Hospital.
In reply to questions put to him by Mr. Lewis, he said
—When he first saw deceased with the prisoner she was
wrangling with him. Would swear that when he saw Cogan
in Holborn he did not say " Has your wife cut your throat."
He asked him if he had cut his wife's throat, and he nodded
his head.

Police-constables 36 and 82 F, said that Cogan was
never asked by either of them if his wife had cut his
throat. The question he was asked was, " Have you cut
your wife's throat."
Mr. Paynter, the surgeon, who examined the body of the
deceased woman, said the cuts on the deceased's throat
could not have been inflicted by herself. The wound com-
menced at the centre of the back of the neck across the
right side of the throat, and tailed off to a mere scratch on
the left collar bone. If the deceased had inflicted the
wound upon her neck herself she could not have thrown
the razor where it was found. The effect of the injury
would have rendered her immediately powerless, and she
would have sunk down, and the instrument would have
been found in her hand or very close to it. He had since
he had given his evidence made a post mortem examina-
tion of the body and found other appearances, which forti-
fied him in the opinion that the deceased could not have
inflicted the injuries by her own hand.
In reply to Mr. Lewis, Mr. Paynter said he thought it
quite impossible for the deceased to have severed what is
vulgarly called "Adam's apple" in her throat, as in her
case, which is by no means common in persons of the age
of deceased, it had partly become bone, and was completely
cut in half. To effect such a cut great violence must have
been used.
Inspector Mackenzie said in an interview with the pri-
soner, which he had on the 12th of August, he asked him
what he (Mackenzie) was to do with his furniture. He
said, " What's become of my wife ; is she remanded ?" He
told him she was dead, and he began to cry. Cogan went
on to say that the day before the murder he had been to a
funeral, and on his arrival home he asked his wife to go up
stairs. This she refused to do at the time, but afterwards
she came up and inflicted the wound on his throat as he
was lying on the hearth-rug.
Mr. Lewis asked if the witness remembered that the de-
ceased had been charged with assaulting her husband with
a knife.
Inspector Mackenzie said he recollected something of the
kind, but ho thought she was discharged, as the husband
did not appear against her in the morning.
The evidence of the other witnesses on the first examina-
tion, which contained nothing very material, having been
read over,
Mr. Fm tescue, house surgeon of King's College Hospi-
tal, described the wound on Cogan's neok when he was
brought to the hospital. The injury could either have been
inflicted by his own hand or by another person. It was in
the position suicidal wounds generally are.
Police-constable 50 F said, on the 3d of August he was
on duty in the hospital. The chaplain was reading prayers
to Cogan, who put both his hands together and said, " I did
not do it I I did not do it I She done it. I've nothing to
forgive, she done it." Cogan the next day said "I was lying
on the hearthrug, and I found her drawing a razor or knife
across my throat. Me and missts had words before we got
up stairs. As soon as I found her cutting my throat I ran
down stairs into Holborn and met a policeman there. I
showed him my throat and he asked me who done it. I
drew my hand across, and said I did it myself." On the
following Wednesday Cogan said "I wish you to tell me
the truth—is my wife dead, and am I charged with killing
her 2" Cogan has repeatedly said "As true as there's a
God in Heaven, I did not do it. She must have done it
herself." Cogan has also said his wife had been charged
with stabbing him.
A juror asked if Cogan had been cautioned by the police-
man before he made any of the statements that whatever
he might say would be used against him ?
The constable said he had not.
The Coroner said nothing could have been more straight-
forward than the conduct of Inspector Mackenzie. He had
acted throughout the proceedings with the greatest judg-
ment and prudence, and with a spirit of fairness that did
him the greatest credit.
Mr. Lewis said his client was anxious to give his evi-
dence; and having taken the oath, the coroner duly cau-
tioned him. He then said—My name is William Cogan.
On the 2d August I was living at 2, Newton-street. The
deceased was my wife, and I bad beeen married to her 11
years. On the 2d of August I had been to my godfather's
funeral, and returned home about five. In the evening
I went out, and on my return home I found my wife ab-
sent. She was out drinking. I met her about 1 o'clock in
the morning. I met her at the door, which she slammed in
my face. I pushed it open, and went into the passage,
when she struck me more than once. I walked to the top
of the street for quietness. I have no recollection of taking
any ale that evening. When I returned home, after a short
absence, my wife was not there ; and as the bed was not
down, I threw myself on the floor near the fire place. I
went to sleep. I don't recollect anything, but I found my •
self down at the door. I have no recollection of feeling
anything in the room. She must have done something to
wake me up. I found, when I got into the street,
that I was bleeding, and got very weak. I
went to the policeman, and made motions to
him to take my wife into custody for cutting me. I was
then taken to the hospital. I never inflicted the slightest
injury on my wife. We generally lived comfortably, but
we have lived separate, and I allowed her 10s. a week. She
once stabbed me with a knife in the arm and other places.
I gave her into custody, but I did not appear against her.
She hail on previous occasions cut nay head by throwing