The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle. — 1887-10-08 (Stourbridge, West Midlands, England)

EVIDENCE.  The prisoner was subsequently conveyed to Cratingham t) attend the coroner's inquest, which was opened at the Bell Inn in the afternoon. The jury composed of farmers and tradesmen of the distric', assembled, and were sworn, in the village cluh-room, which stands in the vicarage grounds. Then, led ty the coroner, they entered the vicarage to view the body. It was lying in the bedroom where the tragedy occurred, t,upported on four chairs. The terrible gash in the throat was exposed to the view of the jury, anti the bloed-stains on the carpet were also pointed out. showing the position in which Mrs. Farley found her husband after she returned from the curate's room. This room is contiguous to that in which Mr. Farley was sleeping, and there is a door communicating between the two. This however, was fastened with a small padlock in the vicar's room. The jury next visited the curate's room, which was in exactly the same state as when Mr Gilbert Cooper left it on the fatal night. The bed was very much disarranged, a. though the occupant had been tossing about from side to side. The jury, on leaving the house, proceeded to the Bell Inn. The prisoner was brought in between two policemen, and provided with a chair. He seems to be a man about 33 or 34 years of age. He kept on his hat until it was removed by one of the officers. At first he was bewildered, hut soon he settled into close attention to what was going on, and seemed to appreciate the gravity of the situation. The widow of the murdered man was the first witness. As has been already stated the deceased was seventy-three years of age. The present. witness, who was is thi,.d wife, is apparently in the prime of Life. She gave her name as Harriet Louisa Farley, and said the deceased was her husband. He was an invalid and confined to bed. On Saturday night she retired ta rest in a cot at the foot of her husbann's bed between nine and ten o'clock. The curate, who lived in the house, was hen down stairs, and she bade him good-night. A little after midnight her husband awoke her, and told her some one was at the door. The witness then repeated the statement already published as to tLe manner in which the crime was perpetrated. After she had finished this recital, she said that subseqriently to the prisoner's return to the house she went up to ea him.  The Foreman :Did you have any conversation with him?  Wi'ness : I said, "You don't know what you have clone." He looked at, me, and I said. "Shall I write to your mother ? " He said, "Oh, no." He was very boyish in some of his ways. Ile was only a bey. The Coroner: What do you mean? Witness: Well, he is over 30, but I treated him quite as a lad. Ore of the jurors (Mr. üby) at the close of the widow's evidence in chief, said he had a very unpleasant duty to perform, but in the interests of the public it was imperative he should put certain questions. (To Mrs. Farley) : Was there not conside: able animus in the mind of Mr. Farley towards Mr. Cooper?— Certainly not; not for some time past. During the first nine or ten months there was some miounuerstanding ; but latterly Le has been very different. Was there any occasion for tlat ?—Yes. What '—Some little unpleasantness about money matters.  I presume you know very well your character has been considerably aspersed? The Coroner: We must not go into that.