Brighouse & Rastrick Gazette. — 1887-03-19 (Brighouse, West Yorkshire, England)

THE KENTISH TOWN MURDER.  On Tuesday, Dr. G. Danford Thomas, coroner for Central Middlesex, held an inquest at the University Hospital, on the body of Mrs. Louisa Samuel, late of 92, Bartholomew-road, Kentish Town, who was murdered on the 11th inst. David Sannusl (the husband of the deceased), a dairyman, identified the body as that of his wife. Her age, he said, was 57, and her health was good, but she was not strong. On the afternoon of the murder he left her at home in the parlour. She was in sole charge of the shop, which was entered from the street through a lobby, and from the shop theie was passage to the parlour. On a shelf behind the counter he kept an iron safe, which was quite visible to anyone entering the shop. A few minutes after four, whilst he was in Islip-street delivering milk, a little girl told him to go home quick, as the iron safe was in the entrance to the shop, and his wife was lying on the floor in a pool of blood. He went at once, and on getting to the shop found the door open, and the safe lying there. He went on to the end of the counter and found his wife lying on the floor, her head being inside the parlour, and her feet towards the counter. There was a large quantity of blood about, and there was a severe gash on the top of her head. He tried to rouse her, but could not. The doctor came in soon afterwards and his wife was taken to the hospital. —Harritt Barnbrook, a girl of 15, deposed that she was going past Mr. Samuel's shop, and noticed that the shop door was opened. A safe was lying in the entrance. Five minutes after she returned, and Alice Cooper, a little girl, came out of the shop and said "Mrs. Samuel was asleep on the floor, and she could not get any answer from her," Cooper was taking in some empty cans. Witness went into the shop and saw the deceased lying in a pool of blood. She called several persons in. She did not see any persons outside the shop when she passed the first time.—Mr. Sidgate, proprietor of the Garibaldi public-house deposed to being called in by the last witness and searching the premises to find any weapon, but failed to do so. He had since heard that some persons hag been seen loitering in the street, which was a very quiet one.— inspector F. Summers stated that some iren were seen to drive away in a cart from the shop.—Dennis S. Downes, divisional surgeon, said that he met Dr. Slyman at the house of toe deceased. He found her on the sofa, breathing heavily,• awl the pupils slightly dilated. There was a large wound on the left side of the head, and connected with it one on the top. They were lacerated wounds, and : went down to the bone. They must hart been inflicted by some heavy instrument, such as a life preserver, a jemmy, or a heavy stick. The bone was , fractured. There was a slight wound on the upper side of the lip. In his opinion, both injuries were caused by one blow, which could not have been self-inflicted. The wounds were inflicted within about 40 minutes of his seeing them.—Mr. J. H. Carr, house-surgeon of the ! University Hospital, deposed that he had the head I shaved, and found furthrr wounds. In front of ' the principal injury was a small wound, and there was a cut above the ear about an I inch long. This was a clean cut, as if inflicted by ' a jemmy. Deceased died on the night of admission. The fracture of the skull was very severe, the brain itself Using bruised and laceiated. The cause of death was fracture of the skull and injury to the brain.—Detective Inspector Dod, Y Division, stated that he, in company with Inspector Jarvis, were pursuing inquiries in the matter, and tip to the present had no such clue as to warrant an arrest. He was of opinion that the act was committed for the ! purpose of robbery.—The jury suggested that a reward should be offered, and the inquest was adjourned.