The Northern Guardian. — 1894-07-14 (Hartlepool, Cleveland, England)

THE STOCKTON TRAGEDY.  INQUEST AND VERDICT.  Yesterday afternoon, Mr Coroner Settle held an inquiry at the Stockton Police Court into the circumstances of the death of Margaret Lawson, ' aged 38 years, who is alleged to have been ' murdered by her husband, John Lawson, a labourer, at their house in Henzell Street, Norton Road, on Thursday morning. Mr Superintendent Bell was present on behalf of the police authorities, and Mr Malkin, solicitor, represented the deceased's relatives.—Margaret Jane Lawson, aged 16 years, a daughter of the deceased woman and the murderer, said: My father used to stay away two or three days from us, and sometimes a week. We didn't know where he went, but he used to say he had been away to seek work. He never sent any money to us when he was away. On the present occasion he had been staying with us for about two months. He used to go out in the morning, and return to sleep at night. He came home on Wednesday night. He went to bed upstairs in the same room as four younger children. Iviy mother, my eldest sister (Elizabeth), a younger sister, and myself  WENT TO BED IN THE PARLOUR downstairs. On Thursday morning, about four o'clock, my father came downstairs into our bedroom. A lamp was burning, and he blew it out. It was, however, light, but I did not see that he had a knife in his hand. My mother saw him, and asked him what he wanted, and he said, "Nothing." He got hold of my sister Elizabeth by the hair of the head, and struck her twice on the head, but I did not see the knife. I got up and pulled my sister out of bed, and my mother got up to protect my sister. Then my father struck my mother, and I saw the handle of a knife in his hand. The knife went right through her. He held her on the bed, and struck her through the heart. Itried to stop my father from striking her again, but he pushed nie away, arnl I was powerless. I ran out screaming, and was pulling the bolt of the back door when my sister said, "There he is; be sharp," and we escaped into the back street. I went and told my aunt, who lives near. P.C. Telford was brought. When I re-entered the house I saw MY MOTHER LYING ON THE FLOOR; my father had fallen beside her. By Mr Malkin: I missed the knife produced the night before, when I went to get it to cut some bread. I had not seen my father sharpen it.—P.C. Telford also gave evidence.—Dr W. L. Bradshaw, of Victoria Terrace, stated that he was called to the house to see the woman Margaret Lawson. She was lying dead on the floor. There were 16 wounds—stabs— altogether on the neck, arms, breast, head, and one of the hands. There was a clean cut on the inside of the right knee. He bad made a post mortem examination of the body, and had discovered that the cause of death was injury to the right internal jugular vein, and also the external jugular vein on the same side. Either of those wounds would cause death. The deceased had also been stabbed in the region of the lurgs on the left side.—The jury found a verdict of " wilful murder" against the deceased's husband, John Lawson. The Coroner made out a warrant for the man's committal for trial at the Assizes, but remarked that, as Lawson was not in a fit condition to be removed from the hospital, he would leave the warrant in the hands of the police authorities to execute at their discretion.