The Sun. — 1859-01-15 (London, England)

SUPPOSED MURDER AT DUDLEY.  On Wednesday morning a woman named Mary Townshend, living with her husband in a small room behind the Mormon chapel, in Dudley, was found dead in bed, under very mysterious circumstances. She had been seen in good health on the previous evening. Upon her son going to her residence on the Wednesday morning, he was refused admittance by the stepfather, and the door had to be forced open. When found, the woman was quite dead, and appeared to have been suffocated or strangled. An inquest was held on Thursday before Mr. Robinson, when the following_ evidence was adduced :—James Savage, a son of the deceased by a former husband, stated=" he went to the place where his mother lived (at the back of the Latter Day Saints' chapel, in Chapel-street, Dudley), on Wednesday morning, at eleven o'clock. He found the door of the house locked. He knocked and tapped at the window for upwards of half an hour. During that time Thomas Townshend (the husband of deceased) frequently called out to him to go away and not make such a noise. Witness then asked to see his mother, but the husband refused to open the door. He then went away to his own house, and returned at about half-past 12 o'clock, and again tried to gain admission. He then told Thomas Townshend that if he did not open the door he would break it open. He then went for a constable, who came and broke open the door. They found the deceased lying on the bed quite dead. He had seen her in good health on the previous day. She had lived on good terms with her husband as far as ho knew.  Mr. James Fisher, a surgeon, stated that he saw the deceased at the time the door was broken open. She was then quite dead and cold. She lay upon her back, and her arms and hands were raised to her throat, as if resisting something. There was a considerable discharge of froth from the mouth, the eyes protruded, and the cheek was much suffused. He noticed a silk handkerchief on the bed, also covered with froth. There was a rosary round her throat, drawn very tight. He noticed a portable fire-place in the room, in which there was a quantity of coke not burnt out ; but he did not observe any sulphur. He made a post mortcm examination of the body, and found the windpipe contained a quantity of.fluid blood ; the chest and stomach were in a healthy state, and from his examination he was of opinion that the deceased died from suffocation, produced by external pressure. He noticed an extensive indentation on the outside of the neck ; there was also congestion of the brain, which would be produced by strangulation or suffocation. At this stave of the proceedings a witness was not to be found who saw the handkerchief mentioned above tied with three knots tightly round the deceased's neck.  The Coroner said it would be necessary to have the witness present, and any further evidence that could be procured, as there was no doubt that deceased had died by strangulation, which could not have been produced by her own act. The fact of her husband refusing to open the door was also suspicious. The mystery that enveloped the caso would require time to be unravelled. The inquiry was then adjourned to Monday next. Great excitement prevailed in the neighbourhood of the houae. The husband is at present under medical treatment, and Mr. Fisher considers biro imbecile. He is stated to have preserved the most stolid indifference to his wife's death, and to have refused to answer any questions. The coroner gave an order to procure his attendance at the adjourned inquest.