The Sun. — 1849-10-15 (London, England)

HORRIBLE MURDER OF A WIFE AND CHILD AT CLAPHAM. On Saturday morning, soon after Mr. Paynter had taken his seat upon the bench, Mr. Parrot, jun., surgeon, of Clapham common, arrived at the court, and gave the startling intelligence that he was in attendance to give evidence upon a charge of murder of a woman and child that had taken place at an early hour that morning. In the course of an hour the murderer was brought into court in the custody of Mr. Coleman, the inspector of the Clapham district, and placed in the dock. There were very few persons assembled, as the dreadful affair was comparatively unknown beyond the immediate locality. The prisoner, who is a middle-aged man, with nothing ferocious in his appearance, but much the reverse, was described in the charge sheet as James vlreston, age 39, labourer, and the words of the charge were "wilfully murdering Mary Weston, his wife, and Maria Elizabeth Weston, their child, by cutting their throats with a razor in the parish of Clapham. The first witness examined was William Coleman, who stated—l am one of the inspectors of police, and have the control of the Clapham section of the V division. This morning, at a quarter-past seven o'clock, the prisoner came to the station, and addressing me said, " I have come to give myself up." I asked him what for ? and he said, " For murder." (Here the prisoner burst into a paroxysm of grief which lasted for several minutes.) I perceived that there were marks of blood on his hands and coat, and I asked him who it was that he had murdered? and he said his wife. I asked him why he had murdered her, and how he did it? He replied, " With a razor ;" and he then put his hand to his waistcoat pocket and handed this razor to me (a black handled one). I saw that it was covered with blood. I then asked him his name and where he lived, and he answered, " James Weston, Carpenter's- buildings Clapham." 1 asked him if he had any other articles in his possession, when he handed me three knives, as also the key of his apartments. I then at once dispatched Sergeant Langton to his residence. Sergeant Langton was present, and heard all that transpired up to this time. After Sergeant Langton was gone, the prisoner said, " I have also murdered my child." I asked him the sex of the child, and he said it was a girl, and aged one year and nine months. He then said, " There is another child there also, I wish you would send after the man to have her taken away. I asked him how he came to do it, and whether he had had any quarrel with his wife ? and he replied " They were in the habit of having trifling broils, like other people, but nothing of a serious nature. I went to bed comfortably last night, and felt so up till four o'clock this morning, and after it struck four I got out of bed, struck a light with a match, went down stairs and fetched a razor (the one produced), but when I returned I felt I could not do it; but after being temptedlformed a resolution, and attacked my wife as she was dressing herself in bed." The pri• soner afterwards uttered several incoherent expressions, having no reference whatever to what had transpired, but from the nature of those expressions I believed him to he insane. The prisoner further said, speaking of his wife, " We were to have been disgraced to-day, and I could not bear it." He further said Mr. Parrott gave him medicine some days previously. Prisoner—lt was on Monday week. Examination resumed—lie said he gave him some drugs and forced him to take them, and that it was done by the sanction and advice of the Rev. Mr. Pritchard. Mr.