Brighouse & Rastrick Gazette. — 1880-06-12 (Brighouse, West Yorkshire, England)

MURDER.  In London, on Saturday, shortly after six oVock in the morning, a man named Key accosted a policeconstable in the Bethnal-green-road, and said that he bad murdered his wife. The officer questioned the man, somewhat doubtful of his being serious,but as he persisted in his statement, he took him to the station. To Inspector Smith, whom they met on the way thither, the man repeated his statement. "His wife, he said, he had found, on waking that morning, standing over him with a poker in the act of striking him, and, on the spur of the moment, he jumped outof bed, seized a flat-iron, and dealt her a fatal blow. The man, who was calm and self-possessed, was asked whether be was speaking the truth, and replied that he was. He was unable to give the number of the house in which he lived, but said that it was "the first house on the light-hand side in Patriotsquare." Thither the inspector and constable proceeded. Patriot-square is a quiet thoroughfare within 200 yards of the East-end Museum, with rows of small houses tenanted by respectable mechanics and working people. At the house No. 5, nobody could give the officers any information. The house is in the occupation of a Mrs. Ray, a widow. John Key and his wife, Martha Key, occupied a front room on the top floor. A lodger in the adjoining room had heard no sound during the night. When the officers opened the door they found lying on the bedstead the body of a woman covered m blood, which had also saturated the bed. The body was undressed, and lay with the face upwards. A surgeon was sent for, and pronounced the woman to be dead. The fiat-iron mentioned by the man was found covered with blood. On • the other hand, the poker also mentioned by the prisoner lay in its usual place in the fender. There was no evidence of a struggle, The woman, who, it is said, was 48 years of age, is believed to be Key's second wife. He was quite calm and communicative.  On Saturday, at the Worship-street Police-court, John Key, described on the police-sheet as a smith, of 5, Patriot-square, Cambridge-road, Bethnal-green, was charged with the wilful murder of his wife, Martha Key. The only witness examined was Inspector Smith, K Division, who deposed as follows :—At twenty minutes past six on Saturday morning I met Police-constable Charles Coventry in the Bethnal-green-road, and he had the prisoner in his custody. He said to me, "This This man wishes to give himself up for killing his wife." I turned to the prisonee and asked whether it was true, and he said, "That is 80. I struck her with a flat-iron, and I believe she is dead." I said, "Where ?" And he said, "The first house on the right-hand side in Patriot-square." I asked the number., but he did not know it. We went to the station together, and then I mentioned to him that what he said I should give as evidence against him, and he said he would tell ine all about it. He made this statement :—" I woke up at six this morning, and I found my wife holding the poker over my head, and I jumped out of bed and took up a flat-iron, with which I hit her." The prisoner added that his wife did not move after she fell on the bed, and when he believed she was dead he dressed himself and left the house. After the prisoner had made this statement witness left the station and went to the house, 5, Patriot-square. In a bedroom occupied by the prisoner and his wife he found a woman lying on abed, which was saturated with blood. She had a wound on the head. She appeared to be dead. Witness sent for a doctor' who came arid examined her, and pronounced her to be dead. Witness looked about the room, and found a flat-iron of about 41b. weight. It had fresh blood upon it. The witness went back to the station and charged the prisoner. He made no other stabement. The inspector added that he had a witness present, but such a short time I)aving elapsed he had not been able to inquire further into the facts.  The magistrate said the evidence of the witness would be sufficient for a remand. He told the pri• 'lcier he should remand him for a week.  The prisoner, who said he was rather deaf, made no remark on the evidence given against him, and was removed in custody.  An inquest was held on Monday, when the jury returned a verdict of Wilful Murder against John Key.