The Warwickshire Herald. — 1899-03-09 (Birmingham, West Midlands, England)

LODGING- HOUSE TRAGEDY.  At lk,w-street, London, before Mr. Lushington, Michael Joseph Ilollan thirty.two, a Coventgarden porter, has been charged with tho wilful murder of Joseph Wootton, e eral dealer —Mrs. Annie Rich, of 32, San inia-luildines,W.C., was the first witness called. She deposed that at 12.20 a.m. on Friday .he wen seated in her room on the ground lloor back when she heard a "sudden plump," and immediately afterwards a moan, apparently froin the basement. Witness called her husband, woo had retired to bed, and he got up and looked out of the window, when they discovered a man, with nothing on but his shirt, lying underneath. The police were called, and the man was removed to the hospital.—Andrew Hutton, superintend nt of the buildings, sail that he was called by Thomas Rich, and at once went into the basement with two constables  who came. There was a man lying there. He was alive," but unable to speak; there was a large wound in the small of his back, and the bone was exposed. An ambula .ce was fetched, and the barred an was at once taken to the hospital. The window of the room occupied by the prisoner was above the rooms occupied by the Fiches, and Wootton was lying immediately underneath it. Witness and a constable commenced to search the house, and knocked several times at prisoner's door before getting any answer. H. at last opened the door, and said: "What's up?" Witness replied: "We have foun I a man lying sunderneath your window, and want to knotrt where his clothes are." The prisoner said: "There are no clothes here but mine," and thereupon witness and the constable left him without entering , the room. Witness subsequently found a pair of boots and socks in a sink on the third floor, and a bundle of clothes— overcoat, coat, vest, and n. ckerchief—in a closet on the fourth floor.—Mrs. Emily Wootton. living at Little Church-street, Egware-road, said that her husband, Joseph Wootton. was a general dealer, between fifty-four and fifty-six years of age.—lnsi ector Croston said that at three a.m. on Friday be went to King's College Hospital, where he saw Wootton, who was suffering from a broken spine. He to overed conaciou,ness for a few moments, and gave his name and addres=. Then he became unconscious again, and no further statement could he got from him. He died at 7.10 a.m. The witness went to the prisoner's room and onestioned him. Witness noticed bloodstains on his right shirt sleeve mid on the sheets of the bed and a scratch on his forehead, and asked him how he came by them. He replied "I 'amn fighting two night- ago." Witness pointed out to hiiii, that the blood on the sheets was still wet, to which he made no reply. Witness then raised the window and saw finger-marks on the window ledge outside. On the brickwork under the window were several fresh marks, as if caused by someone trying to take hold with hie feet. Witness then took the prisoner to the station, and told him lie would be detained on suspicion of causing Wcotton's death. He reviled: "I don't know anything about it. I was drunk at the time."—Mr. Lush ngton From what you saw in the room you came to the conclusion that there had been a struggle ?—Yes, and there were marks on the wall outside as if the body had rubbed ag Mat it all the way down. There is a graze on the deceased's arm about three inches long, and a corresponding mark on the window leuge.—The prisoner was remisdet.  The Muscat incident has reached an important stage, inasmuch as the British and French Governments have come to an understanding that France should have a coal depot at Muscat under the same conditions as Great Britain.  _ At Clerkenw 11 Police-court, Reuben Dunham, of East-lane, Wheatuampetead. Herta. has been remended, charged with having attempted to murder his dsughter, Eliza Williams. and son-in-law, Herbert Williams. by stabbing them with a knife.  - _ Anxiety is felt at Cayenne with respect to the mental condition of the prisoner of Devil's Island, who it described as having fallen into a state of greet prostration. After what he has passed throe& that will surprise no one.  Vice-Admiral Diedrichs has been relieved of command of the German cruiser squadron in the Far East, sad is succeeded by Prince Henry. Minimal°, the ex-Queen of Madagascar, has bass Nat to Algiers, where slat will be a State prisoner of France. The Kaiser has conferred upon Baron Alfred Rothschild, of London, the Order of the &ewe el the Vint C 1....