The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle. — 1867-07-27 (Stourbridge, West Midlands, England)

THE INQUEST.  The inquest on the body of the unfortunate woman was hell on Monday by Dr. Wybrants coroner for East Somerset, at the Tied Lion Inn, Woolverton, before a jury, of which the Rev. C. F. Raker was foreman. The room was crowded. Mr. Messiter, solicitor, of Frame watched the proceedings on behalf of the family of die prisoner, who was present The prisoner is a somewhat aged man, gray-haired, and dressed in Si snit of black, and appeared to feel Isis position. Mr. Valentine Glood, chief constable of Somerset, was present, and Mr. Superintendent Deggan, of Franc, in whose custody the prisoner was. As the prisoner has confessed the crime, it is unnecessary to do more than give his own statement. Superintendent Deggan said the prisoner, when taken into custody, said "It's a bad job." lie produced the statement written by the prisoner on Sunday morning. It was directed to Mr. Woolly, his brotherin-law, and was as follows :  Mr. Woolly,—l do to you what I could not do to any one else. With shame and true abhorrence and repentance of the deed I have done, I confess it was I that foully murdered my poor wife. It was done in the heat of passion and in alit of jealousy, and arose thus. I saw what I shall keep to mysetf —told her of it—she treated it lightly, which enraged me. I caught hold of the first thing that came to hand, struck her with it three or four times. Oh, how I wish I had been blind or God had struck me dead before I did so. Oh, what power the devil mast have over me. It seemed as though I had almost a hundred devils in me, and, I believe, had twenty people been there, I should, had they interfered, served theta, in a siniVar 11101101CP but aift,ekr !ciitterasjlTei pe,loarendd reflected.act tw,adtttlterigrmoeimoolrl,n,„h.o7 and on, what I would have gave to bring her to life again. I fully intended then to have destroyed mys,lf, but was prevented by two thoughts—first, that, alone in the house, the child would come down and first .find us, and no doubt would lose his reason, or something as be I. Second, that probably God may forgive murder even, but not selfmurder. Than I thought of at once giving myself up, but then the devil or my own evil heart tempted and induced me to try and hide my net from the world, which I did its by carrying her poor body over the wall by the pear tree Ws the ',tollhouse, and finished the next night. I chose that place for reasons Moyer and her friends sell Intlie rotund. The reason I would not take your hand was, I could Ina put the hand of a murderer into that of my sister's husband. Once you said, if anylhiagtoappenet to me, you would take care of the boy. Will you doss now There lea draft on the old Bristol Batik for 3501. in may trunk. Do so for not mine but his sake, and I hope, poor fellow, he may reward you. Oh, what I have brought on tn,yself and friends, and first begun and ended by false friends, which has been my bane through life. Oh, how I pity and feel for poor Elisabeth—you—your family—my boy—Nartes and Joseph. As for myself, note) feel my doom is axed and that since the last t ragedy I deserve it, but not before. I have no wish to lire. May God receive my wife's soul in 1114 abode above, and may Ile forgive me and 'receive mine at last also. As for man, I du not ask, 'tor expect, to receive forgiveness. Du tel me again beg you and poor Elizabeth to take the poor boy into your care, and may God bless you all and hits —(Signed) OEuRGE