The Sun. — 1862-01-18 (London, England)

ESSEX.  CLAVERING, FRIDAY EVENING.  Today the police authorities, who have been engaged in the investigation of this somewhat remarkable ease, have been put in possession of some very important and interesting information, which may, to some extent, explain the motive for the perpetration of the crime.  It appears beyond all question that before the unhappy woman now in custody consented to marry the murdered man, she had for a lengthened period been keeping company with his brother. The woman, however, seemed to be desirous of securing for herself the best position in her sphere of life, and discarded her first choice for his brother, the deceased, who had at the time various opportunities of earning a better living. Shortly before the marriage took place, the deceased man was informed by the prisoner that she was in the family way, and he at once made the necessary arrangements for making her his wife. Almost immediately after their union, an estrangement on her part seemed to arise, which continued up to the period of her confinement, which occurred only a few weeks after the marriage ceremony had been performed. Soon after she was able to resume her domestio duties, the quarrels became more frequent, and on several occasions she was heard to taunt her husband with the statement that he was not the father of the child, and that she loved his brother much better than she did him. This seemed to irritate him very much, and he retaliated by treating her most unkindly. Whenever an opportunity presented itself, he absented himself from home until late hours of the night, returning very frequently in a stupid and besotted condition. As a rule, however, he did not drink sufficiently to render himself thoroughly intoxicated, but was generally quarrelsome and provoking. About two years after they were married the deceased seemed to have accepted the truth of his wife's taunts, and to have alienated his affections from the child. So far, indeed, did he carry his animosity, that on one occasion he held out the feet of the poor little creature to the fire and burnt them to a most dreadful degree. With this offence he was charged before the local magistrates, and was sentenced to nine months' imprisonment in Springfield Gaol, Chelmsford. From this period the wife seemed to become reckless, and after her husband's release from prison seemed to lose all attachment to her home, She apparently became resolved to follow her husband's steps whithersovever he went, and it is a well-ascertained fact that they constantly visited the various district country fairs in company. It is also known that on numerous occasions the child had been left n committed. r oubradbel ry b e has f obue end absolutely tied in the cradle, left alone for upwards of twelve hours in a spot the most lonesome and desolate throughout Allthe can probably murder ctrisnttir time they led a most wretched:life, and, indeed, wthhaetre cat up to a few months ago they were seldom upon good terms, As the period for the birth of the second child approached, the husband became more affec. tionate towards his 'wife, and this seemed to continue up to the end. The taunts, however, were afternever leavingentirelyth foe h forgotten, ,anhdouitse on s is belieuvneddayth, a at violent quarrel took place between them, and it was more or less continued up to the night of the murder. It has been ascertained that the man went upstairs to bed before his wife, and no doubt she waited until he was asleep before she commenced her murderous attack upon him. Generally it is believed that hatred of her husband and a still lingering affection for another man induced her to determine upon depriving him and his child of life.  This afternoon the wretched woman was removed by Sergeant Flood to Springfield Gaol, Chelmsford, to await her trial at the ensuing Lent Assizes.