The Warwickshire Herald. — 1887-11-24 (Birmingham, West Midlands, England)

SHOCKING MURDER IN LONDON.  A tragedy of a distressing character was enacted in the immediate neighbourhood of Parson's-green Station of the Metropolitan District Railway on Saturday night. For some years past a labouring man named 'Brickle has resided with his wife and a young son at 4, Crown-street, a row of poor tenement houses running out of the main Fulham-road, parallel with the railway, the squalid appearance of the backs of which has for years past been familiar to regular travellers over the portion of the line on which they abut. Frequent quarrels have, It b stated, occurred between the pair, and at a nen* date Brickle underwent a term of imprissunist for an assault on his wife, though a reconalliiim was effected, and the couple again lived ' Whether another quarrel took place on or not cannot be surmised; all that is known LIM Brickle and him wife returned home topers between half-past nine and ten o'clock, and proceeded to their rooms on the upper floor of ths house, which consists of two floors only. No quarrelling or sounds of other disturbances were heard by the persons occupying the lower floor until about ten o'clock, when Mrs. Brickle ran down the stairs calling out for Mrs. Burke, the tenant of the back room on the ground floor. Before, however, Mrs. Burke, who is very aged and infirm, could answer the summons, Mrs. Brickle opened the door, and in doing so sank to the floor, half in and half out of the room. Blood was sport ing in a most copious manner from the upper part of her left arm, and the two or three neighbours who at once rushed in in answer to the cries of Mrs. Burke and another resident in the house, were greatly alarmed, but unfortunately were not able to render any practical assistance. The polioe and a doctor were at once sent for, and in a very few minutes Dr. Webb, of Parson's-green, and Inspector Jones arrived. The former gentleman at once discovered that the unfortunate woman had been stabbed in the left arm in such a manner as to sever the principal artery, although he adopted the promptest measures the woman had lost so much blood that he expressed his opinion that the case was almost hopeless. A police ambulance was immediately procured, and the poor woman placed in it for removal to St. George's Hospital, but before that institution was reached it was discovered that she was dead. Meanwhile the police authorities had been endeavouring to secure Brickle who, it seems, had left the house before the removal of his wife. A female neighbour states that while engaged tending the deceased woman she heard the husband upstairs, and called out to him, "You have killed her ;" to which he replied, "I am very sorry if I have; I couldn't help it," immediately after which she believes Brickle left the house, although she did not see him go. Being well-known to many of the police-oonstables and detectives of the district, a vigilant watch was maintained, and the lodging-houses, taverns, and other plums were visited and searched, but without success until some time after midnight, when from information they had reoeived, the police drew a cordon round the block of houses constituting Crown street, and prosecuted a most rigorous search. Constables were placed along the railway line at the book of the houses, and the greatest precautions were adopted to prevent the man eluding their vigilance, and eventually, at about half-past two on Sunday morning, he was arrested in the rear of No. 27, Crown-street. Brickle was at ones oon veyed to Hammersmith Police-station, and °barged with the murder of his wife Joanna, when he remarked he was very sorry for it. An inspection of the house where the crime was committed revealed a terrible spectacle. The floor of the room, the landing and the stairs were bespattered with blood, which proved in a most conclusive manner the severity of the injury. In the a pocket knife stained with blood was founcrsierlti which, it is said, the poor woman was stabbed.  KR.