Middlesbrough & Stockton Gazette and General Advertiser. — 1874-04-09 (Stockton-on-Tees, Cleveland, England)

THE MURDER BY A MOTHER AT FLUXION. Mr John Elumphrevs, one of the coroners for Middlesex, held an inquest on Tuesday on the body of Jane Newman, aged four years and a half, who was murdered by her mother on Saturday morning last. There was so much excitemeut in the neigLbourhood that it was found necessary to station two Policemen outside the doors of the tavern where the jury sat to check the crowd. Daniel Newman, shoemaker, 43, Brunswick-place, identified the bedy as that of his daughter. On Friday night, he said, the family went to bed as usual, the oldest boy occuming a bed in his parents' room.. At half-paer, seven on Saturday morning his wife got up, and their son shortly followed her for the purpose of opening the shop. The father was shortly afterwards startled by the reappearance of the lad, who declared that his mother had threatened to murder him, lie immediately went downstairs and asked his wife what she meant, to which she gave an incoherent reply. He then noticed some scratches on her throat, and, coupling this with her strange manner, said to his sou, " We must get mother away." The wife went upstairs again, and shortly afterwards he heard cries of "Help" frau the bedroom of her brother, who resided with theua. Immediately he rushed upstairs and found his wife and her brother engaged in a desperate struggod. She had a knife in her hand, and he (witne,e) assisted in taking it from her. B-iug 'disarmed, she agaiu ran downstairs, and he following band her with a shoemaker's knife in her hand, and her throat fear. fully cut. Assistance was sent for, and she was taken to the hospital. Afterwards he discovered hi, daughter Jane, aged few and a half years, with her throat cut, lying dead in an tipper roorn.—Greor4e Carter, brother to Mis Newman, said that on Saturday morning his sister entered his bed room. Her manner was strangely exci (=. I, and on his esking her what she meaet, she responded, " I mean murder.' He order d her out, and she left, going into the a ijoining room, fain which a scream shortly came, and he; without dressing, followed, and saw her bending over the child with a large knife in her hand, cutting its throat. In spite of his enleavours to prevent it, she succeeded in cutting her owa throat. Her husband then arrived, and she, eluriing them both again, ran downstairs, blood at earning from her wounds. The husbami and himself followed, and she was restrained from effecting further violence until the !arrival of the police. The deceased child afterwards stagger d trete her bet, dragged herself in a fainting condition through the two adjoining rooms, and ultimately grasping at a table, faltered, and fell dead. Joseph Newman, the son spoken of, a lad of about twelve years, stated t: at on Saturday morning, as he woe al,uut to open the shop, his mother came to him and sal Shall I kill you?' and eized him, trying to throw him down. He succeeded in getting from her and ran up to his father. Before tie) occurrence he saw her sharpen a knife; which, in his belief, she put in her pocket. A policeman who was fetched by the boy maid he aasisted in conveying the woman in a cab to the hospital. During the journey she said, " lam not mat now, let me go. I have done the deed and I suppose I mutt suffer for it." The t'llueing certificate as to the condition of Mrs Newman WAS then put in and read :—" St. Bartholomew's Hopital, April 7111, 1874.-1 beg to state that Sarah Newman is progressing favourably, though still rc.quiringtare and watching.—E. JEPSON, House Surgeon." The Coroner having smarmed up, the jury, after a few minutes' deliberation,, returned a verdict of wilful murder, and a warrant was issued for Mrs Newman's cominital to Newgat'!.