The Cannock Chase Examiner. — 1877-01-19 (Cannock, Staffordshire, England)

HORRIBLE MURDER OF A WOMAN IN MIMING HAM.  4 murder of a meet terrible nature was committed at Aston. Birmingham, at Cu early hour on Tuesday morning. victim was Mary Saunders a woman thirtyfour ye of age or thereabouts. She was the widow of a mass who was formerly landlord of the Black Morse, Ashted row, but at his death she gave up the baldness, and for three months past has been living with Frederick Baker, a man about the same age as herself, and a barman by occupatitn, occupying a small house opposite the Victoria Inn, Lichfield road, Aston. The deceased is said to have been " a bit wild," and her companion was jealous of her. She came home at twelve o'clock on Monday night in a tab, and had,two men with her. Baker opened the door to her, but, seeing the men, he commenced a row, and turned the men away. The woman then entered the house with him, and thereupon the disturbance was renewed. The man, apparently in a violent passion, stoimed at the weaken, and appeared exceedingly annoyed at her behaviour. The young girl employed in the house as a servant had not then gone to bed, but at two o'clock he sent her, together with the woman's two children, upstairs. Soon after that nil became quiet. The servant girl came downstairs at nine on Tuesday morning. The stairs are somewhat dark,and when she .cached the bottom she put her foot on something which rolled aside, and she fell down. ImmeJ lately she discovered she had stepped upon the head of her mistress, npon whose body she had fallen. There was a fearful gash in the throat, and blood had flowed copiously down the dress, and lay In a pool on the floor. The girl fainted for a time. On Coming to she called in some neighbours. and they in their turn sent for a doctor. Dr. Hoare attended, bat found that the woman had been dead for several home. Marks of blood led from the place where the woman lay into the back room, where a large pool of blood we* found. The man Baker was nowhere to be found. and ,up to the time of writing had not heel, heard of. It is I said he had a loaded revolver with him. No knife or racer has been found in the premises hearing blood stains. Baker was seen by Mr. Siddons, of the Victoria Inn, at eleven o'clock on Monday night, and he then appeared to be perfectly sober. All the surrounding circumstances point to the fact that the murder must have beet, premeditated and cold-blooded. No ory was heard by the servant girl, and the children above were not disturbed by any noise. The deceased was known to many people who lived in the neighbourhood of Ashted. If or life has been some. what romantic. Early in her life she was married at St. Michael's Church, in Coventry, to a Mr. Cambridge, she then having passed under her maiden tame of "Polly Aspinall," On leaving the elsurch some friends interfered, and after an hour's acquaintance the husband and wife were separated, and later on. decree of divorce Imo obtained. After that time Baker, who acted as assistant barman, offered the woman marriage. She relined MM, and after them it appears that they were oontiunally quer, elling. The servant girl has repeatedly beard Baker say that he would "do" for the deceased, and that between his conviction and the time be went to the gallows he would have time to repent.