The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle. — 1867-05-18 (Stourbridge, West Midlands, England)

MURDER AND SUICIDE.  On Saturday evening, about eleven o'clock, the neighbourhood of Whitmore-road, Boxton, London, was thrown into consternation by a murder and suicide at the " Bridge House Tavern," lloicton, under the following circumstances It appears that one of the victims, the woman, had about two days previously taken service at the Ithove tavern as cook, and that late on Saturday evening, a man, believed to be her hunhami, came to the bar and asked to see her, but wits told nh,' WM gone to ard. On thin he asked to see the landlady, who complied with the request. Shortly after, however, the wife accidentally appeared, and the landlady left the man and woman together. Almost immediately two distinct nimbi were heard, and on the people in the house going to ascertain the cause both were tomtit lying on the the noun quite dead. The woman was taken upstain, but died a few nl i 111 l les afterward.  It Inv been axcertained that the names of the dead persons are Henry and Elizabeth Fleteher, and that the man hail desert...l his wife and children, and that proceedings had lately been taken against him by the parish authorities. The murderer had provided himself with a brace of pistols to perpetuate Eis atrocious act.  The following additional particulars in connection with this mad event are from one of the L011(1011 jou!, nabs of Tuesday :- It appears truss statements made by the friends of the young man Fletcher, that lie was always a man easily excited into a passion, and that he often acted upon impulse. Ile was also of it very roving hlatcrsitirr,r, and that fart often induced him to go to sea when he could get an opportunity of doing so. He Wax very anxious to travel Mena and spend Ida time In foreign lands. His marriage with the deceased was always regarded by bin friends as an unfortunate occurrenceount the minion for his infatuation. an It was called, could never be ascertained. Sire was not pretty, and she bad received no education. All his connections were respectable. She was the daughter of a labourer, who died a shot t time ago. Although he was never meant to threaten his wife, yet there Is reason to believe that the murder was premeditated, and it ia supposed that the large hone pistols inset in carrying nut his criminal object belonging to a ship in the docks, and It Is believed that he secreted the pistols, which are very large anon, about him before he came on shore. Inquiries have been made in every direction for the pur• pose of ascertaining where Ire obtained the iron slugs that In, used in killing himself and his victim ; lett Mannish they are of a peculiar constrnetion,no perm 01 is able tit tell where they were procured. They look as If I bey bad been nit off the end of an iron rod nearly half an inch In diameter. They are deadly missiles, and the one that the murderer tired into Ma own hody paned completely through it iu a straight line fours, the chest tio the back.  The scene id the shocking tragedy Inas been visited by numbers of persons, and one time the roadway in front of the house w,ns no densely packed with people that it was impute tilde to pass. The funnily of tine deceased woman have given way to Intense grief at the untimely loss of their relative. On Monday is strange scene occurrent at the lloston dead-house, where the bodies of the murderer and his victim lie side by side The mother of Ethos Fletcher and another female relative went to sec her. When the mother Raw her Ilesil daughter also burst out crying, and then, turning round, raised her arms and rushed at the corpse of the dead main with the intention of striking him on the head. Her relative Raid, "let the brute alone. It,, not 111111.1 bin," Anil a gentleman present rushed forward and caught bold of her by the sleeve of her dress Midi pulled her back. He then said, " How do you hope for forgiveness r"rhe woman hume• diately became quieted, and her arena sank &WU liy her side. At the inquest, held on Tuesdhy, the jury found "That the decea.sed woman hail been wilfully mur. &red by the deceased man, who had committed suicide whilst in an unsound state of mind."