The North Cumberland Reformer. — 1891-10-29 (Carlisle, Cumbria, England)

MURDER AND SUICIDE AT CHESTER. Early on Friday morning a terrible tragedy was enacted in Chester, creating a great sensation. A labourer named John James Jagger, said to be about thirty-years of age, has for some time past been cohabiting with a woman named Harriet Butterfield, who is some years older than himself. Mrs. Butterfield was a married woman, and her daughter, about twenty-five years old, resided wit& her and Jagger at a lodging-house, known as the Old House at Home, 28, Leadworks Lane, Chester. From the information that can be gleaned it appears that Jagger and Butterfield had not lived happily for some time past, and on Thursday night they quarrelled. About half-past five o'clock on Friday morning, Jagger, seizing a pocket-knife, opened it, and rushing at Butterfield, plunged it deeply into her neck under the left ear. The woman, who was at the time in her bedroom, immediately ran from the room to another, and returning, fell to the ground, when she bled profusely, and expired in the course of a few minutes. The murdered woman's daughter, who was in the room when Jagger attacked her mother,states that when he stabbed her he hacked her in a terrible manner, behaving like a maniac. She was, however, unable to prevent him injuring her mother. After the attack the murderer instantly ran out of the house with the knife in his hand. It is believed he attempted to drown himself in the Shropshire Union Canal, which runs alongside the front of the house. Alarm was at once given of the murder to the neighboure,who had heard quarrelling, and information was as soon as possibie conveyed to the police authorities. constables Stokes and 31‘Gowan, who were in the immediate neighbourhood, were quickly on the spot, and instituted a search for Jagger. They found Mrs. Butterfield lying lifeless, with a large jagged gash in her throat. rhey proceeded to the rear of the house, where they discovered Jaggar hanging quite dead from a post to which it had been the custom to hang the clothes-line. Stokes cut the body down, and it was taken into the house, and thence to the public mortuary in Canal Street. The constables found Jagger about twenty-fivo minutes past six o'clock, and it ia thought that dariag the short time that he had eluded his pursuers ha had made desperate efforta to make away with himself, and noticing the clothes-liao cut it, and making a nowt:, round his neck hanged himself. He could have been dead only a short time when observed by the constables, as the body was quite warm. The inquest on the body of Jagger, and of his victim, Mrs. Butterfield, was held at the Town Hall, Chester. The evidence of Mrs. Butterfield's daughter, Sarah Fraser, showed that Jagger, who had been drinking heavily for some days past, compelled witness to admit him on Thursday night to the room in which she and her husband and the deceased woman were sleeping. In the morning Mrs. Butterfield said that she would take legal proceediugs for her protection, whereupon Jagger plunged a knife with which he was cutting tobacco into her neck. Witness closed with the man. Mrs. Butterfield bled to death before police or surgical aid arrived.—Jas. Fraser, husband of the last witness, said that Jagger was so excited and threatening the previous night that he took him out to pacify him. During the walk Jagger said he should u.O ror Butterfield, and witness told him he was very ra..y. Jagger, however, gave him two club cards, and told witness he could draw the club money after ho (Jagger) was gone.—The jury found that the I wuniiiit was wilfully murdered by Jagger. and that I he committed suicide in a sound state of mind.  The Frondenbiati states that the report that Prince Rata Joseph of llatteuberg will take active berries in the Austrian Army is unfounied.  ; The prizes and certificates gam 1 at th) Oxford Local Examinations, held last July, will be diitri• buted on the 30th inst., at the Ldea Universit,l when Lord Justice Bowen will preside. The &Alaitor-General is also expected to be piesont. The Law Courts, which have been closed duriha the Long Vacation, will be reopened on Monday, the 26th inst., instead of Saturday, the 24th, which I. the first day of the Michaelmas sittings. The rehearsals of "The Crusaders" are progressing as well as they can without the services oi Winifre4 Emery. wh like her sister artiAt Miss te.-oy ditough, lees laid up with a maae.l thront.