The Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle. — 1865-08-26 (Stourbridge, West Midlands, England)

DOUBLE MURDER AND ATTEMPTED SUICIDE OF THE MURDERER.  On Saturday night, about eleven o'clock, Eli Sykes, , cloth finisher, of BatleyCarr, Dewsbury, murdered I his sweetheart and her mother, under the following eireuunstances. He also attempted to commit suicide. The murdered women are Sarah Brook, a widow, aged 63, who lives in • cottage off New-street, Batley, and Hannah, her daughter, a power-loom weaver, aged 18 The murderer, Eli sykes, is a private in the 29th West York Rifle Volunteer Corps, and on Saturday afternoon last he attended battalion drill at the village of Drighlington, but returned to Batley, along with the majority of the members, about a quarter to ten o'clock. After chatting with his comrades for about twenty minutes, he went to the town to see Hannah Brook, his sweetheart. On getting to her house he found her in the kitchen, and her niuther in bed along with a child of five years old in the same apartment. Ile was in uniform at the time, and hail with him his rifle and bayonet. The girl and he had sonic words together about her encouragement of another suitor in Lofthouse, near Wakefield, and at last, as she appeared determined to cease keeping company with Sykes, he struck at her with the butt end of the rifle and broke the stock at the sinall. She cried out, and her mother, it is supposed, interposed to save her daughter, but he attacked them both with his bsyonet and stabbed each of them seven or eight times. The old woman, after receiving the injuries, had strength enough left to run outside the house, and raise a cry of "Murder ! Ile's killing my daughter." This caused an alarm; a neighbour, named Joseph Peace, ran in, and was horrified at seeing the young woman bleeding from the mouth and from wounds in her neck, and Sykes " jobbing" at himself with his bayonet in the neck. He tried to take the weapon from Sykes, but lie resisted, and stabbed at hint. The point of the instrument ehtereil l'eace'sclothes, and grazed his abdomen, but caused no further injury. The murderer was thrown to the floor, and was handcuffed, and a surgeon was sent for, but on his arrival both women were found to be dead. He dressed Sykes's wounds—there were five--and shortly afterwards lie was placed in a conveyance and lodged in the police cells at Dewsbury. The body of the old woman bears eight wounds, but the one which is supposed to be the cause of death is in the region of the heart, about four inches deep. The young woman appears to have been stabbed seven times, and the mortal wound is in the region of the heart also.  Sykes is a young man about 20 years of age. He has been a volunteer rifleman some time, and has always been noted in the corps to which he belonged as a very steady man. His fellow-workmen at the mill at which he was employed, as a cloth finisher, give him the same character. When he committed the naurdcr it is believed he was not under the influence of intoxicating drink, for he was quite sober when he left his comrades about three quarters of an hour before the foul deed was done. his relatives had an interview with him next day, but he was apparently very little affected. Jealousy undoubtedly has calmed him to commit the clime.  On Monday, Sykes was charged at the police-court with the above murder of his sweetheart and her mother. The prisoner appeared in plain clothes, some lif his comrades having waited upon him on Sunday, and induced him to exchange the uniform he wore at the time of the murders and which was blood-stained --for the ordinary dress of a civilian. The case was remanded after preliminary evidence was given. The prisoner, it appears, after stating to a policeman that he felt easier in his mind, " and better satisfied now than before I did it," fully admitted his offences, and related the causes which led to them. The funeral of the two women took place on Tuesday afternoon. Long anterior to that hour the streets along the line of route were thronged with people. The procession was preceded by a posse of police, whilst a number of officers were distributed along the line to prevent any crushing.