The Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle. — 1866-06-02 (Stourbridge, West Midlands, England)

SHOCKING MURDER AND SUICIDE NEAR LIVERPOOL.  On Friday, a young woman named Train was murdered under particularly brutal circumitances, the murderer subsequently committing suicide. Mrs. Ann Train, who was 25 year. of age, and described as a person of considerable personal attractions, was the wife of a purser on board the steamer Delaware. The deceased lived in Wood-grove, about three wiles from LiverpooL She was attended by a female servant, and in the same home also lodged the murderer, John Thomas Moss, a cousin of the deceased. They came to Wood-grove about a month ago, Mr. Train himself being then at sea. When he returned, shout a fortnight since, he expressed his dissatisfaction at Mom living in the same house with his wife, Moss hung without employment, and a feeling of jealousy being entertained against him by Train. Before he left, therefore, in the Delaware, he insisted upon his wife and her servant leaving the house, and taking another at New Brighton, in Cheshire. She was preparing to carry out thin wish on Thursday, and was occuliiml during the day in packing her clothes, &c. MOM assisted her, but it WAS noticed that he appeared at times much excited, and at one time taking up a knife he threatened to destroy himself. Mrs. Train and her servant snatched the knife from him, and he afterwards became more collected. After the incident of the knife Mrs. Train and Moo took tea together, and subedpiently th.y went up stairs, Moss taking with him a small hatchet, ostensibly for the purpose of assisting in the packing operations. Soon afterwards Mrs. 'Crain called her servant (Margaret Golding) into tl-v room, and at this time Moss and Mrs. Train appeared to be struggling together, but rather in play than in anger, and Golding heard Moss ask Mr.. Train to give him her mother's wedding-ring, which the deceased wore over her own. Mrs. Train refused to eve up the ring, and  Moss thrn endeavoured to kiss Mrs. Train, but she prevented him doing no. Moss then went to anoth.-r part of the room, gat down upon a box, and Mrs. Train proceeded with her packing. Soon afterwards Golding was sent by her mistress into another room to fetch a dress, but she had not been absent more than a few moments when she heard an agonising ery from Mrs. Train, "Oh, Margaret'. Margaret !" She rushed back to the room, and was horrified to find Moss striking Mrs. Train on the head with the axe. She saw three blows struck, and, afraid to interfere, she ran for assistance. In a few minutes. having procured the ad of police-officers, she returned. They found Mrs. Train lying upon the floor cover,cl with , blood, her h- ad having been literally smashed in. : There were several large holes in the skull, one of the eyes was knocked out, and the brains of the poor creature were scattered about. It is generally believed that the first blow WWI given from behind, and that this caused almost immediate death, although in his brutal frenzy Moms appears to have kept on striking until the head was shattered in the way described. On searching for the murderer the police found him in the scullery with his throat cut and quibe dead. It appears that Moss had been an old lover of Mrs. Train, and that he had been absent for some years in Australia. When he returned he found that she had married Train, and from that time a fearful lealousy appears to have haunted him. His occupation was that of a clerk, but he had been for some time out of employment, end is described as an idle and rather dissipated mac.  An inquest has been held on the bodies, in the mune of which Margaret Golding, the servant to the deceased, said, in reply to the coroner's question as to th.- terms on which Moss and Mrs. Train had lived since witness had been in Mrs. Train's service, that she knew nothing whieh would lead her t believe that they were more intimate than they ought to have been. Moos was good-tempered, and was not subject to outbreaks of anger. He did not drink. When Mr. Train went away he and Mow were on good terms. The witness then withdrew, but was afterwards recalled, and said she had on the previous afternoon, at the request of the officers and in their presence, searched her mistress's dress pocket and found there two purses -one containing 10/. in gold, and the other 1/ 3e, tiid. in silver. In the parlour the officsre found other money and copper in a bag. PolTe-sergesta Price said he searched the body of Moss, and found a letter iu the right-hand vest pocket. It was as follows: May 24, 1866 Thomas Train. My sister, or at least she Is nearly my sister, you called a Of course she Is not a ft consort for you, and 1, who you called a '' spy " take the oPoortunlty of riding (sic) you of her. I remain, yours, the , J. I'. Moss. A juryman, who examined the letter, said it was in Moss's handwriting. Ihe Coroner summed up, and the jury, having deliberated for a few minuteg, announced that t-ey had found that "Ann Train was wilfully murdered by John Thomas Moss, and that the latter had killed himself by cutting his throat, and was of sound mind and capacity at the time he so killed himself."