The Cotton Factory Times. — 1887-06-10 (Manchester, Greater Manchester, England)

SUICIDE OF THE ASSASSIN.  For about four months a knocker-up named James Dodd has been cohabiting with Harriet Turner, a goodlooking young woman of 30 years of age. They have lived at 14, Back Hadfield.street, off Woodward-street, in Ancoe.ts, for a few weeks, and previously they lived in Back Wesley-street. About twelve months ago Dodd's wife died, and shortly after Whitsuntide last year Dodd and Turner began to keep company. It was not, however, until a few months ago that they actually cohabited.  About three o'clock on Wednesday morning a man named Willie Hayes was proceeding to Dodd's house, when he met Dodd running away. In the street was Dodd's eldest son in his shirt crying out "Murder.' Proceeding to the house, Hayes found the woman Turner lying across the bed on the floor with a terrible gash in her throat, and bleeding fearfully. Hayes ran out shouting "Murder," and immediately the whole street was roused. A man named Samuel Evans went and informed the olice, and at 3 50 a.m. Inspector Taylor and constables proceeded to the place. Dr. Hunter, from the Ancoats Hospital, was also sent for, but when he arrived he found life to be extinct. In fact, it was nearly an hour after the woman's throat had been cut before lie was sent for. The house is situated in one of the lowest districts of Ancoats, and consists of two rooms only, one upstairs and one downstairs. The furniture is of the most meagre description, and the surroundings of the most comfortless character. In this small place Dodd, his seven children, and the woman Turner lived. The children were by the wife above-mentioned, and who died about a year ago. There is only one sleeping room, and the whole family of nine slept there upon the floor. The eldest son, who is about 22 years of age, says that he was roused in the morning, soon after three o'clock, by stifled cries. ft was, of course, quite light, and looking round he saw his father kneeling over the woman Turner, who was struggling to get free. In his right band he held a razor, and with the other he held her throat, from which the blood was rushing. He had evidently given her the wound then, for he was covered with blood, and the bed was swimming with it. The lad shouted out, and the father letting go the woman, fell upon him, and threatened to kill him, too, if he did not "hold his noise." The lad, terrified and horror struck, crept quickly out of the way, ran out into the street in his shirt, and raised the neighbourhood with his shouts. He tells a vague story of how, after his father had threatened him, he got some water to give to the woman, as if, half repenting of what he had done, he wished to save her; and of how he held her throat for a moment or two to stop the rush of blood. Hearing the boy's cries in the street, he seems to have made up his mind to smother course, and, rushing past the lad, he said, "Good bye; you will never see me again."  Then the neighbours came in and found the woman dying. The spectacle was horrible and sickening. By this time the whole of the children were awake, and there they were, sitting up on their rough, rude bed, paralysed with fear, staring and screaming at the sight before them. The bedclothes were saturated with blood, and the floor was running with it. In a few minutes the police arrived, and while they were covering up the body the neighbours looked after the children. Au examination of the woman showed that she was quite dead, and her head was almost severed from her body by a gash extending from ear to ear. The room was searched for some instrument with which the wound had been intleted ; but nothing was found. The sou, however, says he was sure it was a razor he saw in his father's hand, and that it was kept above the cupboard downstairs. The razor-case was found there, empty. There seems to be very little reason for Dodd to commit so cruel a crime, it he has doue it as is alleged. So far as can be ascertained, the only difference which has arisen between the two has been with regard to Docid's children. These seven—live brothers and two sisters—seem to have caused quarrels, and the children themselves say that the deceased woman has been continually trying to induce their father to get rid of them. They complain of ill-treatment, and say that she has struck their father also. But the people in the neighbourhood speak in favour of the woman. They say she was a very quiet and comely woman, and that she has taken good care of Dodd and his house. She has two children of her own living with her mother an adjoining street, and the family is altogether a very respectable one. On his side Dodd bears no bad character, so far as character goes in this neighbourhood. It is therefore difficult to fiud a motive for so deliberate a crime.  The body of Ja-m.ea Dodd toa discovered about eleven o'clock on Thursday forenoon, in the canal near Kirby. street, Ancoats, and was removed to the Fairfield-street Police Station. where it now lies.  VOIOZB mom TEE SPINDLE