Middlesbrough & Stockton Gazette and General Advertiser. — 1871-06-09 (Stockton-on-Tees, Durham, England)

DREADFUL WIFE MURDER AND ATTEMPTED SUICIDE OF THE MURDERER AT YORK.  A dreadful case of wife murder and attempted suicide of the murderer, occurred at York on Monday evening. The murderer is Matthew Cook, a watchmaker and cleaner, carrying on business in Goodraingate, York, and his victim is his wife, Sarah. Both are about 40 years of age, and the former for a long period back has been addicted to drink. His fits of indulgence were spasmodic; after a period of steadiness it being his wont to break outo,and drink deeply, and without reason, for a fortnight and_three weeks at a time. Formerly ha, held the situation of foreman of the watch and clockmaking estalpishment of Mr Kleiser, of Stonegate (where he has at present a son employed), but the irregularity of his conduct led to his dieraisaal, and he has since then carried on a small business on hie own account. For a number of days past he is said to have been drinking, and on Monday applied for more money from his wife to satisfy his craving appetite. She, however, refused him, and ultimately in the evening the two, along with their youngest child, about three years old, went out for a walk in the country. About halfpast nine o'clock they were in a lane leading foam the city to Haxby, and known as liaxby Lane, about a mile from the centre of the city of York, where a man named Barnes, who was returning from fishing, noticed them lying on the road, and the child sitting on the grass at the side footpath. The legs of the woman were exposed, and the man lay across her. The Man called out thrice excitedly to Barnes for the loan , of a knife, and the latter at once proceeded down 11 the road for &mistime.. At this time there was no blood about, and the frightful violence which sub, sequently ensued did not suggest itself to the mind of Barnes. But a few momenta had, however, elapsed before there was a cry of "Murder and suicide," and a rush of several persons who were [I near at the time to the rescue. It was then.discovered that Mrs Cook lay on the road weltering in blood from a large number of frightful gashes in her throat and face, whilst the murderer himself still knelt upon her, and was in the act of dashing her head on the ground. He was, however, taken 'off, and then commenced dancing about the road in the wildest excitement, singing snatches of the song "Sally's the girl for me," heaping dust from the road upon the face of his poor victim, and in other ways indulging in the most iasane extravagance. He was, of course, restrained until the arrival of a North Riding constable, who was 'shortly after joined by P.C. Smith, of the York police force. These two discovered that the murderer had attempted self-destruction, having inflicted three wounds in his throat. Dr Proctor was at once summoned to the spot, and on examining Mrs Cook declared in the hearing of the murderer that she was dead, upon which the latter remarked, Thai; I have sent her to hell before her The murderer'. WO'llltis are not dangeretta. vrastaken to the Heworth Lock-up, where he awaits examination. The instrument with whifk the murderer effected his object is an ordinary claspknife.  On Wednesday Mr J. P. Wood, coroner, was for a number of hours engaged in the investigation of the circumstances attending the death of the murdered woman. From the surgeon's evidence it appeared that Mrs Cook's jugular vein had been cut, and that she had been hacked and cat about the neck and face in a frightful manner. Some of the wounds cut open the neck, another nearly severed the lobe of one of her ears, others there were on the chin and arms; in fact, there were fifty-six wounds altosether, and the poor woman was scarcely recognisable. Cook, himself, has three wounds, one penetrated the gullet, and had to be sewn up. fie will recover. The jury, after hearing the above evidence, brought in a verdict of " Wilful Murder," for which Cook stands committed to York assizes for trial.