The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle. — 1869-10-02 (Stourbridge, West Midlands, England)

MURDER AND ATTEMPTED SUICIDE  IN LONDON.  On Sunday, at half put tive o'clock. a horrible murder was committed at No. 7, Little Suffolk-street, Borough, It appears that a man named Charles Martine, a shoe- , maker by trade, residing in that street, had made the acquaintance of a young woman named Johnsen, aged 21 years. She was a girl of some personal attractions, was much respected in the neighbourhood, and had been married, it is supposed, unhappily, for she shortly after her marriage left her husband, and lived for a considerable period with another man, and during that time had a child. Shortly after this she met with Martin, a married man with five children, and residing at a house in Lautstreet, Borough. At six o'clock on Smiday morning Martial() presented himself at the police station, Stones-cut, and asked to see the inspector on duty. He said, "1 give myself in chanze for murder." Tl! e inspector said, "You are joking,." Martin replied, "I am not, for I have murdered my dear Sarah. I loved her, and rather than see her in the possession of another man I killed her." The inspector, seeing that Martine was wrapped up to the throat, asked him what was the matter. Martin making no reply a constable pulled his coat down, and then a gash was discovered in his throat ; but the injury was comparatively trivial, and the officer on duty considered that he was justified in sending him to Guy's Hospital. The police authorities proceeded to the address in. dicated by Martine, and on the first floor they found the corpse of a young women lying on a bed. Her head was almost severed from her body. The bed clothes were completely saturated with blood, and her infant was lying by her side unconscious of its mother's fate. A doctor was called in, and pronounced life to be extinct. The wound itself was of a frightful nature. There being no signs of a struggle, it is presumed the unfortunate woman was murdered in her sleep. _ _ .  The motive of blartine's crime appears to have been jealousy. It is alleged that on Saturday night the deceased was seen with the person alluded to, the father of her child, at a tavern in the neighbourhood. Martine appeared excited, and asked the deceased if she intended to leave him. A very angry conversation ensued, and Martine left the place, saying in a loud voice that he would " stand it no longer." The parties then retired to their homes, and it was not known that anything unusual had occurred until Martine gave himself into custody on the charge of murder.  On Monday a thorough investigation was made by the police authorities into the circumstances of this crimes and the following facts have been revealed:—  i The victim, t appears, Wan the daughter of respectable parents. but her mother dying some three years ago and her father marrying again, she left home. She was entitled to a considerable sum of money, it is said, but not being of age she could not claim it, and having little or no resources, she went to live in obscure lodgings in the Borough. She made the acquaintance of a young man who gave her money from time to time, and in March, 1868, she gave birth to a boy of which he was the father. A coolness then sprung up between them, and some few months back she met a Spaniard, named Carlos Martine, at a shoemaker's beanfeast, and he persuaded her to break altogether with her first lover and live with him. 1 he Spaniard was 50 years of age ; he bad but recently buried his wife, and was the lather of five children, tueeldest of whom was if years of age. When he took lm /home his landlady refused to ;llow her to stay, and he then hired a room for her close by, and eventually at 7, Little Suffolk-street. He soon after found that she was in the habit of talking with the father of her child at the corner of the street, and he became in. flamed with jealousy. On Saturday he learnt that she had been talking with her former lover on Friday, and was observed to be very excited. He continued drinking in a publichouse until near midnight and then went to her room in Little Suffolk. street. At half-past three in the morning cries of "Murder I " and screams were heard there. A young woman called out in alarm to the landlord, a man named Wall, who contented himself with standing at the bottom of the stairs and saying, "We can't have this sort of thing in our house, for we are working people, and have to get up in the morning." He then went back to bed, but the cries of "Murder" continuing, the young woman alluded to got up to call him again. While she was doing so Martine left the house. Wall then got up again, and he and a man and his wife, named Murphy, entered the room, where a horrible spectacle was disclosed to their view. Upon the floor lay the body of the deceased woman, covered with blood. Her eyes were wide open and staring at the ceiling. Her right arm and right leg were bent backwards under her back, and her face bore an expression of indescribable agony. There were several gashes across the throat, and the head, which was nearly severed from the body, was lying backwards, exhibiting to view the bones at the back of the neck. Between the breasts there was a gash, as if made by a stab. The right thumb was nearly severed from the hand, and it was evident that that wound had been hilicted in the poor woman's endeavours to prevent her throat being cut. At the side of the body lay two knivea, both covered with blood. On a bed in the corner of the room sat the little child of the woman, crying, but uninjured. The murdered young woman's family live in Battersea. At the inquest, held on Tuesday morning, several witnesses were examined, who correborated the above facts, and the jury returned a verdict of "Wilful Murder" against Carlos Martine.