Darlington & Richmond Herald. — 1873-11-08 (Darlington, Durham, England)

MURDER AND ATTEMPTED  SUICIDE AT MIDDLESBROUGH.  While many of the inhabitants of Middlesbrough were on Sunday forenoon engaged in public worship, in their respective churches and chapels, a crime, most horrible and unnltural, was being perpetrated in Henry-street, which branches off from South-street. The houses in this street, more particularly those on the right side, are small two-roomed cottages, one room down and the other up stairs. At No. 11 lives an old man named Thomas Onions, who keeps a potato machine, and it was in this house that a father cut his child's throat, nearly severing the head from tho body, afterwards attempting to cat his own throat. About fifteen months ago, Christopher Brown—who is about 5 ft. 11 in. in height, and now 24 years of age—married Onions' daughter, Ann. Since then, it is stated, they have lived a regular cat and dog life—in fact, about three weeks after the marriage he tore his wife's shawl off her shoulders, and daring the short time that has elapsed since marriage, they have broken up the house several times, and have lived,nt North Ormesby, Abyssinia, near Saltburn, Brotton, and lately at Gnisbrotigh, where the man Brown was employed as a miner. About four months ago, Mrs Brown gave birth to a male chila, which was named Thomas William, and it is this child which has come to so untimely an end at the hands of its father. On Friday, the 24th, Mrs Brown left Guisbrough and came to her parents at Middlesbrough, complaining that her husband used her so shamefully that she could not live with him. She stayed with her parents, and slept in the upper room. Brown arrived at Middlesbrough on the Monday following, and stayed at the adjoining house. Here he saw the child, kissed it frequently, and appeared to be very fond of it. .He stayed in Middlesbrough till Wednesday, when he went to Guisbrough, returning to Middlesbrough on the Friday. On that night he had some drink; but he had not more, we are informed, than two glasses of ale on Saturday. On Sunday forenoon he was in his father-in-law's house. After his wife and her sister, who slept in the same room, had come downstairs, he told his wife to wash the child and give him to him, and he would take it upstairs and lie down a bit while she dressed herself. The child was washed and dressed and given to him, and he took it upstairs and laid down. The room is a small one, not over well furnished; indeed, an old fashioned four post bedstead, standing with its head next to thewindow, a rickety wooden-bottomed sofa standing in front of the fireplace, and a few boxes, comprised all the furniture. Through the room ran a small line used for hanging clothes over. About half-past eleven, after Brown had been in bed some short time, a little nephew of his, eight years of age, went upstairs to get his shirt off the line. After he had got his shirt, he looked to the bed, and saw that the child's throat had been cut. He at once gave the alarm, crying out at the top of his voice. Mrs Brown, George Hampshire, and George Taylor all ran upstairs, and were horror-stricken to find that the statement of the little fellow was but too true. There lay the poor babe of four months with its throat cut from ear to ear, and cut so determinedly that the windpipe was completely severed, and the bead nearly cut from the body. The child was lying on the left side or front of the bed, while near to it, on the other side of the bed, lay Brown, with his throat cut.  An elarm was given, and, as Inspector Thorpe and Sergeant Harrop were going up North-street, in the direction of the Town Hall, they were met by a man in his bare feet, hastening to the police station. He informed them what had taken place, and they proceeded as quickly as possible to the house, where they found the baby quite dead, and the man lying in bed. It is supposed that the wounds were inflicted with a large clasp knife, made apparently from an old razor, or at least of a shape that would leave that impression. Sergeant Harrop immediately went for a doctor, and in a few minutes Dr. Williams was in attendance. He stuffed the man's wound with lint, and wrapped his neck with cloth, after whirl he was removed by the police to the North Riding. Infirmary in a cab. While lying on the bed, Brown kept continually muttering something which could not be understood, owing, no doubt, to the bustle and confesitm • , but as soon as he was set •up in bed he said iwas a bad job, but he knew he would have to suffer for it. He wished the knife had been a bit sharper. The, last remark referred, no doubt, to the fact that he had not succeeded in his endeavour to take his own life. Brown was quite cool and collected when the police went into the room, and did not at all appear as if he was suffering from drink, or from an affection of the mind. Upon arriving at the Infirmary he was attended by Mr J. Robertson, M.D., house surgeon, who found that the man had severely cut the windpipe. It was sewn together and the wound dressed. _ _  During the afternoon Brown was able to talk a little, when he stated that he and his wife, who is only 19 years of age, were married at the English Church, North Ormesby, and that when the child was born she took and had it christened at the Catholic Chapel. He says, his wife having left him two or three times, and as at present hehas no furnititre, he put the child out to nurse, and was paying a woman 6s. a week for looking after it, and his wife came and took the child to her mother's. He goes on to say that while he was upstairs in his father-in-law's house on Sunday, and his wife was washing the child downstairs, her mother was cursing the child, and saying she would not have it there, nor him either. He says that med him very much, and when his wife brought the child upstairs, clean washed and dressed, to him, immediately she left the room he took the knife out of his pocket and cut its throat, and then he drew the knife three or four times across his own throat, and finding the knife not sharp enough he, after cutting the windpipe, put in his fingers and attempted to tear the gash wide open, so as to cause death. He says he had been drinking for nine days; and expects to swing for the murder. He has expressed a wish to see the child before it is buried.