The Kenilworth Advertiser. — 1875-03-27 (Kenilworth, Warwickshire, England)

KENTIAWOR'  SHOCKING TRAGEDY NEAR  BIRMINGIIAIU.  Harborne village was Vie Beene of a terrible tragedy on Monday night. Between eight and nine o'clock, a young ma named Davis made a most deliberate attempt to at his sweetheart's throat, and then committed suicide himself. Davis was a young man of or 20, living with los parents in the Serpentine], Harborne, and employed at Elliotte Metal athing Works, Sally 0 . For twelve months or • past he has been so. 7 Elizabeth Haynes, a domestic servant at the 'dance of Mr. Smythe, Wellington-road, Plarborn He appears to have been very fond of the girl, an was of a very exciteable tc-nperement. The lovers spun to have frequently gum Idled, and Davis has given way to several fits of jealousy, which Le imag:aod were justified by some in 'Ammo sho .n h:lo l.y tie girl. Recently, use has complained to several of ..er frier is that Davis had threatened her with a razor when upon Hock'ey Hill and other p'ir-cs, 11mugh she did not appear to attach any signiiicsace to these threats, and has since spoken to hiru on frl ndly terms. Ruptures often occur ed between them, however, and it is stated thaelda ,is a short time since made an effort to take his life wlien in a jealous frenzy. On Sunday afternoon last '1 TO we, a diskzeement between them in consequence f the :-oung woman refusing to allow him to join her in her mater's pew at Harborne Church. Davis fancied himself Blighted and went aw yin a passion. Shortly after eight o'olcck on Monday night Haynes was sent out by her mistress o an errand into Ei liddreet, flarborne. When the girl left the house he oleerved two or three men standing at the end of the Wellington-r,md, and she had passed them only a short distance and walked up the Moor Pool-lane, when someone called after her, and Davis came running up. They walked on in each other's company, and whe i they reached the High-street Haynes went into the shop of Mr. Harlow, grooer, w' ile the young man stood outside. They afterwards tuened do xi the Moor Pool-lane again. and had walked nearly to the juncture of the Wellington-road, when in the moonlight Haynes saw whit she fancied was a knife glistening in DaN:s's hand. Remembering the threats he had made to he Wore, she became greatly alarmed and cried out, Don't come near me. I will forgive you everything if you won't hurt me," or words to ti it effect. Davis laughed in a very strange fashion and caught her by the arm, but the next moment telexed his he'd and allowed her to walk on a Short distance, when he muttered something and sprang at the girl with a knife. Haynes screamed out loudly, but Davis, who 5555 a finely-built fellow, held her firmly against a wall, and made mcst desperate attempts to cut her tnroat. Fortunately, the girl was wearing a thick muffler, and this saved her throat from very serious wounds. As it was, however, she sastaimd a flesh wound about four inches in length and extending across the windpipe in the angle of the jaw. In endeavouring to shield her throat from the knife she received two or three gashes upon the hands. A fearful strugale took place, arid fr.= some miraculous circumstances the girt managed at length to tear herself sway from Davis's clutches. She had no sooner done this than she took to her heels and ran with all speed towards Mr. Smythe's residence, crying out loudly the name of the cook, who Jived at the same house. In the meantime an alarm was spread, and Mr. Cave, of the Wellington-road, with one of his domestics, ran into the Moor Pool-lr towards the spot where the attempt upon the girl's life had been made. Here they found upon the ground, weltering in blood, the body of Davis, with his throat cut in a most determined manner. He was not then dead, but he only uttered a few gurgling sounds, and died a few minutes afterwards. Near him was found a large clasp knife covered with blood, and the girl's hat, which had been lost in the scuffle, was picked up a short distance sway. Police-sergeant Walton was communicated with, and the body was taken to the house of the parents in Serpentine-road. Dr. Lee Strathey, of the Heath-road, Harborne, was called in to attend Haynes, and luckily the wounds upon her throat are found to be by no means dangerous. though she has had a very narrow escape. On Tuesday morning she had considerably improved, and was not suffering from that amount of nervous excitement which might have been expected. She has since stated that she believes Delis to have been intoxicated on Monday night, and it is also said that he was " lorngicg away the whole of his time" on that day, and that he did not attend to his work as usual. The lane where the tragedy was enacted is n-it by any means a lonely spot, there being houses r using along nearly the whole of one side of the