The Sun. — 1862-08-11 (London, England)

ANOTHER MURDER BY A MANIAC.  A murder, closely resembling in its general aspect the tragedy recently enacted on 1 udgate-hill, has been committed in the neighbourhood of the Cityroad. The scene of the murder was 18, Brunswickplace, and the victim the son of the murderess. The house has been for some years in the tenancy of Mr. Coele, foreman in a large cabinet-making establishment. He was father of four children by Mrs. Adelaide Coole, his wife, the youngest being Charles, aged 15 months. For some time Mrs. Coole has been subject to ill-health, her malady being, it is stated, consumption of a malignant type, and a nurse was brought in. On Thursday afternoon Mr. Coole left home, leaving his wife, to all appearance, in her ordinary state of health. About two hours afterwards Mrs. Coole went down to the kitchen, where her servant had charge of the little boy Charles, and the nurse was also there. She made no remark to either of the women, nor was it noticed that there was anything peculiar in her manner; but she took the child by the hand, and led it out of the kitchen upstairs. It was subsequently remembered that a large carving-knife, which had been lying on the kitchen table was missing from the spot immediately afterwards ; and there is no doubt that the unhappy woman contrived to take it out of the kitchen unperceived. Scarcely ten minutes had elapsed when Mrs. Coole again made her appearance in the kitchen, looking ghastly white, and in a state of convulsive trembling. She did not utter a word, and appeared unable to do so, and only with difficulty kept on her feet. The sight of the palms of her hands, which were completely covered with blood, made the servants run upstairs, half fainting with terror, and upon going into the back room on the first floor she saw the lifeless body of the little boy, his throat severed from ear to ear by a fearful wound, which nearly divided the head from the trunk. Beside him lay the carving knife with which the act had been committed, and the carpet on which the warm and bleeding corpse lay was saturated with blood. On going to the kitchen she found that the mother had fainted, and then it was discovered that she had also inflicted a wound in her own throat, doubtless with the carving-knife with which she had already destroyed her child. The cut was not more than skin deep, and it is supposed that failure of strength prevented her accom • plishing the crime of suicide. Dr. Rogers, who had been in attendance on Mrs. Coole, was sent for, and, after prescribing for the mother, he made an examination of the murdered child. All the principal arteries and vessels of the neck were severed, and the knife had penetrated to the bone. Death must have been instantaneous. The injuries which had been inflicted by Mrs. Coole upon herself were pronounced not to be in themselves dangerous, but her condition was such as to render it impossible to say whether death might not take place. Inspector Webster was communicated with, and he sent down constables to take Mrs. Coole into custody ; but upon the certificate of the medical man that her removal would be highly dangerous, she was not removed from the house, an officer remaining with her until she can be transferred to prison. No motive whatever has been assigned for the mur• der of the child. Mrs. Coole is 39 years of age.