MURDER IN REMINGTON.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXVI, Issue 11056, 6 May 1899, Page 2 (Supplement)

MURDER IN REMINGTON.

WOMAN FOUND WITH HER THROAT CUT. A jintDEß of a brutal and sordid kind was reported to the Metropolitan police at Lower liennington Lane Police Station a few days ago. A woman named Frances Short, aged 45 or 50, who had lived for the past nine years with a man named Frederick Andrews, about 35 years of age, was found dead in her bedroom at nine o'clock in the morning with her throat cut. The scene of tho tragedy is a dingy little set of rooms used partly as a dwellinghouse, and partly as a greengrocery store, in a squalid slum without a name, in the rear of a set of houses known as Rood Buildings (late Garden Cottages), lying off Opal-street between Kennington Park Road and Lower Kennington Lane. The woman Short kept the house going by selling vegetables and greengroceries at a stall in Newington Butts, and Andrews occasionally worked with her in the same business, and at other times sold oysters on a street barrow. The man and woman appear to have lived very unhappily together, and quarrels between them were frequent and commonplace. Only on Tuesday night, the eve of the tragedy, Andrews was heard by the neighbours ill-treating his partner, and one of his remarks was, "That's something to be going on with." The woman was seen afterwards with a blackened eye, a bruised cheek, and other marks of violent treatment. At half-past eight in the morning the neighbours heard the woman scream for help, and at once concluded, indifferently, that another row" was going on. Later on a boy who helps Mrs. Short at the greengrocery stall heard a fall on the room floor and saw Andrews walk out of the house. A woman living in the same court asked him where Frances was, and lie replied, "She's gone to her daughter When she comes back tell her I've gone on with the barrow." He was then trembling and showing signs of great excitement, and the woman having some doubt about Mrs. Short's safety asked the boy to make in■quiries. The lad found the bedroom door locked, and at once ran for the police, who forced an entry into the room, and found the woman lying dead with her throat cut, a sack of potatoes by her side, and a bed pushed partly over her body. Dr. Roe, assistant divisional surgeon, was called in, and found that the woman had been brutally treated. A large penknife was found in the room, with the blade covered with blood. It appears that, after leaving the court, Andrews took his market barrow, which he kept in an adjoining passage, and hurried off with it. up Opal-street into Kennington Lane, but so far the police have not traced him./- The neighbours say that Andrews and tho dead woman have lived very unhappily together, and were frequently quarrelling. Andrews was said to have been intoxicated very frequently, and to have beaten the woman with whom lie lived because she did not give him all the money that he wanted. VERDICT OF WILFUL MURDER.

An inquest, was held on March 2i. at the Lambeth Coroners Court, on tile body of Elizabeth Frances Short, aged 61. a widow. Frederick Andrews, a general dealer, who lived with the deceased in Garden Row, Opal-street, Lower Kennington Lane, is under remand charged with causing her death. Priscilla Fielding, wife of a greengrocer, at 7, New-street Mews, identified deceased as her mother. She was always quarrelling with Andrews. She did not drink (the accused smiled mi hearing this). The witness was with difficulty induced to turn round and identify Andrews, meanwhile bursting into tears. Mary Ann Sawyer, wife of a coal porter, living at 3, Garden Cottages, which is next door to No. 4, said she had seen the woman Short with black eyes, and she had shown her bruises oil her chest. On Wednesday morning, at r. quarter-past four, she came to witness, crying, and said. Did you hear that pig on to mo last night?" Witness replied that- she did, adding that Andrews was not her husband, and that she should lock him up. Just then they heard footsteps in the court, and saw Andrews outside. Short accused him of having been to a public-house spending her money again. He did liSt reply, but went indoors, and witness afterwards saw Short in the court, washing greens and celery for her stall. Witness subsequently heard a very faint scream, and then all was quiet. Andrews came into her house trembling, and asked witness to lend him a penny for half a pint of beer. She asked him where .Short was, and ho replied that she had gone over to her daughter's. He went up the court where the barrow was, put the tilings on it, and went away with it. Witness afterwards found Short dead, and told her son to go for the police. Thomas Hardawav, a brushmakcr, of 5, Garden Cottages, said he saw neither Andrews nor the deceased on Wednesday morning. In consequence of what Mrs. Sawyer told him he went with her into No. 1, and saw the (lock and the bedding all mixed up in the comer of the bedroom. He next noticed the woman's naked knees protruding from the flock. He did not make a further examination after, seeing blood. Asked by tile coroner whether he wished to put any questions to the witness, the accused, speaking excitedly, and rising from his scat, elicited from the witness that he was a widower, and that the deceased did occasionally sit in his house. Inspector C. Dyer mid Detective-inspector J. M Carthv spoke to finding the body. The latter officer added Andrews was handed over to him at Bow-street. He told him that he was going to arrest liim on a charge of killing ill's. Short by cutting her throat with a knife. Before witness could caution him he replied, "It is quite right; I own to it." Police-constable John Story, 7, E R, gave evidence of the arrest at the public-house in Neal-strect. Dr. E. E. Roe, divisional surgeon, explained that there were 20 wounds of various sizes about the deceased's face, and ten wounds on the right hand and four on the back of the loft hand, and several others on the palm. The throat was extensively cut. Very great force must have been used. Death was duo to syncope from loss of blood. There were no signs that the deceased was a heavy drinker. She had evidently been repeatedly stabbed with a penknife. Frederick J. Andrews, the accused, who elected to give evidence, after being cautioned, entered the witness-box. The coroner, however, said lie thought it would not be fair, so soon after his arrest, to allow him to give evidence, which he would havo an opportunity of doing before the magistrate. The jury returned a verdict of "Wilful murder" against Andrews.