James Smith

James Smith murdered his wife Catherine Smith 26 by stabbing her to death at 6 Silver Street, Newcastle on 26 April 1926.

James Smith was a ships fireman.

James Smith and Catherine Smith had seperated and Catherine Smith had moved into a tenement. On 26 April he called for her and she went to the head of the stairs to speak to him when he went up to her and stabbed her several times with a dagger. He then dragged her down the stairs by the hair of her head. She died within a few minutes with stab wounds to her chest and back. He then gave the knife to an aquaintence. When charged he replird 'Not guilty. I did not know what i was doing.'

James Smith and Catherine Smith were married in January 1925but  had been living apart since February 1926 after having a number of quarrels when Catherine Smith had gone back home to her family at 6 Silver Street. The father left for work at 7.20am but was called back at 3.20 by his other 15 year old daughter who told him that 'Marler' had stabbed Kitty. When the father got home he found that Catherine Smith had been taken to the infirmary and when he got to the infirmary he found that she was dead.