Star. — London, England, 1811-12-23 00:00:00

THE MURDERS IN GRAVEL-LANE. CORONER'S INQUEST. An Inquest was held at two o'clock in the after. noon of Saturday, at the Black Horse public-house, New Gravel-lane, before -- UNwnv,,Eaq. Coro ner of the district. The following are the depositions of the several witnesses : I»; v TuaNER sworn.—l am a sawyer by trade, in the employ of Messrs. Scarlett and Cook. I hare lodged in the house of Mr. Williamson in New Gra vel-lane for about eight months ; I lodged in the front garret, which is two floors from the ground floor; I board at my brother's, who lives near Mr. Williamson's ; I went from my brothel's to Mr. WU liamson's on Thursday evening last, about twenty minutes before eleven o'clock, as near as I can sky; when I went in, Ms. Williamson was standing at the front door, and followed me ; Mr. William s on was sitting in the middle room in his great chair ; the ser. want was in the back room. I saw no other persons in the house but those three ; Mr. Williamson told me to sit down ; I stood by the fire; a little man came in, whose name I understand to be Samuel Phil. _ lips—he came in, according to his usual custom, for a pint of beer, and told Mr. Williamson that there was a stout man with a very large coat on, passing in at the inner glass door in the passage ; Mr. William son, catching up the' candlestick, said, a I'll see what he wants." He: went out with the candle is Itirhand, and returned, saying, 4 he could not see him, but if he did see him, he would send him where he ought, or would not like to go." Phillips went out with his beer, and Mr. Anderson came in di rectly afterwards ; he did not stay above two or three minutes. Shortly afterwards, the servant rAked out the fire, and I went to bed, at which tune Mrs. Williamson followed me up stairs to her owe room, with a watch and silver punch ladle.— This was the last time that I saw either of them living. I heard Mrs. Williamson lock the bed-room door and gn down stairs again ; there is no fast ening to my room door ; r went to bed, and had not been there above five minutes before I heard the front door banged-to very hard. Immediately afterwards I heard the servant exclaim, “ We are all murdered," or, 4 , shall be murdered," two or three times ; i_cannot exactly say which of the ex. pressions she usade use of : I had not been asleep.- 1 heard the sound of two or three blows, but with _ what weapon I cannot say. Shortly after I heard Mr. Williamson cry out. “lam a dead man 1" I was in bed still. About two or three minutes after- wards, I got out of bed, and listened at the door, but could hear nothing. I went down to the first floor, and, from below I has rd the sound of three very heavy Sighs. I heard some person walk across the middle room, on the ground-floor, very lightly ; I was then half way down the last pair of stairs, and naked. I went to the bbttom of the stairs, and the door stood a little on the jar. I passed through the opening— and, by the light of a candle which was burning in the room, I saw a man, apparently near six feet high, in a large rough Flushing coat of a dark colour, which came down to his heels. He was standing with his back tavards me, apparently leaning over some person, as if in the act of rifling their pockets. es I heard some silver rattle, and saw him rise Z I open his coat with his left hand, and put his ri hand to his breast, as if 0 put sosn.thing in ' pocket. I did not see his face, and I only saw that one person. I was fearful—and went up stairs as quick, but as softly as I could. I thought first of getting under the bed, but was fearful I should be found i—l then took the two sheets, tied them toge ther, tied- them to the bed-post, opened the .window, and lowered Myself down by the sheets. The watch man was coming by— I told him - there was murder in the house, and he assisted me in getting down. I had nothing - on but my night-cap, my shirt, and a Jersey waistcoat. The watchman sprang his rattle; Mr. Fox then* came up, and said, s. Break the door open." Mr. Fox went over the way, and came back again with a hanger.—l have frequently seen Mr. Williamson's watch; it was a small thick silver watch with a glass ; it had a gold-coloured chain, and a large seal with a stone in the bottom. I saw Mr. Williamson playing with the chain on Thursday night, when I was standing at tie fire. I never saw an iron crow in the house to my knowledge. GEORGE Fox sworn.—l reside in New Gravel lane, opposite the house of the deceased. On Thursday night, as the watch was going eleven, I came to the top of New Gravel-Lane, in my way home ; I saw two watchmen standing at Mr. Williamson's door ; when I came up to them, I asked them what was the matter .? Mr. Lee, the landlord of the Black Horse, was along with the watchmen. I was told that the house was being robbed, if not the people murdered in it. Several other persons coming ty soon after, I begged of them to knock hard, and if there was no answer, I proposed to them to break open the door, and I would be answerable for any consequences.— They did knock, and received. no answer. While they were breaking ape's the door, I ran across tom' own house for a hanger, which the servant gavels* without my going in doors; the door and front cellar window were immediately broken open; three or four persons went down the cellar window, while myself and three or four went in at th, door. We looked in at the fore-room, which was in darkness ; we went into the middle room, occupied as a kitchen, where there was a light burning on a table ; there I saw Mrs. Williamson lying on her face, along the hearth, with her heaci towards the door, with her throat cut, -tea the blood flowing from the wound, apparently .( I ,:ite dew ; she had all her clothes on ; some keys and a box were ly in g b y the Side of her, and it ap peared to me that her pockets had been rifled ; the servant Bridget Harrington, lying between Mrs. Wil liamson and the fire-glace in the - same direction, with her- t h r oat cut, and the blood flow ing from i it ; the fire was out, and materials laid ready toli g h t in e morning ; she wa?also com.oplentetlywdressed an ap ow on ihe head. peared to have received a vt ,, le •I immediately called out— Where is the old man Williamson ?" I was answered from those,lpart of in the' .cellar, ~Here he is, with his throat cut . of the way down , and saw him lying upon his back in the cellar ; I immediately, with others, proceeded to search the house ; I went into thebackrcaz, w nex iit. t to that in which I ha d found the bo dies of li.imson and the servant, and found that the inside s h u tters of one of the back w indow s had been taken down, *the sash thrown up ; in about half an hour afteywards,l examined the window mete closely, and saw the window-shutter, which had been taken down, marked with blood, apparently with the print zia hand, and there was also blood upon the inside iron bar. When I first saw the window open, I beg ged somebody to go up stairs and search the house, while I remained at the window ; I stopped at that window to prevent any retreat ; Mr. Mallen, the Chief Clerk of the Shadwell 'Police, and two police officers, went with me to search for the offenders, but without effect, at different houses, in consequence of information that two suspicious persons had gone along Shadwell High-street; soon after J got into the house I saw John Turner, who had, as I was infor med, made his escape out of the window, and gave him in charge to the watchman. WILLIAM SALTER sworn—l am a surgeon, and live in Ratcliffe Highway ; I have minutely inspected the bodies of the several parties deceased, by the direc tion of the Coroner, and found the following marks of violence on their bodies—namely, John William son had a wound extending from the left ear to within two inches of the right. penetrating through the trachea or windpipe, and down to the vertebra: of the neck ; and the tibia, or large bone of the right leg, p fractured a little above the uncle, apparently from a fall, as if down stairs, because if it hail been done by any other means, I think there must have been a la ceration of the integuments ; no marks of violence upon any other parts. Elizabeth Williamson—the right temporal and parietal dreadfully fractured, ap parently from a large poker, or some such instru ment, comprehending nearly the whole of the right side of the head ; the throat cut from ear to ear, through the windpipe, &c. no marks of violence upon any other parts. Ann Bridget Harrington, the wo man servant—the right parietal bone laid open about four inches in length and two in width, with the brains exposed; and the throat cut about four inches in length through the wind-pipe ; no other marks of violence appears. I-conceive their throa:s to have been cut with .t razor, as none but such sharp instru ment could have cut so deep without tearing the parts, which is not the case in this instance, their throats being cut by one incision. On each of their bodies there is sufficiint causes of death appearing. an I underwent a very rigid interrogation by the Ma i gistrates. A pair of white canvas er duck trowsers were found in the prisoner's lodgings, in Pratt's bud dings, which are situated very near the house of the deceased. The trowsers appeared to have been very recently washed; they were then very wet, and upon inspecting them closely there appeared to be evident traces of blood. The prisoner said, that he had not worn those trowsers for six weeks before, and that the supposei marks of blood were nothing but the stains of some marker's paint. The trowsers were found under a bed in the prisoner's room. A Medical Gentleman inspected the trowsers, and was thoroughly satisfied that the stains were those of blood. The prisoner said that a milk-woman slept in the same room where he lodged, and that the trowsers were found under her bed. _ _ _ He has not been examined, but it is suprosed he will be brought up this day. Sylvester Dr's:oil, who was apprehended on Friday, and on whose trowsers were m.trks of blood, will not receive another hearing till Thursday. Yesterday the officers, from Wiltechapel Office, brought in..custody a man from the Downs on strong suspicion. On Saturday night the inhabitants of Rate WI and Shadwell formed their patroles, each of them armed with swords and pistols. Eady yesterday rooming they examined every house_supposed to contain dis orderly characters. In their progress a most m;ra colons event took place : one of the patrole, unused to fire arms, stood with about forty others at the door of a house which was being searched ; tirelessly playing with his blunderbuss, it went nil, and the con tents penetrated the palm of his hand. the ball Actu ally Hying in the midst of his companions, but for tunately no other individual received injury. This sudden explosion fora short time created come alarm, and occasioned the immed i ate union of the two pat roles. A strong corps of Dow-street officers have alter nately remained in the neighbourhood rf Shadwell and Ratcliff since Friday m..rning, to co-operate with the Police Officers of Shadwell, flames, and White- With respect to the statement of the prisoner, that he was at home all night, from four the preceding evening. until eight next morning; it was contradic ted by the testimony of the following witnesses : THOMAS DANIEL stated, that he lived next door to the prisoner, and saw him come out of his house about half-past eleven o'clock on Thursday night, with a light in his hand, and go up to Mr. Williamson's house, and stand there for some time. He first saw him go out when the alarm was given; he observed him afterwards go home. Tuomas DIENON lived next door to the prisoner; when he heard the alarm of murder, he got up and put on - part of his clothes, and upon looking out of the window he saw the prisoner come up the end of tile lane with a light in his hand, and saw him go up to Mr. Williamson's door; this was about eight or ten minutes after the first alarm. DRISCOL, the wife of the prisoner, was examined, and her testimony precisely corroborated her hus band's account of himself. chapel. Saturday night the house cf . Mr. 0 rfe, the 'ego of the Whit,. Rose, R atrliff Highway, was strongly guarded, in consequence cf inloimation that his f.i.• mily would be attacked. INQUEST AT SHOP Emelt After the Coroner had retired horn the painful duty of an incpCst in Gravel-lane, another was summoned at Shoreditch, on the body of Mary Shepherd, an unfortunate girl of the town, who was reported to have been murdered on Thursday night in Cooper's-gar chns, Hackney.—Burgoine, a watchman, gave his evidence as to seeing the girl in company with ano ther 'female of the name of Arnie, about half-past one on Friday-morning. They were intoxicated.— ' He heard a quarrel about maney, but no blows pass ed. .shortly afterwards' the girl fell down, when the beadle of the parish and the watchman came up; seeing her situation, medical assistance was procured, but hfe was extinct before it arrived. The Surgeon was conv'nced she had sustained noinjury from 'wilily effects. The watchman and the gii I gave tl.eir state ment. A man of respectable appearance was taken before the Magistrates on Saturday morning upon suspicion, but nothing transpired which could warrant his ap- - prehension ; however, be was remanded till this day. Government has very laudably issued the following notice : " Whitehall, December 11. Whereas it has been humbly represented to his Royal Hier nest the Prince Regent, that between the hours of eleven and twelve on the night of Thursday, the 19th instant, as the watch man was going his rounds in New Gravel-lane, ShadwcU, in the county of Middlesex, he observed a young man, who was a lodger at the public house called the King's Arms, and kept by Mr. Jahn Williamson, lowering himself down by two sheets from a two pair-of-stairs window, who told him that the family were mur dered, whereupon the door was immediately broken open, and the bodies of Mrs. Catharine Williamson, and her maid-aemnt, Bridget Harrington, were found, murdered in the tap-room, and the said Mr. John Williamson was found in the cellar, in the same state ; his Royal Highness, for the better apprehending and bringing to justice the persons concerned in the atrocious mur ders. is hereby pleased, in the name and on the behalf of his Ma jetty, to promise his Majesty's most gracious pardon to auy one of them (except the person or persons who actually perpetrated the said murders) who shall discover his or their accomplice or accomplices therein, so that he, she, or they may be apprehended and convicted thereof. And, as a further encouragement, a re ward of Five Hundred Pounds is hereby offered to any person I making such discovery s aforesaid (except as is before excepted), to be paid on the conviction of any one or more of the offenders by the Right Honourable the Lords Commissioners of his Ma jesty's Treasury. " a. IITDZIL" SASIUEL MALMOIR, a cooper, No. 97, New Gra vel-lane, opposite the house of the deceased, corrobo rated the testimony of the first witnesses, with respect to the finding of the bodies, as already described.—. After he came out of the house, he proceeded up New Gravel-lane, where he saw two girls of the town, who informed him two men had ran past them, one in a white rough coat, and the other a short man. The greater part of this witness's testimony which follow ed, described what those women told him ; but as they were examined before the Magistrates on Friday night, we do not report it. Gsoncz CLEOGII, a beadle of Lower Shadwell, proved that he was sitting in the watch-house ,at the time the alarm was given of murder • and he pro- INeasnteants.—On Saturday morning early Mr. ceeded with an iron crow, and assisted in gaining Kirwan, of 108, Pall-mall, discovered that the lower admittance to Mr. Williamson's house. He went up parte his cousin's houseoppcs te,which is under repair, stairs and found the grand-daughter of the deceased was on fire. He instantly called to the centinel at Carl asleep in a room on the second floor ; he afterwards ton House to force it open, who was at the moment alarmed the officers at the Thames Police-office, and crossing the way for the purpose, when it plainly ap those of Shadwell -- peared to have been the work of an incendiary, as WM. WARD, servant of Mr. Howes, pork-butcher, I Yesterday the eastern part of the metropolis pre. the stairs, a ladder, the door-frame, and several pieces Shadwell, was present when the first alarm was given, rented a promenade of all descriptions of persons, at- o f w oa d, all in d istinct p laces . were on fi re at *nee s he saw Turner the lodger in the act of letting go the ! tracted by the recent atrocious murders of two f ar m- and to prevent the reflection of the flames through the sheet, by which he had descended from the window; and lies, from the current reports of additional crier - fan-light, two sacks were placed before it. Provi derous cr i mes. The concourse of spectators were he afterwardsassisted in breaking open the door. Thisdentially, howevir, the parlour door was open, and witness's testimony went chiefly to corroborate the ,the blaze seen through the windows, and the fatal in Sh a d we llan d R atcliffe never equa ll e d others in the description of the state in which the de- consequences prevented. Mr. Kirwan, the owner of on any former occasion, and the astonishment of the ceased were found. the house, who lodged at Mr. Brown's, silversmith, roupes of specta t ors , in viewing the premises of the After the evidence was concluded, the Coroner de- i fate Mr. MARK and ' Mr. WILLIAMSON, were lost in next door, was called up, and, on his going out, a livered the following charge to the Jury : 1 conjectures as to how the murderers made so ready I man came in to offer his services in removing Mr. B's " Gentlemen— Th e frequent instances of murder i an esca pe. The public are informed 6f most parts- ! Property, but Mrs. B. very properly rejected them, committed in the eastern part of this metropolis, which 1 elders relating to these two unhappy events, and lie and there is reason to think he was the incendiary, no vigilance has been successful to detect, in a vicinity ' shall only state the most recent occurrences since our and that the intent was to take advantage of the con where the population of the lower classes of the corn- last publication. i fusion, to plunder Mr. B.'s property, a similar act munity greatly preponderates, increased by the nuns- On Friday afternoon information was obtained that having lately taken place in Piccadilly, where an un ber of strangers and seamen discharged from time to a man of suspicious appearance was at Limehouse. inhabited h o u se, n ext door to a silversmith, was set on time at the East and West India and London Docks , About five o'clock the constables went in pursuit of fire , and the latter robbed in the confusion. There and the influx of foreign sailors from all parts of the him, and took him into custody ; they had not pro- havarg been nobody but the workmen in the house on Globe, imperiously call for the solemn attention of ceeded far before a patty of men came up, beat the Friday, they underwent a long examination on Satur. those more immediately entrusted with the admini- constable who had him in charge most unmercifully, day, at Bow-street, but nothing appearing to crimi stration of Government ; for the late and present and the man was rescued. A cry was raised, when nate them, they were discharged. murders are a disgrace t o the c ount r y, and almost a the man was taken again ; the party again assailed Saturday's Gazette contains a Pmclatnation,offering reproach on civilization ; while the exertions of the the constables, one of whom had his head severely a pardon, and a reward of two hundred pounds, fur Police, with the ordinary power of the Parochial Offi- cut, and the man was rescued a second time. The the discovery of the persons concerned in breaking cers, are found insufficient to protect men's persons pursuit still continued; the man was taken into cus- into and plundering, and afterwards setting fire to the from the hand of violence, and the Coroner has to tody a third time, and the persons who had him in print buildings appertaining to Messrs. Thonias record the most atrocious crimes, without the possi- charge met again with the same fate, when the man Andrew and sons, at Campstatt-bridge, near :simple, bility of delivering the perpetrators to justice and pu- finally made his escape. Cheshire. nishment, our houses are no longer our castles, and The rumoured reports of the murders of a publi- Saturday evening, about half-past seven o'clock, as we are unsafe in our beds. These observations, strong can and two Police Officers, originated from this se- a girl, about twelve ,ears of age, was passing through as they are, will be found warranted by the events riosis fracas. The wounds inflicted on the constables ' a court leading to Element's inn, she was attacked which have lately taken place, within a short distance in the performance of their arduous duty, are not by two robbers, cne of them stopped her mouth while of the spot where we are now met, and by the nume- dangerous ; the fury of the rioters was increased from ' the other took from her two papers of ss. worth of rous verdicts of Wilful Murder which, during the a supposition that the constables were part of a press-' halfpence; they both ran off, but were pursued by • last S months, have been returned by Juries against gang. The man suspected surrendered himself to some persons passing at the time,- with the cry of persons unknown, not one of Which has yet been dise the Magistrates on Saturday, vista his shirt complete- "stop thief! and one of them was stopped by the parish covered. Until some more appropriate remedy be ly stained witl; the blood of his antagonists, and ace ' patrole, iti Plough -court. and the parcels of half. pointed out, it appears adviseable, in the present agi- I couuted satisfactorily the reasons for the opposition in pence Sound .near where he was taken. He was tation of the public mind, that parties of the military, this unfortunate affair. His statement was combo- brought to the Public-Office, Bow -street, and under under the direction of the civil power, selected from rated by several witnesses, and he was discharged. 1 went an examination before Mr. GRAHAM and Mr. the Militia or Guards, should patrole this district Partridge, one of the o ffi cers of Shadwell, was or- ' BUMS * and committed for further examination. during the night. Your verdict, lam sorry to say, dered to examine two men taken in custody at Dept- 1 Thursday morning, between two and d three o'clock, will, in these cases, be given generally on the evi- ford, on suspicion of being concerns,' in the murder the house of Mr. Norton, grocer, Marquis -court, dente, as the perpetrators are unknown ; but it may of Marr's family. The officer immediately proceed- Drury-lane, was beset by a desperate gang of thieves. be hoped, by the aid of that DIVINE PROVIDENCE, ed, questioned the suspected persons, and being saris-: They made their way into the bed-room of Mr. N. who seldom permits murder, in this life, to go un- fled there existed no positive evidence against them, but the latter on hearing a noise, immediately jumped punished, with the exertions which will be used, these, conceived it unnecessary to bring them befue the out of bed, and throwing open the window, vo.ife inhuman monsters may be discovered and brought to Magistrates. I rated fs Fire," when the villains made off. On Sa justice. Your verdict will be wilful murder against Late on Saturday night, a genteel person was turchiy morning the house was again attempted by some persons unknown." brouglA to the Shadwell Office, under suspicion.— I the same gang, but an alarm was given, and the The Jury, after a patient consideraton of the whole The Magistrates were convinced the prisoner had no! thieves made a second precipitate retreat without d oss the evidence, from two o'clock until seven on Sa- participation in the late hotrible transactions; but , fisting their purpose. turday evening, returned a verdict of" Wilful blur- detained him a few hours iti custody, in order that 1 Friday _. night the house of Mr. Davidson, in Sr. der against some person or persons unknown." witnesses should be brought to prove an alibi. The 1 James's-sqnare, was broke open, but the family being EXAMINATIONS AT SHADWELL OFFICE. prisoner's friends came forward, and circumstant i a lly alarmed the villains decamped without their booty. related the reasons of leaving his lodgings. It ap- ' Mr. HENRY Jomesoo, a person of considerable re- I Friday night the 0. P. theatrical public-house in peered the prisoner suspected a criminal intercourse spectability in St. Paul's parish, Shadwell, . and two existed between his wife and a man where he lodged. , Ruesel-court, D rury - lane. was broke open and robbed women of the town, deposed, that just at the tone the of four When he came home, he packed up his working- rest coats, two sou la gal s, and a quantity of alarm of murder was given they saw two men come s clothes, and by stealth departed, with the intention of table-linen. It is supposed that the th i eves had se: ru nning up the lane towards Ratcliffe Highway. it oin to Chatham, as a punishment to his wife.— ' creted themselves in the house before the family went One of them appeared to be lame, andeotsld not keep g, . _ . ~ he clothes in his bundle being found dirty, and dif- tobed, as -the •thstreet-door was closed in the morning. up with his co m p a n ion . He appeared to be exhatts firing so much from his appearance, the constables and did not exhibit any marks'of violence. - ted either with running or some violent exertion. were not satisfied with the statement he made to them.' Mr. BROWN, of the Shovel public house, New-rea?. This man was the shortest of the two. They heard , further . On investigation before the Magistrates, he ' St. George's in the East, at Shadwell Office, that his the tallest man say. " Come along Mahon (or `-' I was, however, discharg Th e y made their way towards the Bluegate6elds. ed. house was brs,ke into about one o'clock sesterday H ug hey), come along," or words to that effect.— Yesterday a suspicious character was brought to t morning, and again at sit o'clock, but the villains Mr. Butler's, opposite Shadwell o ffi ce, for security. were alarmed mild e ff ected the r escape. Sylvester Driuvl was brought up for exam i nation , . _II The Coroner, in 1,i3 address, hoped that the ag grieved feelings of the public would not be tantalized with a belief that the unfortunate girl was barba rously murdered ; leaving the Jury to decide on the facts before them, he had no doubt flair verdict would appease the public alarm. ,The Jury immediately re turned their report—Died by the Visitation of God. The girl Arnie is in custody, charged with an at tempt to take from her deceased companion, a dollar, 18-penny piece, &c. I