The National Register. — London, England, 1818-10-25 00:00:00

OCT. M. M URI)F,II. In our Monday's Edition of Tire NATIONAL BEMs. TER, which contains the latest news, both Foreign-and Domestic, together with the Price of Stocks, and the State of the Markets, it was our painful duty to give a brief account of ANOTHER BARBAROUS MURDER which WB3 commit ted late on Friday evening, in the Kent Road, on the person of Mary Hulbert, an interesting little girl tour years and a half old. A man, named Robert Dean, was in the habit of occasionally visiting the parents of the child, who was much attached to him, and of whom ho had always appeared remarkably fond. He took the child out to buy some apples at a neighbouring shop ; and not returning immediately Mrs. Williams, the mo ther of Mrs Halbert, went out to look for the child, and observing her in Dean's arms with an apple in her hand, she was about to return, when Dean requested her to go to a shop a few doors off and purchase some arts. des fur him. She did as he had reque.sted, but had not been in the shop more than two minut , s when she heard a cry of murder, and saw a great number of persons run towards her daughter's house. Sher made all possible haste to the same place, and upon arriving there saw the child being supported by her father, and the blood streamini , from a dreadful wound in the throat. The unfortunate infant languished about half an hour and expired. In the mean time, Dean had absconded. Many reports were in circulation iu the neighbourhood—of his having been seen in the Regency Park, at Poplar, and other places ; but all without the slightest foundation, as appears from the following full particulars of this horrible transaction. SURRENDER OF THE MURDERER. Aboat five o'clock on Tuesday morning, a young man ac costed Joseph Myatt, constable and watcn•laouse keeper of St. Andrews, Hollsorn, stating that he was a murderer, and was desirous of surrendering himself into the hands of justice ; the constable was astonished at the application, and fur a few moments hesitated how to act. He requested the 'pith cant to be more explicit; the young man then said, that on Friday evening he 'murdered a child at Newington. Your name is Dean, said the watchman ; lent that unfortunate men he replied. He was thee taken into the watch-house and properly sechred. Daring his continuance there he was asked by Myatt, whether at the time of the murder being coin. mitted he was in a state of intoxication, to which he answered he was never more sober in his life. At seven he was taken to Giltspur.street,Compter, and information of his surrender was sent to May, the officer, who had been particularly active In his endeavours to apprehend him. May waited upon the Lord Mayor about II o'clock, and received direction irons his Lordship to take the prisoner to Union Hall, in order that the prisoner might be investigated by the Magistrates of the district. C. Jeminett, Esq. the Coroner and Jury, lied in the mean time assembled at the Rockingham Arms, New ington, to take an inquisition on the body of the dered child, and the Sitting Magistrate being informed that the prisoner did not deny having committed the murder. coast. dered that the most expeditious and satisfactory mode of pro. needing would be to send him immediately before the Coroner in order that he might be committed fur trial upon the eve. deuce adduced to that gentleman and the jury. It was also thought that the public mind would be more speedily tran quilized, sad the crowd of persons would disperse, and the parties retire peaceably to their respective homes, when it was known that his final commillueut had taken place. At noon the coach arrived at Union Hall office (where as ins ineuse crowd bad assembled, under Use expectation of seeing the prisoner, and the public road was so excessively thronged in front that many lives were hazarded by the attempts of• drivers of coaches mid carts to force a passage for the vehi. aeles,) contaiuing May, the prisoner Deau, and Myatt the con. stable, who, receiving the ostler of the Magistrates as above stated, proceeded, with the addition to the party of Hall the officer, lathe Rockingham Arms, hallowed by about 2000 per sous. It was not otaserved by the officers that the uuhappy parent of the murdered child was standing at the door of the Rockinghstin Antes whets the prisoner descended from the coach, but lie soon became known ; the moment his eyes were fixed upon the person of she prisoner, his countenance grew pale with rage. Isis eyes Hashed fury, with the rapidity W lightning be darted upon the culprit, and but fur the timely interference of the officers WOlitil have avenged on the spot the immolation of his child. Ode hand of the prisoner was fastened toMay's, and wit► the other he covered his eyes, our once dared to meet the glance of the orett•tied father. The following is the evidence tidiest before the Coroner, Charles Jemmett, Esq. Mrs. Mary Halbert. wife of Edmund Halbert, and mother of the deceased, being sworn, stated, after a great deal of icrelevaut evidence, that her another scut into the street, and SAW the deceased in arms at the top of the court in Thones.street ; Dean asked wituestes mother, if she would go to a chandler's shop, and purchase I ' souse tobacco, Which she consented to do ; and while she was gone on the errand, something impelled witness to rise from the chair she (rite kind of• Wei sal alarm, and she without any motive, ran lute the court, and met the d • . d near the house dour; she reeled tuwasds her, and appeared to have a red handket chief round her neck. Witness took the deceased into Iter anus, and the blood gushed fruin her throat ..11 over het clothes; the deceased pot out her anus and then dropped .down as if she had expired or fainted; witness awoke het husband, and said" Our child is dears'!" the slush:awl replied, •• You are maid surely." He look hold of Site ale ceased, and seeing that ►he was dying rail into the court and said" Who did ate" Witness wk.! hes Misused that Dee,. had clouts if, she was sure ," and slit then ittiorined I • het Dean came in is Lale he was asleep, end went out with tut professed intention of buying her an apple. A surge..is was sent for, who came and attended the deceased stills she was quite dead. (At this period the murderer arrived froas Union Hatt Polece-olht•e SeStaal thou•auds of persons had cutlet:teal round the house w here the just y e ere sitting, and *old,' Mao e torn the delisiqueut to pirec. , anti huh list span , d assist ventle,a of Use Police. 'l'hcabuse watinw ran to the wu.uew O. till Jury-tuuiti, fir 014e111:1: site had a vs. wof thr prtstoto us Dealt, as kr was aims% 11l the hut kney-cuaels ; site ices awed, otos' loath) . awl ternhcally, ••'l'4at is Us' mustiest' at ill) TILE NATIONAL 117GICITTIT. dear child; Oh, the villain ! Oh, the murderer !" drc. and fell into an hysteric tit ; she was iamoved into another room by a surgeon who was present, es she had unfortunately fallen ugainst one of the windows, and was very much cut about her hands and arms. Dean was placed in a roam adjoining the jury room.'] Joseph Willieuis, the brother of the last witness, being sworn, gave a long statement which bore no further upon the q testion titan to show that Dean was In unsettled and dia. tiessed circumstances. SeraltWilliam;, the mother of the above witnesses, and grandmother to the deceased, deposed to the same effect. Mr. Roby Weston, surgeon, lirighton•place, New Neat ened, b, hog sworn, stated, that the wound was sufficient to indict di Joseph .Hyatt, an of f icer el St. Andrew's, Holborn, sworn. Alford a qnarter of an hone before 3 o'clock that morning, a man, who said his name was Robert Dean, canoe to the watch. house of St. Andrew's Holborn i he said that "he crime to surrender himself, fur he was a murderer, and could not hold out any longer ;" witness asked him what murder he had done, and he said, " He had murdered a child over in the Borongli; he seemed very mach agitated, and asked leave to warm himself i witness told him he might if lie thought pro per: witness took him thence to the Coinpter; on the way witness conversed with Dean, and asked bun how he came to commit the dreadful act t Dean replied," Why, the devil was over him." Dean begged that he might be well used in prison ; witness promised he should; Dean said that he was, dining the whole of Monday last, lurking about Row.strert Poliemoffice, in hopes that some one would recognise him, but as no one did, lie had not courage to resign himself up; he had been wandering about ever since he committed thecriine; mid lie went to a chapel in Moorfields, and heard a sermon preached, which so affected his mind, that be resolved to de liver himself up to justice: he said he was quite sober when he committed the act; Dean appeared perfectly composed when lie gave the above relation. The Coroner having said a few words, the jury returned a verdict of—Wilful Murder against Robert Dean. ire The Witnesses were hound ov , and the coroner issued his warrant for his committal to H rsemonger-lane gaol, Before Dean was removed om the Rockingham Arms, the Coroner ordered the constables to bring him (Dean) tutu the jury.room. He was brought in handcuffed to May, the officer, of Union hall. Mr. Jenimett asked which was Robert Dean. Dean burst into tears, and iu great agitation said, " I am that unfortunate man." Corouer.—l am sorry to see you charged with such a horrid crime. Dean (beating his forehead in great agony with his right hand) said, "It is a dreadful thing surely." Coroner.—lt is my duty to commit you; I have issued my warrant, and I hope you will think of your awful situation, and may God have mercy upon you. Prisoner (writhing with agony).—" I hope he will." priboner was then conveyed in a hackney-coach to Horsemouger-lane-gaol. Lase knife was found in the court where the mnrder was committed; it is about eight inches long, with a white handle, and is in the possession of May the dicer. CONFESSION. During the time the inquest was being held at the Rocking ham Ana*, Dean was placed in a private room with May and several other officers. Dean whespereJ to Mt% that if he were left alone with him he would relate to him the whole particulars of the dreadful transaction. May requested every person present to leave the room, and the prisouer then made the following confession, which tie give verbatim;—" On Friday evening last. I met a young man named Joseph Wil liams, with whom I had long been intimate at Mrs. Halbert's house, in Jacques-court, Thomas street. I had long been acquainted with a young woman, named Sarah Longman, daughter of Mr. Longman, at the Grapes, Chnrch-row, A Id gate ; my affection for her was extremely great ; I had for AMP time corresponded with her. A dispute unhappily arose; I wrote to her 'spot) the subject, expressing my regret at the unfortunate rupture ; deperibed the very great regard which I entertained for her ; implored her to consent to a reconciliation; and begged that she would write me an early answer. She never replied to my letter. Her father called upon me, and wished that the connexion might be discontinued. These circumstances bail an indescribable effect upon my mind; I was miserably ;mho p,ty, was incapa ble of offending to any business, and gave myself up entirely to despair. I endeavoured to prevail upon her to renew the correspondence. I felt that I never could be happy in this world without User, and determined to leave it. Thoughts et* a dreadiiii description entered my mind, and must have proceeded from the devil. I felt that I should leave the world in a state of happiness if I conlil murder her, and de termined to perpetrate the deed. I hail been from home two days, business nut being very brisk ; and tin Friday evening I called to see Williams. at Mrs. Halbert's, and we both cause out together, anti walked in company as far as the Surrey Theatre ; we dui not go in. I told Williams that I wanted to tier a gentleman in the Borough, and should go that way.— We parted, and I returned to Mrs. Halbert's. After talking no a very trientlis manlier with the family, I asked for a knife, and they supposing that I wanted to rut some bread, gave me a case knife. I took 'inopportunity of concealing it un perceived in my pocket. I shortly after went out wit% the child to buy her some apples, which hissing done I returned to the court. A sudden thought came over my mind that if I murdered the eh Id, who was innocent, I should not commit so great a crime as iu murdering Sarah Longman, sho was older ; and as lis seined had sins to answer for. In a mo ment I pulled the knife out of my pocket, put the child out of my sums, held i• r head heck, and cni her throat ; iu au instant 1 imagined ,hat I was in the midst or aaaa fire, and the cowl atilite4l...l to me like the entrance of hell. I ran away, not lithium; where I went, or what 1 did I wandered about in a state of distraction, until 1 surrendered myself up at the watch-lsoust Dean has been ever since his comniitinent entirely 'lb ikutheil in meditation. lie repi -did that a Bible and prayer book, which were tumid at Las gings, and lead been taken posseNsion of by May, the constable, might be given to I ; the nooks weir delivered. and he has incessantly employed himself in the perusal of them. He weeps very 311111:11, and speak. in terms ot great affection of the child which was ^del ith•ed try his It..nd. It appears that . tier Dean had committed the atrocious Cut tale, air it ailed el i out until ten o'clock at night, and then lit crosaeil the %AM.. nd entered a public house set Westminster, and oil the !rollout g day he enlisted in theblhta Regiment, find pas.ett the no. tot the same day, cud was to have b een snuru 111 on the morning that he ativendetethhionelt. It - - was noticed by the soldier with whom he enlisted, that 1 m appeared at times greatly confused, and would start suildpiily as if labuuring under Mils nervous disorder, bat he could not elicit from him the cause of his melancholy. On the Sunday Dean wrote a letter at the public lions. lii Mr, Halbert, Ilse father of the deceased, acknowledging that lie was the ninr derer, and also his sorrow fur what he had done, The letter was received on Monday by Mr. Halbert, and is now in his possession. MURDER AT RRONIPTON, KENT. Fora week past the water in the well of the Duke of York priblic.licusc, at Brampton, Kent, had been affected with so nauseous a taste and smell, that it became unfit for use. The servant, when dressing, fonud something hindered the bucket from King ; the impediment was enpposed to be the lid of the well, which had fallen in, and which wets thought to have communicated the offensive qualities to the water. The girl, however, lately thought that she perceived something like a body, and on moving the rope back o arda and foreard. to till the bucket, she found pieces of skin and animal sitestanco adhering to it whet) it was drawn ; and within the last few days the smell at the mouth of the well had become so exceedingly offensive that no one would gn near it. On Se. tinday morning the circumstances having become a matter of couversation among some soldiers who were drinking at the Duke of York, one of them uttered for * trifling reward to go down the well, which is of great depth, aed clear it of its impurity. He was accordingly lowered Jowl', bin before he arrived at the bottom he was almost overpowered by the (maid ellinvia, and celled out to the men who were lowering him to stop. Having waited for a few seconds and recovered himself, he proceeded till the bucket touched the water, when leaning over its side, he with leriiiite horror and dismay, din coveted a naked I an body ilmitrog on its hack. To be certain, lie took hull of the hair, when the body rolled over, and the air and scalp became detached from the skull, and remained in his hand. Terrified in the extreme, and almost reduced to insensibility at the horrid bight, he called to the men it the brink of the well to draw him up. • One of his comrades then went down with a skeet, and lowing rolled it round the dead body, it was drawn up ; the soldier, however, nearly tell a sacrifice to his exertions ; he was so affected the foul air, that he lost his senses just as he came within the reach of the by-standers, who caught bolero( him, and pre vented him from failing headlong into the well. The body proved to be that of a woman about 37 years of age, Dented Donnelly, the wife of a soldier lately discharged from the 98th regiment. She was far advanced pregnancy, and being completely naked, it was immediately suspected that the woman had been sundered. A Coroner's Jury was suitsinoneil, and an inquisition taken at 14 o'clock on Saturday last, which continued investigating this mysterious *Nair until 7 at night, when the evidence was read by the Coroner, and the Jury nut agreeing unenimously in their verdict, at. adjournment took place till 1 o'clock on Monday : fresh evidence Saving been obtained, they cote tinned their investigation till b o'clock in the evening. The following particulars came out se— In the early part of September, the 98th regiment, to which the husband of the deceased belonged, arrived from Halifax. Donnelly was then quartered at the Doke of York, at Brampton ; he came there accompanied by Ins vas and two children, and was lodged in a room at the back of the house, the window of which isabout five feet koin the well in which the deceased person was found. The unfortunate woman was about twelve years older than Doimellw; she was very much attached to blot ; but was extremely. jealous, mid frequently evinced that passion when he spoke to another ie. male ; their quarrels consequently were frequent, and at times particularly violent. On the night of the 17th of September they quarrelled, and from violent words proceeded to blows ; their couduct became desperate ; Donnelly forced his wife towards the well, and threatened to throw her into it ; her screams brought persons to her assistance. and she was re leased front Ins violent efforts to force her towards the well's mouth. The whole of that night, however, she lay in the open air, with her head resting on the steps leading into the public house where she was found next morning with her clothes wet through with dew and rain. She was advised to go to her apartment and change her apparel, which she did after some time, and in the cosine of the day she became reconciled to her husband. On the following Saturday night site was at the club room nt the Doke of York in apparent health and . spirits; after that time she was nut seen alive by any one to the house. Ou Sunday morning the 20th Sept. Donnelly came down from his apartment and sat in tile tap room with kis tw • children but without his wife; inquiries were made after her, and he said that she had gone the preceding night on a visit to her friends ; he did nut know when she would return : that she had token 31. to defray her expenees, &c. To other inquiries, he said that she was gone oft with another man. A female, who Went into his apartment on the day sites Don itelly's wife disappeared, stated, that she sow every thing about ►he room in the greatest disorder ; the clothes of the deceased scattered about in all directions, and slue observed marks of blood upon the bed linen. Yet,with all these strong es idences of guilt, together with the violent (tendert toe i .10 the deceased on. the Thursday preceding, no suspicion ad pears to have been entertained of the murder until Saturday week, after the body had keen lying iu the well fur more than a month. Dwindle remained at the Duke of York after the deeesiacd mieuiing for swore than a rot might, and fiequently con versed about his absent wife without the least emotion or eon fusion at the lime. He said sbe was gone ul with a fellow, and would not tioublchini again, and since that period be has cohabited with another woman. 'The Coroner summed up the evidence to the Jury ; he was glad they adjourned. because Inure evidence ut great Lame had been adduced, and trum that and the r%itlesice taken on the first day they assembled, he had no doubt nut that they wonid be Chic to cotter to a Sul isfictury cuucluaion upon rho subject. The Jur, , w ithout hesitation, returned a verdict of " wafts! inns der ugailltd the Ititshatod of the deceased," and .1 ‘t art.dit has since been i,sucd tui his apprelleisqusi and cult/omit:lt IS the County 6.iul. A lettrr dated :IlonclirMer, the 19th. rays :,—..'rw• of principal thii• lIINII set:etre& uu tiatisidi emelt:ova olds is for ditteresit dem:, ipt luso. of ii , ••.orac , ni. d Food., fur South Alneriedll I,ll.llkeis Thor oldt ra c.. tae time 1141114 and Rio Jasietio ; two of Went ate 1. , • con,tdrrable amount ; and the letters, which accon.p4iiiel! o ng the cheering AftstirriliVe that th, ) it, Aft 6,111,N t d by whet aof 111141 magnitude. 7 t. conitilerable Nati,hietion ; al,d will, in • oicaeosr cowling , wail the gloomy accounts as to not trade with the Cuittel States."