The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1870-06-04 00:00:00

ANOTHER TRAGEDY IN LONDON!

On Monday afternoon a woman named Sarah Red-
head, the wife of a mariner, now at sea, was murdered
by her stepson, William Redhead, a lad aged 18, who
shot her with a rifle, and afterwards sec fire to the
hence. He surrendered himself a few minutes after-
wards to a police-constable.

It appears from inquiries hastily made by Mr.
Words, superintendent of Police, directly after the
murder was committed, that the marriage of the
prisoner's father to a second wife gave much offence to
his children by his first wife, and they lived on very
unhappy terms. The prisoner was a member of the
7th Tower Hamlets Rifles, and was engaged in drill
practice with his corps SO recentlyas Saturday evening.
On Monday he loaded his rifle and deliberately shot
his stepmother, who fell, and almost instantly ex-
pired. He then fled from the house, and was pursued
by some neighbours, who did not overtake him, but
oli reaching Alfred-street, White Horseilane, Stepney,
about a mile from Sidney•treet, where the murder
was committed, he met • police.constable, to
whom he admitted he had committed a murder,
and gave up the rifle he was carrying. When he
was taken into the statiomhouse, and the charge
was read over to him by Mr. Words, he said that
his stepmother had behaved very cruelly to him and
his sister, and he had no further statement or explanae
Lion. He is • mild looking youth, and there is not the
slightest indication of ferocity in his countenance or
demeanour. He has for some time been in the service
of a wine merchant in the City as a bottler and cellar-
math His father is an officer of a ship, and is now on
his way home rom China.
On Monday evening, after the disposal of the
ordinary business, the prisoner was brought before
Mr. Lushington, the magistrate at the Thames Police-
court, charged with the wilful murder of Sarah
Redhead, his stepmother. The court and its approaches
were mowded to excess, and the intelligence that
"another murder" had been committed spread like
wildfire, and caused an eager multitude to assemble in
and near the court.

William Smith, s police-constable, said he was on
duty in Alfred-street that afternoon, when the pri-ioner
ran up to him with a rifle in his hand, and said, " I
have done it." He said to him, "Done what ?" to
which he replied, "I have shot my mother•imlaw."
He asked him where he had committed the deed. The
prisoner answered, 'No. 80, Sidney-street, Stepney,
and alter I did the murder I set lire to the house, and
now I give myself up to justice." The prisoner then
delivered to him a revolver, which was not loaded. He
took the prisoner to the station-house, and searched
him. He found upon him five ball cartridges, a knife,
and two purses. The witness then produced a rifle,
and _ .

Mr. Worel. sAid the constable had made a mistake
in using the wed revolver. It was a rdie which he
received from the prisoner.

Edward Dillon, police sergeant, said that a few
minutes since when the prisoner was brought into the
station-house he told him he was charged with the
wilful murder of his mother-in-law by shouting her
with a rifle. The prisoner said, " Yee, I did so." The
rifle smelt strongly of gunpowder. There was an
exploded cap on the nipple, and six other percussion
caps in a box in the prisoner's pocket. He called the
pri.oner's attention to the rifle and caps, ar.d he said,
'Yes; they are mine."
Mr. Robert Swyer, surgeon, said that the ball had
passed through the chest and came out close to the
nipple of the left breast. He gave directions for the
ball to be searched for, and it was very firmly embedded
in the wall of the first flight of stairs. _ _

Anne Brighton, a young woman, of No. 80, Sidney
street, Stepney, said the prisoner occupied the back
parlour of the same house. The deceased came to her
in the yard of the house that afternoon and said
she wanted the rent-book, and was going to her
landlord to pay the rent. The prisoner was
in the house at the time. The next thing she
heard was the report of a gnu, and heard that
Mrs. Ifelhead was shot. She called for assistance and
went indoors. No one came. She found Mrs. Bed.
head's body in the passage at the bottom of the stairs,
and at the name time saw the back of some one
escaping at the front door. She believed it was the
prisoner.
Mr. Worels: That is all the evidence I can produce
to-day.
. .

the prisoner was asked if ho had any questions to
put to the witness.

lie replied—None, str.
lie was then aiiked if he had any observations to
make or defence to offer.

He answered—Nothis.g at all, sir.
The Magistrate then remanded the prisoner for a
week.

It is said that the unhappy youth had for some time
led a very unhappy life owing to the tyranny of the
woman whose life he has taken in the wild spirit of
revenge. It appears that he deeply mourned the loss
of a kind and affectionate mother, and that be and his
sister were very comfortable and happy until his
father introduced& new guardian for his children. All
was then changed. The lad and his sister, who is four
years his senior, were made the victims of an ungo-
vernable temper, and the sister to escape it, went to
service. The prisoner often declared to his friends
that his step.mother rendered him so miserable that he
was afraid he should some day or other drown himself.
His step-mother pawned all his clothes except those he
was wearing at the time he shot her, and spent the
money--to satisfy her propensity for strong drinks.
Once she raised money on his rifle uniform, and put
him to considerable inconvenience. On Saturday he

was at drill with his nee corps, and it was arranged
that his wages should be brought home by a boy. By
some accident this arrangement was not carried out,
and the deceased woman bullied him and refused to
supply him with any food on Saturday night, Sunday.
and Monday morning. While smarting under a load
of tyranny and vexation the wretched youth came to
the rash and wicked resolution of taking away the life
of his stepmother. His own rifle afforded him a too.
ready means of accomplishing his dread resolve, and
he shot her ail she woe ascending the stairs of her dwell-
ing. Her death was instantaneous. The sister
of the prisoner William Redhead, who was in • situa-
tion with a respectable family in Piccadilly, has been,
since the tragic affair, in a state bordering on distraction.
Her brother was a mild and inoffensive lad, and serest
favourite with all the children in the neighbourhood
for his kindness to them. The prisoner completed his
18th year on Sunday. It is to be regretted he did not
long since remove from the dwelling of his step-mother,
and avoid her cruelty and the position in which he was
placed. It is understood that it was only in obedience
with the wish of his father that he remained in the
same house.

A GREEK METHOD OF DESPATCHING
BRIGANDS.
The following letter appears in No. 12 of the series
of papers ismoil by the Foreign Office respecting the
massacre at Marathon. It is addressed by Vice.
Consul Blakeney to Mr. Erskine, and gives a detailed
account of the destruction of three brigands by a family
named Shermani
Missolonghl, May 11, 1870.
Bir,—ln conformity with Mr. Merlin's despatch, her
Majesty's Consul at the 'lrma., of the 16th of February
last, appointing me British Vice-Consul for the district of
.Etolla and Acarnania to reside at Missolonghi, and givniq
me instructions to keep your Excellency fully informed in
all matters of political or public Interest, it is with great
pleasure I have the honour to acquaint your Excellency of
tile desiruction of three brigands on the evening of the eth
inst., at Arakova, in the district of Kravara, by three
brothers named Shermaul and a servant of theirs. The
shove-mentioned Sherman',, who have been the instruments
of the destruction of these brigands, had, it seems, on former
occasions befriended their victims, who on the day on which
this adalx took place had gone over to the Shenalude house

to dine and enjoy themselves, little thin lug that their des-
truction had been carefully planned.
The plan of the Shertuanis was the following; That the
brigands should be shown into a loop-holed room, while two
of the Shermanis and a servant should station themselves
without the house, each before a loop-hole; the fourth (one
of the brothers) should remain with the brigands until
their repast bad been all but completed, when he
should call for sweetmeats, which, of course, were
never to come forward; and as if angry with one of the
servants for this unnecessary delay, get up and proceed
to the kitchen, pretending that he was going to bring them
hp him3elf ; In the meantime, those who were ready, gun In
hand, and stationed ai above stated, should pour a volley
Into the room, and shoot down the brigands. The above
plan partly succeeded ; the deadly volley was discharged, and '
three out of the four brigands wesertilled on the spot; but
the fourth effected an escape through one of the windows,
and has not since been heard of. This account has been con-
firmed by the Nomarch himself the day before yesterday,
when I had the pleasure of receiving a call from him. He
also informed me that he had given orders to have the
heads of those brigands sent hither, so as to be exhi-
bited outside the prison, which is situated close to the
barracks. The Nomarch also added that on the following
I day he was to proceed to Antos, a village on the frontier,
I where he was to meet the Pasha of Epirus, in order that
they might come to some understanding, so that the
Turkil and Greek troops might co-operate against
the brigands. I think it my duty further to add
that the Nomarch Informed me verbally that the often
now stationed In Acernania should never have been In-
trusted with the suppression of brig indoge, as they do
not side with the Government party, hat uutortunatey are
the tools of Individuals whose object is the maintenance of
Go present deplorable state of affairs. The following are
the names of the brigands who have been killed : Sp3thia,
a most notorious brigand chief, the terror of this town and
surrounding village, and who, as far as I can make out has
been a brigand for upwards of five years; Xosssndelio,
another brigand chief, and who hoe been such for about 20
years ; Thanasula, said to be K.,standello's lieutenant.
Should further news reach me on the subject I sill con-
sider It my duty tubiform your Excellency.—l have, &• .
C. A. BLAKKNEY.

Another series the 13th) of deepatchea respecting the
tragedy In Greece, has been issued from the Foreign office.
In this drat of these despaches Mr Frank Neel writing to
Mr. Edward Noel on the 4th May, states that oil the very
morning if the tragedy the brigands privately told him, that
In default of obtaining th, amnesty or e f•rmal teL they
were willing to accept the terms offered them, vim, to receive
the ransom and leave the country in an Euo.l ateamer. Mr.
Noel further says that later in the morning he wrote to Cu die, el
Theagenis. Informing him of the Intention of the band to
Irene Or ,pos for Sy kamenos, and urging that if the livea of
the prisoner. were to be saved the troops should be with-
drawn, and everything done to prevent a collision. "I;is a
most mekancholy affair," he says, in Collolldoll, referring to
the 'wiseacres, " and one cannot help being disgusted at the
horrible miemanagenient." A long report of the deposition
made in Florence by the servant of Count Boyl follows this
despatch. Fiver Vice-Consul Blakeuey at Missolonghi
there is a short note to Mr. Erskine, attain,:
that a famous brigand chief, Dell, had been billed, with
live or six of his followers, by a mixed party of soldiers and
civilians. "The inhabitants of Xironiero were Si exasper
ted," save the risk, "by the perpetual atrocities coin.
milted by that monster, that when he was shot dow n They
rushed upon him and actually cut him in pieces; his head.
however, was brouvht brie y esterday, and was exposed
outside the commandant's quarters."