The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1879-05-31 00:00:00

• THE EUSTON-SOIJARE MYSTERY.

On Monday, at the Bow-street Police-court, London,
Hannah Dobbs, a stout, well-dressed woman of about
30, was brought up by habeas corpus, in the custody of
the chief warder of Tothili's-fields Prison, and charged
before Mr. Vaughan with the wilful murder of Miss
Matilda Hacker, otherwise Uish, at 4, Euston-square,
on or about Sunday, October 14, 1877.
Mr. Poland, instructed by Mr. Pollard, of the
Treasury, conducted the prosecution. The prisoner
was undefended. Mr. Jones, from the office of Freston
and-Co., solicitors, stated that he attended to watch
the case for Mr. Battendorff, the occupant of the
house in which the deceased lady was lodging at the
time of the alleged murder.—We take the following
report of the case from The Times of Tuesday :

M, Poland said he was instructed by the Solicitor to the
Treasury in this case to prosecute the prisoner at the bar,
Hannah Dobbs, for the wilful murder of Matilda Hacker, an
elderly maiden lady. in or about October, 1877, and be would
briefly present to the Court an outline of tne charge which
he believed he should be able to establish by evidence
hereatcer. 'The deceased lady was a native of Canterbury,
about 64 years of age, and she was undoubtedly a person
of ecc-ntrtc habits, for she was accustomed to reside
In different lodgings and to assume different names. It
would be unnecesetry, however, to describe the history
of the unfortunie e lady previous to her occupation of
apartments at 4, Eustoiesquare, In the house of Mr. Bas-
tendorff, where she resided for about three weeks, in the
name of alias Gish. This was in the autumn of 1877, and she
rented the front room of the second floor. The prisoner at
that time was a servant in the house, and Mrs Bastendorff,
her mistress, would say that in the August of that year the
prisoner went away for a month's holiday. She came back to
her situation about the beginning of Oztober, although her
mistresa was unable to fix the exact date either of her depar-
ture or return ; but it was certain that Miss Utah, or Hacker,
was lodging there at the time, because the prisoner brought
downstairs to her mistress a £5 note in payment of the rent
due from the lady, who paid 12s per week for her rooru. The
bill, he believed, amounted to CI 165., and Mrs. Bastendorff re-
ceipted the accouut, which had been sentup to her previously,
and gave the prisoner the change to deliver to Miss Mete
after deducting a sum of 2s. which was charged for a lamp-
glass alleged to have been broken by the lodger. It was only
from a statemere made to her at the time by the prisoner
that Mrs. B tatenslorif became aware of the fact that the de-
ceased lady contemplated leaving her apartments, and it was
not till some time after the latter were vacated that Mrs.
Bastendorff went upstairs to see the rooms. She then noticed
the broken lamp.glass and she observed a large stain upon
the carpet, which had the appearance of something having
been washed out. She remembered sae tug to the prisoner
on that occasion that if she bad known of this before Miss
Dish left the house she would certainly have charged her
for the damage done to the carpet. She did not remember
the prisoner making any reply to this remark. It would
appear that Mrs Bastendorff did not see the lady when she
left the house, and never saw or heard of her afterwards.
She never suspected that anything wrong bad happened to
her, and the prisoner continued in her service up to about
September last. After the lady had left the prisoner
showed her mistress a "dream-hook" (a. book professing to
describe the purport of dreame and omens), which she said
the old lady had left behind, and which she gave the
children to play with. The prisoner also gave them an old
cashbox, which her mistress noticed was broken open—the
prisoner remarking at the time that it belonged to tier,
but that having lost the key, she had been compelled to
force it open. Now, it would be proved beyond all doubt
that Miss Hacker had been often seen with this book of
dream, in her possession, and he believed the cash-box
would also be identified as formerly the property of the
deceased lady. Of course, there is nothing in these circum-
stances to cause misgivieg in the miad of Mrs. Bastendortf,
and it was not until the 9th of the present month that any-
thing occurred to excite suspicion. It then happened that
one of her lodgers desired to have the use of a coal-cellar,
and arrangements were made to clear out the one in question
for the lodger's accommodation. It was then that the body of
a human being was found imbedded in the rubbish, and he
believed he should be able to prove that this was the body of
the unfortunate alias Hacker There was a rope round the
neck of the deceased, and in the lace shawl which had been
worn by her a small brooch, since identified as her property,
bad been found. A buckle was also found in the cellar, but he
was unable to say what importance might be attached to this
discovery. With re,pect to the brooch most material evi-
dence would be forthcoming, for Miss Hacker had been seen
wearing it on the 6th of October, 1877, about a week or so
prior to the supposed date of the murder It so happened
that Miss Hacker had a business appointment on the 6th-
with her solicitor, Mr. Wade, who hai known her for many
years, and who well remembered seeing the brooch at that
interview, as she was then wearing it. Mr. Wade, of course,
had no knowledge of the fact that the lady was then passing
as Miss Utah in Euston-square. He had always known her
and transacted business with her in her own name of
Matilda Hacker. Anothee most remarkable circumstance
was that on the 10th of this same month of
October, 1877, Miss Hacker had written to a Mr. Cozens,
a friend of hers at Canterbury, relative to her
property, and this gentleman forwarded a letter to her
at her request, to "M. 8., Post-office, 227, Oxford-street."
In this letter was enclosed a cheque for £5 14s. 3d.,
which could never have reached her, because both the
letter and its enclosure was returned to Mr. Cozens some
time after through the Dead-letter office, on the ground
that it had never been called for by the person to whose
initials it had been presumably addressed. Here there was
a most remarkable chain of evidence, showing that the
deceased lady was seen on the 6th of October, and had
written a letter on the 10th, the reply to which, dated a
few days afterwards, had never been called for. It would
be for the Court to consider what inference was to be drawn
from these facts, when the evidence of them was brought
under its consideration. He believed that the buckle found
in the cellar would be identified as the property of Miss
Hacker, and it would transpire that the lady was in the habit
of wearing an eye-glass, which had been since discovered,
and would be identified in due course. This eye-glass had
been found among some clothes in a box which the prisoner
had left behind at her lodgings in George street, Euston-
road, where she was in debt at the time of her departure.
Another matter to which he might refer was the fact that a
gold watch, with chain and locket, identified as having
belonged to Miss Hacker, were actually pawned in March,
1878, by the prisoner in the name of a little child, named,
Rosins Bastendorff, the daughter of her mistress, the pri-
soner at the same time being known personally to the
pawnbroker, who remembered the circumstance perfectly
well and would identify the prisoner. A basket trunk,
pleft by Miss Hacker at the lodgings and afterwards given
by prisoner to her master's brother, would also be
Identified ; also a tray, belongiug to it and fitting the
interior of the basket, which was in the possession of the
police, having been found in a loft of the house in Euston.
square. It was not possible to say with certainty when
this murder was committed, but all the facts would tend
to show that the crime was perpetrated on a Sunday,
when the house was often empty. It was quite within the
power and means of the prisoner, under these circum-
stances, to have taken the life of Miss Hacker, although it
was a matter of ctejecture whether the rope or other
mode of violence was employed. Dr. Bond, who had ex-
amined the carpet, would state his opinion that it was
blood-stained. She might have been murdered and then
dragged down the stairs of that empty house by means of
the rope found round the neck of the deceased. No one
but the prisoner was in the habit of going to the coal cellar
where the body was found, and it was almost impossible
for her to have gone there repeatedly, as she did, without
knowing that the body was there. When the discovery was
recently made the police went to the prisoner, then in
eprisou, and asked her some questions about the matter,
with the view of ascertaining if she could throw any light
on the mystery, and it was worthy of notice that in the
course of her conversations with the officers she said that
she remembered an old lady named " Hacker " living there.
Now, up to that time the name ot this lady had nbt been
breathed by anyone, and the lady herself was only
known at Eustoresquare by the name of Uish."
How she came to know the lady by this name would be
a matter of conjecture; but as the front pages of the
" Book of Dreams" were missing, it was highly probable
that the lady's real name had been written there. The
learned counsel then referred to the statements made
by the lady residing at No 6 in the square, who beard a
terrible scream in the next house one Sunday in October,
1877, and who fainted with terror at the time; and this lady
had identified a photograph of Miss Hacker as that of the
elderly and eccentric person whom she had seen entering
the house No. 4 about that time. He would not, how-
ever, detain the Court by further remarks. He had not
pretended to describe all the incidents of this important
inquiry, which would come before the Court, and which
it would be his duty to investigate, whether telling in
favour of the accused or otherwise; and although he feared
that the case would occupy a long time, he knew that the
most anxious pains would be taken to arrive at the truth
of the matter by all who were concerned in the investiga-
tion.

In answer to Mr. Vaughan, Mr. Poland said the probable
date of the murder was Sunday, October 14, although he
might not be able to give conclusive evidence on that
point.
Mrs. Bastendorff, the late mistress of the prisoner, was
then called into the box and sworn. She deposed as
follows :-1 am the wife of sieverin Bastendorff, of 4,
Euston-square. My husband is by trade a bamboo-worker.
I have foal" children, the eldest of whom is seven years
and is named Christina. The 3 oungest is named Roams.
We went to live in the house in March, 1876. We
occupied the whole of the house in the first place
till we let lodgings. I know the prisoner Hannah
Dobbs. She was a general servant. She came first to
live with us in the summer of 1876. She stayed
until August or September last year. She went away for
a month. She had several holidays. She left the first year
she was there. She attended to the lodgers entirely. I
remember having a lodger named Miss Uisa. She occupied
the second-floor front room. I did not see her whenashe
took the lodgings. I saw her on two occasions when she
went to church on Sundays. The prisoner then borrowed
my Church service for the lady. The rent of the room was
12s. a week. I have not the least idea of the date when
the lady came to our lodgings. (Rent book shown to
witness.) This is my writing. I entered there the name
of Miss Utah. Only by this book I am able to say she
stopped three weeks. The rent is £1 165., or 12s. a week.
There is no date. Before that I see the entry of 14nel:her
lodger, Mr. Finlay. He stayed at my house many times.
He stayed at this time three weeks. Before that there is
Mr. Lefler. The last date is July 25, and the date before that
July 6 Mr. Lefler's goes from June 23 ta July 25. The next
date after Miss Uish is November. The name to that date
is Miss Willoughby. Mr. Finlay did not occupy the same
room as Miss Utah. Mr. Lefler occupied the whole of the
11 )or, including Miss Uisli's room. Miss Willoughby had
the first floor and the second-floor front room. Though I
cannot fix the date, Miss Uish must have occupied her room
between July 25 and November 21. Mr. Lefler was an
American. He went home to New York.. He was connected
with a bank. Ido not know what Mr. Finlay was. He
saw an Englishman, but I believe he belonged to New
York. I never saw Mild Uish's luggage. I did not know
whether she had any. I should say Miss Utsh was about
Sit. 41n. in height. She wore her hair in curls; it was very
light; I always thought It was gray. I could not tell her age
at all. I never spoke- to her. I never saw her face. The
prisoner spoke of her as " atlas Uisb," or " the old lady."
Whilst Miss Utah was living with us we had no other lodger
but Mr. Rigeubacb, it we had another lodger at that time.
lie had the first floor, with his own furniture. I don't think
I had any other servant than the prisoner then. If
I had one at the time Mica Uish was there, it would
be a girl named Ellen ; but my impression is, I had no
nurse girl they,. Ellen went to live at Kensington.
I don't know her surname, or where she came from. I
never waited on the lodgers. iy husband's work-room Is
on the dating-room floor—the ground floor. There is a
passage to the cellar, so that you don't go through the
kitchen to it. Hannah used to go to the cellars for coals.
I have been Into the cellars; there are two of them. Oae
ce lar is for coke and my husband's bamboos; the other
was for coals. I remember prisoner speaking to me about
Miss Utah leaving. As near as I can tell, it was between
eleven and twelve in the day. I don't remember the day of
the week. Prisoner brought the bill, which I had made
out, when prisoner told me Miss Uish was going away.
Prisoner brought me a£s note. I took the £1 16s, out of it.
I don't know how the change was got. I receinted the bill
myself. Prisoner brought me the pen and ink. She left
me and took the receipted bill. I did not see Miss Utah
then. I did not see her leave the house, or any one, or
any boxes. I don't remember anything about her going.
I did not go up to her room that day. About a day or two
after I went up in the morning, as I was going upstairs. I
could not say when it was, but it was a few days afterwards.
Either Hannah went in with me or she was in the room Before
' the bill was paid prisoner gave me 2s. for a lamp-glass
which had been broken in this front room on the
second ftior. As a rule, she paid for her own break-
ages. Wnen I went into the room I saw a large stain
on the carpet down by the side of the bed. It appeared
to be a large stain because it had been scrubbed out. The
carpet was a fel; carpet with a great deal of green In it. The
washing took the colour out. I remember perfectly saying
"Hannah, you are a dreadful girl to treat these things so;
I would rather be without lodgers than have my things
dettroyed so." I don't think she made any remark. I was
very much annoyed and went out of the room. Thtire were
ino boxes in the room, only my own furniture. I sail. to pri-
soner that if I had seen Miss Utah before she went I should
have made her pay fur the carpet. I don't think she made
any reply to it.

By Mr. Vaughan: The stain was about a yard in size. It
was not there, I am sure, wren Miss thsh took the ro9m.
Examination continued Aftfr this I remember the pri.
loner bringing down to me a dream book, which she said
Miss ITish had left (" The Imperial Royal Dream Book and

Fortune Teller," produced). That is the Book. She
said, " Miss Ifish has left her dream book." I said to
her, "Oh, I should think she'll come back for it." Pri-
soner said nothing. I had not, I think, heard of it before.
After that it was always in the kitchen. Sometimes we
took it upstairs, and on May 19 I gave it up to Inspector
Hagan. When it was first brought down to me it was in a
better condition than it is now. One of my little girls has
bad it to play with, and the is very destructive. I do not
remember the prisoner leaving a few days after the bill was
receipted She went at Christmas for a holiday, as she
said, to Bideford, Devonshire. I had not noticed anything
In her possession when she left for her holiday. I always
thought her relations were well-to-do. She said her uncle
had left her some money. She said the watch and chain
I saw in her possession were her uncle's. I could not re-
member when she wore the watch and chain, and I could
rot say whether it was before or after the bill of Miss Utah
was receipted. _ .

By the Court: I had heard for some time that she ex-
pected her uncle would leave her some money. Ido not
know whether it was before I understood she went to Blde-
ford.
- -

---
Examination continued: I saw a basket trunk in the
coal•cellar. I could not form any idea of when I first saw
it. (A. trunk was produced) Ido not remember seeing
that ;it might be the same, but it looks different. That
one does not belong to me. lam not able to say whether
that is the one I saw in the coal-cellar or not. I thought
it was a wine case. The one I saw in the cellar looked
higher. The cellars are light cellars The trunk was similar
to that. I never used one or had one of my own_ like
that. I do not know whether I saw it in the cellar after
Miss Irish's bill was paid I believe the prisoner was in
my service when I saw it there. I did not speak to her
about it. It was brought into the scullery and filled with
empty boxes. I think prisoner had left my service then.
It was brought into the scullery at Christmas' 1878. I
never knew what became of it till the inspector made
Inquiries. We then found it had been taken away. I
believe my husband's brother had it. Mr. Rigenbach made
some compliints before the prisoner left about some
thiees he had lost. When she left she said she was geing
to 67, George-street, Euston-square. When she left I went
upstairs to the top of the house and found the trap-door
shut, which was usually open. It was shut and bolted. I
remember Inspector Hagan going up and bringing down the
tray, which tits that basket. (Tray produced.) That
La the tray. After prisoner had left I was some little
time without a servant. I afterwards had a servant,
Louisa Barber. Shortly after she came she brought me
two or three towels and a pair of gentleman's drawers.
They were Mr. Rigenbach's. Louisa Barber said she found
them in the coal cellar. Sarah Carpenter was with me
four or five months. She brought me one day a bunch of
keys which she had found in the coal cellar. They were
not my keys. The same servant showed me a bone some
time before this. I looked at it and said that it belonged
to the wild boar which my husband shot about Christmas,
1877. I thought it was one of the bones of the animal.
This was thrown into the dustbin. The police have found
the bone since. On the Ilk of May I let my apartments
and the lodgers wanted a coal cellar to themselves. I set
a boy to clean it out for the lodgers. Some other people
assisted him—two or three boys. On this day one of the
boys said, when he went into the cellar, "There is some-
thing here," and during the time he was there the coal-
man arrived. I told him not to put down the coals for a few
minutes. A person in the cellar said he was afraid to move
something, it stank so. I then saw a Inman body, appar-
ently, and went up to tell my husband. I had not been
in the cellar fir three months before this. I have seen
the eyeglass now produced. It was shown to me by Inspector
Hagan, but I could not recognize it. The prisoner used to
have a similar glass, and I remember her once, last summer,
comparing the "sight" of the glass with my brother's eye-
glass. The prisoner never told me where Miss Dish came
from or where she went to; and I cannot say if she ever had
any letters delivered to her at the house.
The evidence was then read over to the witness by Mr.
Douglas, and signed.
The witness was recalled, and, in answer to the Court,
said that Miss Dish generally wore a blue silk dress. She
did not notice her shawl or style of hat. The prisoner's
wages were £l4 a year.

The prisoner was asked, in the usual form, if she desired
to ask the witness any questions.
The prisoner ssid,—l know nothing of it. I have no ques-
tions to ask the witness; but I may have some to put to Mr.
Bastendorff, who made me some presents.
Mr. Vaughan intimated that for the convenience of the
Court the inquir; might now be adjourned, and he suggested
that the adjourned hearing should not be fixed for a
Monday.

It was stated that Tuesday, Jane 3, the day proposed by Mr.
Poland, was the day fixed for the adjourned inquest.

It was eventually decided to remand the prisoner till
Wednesday, Jure 4.
Mr. Poland said that practically no injury would be done
to the prisoner by so long a remand, as she had yet nearly
two mouths of her terßof imprisonment to serve.
The prisoner was then taken back to Tothill•fields
Prison,