The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1867-12-10 00:00:00

THE ATROCIOUS MIURD•R OF A CHILD AT

ALTON.

Frederick Baker. the lawyer'e clerk, who woo com-
mitted on the charge of having horribly murdered end
mutilated a little girl nauird Fanny Ad.ms, in a hop
garden at Alton. on the 24thA014 laritt ol•cso
on his trial • n Thursday morning, at Wineheetsr Castle,
bsture Mr Justice Meliur.

The atrocity of this inurdir created the most profound
sensation throughout the conntry. It will be remeop
bored that on the afternoo• in question a group of
Pane children were at play in a plane known as the
Hollow, adjoining a hop garden at Alton. mud bordered
on one aide by a high hedge. While thus gambolling
; about a man soddenly made Isis appearance among them
! and spoke to them. First he gave two of them a penny
to run a rase along the elope ; next, he offered a half-
penny if they would go with him into • contiguous field,
where be pick-ti some Is rries for them. They, in both
Instances, confidingly &sainted, when he bade the two
elder return home, and lifting Fanny Adatiss—e!ght
years nod four month. old—he carried her away behind
the hedge, and there perpetrated the horrible crime.
The prisoner, who has got very stout upon prison fare,
was placed In the dock at half-pest nine. If. appeared
perfectly calm and self-possessed, but spoke in • low
tone when be pleaded not guilty.
Mr. Montague Here and Mr. Mullen prosecuted, and
Mr. Carter defended the prisoner.
Mr. Montague Here stated the case for the prosecution.
He called upon the jury to divest their minds of the
&treaty of the murder, and to return a verdict in so-
corder oe with the evidence he would plasm before them.
He believed he moult by that evidence so connect the
prisoner with the dreadful crime, that the jar) would
have no alternative but that of finding a verdict of
guilty. He then detailed the ciretimatiumes of the
murder, and said he would oonclusively show that the
prisoner wan the man who gave the children halfpence :
and who subsequently tarried away the unfortunate
child into the hopirerden, leaving it to the jury to say
whether he was the perpetrator of the horrible crime.
Mr. stopher. a surveyor, residing in Winchtater, was
called, and spoke to the correctness of the plena he bad
prepared of t e locality of the murder.
Minnie Warner, • child eight years old, after answer-
ing a number of questions pot to her by the judge,
which satisfied him Mist phe knew the nears of an
oath, was examined by Mr. Here. She said she knew
Fanny Adams. She went out with her and her sister
to play in the Holldw, on the afternoon of the 24th
of August, and while they were at play, • man came up
to them and said, " Ah, my little tulips, what are you
playing at r That man was the prisoner. Ha gave
witness three halfpence. He also gave Fanny • half-
peony, cod her sister • halfpenny. He th-n went with
them up the Hollow, and picked some blackberries for
them. He afterwards told Weis and witness to go
home and spend their money, and then lifted Fanny up
in his arms and said "Come with me and! will sive you
ttroPencn more." Fanny cried out and said, "My
mother wants me to go home." He then carried her
Into the bop garden, and witness cad her oonipenion
Lissa went home. Witness afterwards went with
Mrs. Gardner to look for Fenny, and she again saw the
prisoner there:, . . . . .

r Eliza White, • woman who bad been cutting
wheat, on., in returning home, the children playing
In the meadow and the prisoner lounging near, smok-
ing. She passed on, sad heard one of them call out so if
ill play.
Elizabeth Warner, the sister of Minnie Warner,
&pos.l to her sister's alnenoe from home daring the
bourn of half-past one and four.
George Norris, • shepherd, was crossing e geld in the
neighbourhood, and saw Baker with his bands under
his jacket. When Esker saw him he turned back es if
to avoid hint.

Alfred Vince, • beir eight years of age, deposed to
having wen the prisoner come from the direction
of the hop garden and wash bis bands in the bathing-
place, just previous to being spoken to by Mrs.
Gardner.

Hearne Smith deposed that she saw • man, while stand-
ing at her door, come out of the Hollow iin the after-
umn in question. He wore & black coat and light
trousers. and • tall hat, but she eoulii not distinguish
his features.—Cro-s-ezamined : Witness could see the
antrum to the Hollow from her house, but she could
not see any one in that Hollow. She sills the prisoner
come out of the Hollow. She did not see anyone else
shout when the prisoner came out of the Hollow. She
did not see any little boys about. She did not use any-
body in Flood-rnesdow. She did not see the man wash
his bands, nor did she see sly little by standing 1.0•2
him. Re-examined : Witness sailed to Mrs. Adams,
and she saw Mrs. Adams an I Mrs. Gardner go away
out of the Flood-meadow. The man was walking on
the qr.., in Flood-meadow. He walked away towards
Mn. Porter's.

_
By the Judge : The prisoner sras standing near the
hop garden-gate while •inie,a was speaking to Mn.
Atisnis.

- -
Harriett Adams, the mother of the murdered child,
deposed—She had a little girl named Fanny. She wee
eight years and four month" old. She left witness's
holm on Saturday, the 27th of Aunts,, at about half-
pak one, in oompany with her sister Lizzie and Minnie
Warner. Fanny never returned, but Lizzie cama beck
about two o'clock. She went out again, and returned
between three and four o'clock. Witness, upon finding
that her child did not return between three and four,
commenced making inquilies, and afterwards went in
company with Mrs. Gardner in stanch of her child.
They first new a man come out of the Hollow gate.
Witness did not notice the boy Alfre I Vince in the
Flood.ineadow. There were several persons there.
Minnie Warner wax there. When oho first law the
man he was in the meadow, without the bridge.
By the Judge: The man was going from the Hollow
gato towards the Basingttoke-roxd, and waa in front of
Mrs. Gardner, who called to him.
. . . _ . . .

-.
Examination onatianed : Ho Wised nand and wart
on again, and Hrs. Gardner called to him • second time.
He wore a tall hat, light waistcoat and trouser*. and a
black coat. Thin wan near five o'ciosk. Mrs. Gardner
said to him. "What have you done with the child you
took away?" He said, "I have not taken any child
away." Mrs. Gardner mad, "Didn't you give the
children some halfpence?' lie replied, • Yes."
Warner came up at that time, and Mrs. Gardner
asked her if that was the gentlem in who gave her the
halfpence. The child said. "Yca, he gave me two
pennies -" but Bak. r said, "No —three halfpence ; and
to the Other two I gave • halfpenny each." Mrs.
Gardner then asked him his name, lie said, "Never
mind my name, you will find mn at Clementea cam."
He then went away towcrds the Baeingetoke-road.—
Croce-examined : The prbioner was quite a stranger to
witness and her family, and there could have been no
ill•feeling on his part against them. The prisoner said
he had left the children at pley. Witness did not notice
anything par.ioulax about the prisoner. He bad no
pipe. He stool with his hands in hie pockets. Tim
prisoner answered so openly and readily that she begrd
his pardon, for she hardly suspected that he had
intired the child.

-.4.-rTniCr-ier, the wife of • ganiener living at
Alton, deposed that she lived at the old toll-bonse ; that
she saw • man between five and six o'clock on the 24th
of Auzust go along Turville'. meadow towards the add
Basingstoke-road. The pri-oner was that man. She
watiosd him particularly beeause be stared at her. Re
woe' her cottage, and went towards Alton. This was
beh.re four o'clock. He stooped and did something to
his fest.

_ ---
Jens Gardner confirmed the evidence of Mrs. Admit

Maurice Biddle. aged IR, • fellow clerk of the
prisoner's, deposed that be eras junior clerk, in the
employ of Messrs. Clement. The prisoner was an en-
grossing clerk, and had be-en in Messrs. Clement's employ
a twelvemonth. Witness remembered the day of the
murder. Prisoner was at the office in the morning, but
not all the day. Hs said he bad been drinking. He
left the ontos about eleven o'clock, and returned in about
a quartsr of an hour. He went out again in about an
hoar, and returned • little after one, when witness went
out to dinner, and left Baker in the °Mae. Witness
returned about three, and believed that Baker returned
about 2.5 minutes past Witness went out to tea at
five o'clock, but he believed that the prisoner went out
about half-past four. Witness returned at six o'clock,
and the prisoner returned a little before that. Ho and
Baksr went out together at seven o'clock. They went
to the Swan Tavern opposite. He appeared to wittiest
as if he had been drinkin7. While they were in that
house he said that • woman had told him he had taken
away a child, but he had told her that he knew no more
about it than that be had given her some halfpence. He
also said, "II the Quid is murdered or anything, I sup-
pose! shall be blamed for it." He afterwards said, "I
think I shall go away on Monday," and asked witness if
be would go with him.
By the •Iddge : He said it wan a cue something like
that at Guildford, but there the gill mime back again.

Examination continued: The boots at the hotel said
he was going away, too. Upon which Bake "We
may as well go together, then." Bouts replied, "You
would not do for me, I iran pot my hand to anything."
Baker replied, " Well, I can goats butcher." Witness
afterwards left Baker at a chemiet's, and writhe.s re.
turned to the office. With.. afterwards went to fetch
Baker, and said to him, "Baker, they say you ham
muttered • child." He answered, "Never mind, it is a
bad job for me, then." Witness said. " Will go to the
office and me if there is any truth in it." He then re-
turned with witness to the office. When they got heck
• man named Doggerel, who wag in the office, said,
'Baker, they say you have murdered • child." He
replied, "It is • bed job for me, but lan, innocent."
The prisoner's diary was here produced, and witness
identified the following entry, under the 24th day of
August, as the prisoner'. handwriting :—"Killed •
young girl. It was fine and hot."—Crom-examine4
It was 20 minutes post three when prisoner spoke to
witness about the women. lie seemed very excited.
Witness never heard prisoner womplein of headache,
nor did he ever me the prisoner's nuse burst out bleed-
ing. The prisoner was very fond of walking about.
The prisoner came from Guildford. The prisoner went
to the grocer's to order his week's prommons, and he
went to the chemist to boy some scent —lie-examined :
Witness did not notice the prisoner at his desk on that
day.

By tile Judge: Witness bad men the prisoner on
former mossions, and be alwayi appeared excited. Be
bad never noticed Imo to be exalted unless be bad been
drinking.

William Trimming, the chief clerk at Ilessre.
Clements's, gave similiar evidence as to prisoner's
absence on the 24th of Auguel When teatimen beard
of the murder he at once told the prisoner that he was
amused of it. He said "You never can amuse me of
doing such • thing as that r Wstnem replied that he
did not amines him, but "Callendon says you have
murdered • girl, and out her bead off, and that the
polies are alter you.." Hs mid "It is • very seriom
thing to he mewed oL What bad I better dor
Witness said, "You bad better go to the friends of the
child and see what it all means.. Biddle said, "rouse
on, 11l go with you." Directly afterwards a Man
named Doggerel rushed into the °Moe, and said, "Have
you heard of this dreadful murder? They say • fellow
In your °Moe has done it, and he ham gone off by the
train." Midie stepped back and said, "Heber is here."
Baer stepped forward and said, " Yes, here be is, but
he is innocent." Witness then advised the prisoner to
go to the polioe, but he mid be should not do that, for
II they wanted him they might oomesafter him. Witness,
was quite certain that the ps Lessner made no entry in his
diary from ten minutes to seven to the time he was
seprsheuded.
This Vitale/ wes subjected to a long srues-examine
Von, but nothing material was elicited to shake his
evidence ia chief.

Thomas Gates deposed to finding the head of the
is the hop-ea/dm It wee lyuag exposed. Re