The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1867-12-31 00:00:00

HORRIBLE OIITRAOE AND MIIRDRII IN
SHROPSHIRE.

On Tuesday, the my day the Alton murderer was
hanged, a crime singularly resembling his in its character
was brought to light in Shropshire, The victim In the
present instance te a little girl named Cdherise Levi.,
nine years and eiyht month, old, and the man now in
eastody Ofl the diarist of wilful murder 11 an 'grind.
turd labourer named John Mapp. The dens of the
outrage is • field situated between London village and
Leaden common, a quiet agricultural district about
seven or eight miles from Shrewsbury. It appears that
on Sunday morning the deeded left her home, which
la situated on the common, for the house of • person
named Davies., who live, in the village, and whose baby
she oesuionally nursed. She remainsid there till sic
o'clock in the evening, when she etarted tog° to chapel
On leaning chapel, she was accompanied by Mepp and
woman, a mutual acqueintence, who lived at Lansaw,.
wood Farm.. When the three reached the lane which
id to the farm, toe woman turned aside and went
home, Mapp and the deceased keeping on the high read
which led to Longden-oommon. This was a little sfter
eight o'cloek, and the shimmed wste never seen dive
again. On Monday morning the prisoner went to hla
work in the fields as usual, and towards noon • plough.
boy who warn working near him emiled out that he had
found a girl's hat all covered with blood, at the same
time oburvlng that there had been a row seme• here.
Mapp told the lad to put the hst in the furrow and
cover it tip with the plough, bat lensed of doing so he
throw it over the hedge into the high road. A woman
named Flartahonse, who had been at chapel on the
previous evening, and had men the decoded then,
happened to pmm along the road shortly after, and pick-
ing up the hat recognised it as the one then worn by
the demisted, and st wee carried it to the father of the
child. Up to this time no anxiety as to the ohmage of
the cleemsed had aim, either as the part of law

I parents or the Devisees, the owe etheinelleg that
had stayed to sleep at the village, mod the Wher believ-
ing that she bad gone home. Bet when the hat earstratsd
with blood was brought to him, Yr. Lewis at ones
started for the village, and Lapwing that hie demean
bad not been seen sines 8 o'slook on the Preview night,
a diligent search was made in the Deighboarbood that
lay between the two Doom. Following sertela trams
fated in the held where the hat had ham diesemwed,
lir. Lewis went to as old and disused hovel which
stood in an adjoining Geld, and on opiates the doer •
shocking sight wee peessitted to him. Lying on her
bath upon the ground, with some of the litter lightly
covering her, was the body of his child, with her
throat cut from ear to ear, and so deeply is almost to
'ever the head from the shoulders. A shawl which she
hihd worn on Sunday was tied round her wok. and one
sod thrust tightly into her mouth. There were several
scratches upon her person, but though there Is no &wale
as to the object* of her murderer, it Is ad known,
pending the readied inquiry, whether or not It• effeeta
it. On the discovery of the mime supleion wee at me*
directed towards the prisoner, who strongly protested
his innocence, but at the same time made several leapt'.
sistent and damaging statement", which will be duly
deposed to as the adjourned examinatioo. Os visiting
the scene of the murder on Tuesday Superintendent
Cserwell made an important discovery, which throws
considerable light on the affair, and forms a otroug link
In the chain of evidence which connects the prisoner
with it. It appears that on Saturday Wry was engaged
In spreading manure over the stubble field where the
hat was found, and returned on Monday morning to
e.plete the job, instead, however, of following on
with the manure at the piece where he had left off ea
Saturday, he commenced at • place fifty yards further
on, and here he piled up tiro large heaps. On noticing
this Superintendent Caerswell raked away the manum
ant underneath each heap he found • Large pool of
blood, and close by he picked lap • veil belonging to the
doomed. Following up this clue. Carswell traced the
path of the murderer as he had dragged after him the
body of the child along the hedgerow skirting the high-
way, through a gap in the hedge. and eorose • great '
held up to the hovel, • distance of about five hundred
yards. The trail of the body, which had become covered
with soil from the ploughed held, WM plainly discernible
on the gram. The ploughed field is skirted by the
highway, along which the prisoner and the deemed
(who were next door neighbours) would paw on their
way home, after leaving their companion at the farm,
and the precis' spot where the murder appears to have
been committed I. cloth by • gate which Wade off the
road into the field. The inferemee, from the evidenos
already obtained dearly inabet the saute..,sadiallar
mailed the child in the road, and gaging her by Malin
of her shawl, carried her into the field, and fearing the
sonsequenee of the sere detection which must follow on
her return home, had been led into the committal of
murder. Seppodng the prisoner to have been the per-
petrator of the preliminary outrage, he had • Nadal
reams for keeping out of the bands of the police, for he
had only lately returned home with a ticket-of-leave,
after serving seven of • term of ten years' transportation.
to which he had been sentenced for • rape upon an old
woman, committed under peculiarly atrocious eirouni•
stenos,. Mapp was brought up at Shrewsbury on
Tuesday in custody, and charged before the county
magistrates with the wilful murder of Catherine Lewis,
but no evidence was taken levied snob as was athermery
fora remand. On the usual question being pat to him
the prisoner made • statement to the effect that the
deceased had been murdered, but that ho was not tbe
m.o. He was remanded for • week.

Oa Thursday morning the inquest oaths body ot
Catherine Lewis was opened atLongden. The prisoner,
John Kapp, was present in custody during the proceed.
ings. Hems man of about 28 years of age, and not by
any means repulsive in his appearance. On being asked
by the coroner whether be wished to remain in the room,
be replied, "Yes, lir, if you please."
The find witness celled was Richard Lewis, the father
of the demised, who mewed deeply affected. After
identifying the body, he proceeded to say: C•therioe
was nine years old last May. Imw her alive last cm
Sunday. She left my house to go to Mr. Davies. M
Longden, to nurse. She did not return at night, bet
as she sometimes stayed to sleep all night I did not
make inquiries about her. On Monday morning two
women came to my, house and brought a -hat, which I
rector:Wed as that belonging to my child. lat once
ran down to Mrs. Davies, and she told me that
Catherine had gone to chapel on Sunday night. I then
walked towards Long-lane, and in a field there I saw
John Mapp spreading manure. I asked him had be
men thelittle girl anywhere last night, and be said that
he had. He told me that he, Caiberlne, and Mr.
Whitfield's servant girl had some down together as far
as the turning to the farm, where he and the servant
left the deceased, who went along towards home. I
said no more to Mapp, but went along the hedgerow te
look for my girl. In a field close by I eaw an old hovel,
sad I thought I would go in there. When I got up to
the door I noticed marks onfthe ground a. if something
had been dragged in there. Then I went in, and there
she was lying in a his. There was • division in the
hovel, and I could not see the body when I stood at
the door, but when I walked through, there it was
lying on its back. I did not stay to examine it thee,
but ran out screaming. When Catherine left home
on the Sunday she had on • little brooch, the one
produced.

Mr. Harris, one of the surgeons at the Salop
Infirmary, said : On Taisaday I made an examination of
the 'body of Catherine Lewis. I foetid • large black
shawl wrapped round her neck, and about eight inches
of it thrust tightly into her mouth. On removing the
shawl I found • large wound in the throat It was four
Inches long, and in direction from right to left. On
the right silo of the throat three were five distinct
incision., all endinein one deep cut on the left. The
windpipe was nut through, as were also the muesli/0o(
the nark on the left aide. The forehead was contused
and erratehetl, and I fermi enveral therms stating to
the cheeks. The hair wag filled with dirt and thorns.
On the beck part of the r!ght hand and en the outer
sides of the right and left thighs there were several
aershibes. Her clothes were covered with soil and
thorns, and her pinafore and her underclothes were
saturated with blood. There were no marks of violence
on env ports of her body other than those I have
named. I have seen the knife produced by Serjeant
Jones, and it is just such an instrnment as would effect
the woundn in the neck which I have described. I
attribute the death of the deceased to loss of blood and
suffocation. I have examinel a wet and trousers
produced by the police-constable. On the back earls
of the right leg of the trousers there are smears of'
blood. On the knees of the trousers there are distinct
patches. as if the wearer had knelt on wet ground
There are appearances of the trousers having been wiped
with • wet cloth or washed. On the right rhevo of the
coat there is a stain of blood. lam not of opinion that
the deceased had fait been rendered insensible by a
blow on the head. The marks on the forehead and
face I believe to bays been occasioned by her being
dragged along the road with her foie downwards.

Mn. John Davies, to whale how the deceased had
g 0.... nurse on Sunday, said she left the hones and
want to chapel at etc o'clock. and she (the witnees)
never ww her again. Before leaving for chapel the
wham fastened her brooch in her ahawL The brooch
produced as having been found on the prieoner was
the one she pinned on tits deceased's shawl before she
went to chapel.

Jane Richards, servant to Mr. Whitfield; depoesd to
accompanying the prisoner and the dammed as far as
the Wm leading down to bee anister'a They then went
on together down *he long lane. On Monday seining,
having beard from the wrominer that the prisoner bad
said that be bad left the deceased at this turning aid
gm* down the lane with her (the witness), she asked
him how he dared tell snob a li.', and he denied that be
bad ever said no. She then asked him where be bed
left the doomed, sod be said, "We parted as soon as
you left us. I took to walking slowly—the little girl
went before me."

John Anton, a led, .aid: On Monday hint, about
nine or ten o'clock in the morning, I wan working with
the plough in • field adjoining to Long-lane. Kapp was
there spreading manure. I was looking in the hedge
for • whip-stock, when I Nand • straw bat all covered
with blood. It was stack in • holly-bush in the hedge,
I said to Mapp, "I weeder what brings this here r He
said he didn't know. I asked hint to get over the
hedge, and look if there was any one there. He did,
but naid there was nothing there, and advised me to
bury the hat. I declined to do no. and threw it down.
Mapp picked it tip, and said, "I'll bare the ribbon off
it." I said "You nasty fellow, put it down." Subse-
quently I petit down by the gate leading into tbe road,
and a women named Mary Hartshorne came by and
picked it up. 'Lapp and I went on working in the field,
and when I heard of the body being found, I soid in fun
to Kapp, "Jack, Wm you that's done this." He said,
" No, [never did no such thing, I left the little girl
talking to Jane Richards at the gate leading down to
master's." Afterwards be denied saying this. It was
half-past seven in the morning when I went to work on
Monday. Mapp came up a few miestes after. When
I went to my lunch liripp was working at the bottom of
the field, and when I stopped working he went to the
other cod ant spread out two heaps of manure there.
This was not in the pert of the field where he bail been
working, and after getting his Noah he went beck
and continued his work where be bad been busy before
lunch.

Mary Flarishorne deposed to finding the hat in the
road, and taking it down to show to lite deogard's father.
On her way the prisoner overtook her and asked her
where she was going to. She replied that she wag
going to take the hat to the police. Mapp's fro tweet
very red, and the tears ran down his eitoraand he said,
" Oh, Marv, Mary, this re come to send me brit
again"—meaning that be would be transported again.
The witoree baked what he meant. He rid, "Jack
said this 1110Milla that it was ass. bad done it." The
witness then arced him where be had left the deceased
on Sunday night, end he said, "I went down the short
lane with Jan', and the little girl went on." He added,
" Mary, I hope you wont speak against toe."
The jury returned a verdict of Wilful Murder against
Mapp.

The popular feeling is very strong against the prisoner
who wee greeted with loud yells and biases on leaving
the court.

Fllll5. —The secretary of the Ban Fire Insuranes
(Mee Wated to the Commons' Select Committee of last
serion on firco, " that sarelfeenees in wing Inciter
matches rawer to that °Mee a low of £lO.OOO
Sorely et..t•mente of this kind sheuld rodeos the Fire
°Mew and the publics to do everything in their power to
ononorage t. rien of Brynnt and May's Patent Safety
Matelwe which light ooly on the box.

ROLUMAT'S 01.TIIIVer vin PILLS. —Oolds, oonbc
diptheria, and bronchia:ie.—These corrective remolie
are infallible for the cure of those pectora complaints,
which, when neglected, often end in settled asthma or
terminate in consumption. The ointment, well rubbed
upon the cheat sod back, penetrating the skin, is
carried directly to the lungs were it expela all
impurities. Al the blood in the body c Instantly
rthrough the lungs, and there all noxious particles
de isng to produce disease can be quickly, thoroughly,
and permanenCy neutralised, rendered ha m ess, or
ejected from the sy-tens Holloway. ointment scud
pills perfectly accomplish this p ; and by
the blood thus cleansed the inguenos of theme
won mini medicaments reaches the remotest parts of
the human body, and thus mires all diseased action,
whether Internal or eaternal.

-

ealtriastical istdlipect.

Offinietua wee calsbratad by Vat itiaaliado party
ia London with sairworibwry pee. Any ma wile
bad beam swims ~ugh to ablead aw 7 fit dm Boma
Oatballa attiedralo or 11111117011111. and tan lam winded
kW way to Bt. Abates, Habeas, width boa tie
advantage of being oapporind by Ws eta* wildi bats
found that Ur giodadly at time 1107111111 WOO ISMS
remarkable.

fbArnallax Dineen.— " Preseyber Berea" Irrhee
us. rye • Leaden paper, la referee" to the Ilitop's
extraordinary etalietnent in the Hone of Lord", that
Leah= is noe-extetent In the Cane Flo den
that the frao interpretatios ft to be feed Is the ed
la*p. "No.. at... Mad am those eat we'll we"
(he odds) Ike eat canory_alanse alto=
papers would tionrently reveal to bin the
of such unaatherissci sad fete& servies se es be
expoote to mop • in the diocese of • bleep who baa
reverted to the 5. seer, aad who sworn pie
thelßisseing without twisting hie date lee the Yoe*
regulation posture.* As sae el these reeds oar
eorrospoodant fee the Dance Chlrenisio deinfle el the
Harvest Home Festival at Hatootebs, Sept, UK IS
Rut seines to say that the doinp were of the moot
pronounced obarelse. 'The preemie to lb. aura
wee led by • prowassional arm covered with hops, sad
there wire several beers. The celebrant bore the
chalks' and peen covered with • bedsore veil of wide,
sok, and forth. The "adebralko" to ekoreb we.
succeeded by • fee ; then came "!,um.' Then
at olicc ob crews:den'. fare dee* wee kept up with
great sew, ha. The 1111111i0611111 showed me Ape of
letng seal, theft; the koneklal dee Noel have been
lore from playiairgthbe lamberts% sad Ike soine ii the
other tired out the oceertiair At 12 tie aerate
roes to say good n t." fro.