The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1879-08-02 00:00:00

Ar 7

statement in the presence of the wardress to my said
solicitor, Mr. O'Brien, on the 17th day of July, both in
reference to the Richmond murder. These statements
were untrue in many ways, especially that portion of
them which referred to the murder of Mrs. Thomas, and
the man Strong, who I named in the last one; and I
am now informed by Mr. O'Brien, my solicitor,
that the memorial presented on my behalf has not been suc-
cessful, and that I will be executed at nine o'clock on
Tuesday, the 29th inst. I see, therefore, that there is no
visible hope for a respite of my sentence, and I am advised
by him, and feel that I am bound in the sight of Almighty
God to clear every one of suspicion, and especially those
whose names were mentioned in my said state-
ments, before I die, which I am now happy in doing.
"In the first place, I heartily beg God's forgiveness and
mercy for the numerous falsehoods I have told throughout
this unfortunate case, especially because they affected the
character and reputation of persons whose names are men-
tioned, and secondly because of the injury they have done to
myself in the sight of Almighty God, whose mercy and for-
giveness I have no doubt of having obtained.

"Since the day I was arrested I was always in dread of the
consequences of the crime, and although I had all the as-
sistance of my solicitor, who exercised every possible means,
both before and after my trial, to rescue me from my un-
timely end, yet I had my doubts that I should escape the
penalty which I must now pay to the law. I was
Inwardly unhappy throughout, but bore up under
such a terrible trial with the greatest fortitude and
courage I possibly could; but when I was approaching the
day of my execution, and fearing that nothing could be done
to save me, I immediately requested the Governor to send
for Mr. O'Brien, my solicitor, that I might open my mind
and reveal all things to him immediately, without the
slightest hesitation or reserve, which I now proceed to do,
knowit g well that I have no hope of mercy in this world.
"With respect to the death of Mrs. Thomas, the circum-
stances sarroundsng the murder of that lady are as follows :
"I entered that lady's service in the month of January,
1878. At first I thought her a nice old lady that I might be
comfortable and happy with; but I found her very trying,
and used to do many things to annoy me during my work.
When I had finished my work in my rooms she used to go
over it after me and point out places where she said I
did not clean, alleging that I had not done my work
properly, and showing evidence of a nasty spirit towards me.
This sort of conduct towards me by Mrs. Thomas made me
feel an ill-feeling for her, but at this time never an ill-feel-
ing to murder her. I afterwards had an altercation with
her, and we mutually arranged that I should leave her
service, and she made an entry to this effect in a memoran-
dam-book.

"On Sunday evening, tbe 2nd of March last, Mrs. Thomas
and I were alone in the house. We had some argument, at
which both she and myself were annoyed, and she became
very much agitated
,and left the house to go to church in
that state, leaving me to remain at home. Upon her
return from church before her usual hour she came in
and went upstairs. I went up after her and we had
an argument, which ripened into a quarrel, and in
the height of my rage and anger I threw her from the
top of the stairs to the ground floor. She had a heavy
fall. I felt that she was seriously injured, and I became
excited at what occurred, lost all control over myself, and
to prevent her screaming or getting me into trouble I
caught her by the throat, and in the struggle she was
choked, and I threw her on the floor. I became entirely
lost, and without any control over myself, and looking at
what had happened, and the fear of being discovered, I
determined to do away with the body the best I could. I
chopped oft the head from the body, assisted with the use
of a razor, which I used to cut throngh the flesh afterwards.
I also used the meat saw and the carving-knife to cut
the body up. I prepared the copper with water to boil the
body, to prevent identity; and as soon as I had succeeded
in cutting it up I placed it in the copper and boiled it down.
I opened the stomach with the carving-knife, and burned
up as much of the parts as I could. Daring the whole of
this time there was nobody in the house but myself.
When I used to look upon the scene before me, and the
blood around my fP.t the horror and dread I felt was incon-
ceivable. I was I.,flildered, and ;acted as it I was mad,
and I did everything I possibly could to conceal the occur-
rence and keep it quiet, and everything regular, fearing
the neighbours might suspect that anything had happened.
I was greatly overcome both from the horrible sight before
me and the smell, and I failed several times in strength and
determination, but was helped on by the devil in this vile
purpose. I remained in the house all night endeavouring
to clear up the place and clean away the traces after
the murder. I burned part of the body after chopping it
up and boiling the body, and I think one of the
feet. I emptied the copper and threw the water away,
having washed 'and cleaned the outside. I then put the
parts of the body into the little wooden box which was pro-
duced in court, tied it up with the cord, and resolved to de-
posit it in the Thames, which was afterwards done in the
manner already described, with the assistance of young
Porter. I remember the coal man (Mr. Deane) coming to
the house and knocking at the door. I was greatly
frightened, but in dread of creating suspicion I opened the
door to answer him, and told him as he stated in his evidence.
When he called I was engaged in regulating the place, and
was in a dreadful state of mind. I also recollect the young
lady calling to the house about the repairs, and I answered
her in the manner she gave her evidence. I put the head of
Mrs. Thomas into the black bag, and being weary, and afraid
to remain in the house, I carried it to Porter's house and had
some tea there; I placed the black bag with the head in it
under the tea-table, and afterwards took it away from the
house and disposed of it in the way and in the place I have
described to my solicitor, Mr. O'Brien.
"The disposition of this black bag gave me great uneasi-
ness, fearing it might be discovered, and thereby prove the
identity of Mrs. Thomas, and when I heard that a black bag
had been found I was greatly troubled; I pretended to Mr.
O'Brien that the bag contained nothing of the kind.

"The foot found in the dung-heap at Kingston was placed
there by me, for when I came to realise the true state of
things and the great danger I stood in, I resolved to do
everything in my power to keep everything secret and pre-
vent being discovered.

"When I placed the box in the river, and disposed of the
head and the other parts of the body as best I could, and
cleaned up the place so as that a person coming in might not
suspect or see anything irregular, it was suggested to my
mind to sell all that was in the house and go away, and
with that vlew I went and saw Porter and introduced the
sale of the things to him. He accompanied me to see
Church, and we bargained for the sale in the manner set
forth in the evidence given upon the trial respecting that
part of the transaction. I gave the chairs to Porter as a gift,
and also kept ordering things for the house from the trades-
people, in order to evade any suspicion. There is no truth
in the evidence given by Miss Ives that she heard men
talking in the house on the Sunday or Monday night, or the
voice of a woman calling 'Lizzie.' Miss Ives is mistaken in
that part of her evidence, as there was nobody in the house
but myself: and the statement I made that Strong, a man,
and a woman were in the house is untrue, and I made that
statement with the view to save myself, it possible, from my
perilous position.
"At the time of the murder I took possession of Mrs.
Thomas's gold watch and chain, and also of all the money in
the house, which was only seven or eight pounds. I accom-
panied Church to the watchmaker's, and asked for Mrs.
Thomas's watch. Church only paid me in all thirteen
pounds, not eighteen pounds, as stated. He made me a
present of the earrings, and the evidence as to my borrowing
the sovereign from Mrs. Church is correct. I threw the
dresses and bonnet of Mrs. Thomas into the van which was
brought to fetch the furniture, and they were taken to
Church's. I thought of getting rid of them in the best manner
I could.

"When I left Church's house in the evening after the sale
of the furniture was stopped I determined to proceed to Ire-
land at once to avoid being discovered, but I was not sur-
prised at being arrested.
"I did not murder Mrs. Thomas from any premeditation.
I was annoyed and in a passion, and I cannot now recollect
why I did it; something seemed to seize me at the time. I
threw her down stairs, and then seeing, or rather fearing,
the consequences, in the heat of passion and strong impulse
I acted towards her as I have described.

"I never had a hatred, or what may be called a bad feel-
ing, towards anybody in my lifetime, certainly not such as
would ever induce me to do them bodily injury; and I
cannot account for the awful feelings that came over me
from the time Mrs. Thomas came home from church until
the murder was completed.
"It is true that I went by the name of Mrs. Thomas, and
that I said I had come into a property, and that I wore her
gold watch, and with regard to the false teeth I took those
from Mrs. Thomas and gave them to Porter to sell, the pro.
ceeds of which he gave me except a shilling, which I gave
him.

"I have now relieved my mind by makings full and sincere
confession, that myself alone, without the help or assistance
of any person whatever, committed the murder. I have ac-
counted for it, and described it in this statement to the best
of my power and recollection. I heartily exonerate every one
from having any hand or part in it. When I got into
trouble at Liverpool it was owing in a great measure to
poverty and evil associations, which led me step by step
Into badness. When I got over that trouble I formed an
unfortunate intimacy with one who should have protected
me, and being led away by evil associations and nad com-
panions I became, as it were, forlorn, and forsook everything
that might have kept me in the path of rectitude and pre-
vented my unhappy end.
"I was afraid to make known the real state of things to
my solicitor,lest he might have abandoned my case and taken
no interest in it. I therefore concealed the truth from him
until I sent for him, when he told me of the reply to the
memorial sent up for me. I then fully and candidly con-
fessed to him at the last moment the whole of the facts, that
everybody may be cleared, and that I alone could be
blamed.

"1 am perfectly resigned to my fate, and am full of con-
fidence in a happy eternity. If I had a choice I would almost
sooner die than return to a life full of misery, deception, and
wickedness. I die with great fortltu-ie and confidence in my
faith and in our blessed Lord, whom I beseech to have mercy
on my soul."