The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1884-09-27 00:00:00

MURDER NEAR ALDERSHOT.

An inquest was held on Monday afternoon in con-
nection with a shocking murder which has been com-
mitted at Down Farm, Odiham, near Aldershot. The
farm belongs to Sir Henry Mildmay, who has been
farming it himself, but is now yielding it up to a
tenant named Chrismas, and this being Sir Henry's
last harvest he gave on Friday a "harvest home" to
all the men. Among those present at the dinner was
Mr. Chrismas and his new cowman named Ayles, and
some altercation took place between Ayles and Fer-
guson, Sir Henry's head carter. Ayles possessed him-
self of a large iron hinge and waylaid Ferguson,
striking him a fearful blow, which knocked him down,
completely smashir g the poor man's bead.
Ayles has been arrested. The jury viewed the body,
which presented a shocking sight, having five
wounds on the right side of the face and two on the
back of the head, the skull being completely broken
in.

The widow of the deceased was examined. She
said she heard her husband accuse Ayles of hiding
the harness, and Ayles said something about too
many masters, and he also said, "You shall have it
yet." After witness had gone to bed she heard her
husband go out, and at 10.25 she was called to see
him in the yard, when he was in a dreadful state, and
bleeding very much.
A lad named James Watts deposed to seeing Ayles
pull off his oat to fight Ferguson.
Mr. Chrismas said about ten o'clock he went into
the yard to get his horse to go home, when he heard
groans, and w Ferguson lying in the yard. He was
covered with blood. Witness had him washed. He
did not think he would live till he was got inside.
Police-sergeant Lowe said when he apprehended
prisoner he found blood upon his clothes. 'Upon charg-
ing him with the murder, Ayles made the following
statement: "At the first commencement the governor
told me to go out to see to the pony. I went out to
see to the pony. The bretching was on. I took it
off and put it in the cart and shut the stable door,
and afterwards took it into the strawhouse, and when
I came back Ferguson was holding the stable door. I
asked him if he put the harness on, and he replied
Yes, he had.' I told him he only put the bretching
on, and he had no business to. He asked me
where the harness was, and I said That's all
right. My master will see to the harness when he
goes away. He is not going away yet.' He came up to
me and said he did not care for me, and struck at me.
Then I turned round on him and gave him a shove.
He slipped upon the stones near the stable door. I
went into the farmhouse again. After leaving it I
saw Ferguson standing. Ferguson said, 'What are
you up to?' I told him I was going to start my
master home. He said he was going to take my life.
I flew at him and snatched the iron from him, and
pitched into him, and can not say how many times I
hit him—l was in such a passion. Hearing someone
coming, lat once went away. Ferguson kneeled
down and asked for fair play. I replied, 'You did
not mean to give me fair play."
Dr. Pound gave evidenc to the wounds on de-
ceased's body and head. He produced several
splinters of bone taken from the brain.
The Coroner having summed up, the jury returned
a verdict of "Wilful murder" against Henry Ayles.

TE(A)MPORA MUTE-ANTUR.—SIIOI k e per : " 'Arf
.pound 'o tea, mom? Which will y)u hey to-clay,
mem—black or green ? " Female: Black, please;
it's for a funeral."—Judy.
MOAMONS IN CALCUTTA.—A party of Mormon
missionaries have lately arrived in Calcutta. The
leader is an elderly Englishman, who has spent some
years in Utah, and one of his companions is a son of
the notorious Orson Pratt. This is not the first
occasion on which efforts have been made to obtain
converts to the Mormon faith in that cit-