The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1879-04-05 00:00:00

The prisoner church here said, "Mine was not there."

The ;fitness continued: Then Webster came back she
said she had seen her friend. Then she showed us five rings
In a case like a cigar-case; they were wrapped in wadding.
We all three wens to the Hammersmith railway station.
The prisoner Webster toot me with her to Richmond to
No. 2, Vine-cottages, in Park-road. She had two keys, and
she opened the side door. When we got into the house
she got out some ruin and gave me some, taking 3011243
herself. She unlocked a side cupboard in the front par-
lour and brought out a bank book and two bank-notes.
She asked me to look at the book; it was the "Monarch
Building Society." The other book was a Post-office
savings bank book. While I Was looking at the books
she came downstairs with a box, corded ready for removal.
She said, "I want you to help me with this box to Rich-
mond-bridge ; I have to a e a friend." We wens together,
earring the box. We carried it to Richmond-bridge,
into one of those places on the other (Middlesex) side—
the recesses; that is what the places are called. She went
Into the recess Just over the middle of the bridge (on the
Middlesex side) and said to me, "Now you be going
towards home ,• I'll catch you up. Go on." I came towards
the Surrey side, leaving her with the box in the recess,
and stopped. Then I beard a splash, and a gentleman
who was coming the sane way—a tall gentleman with a
high hat—looked round and I looked round. Kate came
up and said, "Come on, Bobby, I've seen my friend." She
bad, at the house' given me a bag with meat and vegetables,
saying I was to take ttem to my home, as she might be
down and have somethitg to eat. When she caught me up
she took me towards the station, saying. "Come, let us see
if the last train is gons." We went to Richmond new
station, I carrying the jag with food, but the last train
had gone. I did not want to go to her house as she
asked me, and I tried to get a cabman to take me to
Hammersmith; but shs said, "Don't be so obstinate ;
come with me to my hcuse." I went to the cottage, and
went to my work early tle next morning. Afterwards, on a
Sunday—l think it was yesterday week—my mother was
reading in a paper about the box found in the Thames, and
I told my mother, and ste told my father. My father took
me to Mr. Canrch's house to tell him, and we found the
police there. The box produced (a light wooden box, a foot
square and a foot and a half deep—such as foreign milliners
use).is the box I assisted the prisoner Katherine with to
Richmond-bridge on the 4th of March.
The cross examination of the witnesses was deferred, and
Mx. Pollard said he would then show the discovery of the
remains.
Henry Wheatley, coal porter, living at 561ortlake, deposed:
I first saw this box in the Thames off Barnes-terrace, about
30 yards below Barnes-bridge. It had lodged on the shore,
and the water was ebbing away from ft. This was three
weeks ago last Wednesday (a day which would be on the sth
of March). I went out to it, cat the cord, kicked the side,
and it fell to pieces. There were human remains in it looking
like meat. I communicated with the police, and gave the
box and its contents up to them with the cord which was
round it.

Mr. Pollard said this was as far as he proposed to
carry the case on that occasion. The question was
as to the time for adjournment. There were many
witnesses to be seen and their statements to be taken,
and he suggested that the next hearing should be on
the 9th inst.
The Bench assented to this.

Mr. Claydon urged that there was no evidence
against the man Church on the capital charge, except
the statement of the prisoner Webster, and asked that
bail might be taken br his appearance.
The Bench refused to listen to any such suggestion
as that bail should be taken, and the prisoners were
remanded pro formd for a few days, the examination
to be resumed on the 9th inst.

The man John Church, who has been arrested, has
been a beershopieeper at Hammersmith for about
eight years, and is said to have borne a good character.

On Wednesday morning the two prisoners, Kathe-
rine Webster and John Church, were brought up
before the Justices sitting at Richmond. Sir Henry
Parker presided, and the magistrates present were
U' B. B. Wr..kterley, aolvuol
Burdett, Admiral Stopford, and Mr. Cave,
M.P. There was no one present either to pro-
secute or defend the Prisoners. The interest felt in
the proceedings at Richmond was again shown by the
presence of large crowds of spectators. The court was
occupied for a short time before eleven o'clock
in disposing of one or two minor cases, and
shortly after that hour, the, prisoners, John
Church and Katherine Webster were brought in.
The Chairman, Sir Henry Parker, read over the
charge sheet. Addressing the female prisoner, he
said :—Katherine 'Webster, you are charged with
wilfully murdering your mistress, Julia Thomas, at
No. 2, Mayfield-villa, Richmond, on the 2nd March.
Then turning to Church, he said—You are charged
with being concerned with Katherine Webster in wil-
fully murdering Julia Martha Thomas, on or about
the 2nd March. You are further charged with stealing
and receiving one purse, five gold rings, 21 silver spoons,
six forks, one cruet stand, one pair of candle-sticks,
one teapot, and other articles, the property of the execu-
tors of the late Mrs. Thomas, on or about the 2nd of
March.—The plerk said that it was arranged at the
hearing, on Monday, that the prisoners should be
formally remanded until this day -(Wednesday), and
that the case should be gone into on Wednesday,
the 9th inst. This was then decided upon, and the
prisoners, in charge of the detective officers, were
at once remanded until Wednesday next, at two p.m.

It is said that a Richmond dentist has made a state-
ment to the police that no matter how much it may be
decomposed, should it be found, he can identify be-
yond all doubt the head of Mrs. Thomas. That lady
was one of his patients, and just before her disap-
pearance she gave him instructions to prepare a new
case of teeth for her mouth. In order to do sole took
a plaster cast of the interior of her mouth, after the
usual manner of dentists, and made a model from
It. The cast shows the position of the few
teeth the deceased had remaining, as well as their
shape, which was quite peculiar. The form of
the mouth too, is remarkable, and net likely to be
mistaken. There were in the upper jaw but three
teeth, all of which were exceptional in form and
fastening. In addition to these marks he knows
the characteristics of the teeth in the lower jaw,
and he adds she had a suction plate in her mouth
which any unprofessional person would have gieat
difficulty in removing especially after the woman was
dead. Fortunately the dentist has still preserved the
model of Mrs. Thomas's mouth. After it was made,
and about a fortnight ago, he wrote to Mrs. Thomas
reminding her of the matter, as she had failed to call;
but of course he received no reply.

It is stated that the prisoner Church is an old
soldier, having served for some years in the 11th
Hussars, from which regiment he obtained his dis-
charge in 1859. He has kept the "Rising Sun," for
the last eight years. In the bar there is a coloured
picture of a mounted dragoon in uniform galloping,
sword in hand, with the words underneath "John
Church, 11th Hussars."