The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1865-01-17 00:00:00

THE PLAISTOW MURDER.

The trial of Ferdinand Edward Karl Kohl, charged
with the murder of Theodore thriatian Furliop, a
Gerinan, took plat* at the Central Criminal Court on
Wednesday and Thursday. before the Lord Chief Baron
Pollock and Mr. Justice Blackburn. For the probeen-
Sion were the Solicitor-General, Mr Serjeant Ballantine,
Mr. Hannan, and Mr. Giffard ; and Mr. Beet and Mr.
Palmer, instructed by Mr. Hubert Wood, defended the
prisoner, who appeared exceedingly well, and paid
marked attention to the charge preferred against him.
The jury consisted of six Englishmen and six foreigners.
As in the case of Muller, the evidence incriminating the
prisoner was essentially circumstantiaL There were,
certainly, facts which directly oonsiected the prisoner
with the murder ; but these, without the damning cir-
cumstance which brought the crime home to him, would
have proved a very unsubstantial bias on which to rest
a conviction. . _

In order to illustrate the singular brutality of this
wretched man, it is necessary to state his relations with
the deceased. The two chief personages in thie tragedy,
although placed in different stations of life, became
intimate under circumstances by no means unusual
among fellow-countrymen dwelling in a strange land.
The prisoner WU by profession a sugar-baker, out of
work at the time of the murder, and sunk in poverty ;
whilst the murdered man, who was described as being
" very handsome," and of gentlemanly appearanoe,was in
possession of £l4 or £l6 in money, a gold watch, and a
good supply of clothing. They had formed an acquaint-
ance on board a German steamer, and on their arrival in
London the prisoner introduced his friend to a Mrs.
Warren, a respectable woman firing at Plaistow, with
whom Furhop lodged. A few. days after their arrival
the prisoner, although still very poor, got married,
and having set up housekeeping, it was but natural that
the two friends should live together. The deceased accord-
ingly moved from Mrs. Warren's, and took up his
residence with the newly-married couple. On the 3rd
November the prisoner and the deceased went out to-
gether, and about half-an-hour afterwards they were seen
in company about a quarter of a milefrom the spot where
the remains of the deceased were aubsequentlT dis-
covered. This was the', ass time that young lurhop
was seen alive. Two hours afterwards the prisoner
returned home alone, and on the neighbours asking
him what had become of his companion, he replied that
they had mimed each other in Commercial-road, which
was five miles distant. At that time the prisoner's
clothing was bedaubed with river mud, but, although he
had been seen with the deceased in the Marshes he
adhered to the statement, which was proved to be false,
that helmet been seeking employment at a sugar-baker's
in Commercial-road. Two or three hours elapsed, and
still Furhop did • not meke his appearance. At last
Kohl declared that if the deceased did not return
within two hours he would break open his box. The
handsome young German was at that moment lying
stark and dead among the reeds which border the
Thames, and of course he did not return to his lodgings.
True to his promise, Kohl opened his friend's box with
a poker, and manifested some astonishment at finding
that the greater portion of Furhop's clothes were
missing. That this emotion was feigned is
amply proved by the fact that Kohl at that
moment had the pawnbroker's duplicates for
them in his pocket. Knowing this, however, he
declared that as Furhop's things were gone Furhop
I himself "would never return"—an assurance which he
of all men was best competent to give. His conduct
subsequent to the murder may be taken as another
!series of proofs of his guilt. During the afternoon on
which Pushup disappeared the prisoner is described as
being "pole and agitated." Previous to the murder he
was known to be almost penniless, but immediately
afterwards he appeared to be in possession of what was
to him • large sum of money, as he got change for
sovereigns at various places. When the trunk was
found his demeanour was entirely inconsistent with in-
nocence. On being asked to look at the body to see if
he could recognise it as that of his miming friend, he
conducted himself in a most unaccountable manner.
"He was not accustomed to look upon such things
he would rather not see it. However, on the body
being uncovered before him, he became "deadly pale," i
and, instead of manifesting horror and astonishment, he I
turned away. On being charged with the murder, he
evinced neither surprise nor indignation. He "dropped
his hands, and fell against the wall, and made no reply."
He evidently saw that the murder was out, and he
made so attempt to exculpate himself.
But this is by no means the strongest part of themes.
Five days after the murder the body was accidentally
discovered by some young men who were out shooting.
Next morning the head was found buried st a short
distance from the same spot; and the same day a knife
was found with two hairs attached to the blade. It ii
not necessary to &demi to the horrible condition in
which the remains were found. In spite of the mutila-
tion they had undergone from rats, the medical
witnesses were enabled to say that death had been
oinsed by blows on the head by a blunt and a sharp in-
strument, and that after death the head had been beaked
from the body. Two days before the murder the pri-
soner had borrowed a hatchet from a neighbour, and re-
turned it the day after Furhop's disappearance—not as
he had got it, hut painted red. Notwithstanding this,
however, Dr. Letheby was able to swear that attached
to the jagged blade of the hatchet were some cotton and
linen fibres, and a email portion of human skin. On
examining the prisoner's clothes two or three spots of
blood were discovered, as well as some spots of paint,
eorreeponcling with that which the prisoner put upon
the hatchet. With reference to the separation of the
head from the body after death, the evidence is still
more clear. On the Monday succeeding the murder—
namely, the day before the body was discovered—the
prisoner was seen twice within a few hundred yards of 1
the spot where the lowly lay, and several witnesses I
I proved that the clasp knife subsequently found was the '
property of the prisoner, who had it in his possession,
and used it on the Sunday after the murder. On such
damning proofs as these the jury could come to no other
conclusion than that the prisoner, and he alone was
guilty of the murder, and they accordingly, after an
absence from the jury-box of 40 minutes, returned •
verdict to that effect. The prisoner seemed to hear the
verdict with the greatest coolness. When asked whether
he had anything to say why sentence of death should
not be passed upon him, he made no reply. Mr. Justice
Blackburn then assumed the black cap, and, addressing
the prisoner, told him he had been convicted of the
crime of wilful murder after a most patient hearing.
There was no necessity for him to address the prisoner
on the nature of the crime of which he was found
guilty; it was only necessary for him to pass upon him
the sentence of the law. The leerned judge then passed
sentence of death in the usual form. The prisoner heard
his doom unmoved, but bowed his head when the judge
had concluded passing sentence upon him.
The High Sheriff of Essex has appointed Thursday,
the 26th inst., for the execution of the culprit.

THE SHIBLIT hitiRDZIL—A magisterial inquiry into
the circumstances attendant upon the murder of Mrs.
Caroline Sophia Colborne, at Shirley, on the 3rd of
December last, took place on Saturday at the Royal
South Banta Infirmary. In consequence of the state of
the prisoner, George Broomfield, it was felt necessary
that as few persoes as possible should be present.
Broomfield, who was dressed in his own ordinary
clothes, was brought hi in an easy chair used for
invalids, and at once placed on a bed specially provided
in the room. He was ghastly pale. Placed in • bed
and propped up in it, he appeared for the first half-hour
to know what was going on, although he did not seem
to take any notice of those by whom he WSJ surrounded,
except once or twice, when he wanted to speak to the
surgeons or the superintendent of police. Shortly after
the husband of the deceased had been examined, and
Broomfield had, through the superintendent of police,
put a question or two to him—for he was so weak that
his voice could not be heard more than a yard or so
from him —he began to be restless, and the surgeons
had several tames to attend to him, and order the
administration of restoratives. After this belay in it
comatose state, but occasionally moaned out a deep
sigh, as though in pain, when his poor wife, who was
present, and who kept her facie buried in her handker-
chief, kindly attended him at ones. The scene was a
very painful one, and it was intensified when the excite.
meet had its natural effect upon Broomfield's weakness,
and he bemuse, as the surgeons said, scarcely able to
understated what was going on. He then several times
groaned very deeply, and cried out, " Where .re we
now—where are we now." This was too much for poor
Colborne, the husband of the murdered woman,
who had hitherto behaved with remarkable firm-
ness, for in the midst of the consultation with
the surgeons and magistrates, be gave way to
a flood of tears. Some little additional evidence
was given, after which Mr. Bernard administered the
usual caution, and asked the prisoner if he wished to
make any statement. Prisoner (very feebly and indis-
tinetly)—"No, lean only sayl am a dying man, —a dying
man." Mr. Bernard then committed the prisoner for
trial on the capital charge. The unhappy man, who
covered bi face with his handkerchief, was then wheeled
back to his ward, and Mr. Wing, the father of the
deceased, was hound over to prosecute.
°LOTION TO OoONTSY Buroxifits.—A4 the Guildhall
police-court on Thursday, Mr. S. Robinson applied to
Mr. Alderman Gibbons, under the following niroum-
stances. He said—l wish to ask your advise, sir, as to
what stops to take in a ease where I have been
defrauded of a quantity of meat. I am • butcher,
carrying on business at St. Mary-street, Northampton:
On the 15th of November. 1864, I received thia letter.
The letter ran thus:—' Nesgate.tuarket, Nov. 14.
Dr. Sir,—having taken • shop at Newmitemiarket, i
Beg to inform you that if you should fever Me with
your Patronage i will indevour to do the Bert in My
Power to give you eatiedatanon as a Salesman.
—Yours, k G. Bowces, To Mr. S. Robinson,
London." —Upon the faith of this communication I
seat him a quantity of meat to sell for me, but not
getting any reply to letters, or any remittance either,
I came up to town, end on snaking inquiry I found
that the man Bowles had no shop in the markets but
had disposed of the meat through another salesman, and
pocketed the money. I was also told by some members
of the market committee that tiv y considered the
affair-s swindle. After some rialßeelty I saw the man
Bowleg, and he promised to get me the money in two
hours, but did not do so. I then returned to
Northampton, when I reeeiwed an invoice contaioing
p.artinlare.of the sale,dedneting chargrandcounnimion,
. .

the felbwring letter 'being eiperMe'd to the bil
"Dear enclose your meoust,, as above. I have
been infameed•ou good authority, -that • MINI 111•12 in
Newpdo-mariteS•has maligned my cheesiest with you ;
therefore I shell see to it, and make him prove his
words: After that I shall forward you yoar money.—
Yours ',sportfully, George Bowles." As I
otesthr wrreseney, min I wish to know if IL ma

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