The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1875-03-27 00:00:00

A SAD TRAGEDY.

On Saturday morning, about seven o'clock a son
murdered his father and mother at Fordham, a village
about seven miles from Colchester. The names of the
victims are Solomon Johnson, aged 80, labourer, and
Susannah, his wife, aged over 70. The murderer,
Thomas Johnson, aged 35, is a farmer's horseman.
The scene of the crime is a treble-tenement cottage on
an off-hand farm held by Mr. Knight and situated in
a lonely spot some 400 yards from the high road and a
considerable distance from any neighbours. The centre
tenement was occupied by the Johnsons ; the wings by
a woman named Mills and by four orphan children
whose mother lay dead in the house. This description
will help to explain the particulars of the murder, as
they have been stated by the police.
Thomas Johnson for many years behaved exceed-
ingly well as a son, but recently suffered from a reli-
gious mania and a suspected love affair, so that he was
in the local union some weeks under treatment.
Having got better, he was a month ago allowed
to go out and to go back to his parents' house, whence
last week he came to Colchester for a change. On
Thursday evening his conduct was observed to be very
strange, and on Friday he suddenly left the house of
his sister and went roaming about the town, among
other acts going to consult a lawyer about his lady-
love, whom he described as having been seen by him
in "a glorified state." The demented man left
Colchester on Friday evening and slept at
his parents' house at Fordham. Next morning, at
seven o'clock, Mrs. Mills's attention was called to some
cries of "Murder !" and she saw the accused, poker in
hand, chasing his father and mother in the garden.
The old man, aft4r receiving some blows, fell into an
ashpit, and was then despatched by his maddened son.
The poor man had his head shattered in a fearful
manner. Johnson next attacked his aged mother, and
beat her so that he left her for dead. Meanwhile, Mrs.
Mills, who was much frightened, locked up the four
orphan children, of whom she had kindly taken charge,
and ran for assistance. The man must have seen her, for
he threatened to kill her, and pursued her a short dis-
tance. It was a fortunate circumstance thatithe children
had been locked in, for the man broke the window in
an attempt to get at them, and he exclaimed to them,
"I'll kill you." Mrs. Mills went to the parish con-
stable (there being no policeman in the village), who
sent forward Mr. Sparkes and Mr. Partridge. These
found the murderer making his way to the village, and
after some manceuvring they closed upon him, one of
them, however, receiving a severe blow with the poker
which the madman still carried in his hand. However
he was overpowered, and ultimately lodged under
lock and key in the union workhouse at Stanway. The
neighbours attended Mrs. Johnson, who was alive and
sensible, but she died before medical aid could reach her.
The prisoner while under the charge of the porter at
Union-house coolly admitted having murdered his
parents, and said that something struck his mind all of
a sudden, and he believed he was the Almighty, and had
to do it. The police stationed at Stanway (Richardson)
received the man into custody, and said to him, "I
understand that you have committed murder
morning ?" The accused replied "Yes, I have killed
two—my father and mother."
Johnson, who is a short, thick-set man -of unpre-
possessing appearance, was conveyed to Colchester and
taken before the county magistrates then in session.
In reply to questions he stated the names of his
parents, and after some formal evidence had been
given, he declined to ask any questions, but said, "No,
lam fully decided about it."-

On Monday, Mr. Codd, County Coroner, held an
inquest on the bodies of Solomon and Susannah John-
son. The jury viewed the bodies, which were lying
in the lonely house occupied by the deceased. Mrs.
Mills gave a clear account of what had occurred. She
said early in the morning she heard Johnson upstairs
threaten to kill his mother. Shortly afterwards she
and her husband were seen running away from the
prisoner, who had a poker, with which he struck both.
The witness called to him to desist, but he said he would
kill the old woman. The witness went for assistance.
Meanwhile, the four orphan children from the window
saw the murderer take a spade and beat first the dead
body of the man and then that of the woman, who
lived two hours. After vainly trying to get at the
children, Johnson left, and was met by two men, whom
he violently attacked with the poker till overpowered.
The jury returned a verdict of "Wilful Murder"
against the prisoner, the Coronor saying that his state
of mind would be inquired into elsewhere. The mur-
derer, who claims supernatural power, shows every
sign of insanity.