The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1881-11-22 00:00:00

DOUBLE MURDER AT Nom

A shocking tragedy was du' covered at NOttlnihald early
on Satui der morning. Police-odicers Carr no_d
a
snortly before three o'clock, heard cries et ' eatimlber
" Police" proceeding from the residence of Mr. Wes. y,
who keeps • tobeocone shop in Peas•bill-road. sad heed
with Me wife, his Son, Henry Smith Westb bout
wear. of age, and two younger daughters. "'Tal9
na older
Wrathy, besides keeping the shop, was engegedinlbe
lace trade,
_end the young man was • clerk at the o
inMce
of Mr. &H. Fraser, "withal:, Not.ihigham. The oc era
at once made their way to the house, and noticed a young
men emerge from the preindees. Toe momeat be caught
sight of Om policeman he ran up the road and disappear
ed
in • by-street When the p Alcorn to entered the house
• scene of the greatest coufusion prevailed. On going
, upstairs they discovered on the floor of • bedroom Mr.
Westin,, wbo had been shot to or three times, and with
such deadly effect that be expired before the assistance
of • surgeon could be obtained, and, Indeed, es *Jon as
the pollee-4,lEoBre attempted to raise him. There were
Paces of three shots having been fired, two of which had
resulted in wounds, each sufficient to cause death. One
et the bullets had portaged through the body and out of the
back, and the other, it is believed, bad lodged in the chest.
The statement of the widow is as follows :—Tae family,
including the deceased, myself, and son, retired- to bed
last night about hall-put eleven o'clock. The evening
had been spent at home, everything passing off quietly,
and tue family generally seemed comiortebie and happy.
My sun had been at home during toe whole of the mint
—to fact., mote he left his euiplOyment in • solicitor's
nate in the town. We heard nothing to disturb tie attic
retiring to bed until about hall-past two o'clock this
morning. About that time • little dog which belonged to
toy aushend. and was • great favourite, came upstairs
and jumped upon our bed. My husband tried to make the
dog go ewes., but Ile could not du so, as the little taing
teemed so" missy." At last i.e thought the beet thing to
do would be to take the dog downstairs, tend by swatting
toe door at the bottom prevent it Itoin returning. My
husband got out ot bed, an I took the dog in his arms for
the purpose of carrying it away. In about halt • minute,
and when ho Was on the stairs, I heard aloud report as
• pistol or • revolver was being tired. Tuts was repeated
tern., and tne deceased Wen .houted out at the top oa
nua
voice " 1 am shot I am shot I Mind yourself, but
do open the window and about." At tots I jumped out
of bed and ran I, the top of toe stairs, but uniy to see
my huabard enter the room and drop lifetime to the door.
opsmAl the win tow es quickly as I wild and called
" Murder! murder r. " PAW., 1 police l in a short spec. .
of time a polic;-sereeant and another offiosr came running
into the house. With record to the person Woo has done
tnie horrible deed, none 01 us know anything. My sou
had gone when we got downstairs, and we slave never seen
hint since. I kaow he *mit to bAI at hail-put eleven
o'clock, because I was last up, es i generaliy am, end he
tied then gone upstairs, the MIAMI as toe rest 01 toe family.
My sou hardly ever went out at nielit alter fie left wore.
He was very fund 01 reeding, and would eit for hours at
his favourite amusement, etudylog periodicals arid sense-
Lionel literature. We never saw eny toed: after my
ituabend shouted who would be likely to have shot him.
Bo the matter to ma and the members of my family Is a
complete mystery.
Toe poliCe odicers proceeded to kit Fraser a odic* at •
lister hour in the morning, in the hope or adermining
some intelligent° of youog Weetby. Before this tile
OblerroMM employed on toe preralles had discovered that
the door of • room ediouting Lae office occupied by Inc
supposed murderer iend •notaer clerk, and woke was used
for the storage of lumoer, was locked. The woman said
eke had never known this room to be locked before, and
this fact almost% led toe offloers to cohj,cture that the
abject of their search would be found there. The door
was accordingly burst open, and before the detectives got
over the threat:told they were staggered at toe sight before
them. Lying huddled up on the door was the body of •
youth covered with blood, the bead boong nearly silvered
from the body. Neer him were found a mall iron rod ands
large butcher's cuoppinig knife. The body was quite cold.
The room showed that a severe struggle had taisci place.
An examination of the body showed it to be that of
William Onions, a boy 15 years of age, engaged in Mr.
Freser's ofli:e. The jaw was broken, tend cats neck and
throat newly ed. No sound ot a quarrel or etrugg.e
wee heard in the odic. on the previouo night, but IL is
evident that toe poor lad was killed prior LO the office
being closed on Friday night. No cause can be assigned
tor the crime. Poisuiug their euquiries, Detective.
lidding and Ather.oo found twit Kr. Fraser had handed
to the youth Westuy a cheque for £7 10.. a day or two
previously, payable to " losouerd Lindley," but which ise
would be able to cash. Taut was not t be found in the
office, and the officer accordingly proceeded to the Notting-
ham and Notts Bank, Tourland-street, waere it we,.
found Mat the cheque nett been cashed on F•il.y. Tee
clerk who [Stilted the cheque remembers that it was
presented by • young men with cony hair, and, no far as
it goes, tuts description Gilliam with Wwituy'm appearance.
Wed tby Was always considered sharp lal, but of Imo Mr.
Fraser and Mr. Day have noticed that he bed bectnii
eccentric in his manner and Debit.. He has been in Mr.
Fraser'. employ five or six yearo, and was generally a wed-
conducted youth.
Chief Dowelled Inspector Eddy at once went in search
of toe suspected murderer, and in the course of tee after-
noon visited • garden at I.,ntan Sands, near Notungiumn,
in toe occupation of Mr. Fraser. On a piece of ground
near tots garden Weilloy was discovered concealed in a
tuwl•house. it, at first refused to surrender, but after
aloha persimmon cane out of his hiding-piece, where he
11&.1 WWI him a use revolver, six chiuntaus of wh.co were
loaded. He said lid it been anyone but inspector Eddy
be wou.l have shut them. lie asked if the lad was deed,
and being told that he was, and deo that his fattier was
deed, he replied, "It's about tune." Some spots or blood
ware seen on hie ciodies. He was taken to the police
station to await magisterial inquiry.
Tome is no doubt that the eccussd had been reeling
sensational literature. The walls of his bedroom were
emuoilistied with pictures from the lif• of Dick Turpia,
and many newspaper cuttings were found in Ms Who,-
desk, with accounts of marvellous adventures. In ms
be iroous he hal a trap-door in the floor, and always boit:d
otmself in at night. He is rather tell, thin, and of • pale
complexion, with boyisa appearance. He seemed egateted '
and bewildered. Toe prison surgeon states that he ii
sane, though there hive teen traces of insanity in the
family.
Toe prisoner has confessed to the murder of his father,
but maintsused • marked reticence as to the cloaca of the
boy 0 atone saying, " No one saw me do it. They will have
to prove that. Although he had money he states he had
eaten nothing for two day, preceding the murder. In me
afternoon he asked for some legal assistants lor his defence,
but afterwards said it would be of no use. His mother
wished to see him, but he dsalined to see her. The pur
chase of the levolver has been traced.