The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1880-11-06 00:00:00

THE MURDER AT ACTON.

At Hammersmith Police-court, on Monday, George
Pavey, 29, a painter, living at 31. Manchester-street,
Notting-dale, was brought up for re-examination,
Charged with causing the death of Ada Shephard,
!:L.ged ten years, the daughter of a house decorator' of
literbert-villa, Cowper-road, Acton, by cutting her
throat with a table knife on the afternoon of Friday,
the 22nd ult during the absence of her parents, who
had gone to Norwood for the day, leaving the pri-
soner in charge of the premises. Considerableinterest
,Was shown in the case, the Court and all its approaches
being densely crowded, while several gentlemen were
accommodated with seats on the bench. In the street
the crowd was so great that witnesses in other cases
great difficulty in obtaining a passage to the
Court. Prisoner, who walked quietly into the dock,
aPPeared very cool and self-possessed, and during the
ease paid great attention to the evidence.
Mr. Poland prosecuted on behalf of the Treasury, and
the Prisoner was defended by Mr. Farman, solicitor.
John Shepherd, the father, was recalled and cross-ex-
amined. Me said the prisoner had been in his service about
Six Months, and he always found him a well-conducted man.
The prisoner had never been left alone with his children
before. The witness did not remember telling other persons
that h was going to Norwood for the day with his wife, but
he would not swear that he did not. There were only two
dOors to the house—a side door and a frcint• iloor. The side
door was bolted inside, and he opened the front door with a
latchkey.
The witness was questioned as to whether he knew the
description of a person who was apparently a working man,
Without whiskers and moustache and only a little beard,
dressed in a black coat, waistcoat and trousers of a pepper
and salt colour tweed, and hard felt hat, and he replied that
he did not, and that he did not meet anyone of that descrip-
tion on the day he left home. He also said, in answer to
Farman, that it would require considerable force to
.I.32:'eak the bedroom door open. He knew that the prisoner
'as Paralyzed on one side.
'bolgt:Matoination, the witness said he left a pair of laced
went oa"-te,,,,kitchen, having changed his boots before he
',Le did not miss them till the following Tuesday,
e wanted to wear them.
la
..InsPector Savage produced the boots, which the witness
entilled as the pair he had lost.
'
rrY Cross, assistant to Mr. Thomson, a pawnbroker, of
thd-road, Notting-hill, said the boots were pledged at
vs,". poP between four and five o'clock oh Friday afternoon,
‘l,ll 2nd ult. To the best of his belief they were brought byIT: Prisoner. He gave the name of " J Perry, 31, Man-
n ater-street." He asked him whether they were his own
u°ol4- He said " Yes," and that he gave 258. for them. The
'witness advanced 7s.
BY Mr. Farman: He saw the prisoner outside the court
„
Morning. The prisoner was with six or seven other men.
;_oe witness looked at them and picked out the prisoner. He
bad no doubt of the prisoner being the man.
Joseph Standing, a greengrocer, proved serving the de-
ceased at his shop with some nuts at ten minutes past two
O'clock on the same afternoon. She was alone.
b.George 'hinder, a builder, of Acton, said ho went to
:teroert-villa at a quarter to three o'clock in the afternoon
," borrow a ladder. He found the side door bolted. He
'''uockeli several times at the frc nt door, but no one
answered. He did not hear any noise in the house.
4 Mr. Farman • He did not see any one in the vicinity of
the house.
William Townsend, a milkman, said he called at the house
stt ten minutes past three. He knocked at the front door,
btlt there was no answer. He did not hear any noise inside
the house and did not notice any one.
i'relerick Turner, a bricklayer, said he was working on a,
'scaffold near Mr. Shepherd's house, when he saw the psi-
Boner, whom he knew by sight, come out of Herbert-villa at
a (Mader past three o'clock in his shirt sleeves, He did not
notice the door at which he came out or where he went to.
The witness had previously seen George Trinder knocking at.
the door. He saw the prisoner about half an hour after-
wards.
In cross-examination, the witness said he was not working
there all the morning. Ile did not go there until half-past
two. Re had not seen the prisoner going in and out of
/lerbert-viNa.

_
William Henry Shepherd, a lad living in Acton, said he
had, known the prisoner about a month. On the Friday, at
twenty minutes past three, he saw him in the Birkbeck-
re'ad, going in the direction of Uxbridge-road. He wore a
telvet-eoat.
John Fisher, the landlord of No. 31, Manchester-street,
vrove
d that the prisoner did not return home on Friday
ght, the 22nd ult. He occupied a furnished room at the
tici) of the house, with his wife and child, seven months
• He lodged there a fortnight. The witness saw the
Prisoner go to work on Friday morning. The prisoner's
11,1tual time of returning was at half-past six in the evening.
-glevritnees did not see him again until he was in custody.
prisoner's affliction would not be known unless alien-
"!°ll Wall called to it.
IllnaPector Crow proved apprehending the prisoner at the
enclon Casual Wards on Sunday evening the 24th ult.
pector Savage showed the prisoner a handkerchief, and
lir, aim that it was found on the face of the murdered girl.
e add, 'lt is my handkerchief ; I put it there."
inaPector Morgan, of the Criminal Investigation Depart-
out attached to the X Division, was next called. He said
it Monday, the 25th ult., he took the prisoner in a cab to
ottrt from Paddington Station. The prisoner made a
Ment, the greater part of which he took down in
wilr-eff- Before he took down anything the prisoner,
tit:le they were passing through High-street, Notting-hill,
j 14; " This is the way I went on Friday afternoon. When
Bt. eit the house I walked to the Uxbridge-road, through
r:ePherd's-bush, Bayswater, and to Seven-dials, which I
Och, ed at six o'clock. I lodged that night in the Princess
40,13'1,g-house. The next day I walked about and read an
ti,...2ant of the murder in a newspaper, and saw the descrip-
/Qiiiven did not answer to me. That night I lodged at
ay, Sunday to Hendon." At that point the prisoner
Lier7,,mg's lodging-house in Westminster, and walked the
Irtzt-a'sl,
attic,' a further statement which he thought most material,
-,•11e cautioned him. The prisoner wished him to write
o'er); and tell the magistrate. He said, "About two
a after the girl had gone with her sisters to school,
came to the side door and asked if my name was
ti-i,veY, and said the governor wanted to see me at the
Roburidge-road railway station at once. I told him the
is or had said he was gong to Norwood. He said, 'He
Ile is waitinff at the station to see you.' I wert direct
}ace station and-hurried back, and then I saw what had
theell Place ; the girl was lying on the floor dead. I covere
'ter ildkerchief over her face. Before I put the hand-
over •• ,suief her face I saw blood flowing. I came out
house, and did not know which way to go as I had
8011 that it looked so black against Inc. I was afraid to
ei2; knowing at the same time I had been convicted of a
actiar offence before. I was frightened to say anything
„old it, as they would think I had done it. I then went
ilog- I was away from the house three-quarters of an
gra g°ing to the station and returning. I went away about a
to ttrter
past two, and returned at three. That is all I have
Th;"Y• The prisoner signed his name to the statement.
hikit 'witness also said it would take him an hour and a
Yin t° Walk to Uxbridge-road station and back to Herbert-
tot, Doctor savage stated that the distance to Uxbridge-
etriq station was 2i mi es. He further stated that he
br'.l),Ped the prisoner of his clothes which he delivered to
i)
eland said the clothes would be very carefully ex-
by Dr. Bond, who would be called at the trial. Due
Wh•
o" Would be given to the prisoner of any other witnesses
nlight be called.
thvonb 1,...,0-constable Miller was called to prove the finding of
the "Jute. He said that he went into the kitchen and saw
tatrAirl -
Ting on the floor. He searched the kitchen, and
the'le white-handled table-knife lying on the dresser by
eloth7e._of the fireplace, covered over with a white table-
Thor. ne noticed that it had been recently sharpened.
.v'ere apparently dry blood stains upon the knife.
tuld 41r. Farman : He went to the upper part of the house,
rettlioticed the door which had been forced. It was appa-
terco/'• a strong door. Such a door required considerable
soD- oPen it.
ia being ail the evidence, Mr. Shell gave the pri-
lif the usual caution.
rese,-ve_ Prisoner, in a firm tone of voice, said, "I
" holjo7 defence, and leave it hi the hands of my
wtirif, Shell then asked Mr. Farman whether he
tO call witnesses. ,
th'• rarman said not at present, if the magistrate
eonc'eurgllft there was sufficient evidence to send the pri-
before or trial. He asked the magistrate to pause
Deridedeendmg the prisoner for trial, as his life
de-
upon the result.
Zr. Shell said the case would go for trial.
vitlstlll:vidence was then read over, after which the
rOMOVed,

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