The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1872-06-08 00:00:00

MURDER AT DOVER.

A shocking murder was committed last Friday night
in the Citadel Barrarks at Dover. The deceased,
Daniel Donohue, aged 33, and the murderer, Francis
Bradford, aged 19, were both privates in the K Com-
pany, 2nd Battalion 3rd Buffs, and occupied a room in
common.

It appears that on the night referred to the prisoner
was rather noisy, and the non-commissioned officer in
charge of the room being absent on duty as provost-ser-
geant, Donohue threatened to report him ik Corporal
Kavanagh, and left the room for that purpose. Bradford
endeavoured to strike him on his return with a
poker, but was prevented by Private Stephenson.
Donohue then went to bed, and the lights were put
out. Bradford a few minutes afterwards was heard
to cross the room, and ask Private Green (who slept
next to Donohue) for a pipe. Green gave some care-
less reply, and immediately afterwards Donohue was
heard to cry out "I'm stabbed, Pm stabbed." Corporal
Dillon, of the band, then came in with a can lie, the
gam was turned on, and the men, proceeding to Dons'
hoe's bed, discovered Bradford is the act of striking
him with his list, while in the other hand he held a
bayonet, which was taken from him by a man named
Brown. It was then seen Donohue had been stabbed,
the weapon penetrating the bed-clothing and entering
the abdomen to the extent of some three or four inches.
The prisoner was then taken to the guard-room and a
surgeon fetched to Donohue, a is comrades, meanwhile,
using every endow our to stop the bleeding. Upon the
surgeon's arrival Donohue was almost pulseless, and
although he lived some 20 minutes afterwards, he only
rallied sufficiently to remark he was dying, and won-
dered what his poor wife and ,aridly would do. The
deceased had married without leave, and his wife and
two children were living at a place called Durham-hilL
Only the day previously he had obtained permission to
mess away from barracks.
The corpse was removed to the dead-bonne, and the
prisoner given into custody and conveyed to the station.
Half an hour afterwards he was sleeping soundly.

• -
The prisoner had been in the service about two
years and bore a very fair character, the deceased, 14
years. and was within two months of obtaining an
additional good conduct stripe.
--- - - •

On Saturday morning at 11 o'clock the prisoner was
taken before the Dover maistrates. He is a native of
Lewes, in Sussex, and aged 19. Previously to his
entering the army, he was a labourer, and can both
read aim write, lie showed the utmost indifference to
is position during the whole examination. On the
Mayor calling his name and reading him the charge he
made no reply. li, the course of the examination it
transpired that after being reported, the prisoner said
to the deceased, "Perhaps you won't have the chance
of reporting me again." lie was quite sober at the
time of the occurrence. On his way to the station,
using afoul exp, ession, he said, "I won't be troubled
any more by you."
The prisoner was committed for trial at Maidstone
Assizes . _

..„-.
The inquest was held at the " Albion" Inn,
and the jury, after about 20 minute.' deliberation, re-
turned a verdict of "Wilful Murder.'