The Express.
London, England, 1863-04-03 00:00:00

THE MURDER AT CHATHAM.

Yesterday afternoon Mr. Thomas Hills, the
carouse for Chatham, opened an inquiry into the circum-
stances connected with the death of Alfred James Holden,
who was murdered by his father in a room near Brompton
Barracks, under the eircurostiorms already detailed. The
jury, having been sworn, proceeded to view the body, which
lay in the same room in which the murder took place. The
deemed was a remarkably fine child, and from the ap-
pearances on the body there was little doubt that the at.
tack by the accused must have been most determined and
mows. There were two wounds in the throat, one of
which was, in reality, mused by a series of stabs, anyone of
which was of itself suffleient to have caused death. On the
return of the jury the following evidence was taken :
Catherine Downie, the wife of a tailor, deposed that she
resided next door to the accused Alfred Holden, who was •
gunner in the Royal Artillery. Shortly after seven o'clock
yesterday morning the mother of the deceased seat for
witness to come to ber room, and on going in she maw the
accused standing by the bed, and the mother of deemed
crying and wringing her hands. Witneas asked what was
the matter, when the mother exclaimed that her baby was
dead, adding that her husband had stabbed it while she was
away fetching him a pint of beer. The husband, who was
standing by, said, " Yes, I killed it," and afterwards
added, " I want to be hung, and do not wish to leave a
burden to my wife, no that she may be able to do for her-
self." The deceased was lying on the bed in • pool of blood.
John Downie, the husband of the last witness, said,
from what his wife told him, he went into the room
wearied by Holden and his wife, and saw the
deceased lying on the bed. Life was quite extinct.
There was a quantity of blood about the deceased, and two
wounds on the neck. On asking the father if it was a fart
that he had killed the child, he replied, " Yes, John, I am
guilty. I know I shell be hung, and I want to leave no
burden on my wife." Witness saw a knife covered with
blood in the utensil. (The knife was here produced and
identified by the witness. It was a large clasp knife, and
was covered with blood.) The witness motioned to state
that Holden did Dot appear to be under the effect of drink,
and seemed perfectly to understand all be was saying.
By the Coroner—He had heard no disturbance between
Holden and his wife that night. They awe lived toge-
ther very comfortably, and were in fact • loving semple.
Mr. Henry Weeks., surgeon, deposed to bin called Ia
to me the body of the deceased at about 8 o'clock
maculae. The dammed was lying on the bed jai=
Oa making au examination of the bode, the whams hands
wound four inches long on the right aide of the seek, pirallei
with the collar boo& There was also another emend in the
middle lower part of the throat, just above the tressileras,
which was very deep, and extended down into the throat,
This wound was caused by • stab. On making • posemeetan
examination of the body he found that the instrument which
inflicted the stakhad divided the arch of the aorta ; another
movement of the instrument had peoetrated the right cavity
of the chest, and nearly cut off the top of the right lung ; a
third movement of the knife had passed into the cavity of
the pericardium. The wounds described were canoed by
three distinct stabs, and any one would have mimed instant
death. The knife produced exactly fitted the wounds= the
body.
Corporal John lintherbrd, Royal Artillery, said on re-
trey's% information of the murder he went with an escort of
men to apprehend the accused. On going into the room be
saw lloldeu standing in the middle, and his wife holding
the deceased in her Up. Before witness spoke Bottles
pointed to the child, and exclaimed "I did it." Witness
asked him his reason for killing his child, when he replied,
" 1 want to get rid of the world." The witness then said in
that case be might have made away with himself, when he
remarked, "If hadmarked, killed myself I should have left my wife
with • child to keep, whereas, as I have killed the child, I
shall be bung, and my wife will only have herself to keep."
Witness then removed him to the guard-room.
By the Coroner—Holden did not appear to be drunk thee,
but the witness knew he had been drunk the previous night.
The accused bad been employed as cook to the sergeants?
mess but on the previous day bad been ordered to return
to his duty. On time way to the police.station he said to
witness that he had a grievance against one of the sergeants
for his being removed from the mem, and that had induced
him to take the life of his child. The knife shown to the
jury was Holden's regimental knife. When at the police-
station witness saw blood on the right hand of the accused.
By the jury—Holden was always considered • quiet, in-
offensive man, and coed the best conducted in his battery.
He had been a teetotaller for six months, bat the day be-
fore the occurrence had again taken to drinking.
Police-constable George Turner, 160, said he went to
take the accused into custody in the guardroom, and on
seeing him he said, "Do you want me r On their way to
the station-house, the accused said, " I killed the child. I
did it through a serpent that has tried to do me all the
harm be could." Witness then cautioned him as to what
he was saying, when he remarked, " It's all right, I know
I shall be bum." On taking him into his room, Holden
showed how he cut hie child's throat, and on seeing the
knife said, " That is the knife I did it with, it has my name
on it, and I took it out of that box, while I sent my wife out
fora pint of beer."
By the jury—The accused seemed to know what he was
saying, and was quite sober.
Sergeant .7111111411 David, Royal Artillery, said he was the
caterer to the sergeants' mess, of which Holden had been
cook for about three years. On Sunday last the witness
spoke to him about making haste to get up dinner, on which
he said if be did sot snit he would return to his duty. That
was all that panted. On the following day Holden had been
drinking, end the witness told him about it, and advised
him to go home. Next day he took his things and left
the mesa. All the sergeants were very fond of him.
; He bore a very good character, and was strictly honest.
The witness was aware that his brother bad Lung himself,
and Hoiden often remarked, apparently jocularly, that he
knew he should die the same death.
The Coroner said that was the whole of the evidence he
had to lay before the jury, and the case was so clear that
he thought there was hardly any necessity for him to make
any observations on it.
The jury at once returned a verdict of "Wilful murder "
i against Alfred Holden, and the Coroner made out his war-
. rant for his committal to Maidstone gaol.

RISFII3IIICTATION OF CHITPIOTHAIL —WO are
enabled to state, from information on which we me rel 7,
that Sir John ?Timid, Bart.. of Orittleton-boss, will,
moordsoce with the unanimous wish of the ishithitaats of
Chippeobam and the neighbouring district, offer himself to
the electors, on the next vacancy, as a caudidate to repre-
sent the borough is PUii&Onat U one of the members.—
Denims Gamic.