The Express.
London, England, 1853-12-27 00:00:00

THE MURDER AT ACTON.

Yesterday a long inquiry, adjourned from Tuesday
last, was resumed before Mr. Wakley, respecting the death
of Richard Medharst, aged 14, whose dead body had been
found on the Monday morning revious in • ditch in
Irvine-lane, quite naked. The body, which lay in an out-
house at the rear of the Goldsmiths' Arms, presented a
very shocking appearance. It was in a eery emaciated
state, and there were numerous ezecriations upon it, the
right eye being blackened and much swollen.
John Clarke, carman, in the service of Mr. Tillyer,
Acton, said that as he was going down the lane by the side
of the Goldsmiths' Arms, he saw the deceased in a ditch,
which was about 300 yards from the house. The body had
no clothes on, nor anything to cover it. He gave informa-
tion to the police, and the body was brought to the Gold-
smiths' Arms.

George Iledhunt, No. it, Blade's-place, Allen.street,
Clerkenwell, identified the deceased as his son. He lass
saw him alive on the 30th of Octobet. Witness, with his
son, was in the employment of Mr. Thurtell, horse-hair
cutter, whose manufactory is opposite the lunatic asylum,
Old-street. On the evening of the 30th of October, they
left the factory together, and as witness wanted to speak
to the foreman, he sent his son home alone. Witness had
not seen him since till Friday afternoon last, on which day,
in eonseqmpace of information from the Clerkeawell Police-
station, he went to Acton, and there he found his unfor-
tunate child at t►e Goldsmiths' Arms. (Hare the witness
was much affected.) When witness found that his son did
not ntarn on the night of the 30th, he made inquiries, and
ascertained from a lad, named George Jackson, that at a
few minutes after seven o'clock, the sense night, his son
was taken up by a man in a chaise cart, who went away
with him toward Bhoreditch. The man same out of a
coffee-shop, in Old-street, near Bushill-row, beton which
the chaise cart, in which was a black pony, was standing.
By the Conner—My son was a sharp, steady lad. He
was never out at night.
Coroner—Was he la good health, and stout ?
Witness—Oh, yes, sir. I believe that he has sot bad a
bit of bread to at since he left home. His bones are almost
through his skin. He was a very hearty eaten He bad
no cough.
The Coroner observed that the appearance of the deceased
when first men would seem to show that he had been sub-
ject to in usage; that he had been starved, and confined
for some time; and that is order to prevent detection, he
had beea brought down to Acton in the state in which he
was found.
Several of the Jury—That is our opinion.

The father added that his son had three-pence in &leather
bag ; and he was told that the man, who was tall, stout-
made, with a full face, had on a fustian coat. He had no
suspicion of any one having caused his child's death.
George Jackson, aged 11 years, living with his father at
No. 38, Allen-street, said that he worked at Mr. Thurtell's,
and identified the deceased. Witness was with him on the
evening of the 30th °debar, when a man asked him, wit.
ness, to go with him in his cart as he wanted a boy to hold
his horse. Witness offered to go, but deceased said, " I'll
go," and be was taken away by the man, who went towards
81toreditch. There was a little boy at the time holding the
horses head. He received a penny from the man, who said
he would be at the same place the next day and call for
him. Witness does not know if the tame man was there the
next day.
John Leigh, aged 13, who also works at the above factory,
having corroborated the evidence of the last two witnesses,
stated that the man drove a chaise cart, the wood part of
which under the body was painted green. The
sides were made of cane work and the seat was a cross-
board swinging between the of and near sides. The
harness was decent. The man, too, wore a black coat over
a fustian coat. He was a tall man, with a full face. (This
witness, shortly after be gave his evidence, fainted away,
and was attended by a surgeon.)
Inspector Dickerson said that imairies had been made 011
the proprietor of the coffee-shop, No. 64, Old-street, about
the man, but he was not known there.

Mr. Timms Frauds, sergeou, Acton, said that he saw
the body on Monday, the 19th, when it bad the appearance
of having been covered with a quantity of ointment. The
hands and feet sussed u if they bad been tied with cord.
The body wee extremely emaciated, and there were sores
all over it. Than were also several swatches, as if done
by some pronged instrument like a fork. There was a
bruise on the bridge of the nose, and the right eye was
black, swollen, sad fluid with eehyraosed blood. There
was no food in the stomach or large intestines, sad there
were somas dark spots on this mucous membrane. On the
back and hips were sores as if from lying for some time in
one position. On opening the brain, be found congestion
of the vessels, and an opening the chest, he discovered the
left lung to be very extensively disessed.
The coroner observed that there was every reason to
believe that a creel sad horrible murder bad been eons-
witted, or wby should the poor boy have met with the
treatment he had? It would appear that be had been con-
fined and starved, and that the disease of the luau had
been brought on from the treatment he had reesived. It
wee a eon which he thought called upon him to request the
fieeretary of State to offer a reward for the discovery of the
person or persons who had brought the body to Acton.
Coroner (to Mr. Francs)—Might not a blow upon the eye
each as the deceased has received, in his state of exhaustion,
produce concussion of the brain ?