The Express.
London, England, 1858-06-21 00:00:00

SHOCKING HURDBR.

An inquiry of a very painful and distressing cha-
racter took place before Mr. T. Sworder' the coroner for
Hertfordshire, at Choehunt, on Friday, into the circum-
stances under which a highly respectable young lady,
twenty-five years of age, named Sarah Jane Butler, met her
death. The jury having performed the painful duty of
viewing the body which presented a dreadful appearance,
the heed being frightfully contused, end the skull fractured
in several places, a number of witnesses were examined, and
the following facts were disclosed.
It appeared that the demean' young lady had gone to visit
a married eider, Mrs. Brays, the wife of a chemist at Cher
hunt, end that on Tuesday afternoon the two ladies went
out for • walk, and paid a Wait to a friend
named Prior, who lives near the Brosbourne railway station.
They set eat on their return home about half-pest sight
o'clock in the evening, and had gone about a mile when the
tragical occurrence took place. On their way from Brox-
bunts to Cheating the Wise had to go for some distance by
the side of the river and they then pared several cottages,
and a short distance' from this spot there is the high read.
When they had passed • few yards from the last of
these cottages, which is occupied by a person named ,
Carter, the ladies saw a man approaching, and it would
seem that his appearance excited some alarm, for Mrs. Brays
proposed to her sister to turn beck, but the young ladyrepiled
that it was daylight and there was no neemdty for being
alarmed, and they proceeded on their way. The moment they
aims close to the man, it appeared that without saying a
word he attacked Miss Butler with • bludgeon, struck her
first a tremendous blow on the site of the face, and then beat
her upon the head until she fell senseless, and he then
walked away. It appeared that the man did not attempt to
offer any violence to Km Brays, and that lady was at drat
so dreadfully terrified that she was unable to Ml= or to
give any alarm. Carter, the occupier of the cottage, how-
ever, happened to come out the moment the arm* was
being committed, and be procured the assistance of • police
constable, and went in pursuit of the man, end they cams
up with him as he wan walking on the high
road, and be was moored, without cawing any
resistance. The poer young lad y was taken up in an
insensible date, and covered .with bleed, and as soon as •
carriage could be procured she was conveyed to bee adder's
reeldenoe, and Mr. Dixon, a surgeon, tartan at Clushuat,
and some other professional gentlemen, promptly attended
upon her, but it was evident, from the fearful character d
the injuries she had received, that the ease was hopeless, and
she remained in a state of Insensibility until about
eleven o'clock at night, when she =peed. The man who
had committed the outrage was taken to the police station
at Hoddeden, and he appeared to be quite calm and col-
lected. He was asked if he knew what he had ban
doing, and he replied, "Yes, I have been hitting • woman
on the head, but I hope I have sot hurt her." He was after-
wards asked how he would like to be served in the same
manner, end be laughed end said, "Not at all." He was
Aired& told that the young lady he had struck was dead,
and he made no reply.
On the following day one of the attendants beiceiglag to
the Hoxton Lunatic Asylum arrived at Hoddesdes, sA=
that be was In mush of • patient, named Henry
who bad made his elope from that establishment a taw days
hi" and epos Ms going to the lock-up he at MOM tem-
tad the man who bad committed the mime as that per.
sure. He at the mom Use expressed his surprise that be
sheohi have ben pity et sate an sot of violence, as daring
the thee he woo ia tat asylum he was lead upon se
bit an per-
feedielendiateellms. awl WI
bit
an e awns
the taiga save op
l he
of
work abest
makhsylde
essupe, ampoesl that he was at Ide way to hie
swthe Whom a plow aged Newton, let Gunbridgeehlre. at
the Iwo he emmlited the dreadful dell.

The jury alter hearing all the evideace, said there was no
doubt that the prisoner eras lama* at the end he assaulted
the young lady; but the Causer explained to them that
they had no power by law to eater into the question of the
state of mind of the peaty by whom the death had been mar
Mooed, which weld dam be disposed of bakes another
tribemal, and that upon the fame before them the only course
they meld take wee to return a verdict of " Wilful Murder."
The jury accordingly returned • verdict to that effect, and
the comer at once Wined his warrant for the committal of
the primmer, Henry Arnold, to take his trial at the cumin
imam robes for the county of Herts.
It Is almost needbiee to add that the melancholy occurnece
has created the greatest pomible alarm and excitement
througlwat the whet. neighbastrhood.

A Max KILLED ET A MON ER.—A melancholy
end fatal accident cemused at Riusion, near Sherboniss oa
Saturday to a man armed Charles Hodder, in the employ of
Mr. Thomas Shemin. He had ben mooring °lour with
seversl other workmen, ell of whoa had stopped hr the
orketting their Leptbss
se ssitile taking a huh is.
The
himself down on the swathe or pus nest to his own to i
rest till his companions wars NNW to reesumiaes, sad at
once fell 'sleep. The othen being see wady spin seat to
work—the mower who worked ant to deorend did not
perceive his oompanion lye( mist the swaths of grass to
which he wu cutting, end she bat stroke of his soothe
carrying its burden to the swaths, shove its point desp Into
the net of the poor fellow, who was lying there wiper-
refired, severing the jugular vein in two. Nessesaws were
at once despatched for medical men, but soon after the
&oddest occurred a surgeon of lloluster happened to be
passing by the dell, saw the man, and pronounced him to be
already deed. The tulfortunste deceased has left a wife
end dvs children to deplore his untimely Lm,—Selielory
iouremi.