The Express.
London, England, 1858-05-04 00:00:00

THE MURDER IN DOIBI2BIIIIN

In the Express of yesterday some particulars were
given al a murder committed in the little village of Stoke
Abbott, seer Beandaster Dorset. The victim was a
easy, sad geod-natneed girl, named Sarah Ann Guppy, 28
raze of age, et diminutive stature, and rather deformed. Ile
=E
din which the crime wee perpetrated was situated in a
valley, about one-third of a mile from the villaieLie
was a double cottage, and in one pert resided John H
the owner, and in the other a man named James Seale,
the murdered woman and her mother. The inhabitants
these cottages being labouring people were absent from home
at their usual daily avocations, no one but the deceased being
left at home. She had been eeen alive end wall so tare Y
2 o'clock in the afternoon, and shortly after 4 o'clock the
attention of some labourers working in soma distant Adds
' was attracted to the cottages by a large volume of amok.
issuing front them ; and on hastening to the scene they
found the lifeless body of Sank Ann Guppyy lying on the
door. They at find thought she had been suffocated
by the smoke, but after carrying her out into the small
orchard adjoining the cottage, it was discovered that her
throat bad been cut almost from ear to ear. Suspicion at
ones All on a young man named James Seale (but not
the person of the tame name in whose house Mrs. Guppy
lodged), who had been seen coming from the house just
before the fre by a woman named Jane Cormick. This woman
had been in her garden about twenty yards from the cottage,
and, hemming a scream, she called " Sarah, Sarah 1 " but
receiving no answer she got oa the beak and looked over the
hedge. Immediately after she saw young James Seale come
from the cottage, and he tried at first to avoid her, but after.
wards be came towards her, and she asked him what
be bed been doing to Sarah to make her scream, is.
marking that he had been making work with her. He
replied that he bad been doing nothing, and that he left bee
paring potatoes. She observed that his hand was bloody.
' and that he bad blood on his trousers. She asked him what
was the matter with his head, and he said he had cut it with
soma gram. She said, "If gross would cut your hands, I
shoul
d be cutting mine all the day long, pulling up so mach
grass aid do." She then gave him some paper which be
applied to his finger, apparently to a cut. They then walked
on together es far as Broadcluer, about 400 yards, when he
left her. About half an hour afterward' she beard that the
cottage, which was called Packshont-house, was on fire, and
she want there, but before reaching it heard that &rah Amt
Guppy had been murdered. The young James Seale was sr
preadsd the same evening by Police-constable Lavender,
and the following day an inquest was held on the body of the
deceased at the Anchor Inn, in the village of Stoke Abbott,
before Mr. S. S. Cory and a jury of eighteen persons.
The rfaelpal wieners. called were, drat, the mother of the
deceased. Sbe said that on Friday morning she had dinner
with her daughter, and left her in the house alone and quits
well. She ',aided in the cottage, as a lodger, with JUN/
Seale, the widower; and had, with her daughter, resided there
some yeses previous to the death of his wife. De-
tests 4 and 5 o'clock on Friday afternoon, James Seals (not
the prisoner) came to her whilst she was at work in Mr. Bete
comW's field, end told her to run, as Puckshorn-house wag
on fire, end her daughter's throat wee cut, The prisoner
(young Seale) had of late been frequently about the pre-
mises. She thought he came there for no good.
The next witness was Jane Cormick, upwards of seventy
years of age, who gave her evidence with much reluctancei
and, in fact, was compelled by a warrant from the eoeos .lo
attend. Her evidence was ms follows :—I was in my garden
near Packshorn-bosue, Yesterday afternoon about lA*
o'clock. I saw the young fellow James Seale, who is no4e
is this room in custody, mate from the hors He shut the
door of the cottage after him when he cams out, sad he tried
to skulk down so that I should not sse him. I only bred
Sarah scream once, and I Ancy it was a sort of deathly
stream I saw blood on his right hand and on his trona*
I went with him some distance. We parted about 400 yards
from the cottage. About half en hour arta-wads I bard
that Puckshorn-bons was on fire.
Jamie Seale (not the acaued), the occupier of the
in which the murder was committed, proved finding the ben
lying on the door with the throat cut, the house being thee
on fire, and further, that the deceased we" a quiet girl, ed
good character, and remarkable for her piety and peas
demeanour.

JoitillitohLus, the owner of the cottages, proved that ttia
prisoner had of late been seen frequently about the premiss.,
and he had cautioned big neighbour to keep the door locked.
se he feared be wee " up' to something.
Williani Lavender. polioo-constable 47, depooed—lrletor-
day afternoon I received information that there wee • Ars at
Atoka Abbott, and a murder had been committed.. I went
tip • lane and there found the prieoner. I attaminsil /his
bands. This was about Ave o'clock. Than Me a hugs
quantity of fresh blood on his nght leg, end on kilimit
parts of his trousere, and I salted him how It saw than, egg
be said from the wound on his Anger. The vote were that
quite bright, but some of them had some dirt rubbed over
them, winch was not then dry. On the waistband of the
trousers, and on the, right arm of his jacket, there was also
very much blood. The left arm of the jacket had been burnt.
I asked him how he came with the cut on his Anger P He
said he had cut it with a knife. I charged him with the
murder of the young woman, but be stoutly denied it.
Patrick William superiatiodent of police, rid
that he went to the ruins of the cottage and received two
knives from John Hutchins, which he had found near the
plane when the body was lying. One of the holm wee
stained with blood on both aides, but both tne knives had
been burnt.

---IFeinTX;Ouppy idattilird one of the lining es hilterbst
property, but could not tell to whom that beleepd
which the murder was most probably committed.
Mr. Webb, surgeon, of Saerninster, deposed that lie Mill
a wound across the throat 41 Moine in length sallidettla
amount for death; and this weapon (pointing to a balk
mostprobably that with which the crime nag

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