The Express.
London, England, 1867-04-26 00:00:00

SHOCKING ATTEMPT TO MURDER 4 YOUNG

WOMAN.

A dreadful occurrence an taken place at Duch-
buret-hill, near Woodford, Emu.
At five o'clock on Wednesday morning, a young man of
fair complexion, and of about 5 feet 6 inches in height,
entered the Epping Police-station, and told the inspector
that he had stabbed • young woman at Buckhurst-hill
with a dagger, and that he had left it in the field lying
by her side. He said his name was Frederick Alexander
Watkins, and thathewas the son of Mr. Watkins, a watch-
maker, who had for several years carried on business in
the Strand, near the Adel phi Theatre, and that he now
heed with his father, at No. 36, Henrietta-street, Covent-
garden. His father had lately purchased a freehold
estate at Buokhurst-hill A. constable was sent
with him to the field in question, which
forms part of the property of a Freehold Land
society, and they have lately made • road through it fur
building purposes. Under • fence the constable found •
large pool of blood,ond the grass about it was torn up, cad
the ground showed marks of a scuffle. On the ground a
dagger wee lying, the blade of which was about five inches
in length. It had apparently been the top of a bayonet.
It was encased in a leather sheath, the protector of which,
a brass point two inches in length, was afterwards ex-
tracted by a surgeon from a wound in the young woman's
body. Neer the dagger was found a round piece of lead,
weighing nearly a pound. It had • hole in the centre,
through which was pained • piece of rope. The lead had
four indentations upon it, which appeared to have been
caused by blows inflicted upon the young woman's skull.
A policeman named Benue stated to the sergeant that at 4
o'clock that morning he saw • young girl named Matilda
Griggs, the daughter of • well sinker, living in Princes-
road, Buckhurst-hill, saturated with blood and leaning up
against the fence of the field, and she appeared to be in
great agony. He asked her what was the matter,
and for a time she could not speak. She then
said, " I have been stabbed by a young man that
I have been keeping company with for two years."
Her clothes were drenched with blood, and the policeman
helped her along the road to her father's house. Mr.
Home, a surgeon. vnuisent for, and found thirteen separate
wounds on her body. Her clothes were cut through in
several places. There were four wounds on her head and
three on her beast, one on her hand, and five on her back.
Nine of them had been inflicted by • dagger. She had bled
a great deaL In a dagger wound on her back, three
inches in depth, Mr. Home found the brae. sheath pro-
tector referred to above. The young woman is seventeen
years of age, and the accused is tweaty-three. Yesterday
Dr. Home gave a certificate that the young girl was in a
more terous state than she had been in on 'Wednesday,
and a bench of magistrates was convened at Walt-
ham A , for the purpose of taring her dying dosi-
tion. The magistrates present, Captain Edinburgh and Mr.
Williams, proceeded to the house in which the young
woman was lying, and the prisoner was brought up before
them. After • short examination all present went to the
bedside of the dying girl, who was raised up in the bed
while she spoke to the maeietrates. She is good-looking,
end of dark complexion. She said—" On the night of the
occurrence I met the prisoner outside m father's house,
and said that I was going on the Freehold, to Mrs. Graf-
ton's. He asked me if I would walk with him, and I said
yes. When we got to the house he persuaded roe to go •
little further down, and I went towards a back lane away
from all the houses. While we were walking aloe( he
charged 030 with speaking to other young men, and I said
that I did not. He then asked me to get into the
field over • paling, and I did so. He struck rue on the
head two or three times with something. He then took
out • dagger and struck me on the back, breast, head,
and hand with it several times. I saw the dagger in his
hand, and I had seen it before. I know that he was in
the habit of carrying • dagger about with him. I then
fell on the grass, and he ran away. I was lying on the
ground for a long time, and I heard the clock of Buck.
hurthhill strike ten. I tried to get up, bat I could not.
I lay them for a long time, and then I felt strength re-
turning, and I crawled along the grass through a fence
into another field, and there I was lying for some time. I
got up then, and I was making my way home when the
policeman found me."
While the girl was speaking the prisoner remained
silent, but when she had concluded he said, " May
I shake hands with her?" The magistrates gave
their consent, and he walked over to the bed and kissed
the girl. He said, " Good bye, Tilly, good bye ;" but the
girl made no reply. He then burst out crying.
It appears from the statements made by the prisoner,
that he had made preparations for the commission of the
crime. Police-sergeant Fry said to him, "The charge
against you is cutting and wounding with the intent to
murder." And the prisoner replied, "It is quite right,"
and said, " What time did she get home ?" And he was
told that she was brought to her home between
4 and 5 o'clock on Wednesday morning. "Not before
that, from half-past 8 o'clock in the evening?" said the
prisoner. He also said, " When I was leaving the field I
heard her coy 'Freddy, Freddy, Freddy,' but as I thought
that she could not last long I did not return to her. I ran
across the fields and down the road until I got to Epping
Forest. When I met • policeman or anybody on the road I
thought he was pointinghis finger at me. I had a packageof
poison in my pocket. It wasoxalicacid, and I took itoutand
chewed it. It was in a powder, and it only burned my
tongue and mouth. I then thought of going to the police
station at Boughton, but I thought they might be asleep.
When I got to Epping I walked about the town from
2 o'clock until 5 in the morning, not wishing to disturb the
police."
The prisoner was yesterday remanded by the magistrates.
It is stated that he met the young girl at Buckhurst-hill
two years ago, and after keeping company with her for
twelve months be seduced he". He wished to keep the
fact concealed from his friends, who are stated to be
wealthy, and lie allowed her H. 10s. • week when • child
was born four months ago. He has lately been very jealous
of her, and it is also said that he bad some quarrel with
her about his family. Last evening she was in a very
dangerous state. The affair, as meth be expected, has
created painful excitement throughout the district in
which it occurred.

SOCIETY FOR THE ENCOURAGEMENT OF THE FINE
Airns.—Last evening, Mr. James Edineston in the chair,
an interestingg lecture was delivered by Mr. W. Cave
Thomas on " painting." After drawing a com-
parative estimate of oil and frescoe painting the lecturer
intoned the superior advantage of the latter for mural
purposes, and therefore as the appropriate decorative
accessory to architecture. He described the process in
considerable detail, and pointed out the conditions of wall
surface and atmosphere which were ersiential to the
permanent effect of the performance. The lecture was
illustrated byseveral examples from theold Italian masters.
PROPOSED REFORM DEMONSTRATION IN MANCHES-
TER.—The executive committeeof the northern department
of the Reform League decided some time ago to hold emceed
I great meeting during the present session of parliament,
similar in point of organisation to the one held at Knott
Mill on the 24th September last, to afford the mews of
this district an opportunity of expressing an opinion on
the tory measure of reform. The demonstration is to take
place on a Saturday afternoon, and, it is to be hoped, will
Ibe of sufficient magnitude and influence to convince Lord
Derby and Mr. Disraeli how unfounded was the aseurup-
tion of the constitutional delegates at their recent inter-
view with the government, and also what little favour
their measure meets with amongst the working classes of
South Lancashire. —Mune/later Examiner.
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