The Express.
London, England, 1857-11-10 00:00:00

MURDER OF A POLICE-CONSTABLE.

STEVENAGE, Nov. 9.
The adjourned inquiry into the eircuniatanora
under which John Simkins, one of the members of the Herta
eonstabulary, who was found in a pond near the town, on
the morning of the 2nd of November, with his throat cut in •
most barbarous meaner, met him death was resumed to-day,
at the National School-room, before C. Timea, Esq., the
coroner for the county of Hertfordshire, at half-past one
o'clock.
It is almost unnecessary to state that the occurrence has
excited the utmost sensation in this quiet neighbourhood.
rho deceased wee a very good officer, only 25 years of age,
and he performed his duties in a very quiet and proper man-
ner, and was much respected by the Inhabitants. The crime
is • very unusual one in this county, there being no doubt
that to the execution of his deity in endeavouring to eppre-
heed • men who had committed • felony he war resisted to
the death and brutally murdered, and his body then thrown
into the pond. The pens= suspected of the aims, a man
named Jeremiah Carpenter, forty years of age, has been in
custody for several days, and there appears to be very little
doubt that he is the guilty party.
The facts @treacly proved appear to be that Carpenter was
in the service of a farmer named Herne, whose farm is a
short distance from Stevenage, and that, In consequence of
a suspicion being entertained that he was in the habit of
robbing his master, the deceased, who had only been doing
duty about five weeks at Stevenage, received directions from
his superior officer to watch the prisoner, and he went out
for that purpose on Friday evening, the 30th of October,
and there appears to be no doubt that the do-
omed was on the track of the prisoner, who left
hie work about five o'clock, and that they must have
met. The supposition is that at this time the prisoner had
in his possession a quantity of torn that bad been stolen from
his master's premises, but what occurred is at present only
matter of conjecture; all that is known being that the un-
fortunate constable was found on the Monday &flowing with
his throat eat, ip a pond, does to the spot where the meow?
was supposed to have been stopped with the stolen property.
These preliminary matters having been gone into it the
former meeting, the taqnlry wee adjourned until to-day, and
In the meantime, Ste. Barnes, superintendent of the Herta
teary, has been actively employed in procuring ad-
, Mond evidanos, the effect of which appesred to be still more
=My to eatablish the mime against the prisoner.
The Coroner having briefly recapitulated the former eel-
dem= the following additional testimony was edduced.
Mr. 0 Dunn said—l am a surgeon wedding at Stevenage.
I made • post-modem examination of the body of the 1111.
awed, but I ascertained that there had been a previous exa-
mined= of the head. The witness explained that Capes=
Idebeeterm, the chief constable of the itounry, had directed
him to make en immediate eZlLTOblike of the body, bat be
was unable to do so, and another medical gentleman was
. .

Bled in, who commenced the operation. -
The Coroner observed that It would have bets as well If
C.sala Robertson had communicated with him before he
oatied in the assistance of another medical man, to interims
with the order he had previously given.
The witness then stated that when be saw the body, the
bones had been removed from the head, evidently by • gm-
fasional hand, C Robertson had told hint that it was
important the esads•tion should take place at ones.
A good dent of disunion of an irrelevant oisarsobr ben
Wok piste mica the settjact of the witness who, it appeared,
wee dMMII
piss the OM indium* to males the post-nmeteln
saaalisaideaiths eotoner hewing to a wends silent beta
rayinpodol is taactloas by another prohniarl rat*
/ma.