The Express.
London, England, 1868-01-11 00:00:00

TBR DREADFUL TRAGEDY IN 77REBUR Y.

iNquica.—(THlS DAY.)
At noon to-day Mr. John Humphreys, the Mid-
dlesex coroner, opened in investigation at the White Hart
Tavern, Clifton-street, Finsbury, into the circumstances of
the death of John Strangeways, aged 13 years.
Mr. Edward Vann, solicitor, of 31 Wozehip.street, ap-
peared on behalf of James Loader, the boy who is in ens.
jury having been sworn, went to view the body
tody on the chine of murdering the deceased.
The
of the deceased and the scene of the fatal occurrence, at
53, Clifton-street ; they were shown into a back room on
the ground floor, and they saw the deceased's body, which
had a severs wound in the groin. The door wee saturated
with blood, and there was the mark of a blood-stained
band on the room door.
Louisa Elizabeth Strangeways, Litton-And, said—
She was the wife of a vellum binder. The deceased was
her son, and he was twelve and a half years of age. On
Thursday last, at about half-past 2 o'clock, she had occa-
sion to go out. She had previously given the deceased
permission to invite a schoolfellow, James Loader, to play
with him. At about 7 o'clock she came home, but could
not make anyone hear when she knocked. At length she
went to Mrs. Dean, a neighbour, who entered by the win.
dow and let her in. It was quite dark. When she got a
light she saw her son near the fire-place and a quantity of
together. blood. She saw no more, for she became unconscious.
By Mr. Vann—The boy Loader was the companion of
her son for two months. He was a very well-behaved,
ni°
They w she
notgagow of him.
T
boy, from He
was i always with
They
liner
played with an engine ; they were both of a mechanic-,l
tam.
Mrs. Lucy Dean, the wife of a bootmaker. said that ea
Thursday night at about 7 o'clock, at the request of Mrs.
airsngeways, she entered 55, Clifton-street, by the front
window. When a light was got she saw a quan.
y l Latr° .:71 blood on the back parlour floor. The deceased was
lying on
. his back dead does to the fire-place. Therewas
a carving-knife and a dinner knife on the table. There
was a poker on the chair—it had been hot, for the cane of
the chair was half burnt through.
Mrs. Strangeways was recalled, and she identified the
carving-knife and a table knife produced as her property.
When she looked at the carving-knife, which was spotted
with blood, she fainted.
Mrs. M'Donalsl, the landlady at No. 55, Clifton-street,
said that she was at home upstairs on Thursday from about
3 o'clock to near 7 o'clock. She beard the two boys talking
and laughing until between 5 and 6 o'clock. The pastime
came at about 6 o'clock. Just before that some person
went very quietly along the passage and closed the street
door gently. She had bunt nothing but the boys
laughing before that. The postman knocked t sire ; wit.
ness did not go down at once because it was usual
for the deceased to open the door. When she at length
went down the postman was gone, the back parlour
door was open about two inches. All was quiet. Witness
went out about a quarter to 7 o'clock. Witness was the
only person in the house with the two boys. She did not
see the deceased boy during Mrs. Strangeways' absence. She
had seen Loader repeatedly at the house. He was the
only boy that used to come and play with the deceased.
Folios-sergeant Easier said that the accused, James
Loader, had been arrested by the police on Thursday
night, and he was taken before the magistrate on Friday,
who remanded him until Friday next.
Mr. John leader, the father of the accused, said that
his son was at his workshop, atSouth-street,
Finsbury-market, when the boy, John Strangeways, came
and asked him to go to his place on Thursday. He went
away and returned, about 6or 7 o'clock. He did not my
anything about the deceased.
13y Mr. Vann—The accused was a very good. quiet boy.
He lirid been at schooL He was of • kind dispsaitiori from
his childhood.
Mrs. It. Loader said that bee son came home on Than.
day, at 5 o'clock. He said that he had been with dela.
He did not say anything hall occurred. He Lad tea, sod
went to his father's workshop. He was always playing,
with deceased. He was of a very quiet disposition.
George Fades, acting inspector at Old-street police.
station, said that on Thursday evening, at a quarter to A
o'clock, he received information which caused him to
go to 5%, Clifton-street. He there saw deoemed dead.
He then went for the boy Loader, and told him that
he should examine his clothing and liauds. There was 110
trace of blood on them. Loader said that he had
left Clifton-street about 6, and went home and got
his tea. He had left, he said, the deceased sitting in
the chair with nothing the matter with him. Witness
said to him, " Was it en accident while you were playiegr
He said " No." He could not look witness in the
face, he hung down his head. Witness asked him
what about the red hot poker (for the chair was
I burnt where the poker had been placed). He said he knew
nothing about any poker, he left deceased all right.
Witness then said to him" Very well. You were the lag
I person with the deceased, and therefore you will be sum.
mooed before the coroner, and then you will be put on
your eight and you will have to tell the truth." He then
said, " W ell, I will tell you all shout it." Witness
bad cautioned him that whatever be said would be
taken down and might be used if he was sent to be tried.
He said he would tell all, and be made the following
statement, which was written down, and he signed it:—
" I. James Lander, wish to make a statement r.lative to
the death of John Strangeways. He came to my father's
shop, No. 9, South-street, Finsbury-market, and asked sue
to go home with him to No. !V., Clifton-street, Finsbury.
I went with him and we both played together with a
small engine in the back parlour. We thought that
some person was in the front parlour. John Strange•
ways placed the poker in tLe tire az-I ludo
it hot, he then took the poker in his left
hand, and a knife in his right, and I took up a
knife also, and we both went into the front parlour.
then returned into the back parlour. I walked
in front. John Strangewaya mine behind me and
ran against the door. The knife which he was carrying
backhanded, with the point downwards, ran into his groin.
He then drew it out and placed it on the table. and said,
" I shell bleed to death." Ho then attempted to sit on a
chair, but fell across the fender. I lifted bins off and
placed him against a chair in the corner of the romp. I
gave no alarm, but left the house and went home to get my
tea. I did not tell my father or mother what had hms.
pined. It was about 6 o'clock when this tou'e
(fum ed) James Loader."
The wiener continued—When I was taking the ps isomer
to the police court on Friday, he said " I was afraid my
father would beat me if I told him about it ; therefore I
said nothing. We used often to play at robbers. We did
not bear anybody in the front room ; but we pretended
there were robbers there, and we went in to fight them."
Dr. Thomas Chandler said that he was called to toe dm
ceased on Thursday evening and found him quite deed
and still. He had been dead two hours. There was a
carving knife on the table which just fittest a wound in
the decemed's groin. The weapon which made the wound
had gone from above downwards, and had transfixed the
femoral vein, the largest in the body. Death, of course,
must have occurred within five minutes. He no doubt
fainted and fell off the chair, and then died on the door.
Coroner—Could such a wound have been caused by the
boy himself falling against the knife while it was in his
own hand?
Witnesa—Yea. A stab from *nether wou
have made more of a downward cut than thinld, I think,
A juror—But could not the wound have been indicted
by a second person ?
Witness—Hardly. If a person stood behind the deceased
he might perhaps have given such a stab, but I do not seo
bow it could have been inflicted otherege.
Mn. Strangewsys recalled, said that her son wax very
fond of playing at robbers and soldiers. He used to play
with wooden swords. He wen of an exciteable disposition.
She thought that his death was accidental.
Mr. John Strangewsys said that he believed after beer:
ing the surgeon's evidence that the occurrence was ace-
dental.
The Coroner said that after the expression of the
opinion of the parents of deceased and after the surgeon's
evidence it was unnecusary to carry the use further.
psa
The jury after a brief deliberation returned s ve
that the deceased was found dead from a wound in the
reek' and that the said wound was indicted by his own act

li

1.314
0.18 6
0.041 4
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ICE ACCIDENT AND Lois or Fret LIVRI.—.
WENDOVF.E, JAE. 10.—A terrible calamity malting in '
the lou of five lives took place yesterday in this retired
village, situate in a nook of the Chilterns. The parish
church' stands prettily at the base of one of to he met
elevated ranges of this line of hills, and closely lame
the churchyard is an old and almost historic sheet ot
water, the source of the millstreams in the neighbourhood,
and known as John Rampden's Fishpond, that worthy in-
dividual having resided in this vicinity, and represented
the ancient borough of Wendover in the Long Parliament.
The severe weather of the last few days had coated the
surface of the pond with thin layers of ice, which the
varying changes of temperature rendered very inmate,
and the danger was increased by the prevalence of several
live springs in different parts of the pond. The ice yes-
terday was quite nude when five little boys, of agm
yel7lng from twelve to nine—two of them brothers—
imprudently ventured upon • dangerous spot. One
fine little fellow, aged nine years, the mill
eon
of a respectable mechanic named Joseph Reading, broke
through, and his four co immediately followed.
Their cries were overheard, but unhappily no useful assist.
ince could be rendered, and all were long past recovery
when their bodies were got out of the water. Among the
children were two brothers named Bates, sous of • Or
dealer in the village. The isccrideat occasioned much prop
ful excitement, and among the foremost to render all the
'mistimes in his power was the Rev. Albert Smith, ricer
of the parish, whose realism, closely adjoies the oune of
the catastrophe. It was in this immediate locality . that
two years sines. at this period, • similar painful. . dent
ed, by which the lives of four little Pros weep
I
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