Northern Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1859-05-28 00:00:00

THE HORRIBLE MURDER

AT LEDRURY.

The resumed inquest on the body of the murdered caiman,
Harriet Baker, was held before Mr. Underhill, coroner, and
a respectable jury of tradesmen, on Thursday morning, at
the Feathers Hotel, Ledbury. John Isaac Jones, the clerk,
who was suspected on the occasion of the first inquest, is. ii
custody. He was arrested by Superintendent Turner and
detective Williamson, on Tuesday evening, at his lodgings.
He was apprehended after a warrant bad been issued, sub-
sequent to a private investigation by the magistrates. The
warrant charged him with "choking, suffocating, and
strangling Harriet Baker, on the 17th of May," and wag
_ .

_ _ ......
signed by Richard Webb. Thomas Heywood, Berkeley L.
S. Stanhope, Edward Higgins, and Edward Feyten, Esqrs. ,
magistrates. On Wednesday the accused went through a
public examination, sufficient evidence only being taken to
justify a remand. On that occasion Jones was defended by
Mr. Gregg, solicitor, of the firm of Messrs. Gregg and Son,
solicitors, who also was present at the inquest on Thursday,
to watch the case on prisoner's behalf. Mr. G. Piper,
solicitor, appeared for Mr. Masefield and the prosecution.
Mr. Masefield, being sworn, stated that Jones was one of five
clerks, and worked in the lower office. Only one drawer
was broken open in his own office, but there was another
drawer forcibly opened in the clerks' office on the same
floor, the doors to both of which rooms had been broken
open. In the first compartment in his money drawer, he
kept the money that he received in the course of business,
all of which excepting £2 10s, including a sixpence with a
hole in it, was taken. In the second compartment he kept
money which belonged to his children ; that money was
untouched. He changed the position of the money drawer
1 in January, andi'dthough there were other desks and drawers,

with safe;,.which might be supposed to contain money, all
locked in his office, only his money drawer, in its newly-
assigned position, was broken open. Jones had been a
clerk in his office for two years and a half: Had served as
a clerk faithfully. Received a recommendation with him
from Australia, but believed that he came originally from
America; vet lie came to Ledbury from Birmingham.
Before leaving Ledbury for London, on the Tuesday, called
Jones into his office and set him some copying: Jones was
in his office almost daily, yet seldom called him up, because
he had a wooden leg. From the office day-book, to which
the clerks downstairs had access, it would seem that nearly
£3OO *as in the two drawers up stairs ; but had sent the
greater portion of that sum to the bank before going to
London. Witness kept wax tapers on his table, and some-
times wooden Lucifer matches. Henry Masefield, son of the
former witness, and a clerk in his father's office, deposed
that he sometimes received money on the business account
of the office, and deposited it in an open box in a drawer;
fastened with a padlock, in his desk, which was generally
open. On the Wednesday morning the door of the office in
which he sat, and in which was this desk, had been
broken open, as well as that of his father's office.
The money drawer was opened and the contents of the
open box taken. There was also in that drawer a small
steel-pen box, which contained £2 10s., witness's
own money. The two sums together amounted
to a little more than £44. Excepting two £5 notes of the
Bank of England, and. the £2 10s, the £44 was in cheques.
Only the £2 lOs was left. Did not know the numbers of the
notes. From the money drawer in his father's office £6 101
was taken, principally in silver, about five shillings being in
' fourpenny pieces. Witness here identified, in a packet of
money consisting chiefly of fourpenny and threepenny pieces,
a sixpence with a hole in it, that had been in his father's
drawer. Mr. G. Woodward, a clerk in the office adjoining
Mr. Masefield's room, deposed that lie kept business money
in his desk, of which the young Mr. Masefield knew, but he
did not think that the other clerks knew of it. Found the
money safe and the drawer untouched on the Wednesday
morning. Before leaving for London, on Tuesday, Mr.
Masefield gave him nearly £2OO to take to the bank, adding
money from his own desk. He deposted at the bank, when
he went to dinner, about £225. That he was going to take
this money, only Mr. Dew, in addition to Mr. Masefield
knew. After leaving the offices at night met Jones near
them, coming from the town, at about ten minutes past ten.
In going towards the offices, Jones, who was also going
towards his lodgings, merely said, " Good night" to him.
At about a quarter to ten next morning found the offices
closed, and a crowd round them. Was told Mrs. Baker had
been hung and then set on fire. Went in, and found Jones
there with others. Jones looked very pale and agitated.
There were other drawers in his (witness's) desk than the
one he had spoken of, neither of which was broken open.
William Masefield, another son of Mr. Masefield, the
proprietor of the offices, deposed that he was clerk to his
father. anti tent money in one of ilrnu•nra fhe last
witness's es -. At the time of the murder, there was about
£2l there. The drawer was untouched. Did not think
that Jones knew that he had that money. £l9 belonged to
the Cricket Club. On the morning after the Mulder fouud
a bunch of three small keys in the gravel walk which sur-
rounds his father's paddock, at a point about five yards from
the back entrance to the offices. The Coroner inquired
whether those keys corresponded with the locks of any boxes
in Jones's possession. No one seemed able to answer the
question. One o'clock had now arrived, and the jury,
through their foreman, intimated their wish to adjourn to
dinner for an hour. The Coroner acceded, pressing them
to remain away no longer, because it was his desire to bring
the proceedings to a close that evening, so that, if possible,
another adjournment might be prevented. In the mean
time, he said, he would have the keys that were found by the
last witness compared with the locks in Jones's possession.
On the return of the jury, Richard Dew deposed that he
was a copying clerk in Mr. Masefield's service. He had
been there nine years. On the day of the murder he (wit-
ness) left the office at about ten minutes past eight at night.
Before Mr. Masefield went to London on that day, witness
saw him give Woodward a considerable sum of money to
take to the bank. Would swear that he did not communi-
cate that fact to Jones, who left the offices about seven
o'clock. It was his ditty to secure all the doors at night
before leaving the office. He did so on Tuesday, and a few
minutes past eight o'clock gave the keys to Mrs. Baker. He
then went home to the top of Homend-street, where he
lived with his mother. Was not sure whether or not he
left home that night, after going home from the office. Did
not think either that his mother could tell. , The examina-
tion of this witness was being proceeded with when our
parcel was despatched.

--a---

SHOCKING DEATH FROJI MACHINE!? Y.

On Wednesday afternoon, an inquest was held at Staly-
bridge, before Mr, Rutter, county coroner, touching the
death of a boy, aged 12 years, named Thomas Hill, son of
Joseph Hill, overlooker of the blowing room of Messrs.
Johnson's mills, Stalybridge. The deceased was on short
time, and was employed as a scavenger (a cleaner under
b'd An intelligent lad, aged twelve years, working
Staly n me.
' in the same room as the deceased, stated
the spinning machines) at the mill of 3fessrs. Benson,'
as a scavenger
that he was going to the warehouse on Saturday morning,
about half-past eleven, to ascertain what time it
was, and to do so had to go through a carding
room, where he saw tho deceased with one foot
in a strap, which hung from the horizontal
shaft holding the strap with both hands, and swinging.
The shaft was revolving, but no work was going on in the
room, and no person was in it. Witness called to the
deceased, and told him he might get fast, but he only
put his thumb to his nose in derision. Immediately on
getting out of the room witness heard a "crack, " and
re-opened the door to ascertain what it was, when lie saw
the deceased had been caught by the strap, and was being
r"
;'" and then
carried round the shaft. An alarm was given, the engine
stopped as soon as possible. The 'manager (Mr. James
Nuttall) ran to the room, and saw " something revolve
round
"something fly from the shaft .with blood upon it, which
proved the t
obe
as shaft
part
like
tehc a lotdeee of old
skull,"old a
the shaft was
making 148 revolutions per minute, and it is calculated that
the body of the deceased was carried round the shaft near
upon 800 times, the centre of the shaft being only 231
inches from the ceiling. The body,- whilst olin had
come in contact with a window,revolving,
window
frame, and smashed 'ndow
frame, as well as incontact •
with a
.wrought-iron
pipe, which latter had been twisted round it, and,
with' the- strap, bound it to the shaft. When the
poor boy's body was extricated, the whole of the
head and face were gone, the room and machinery
being covered with the brains, and with the blood, flesh,
and bones, whilst the remainder of the body was
literally a concretion of bones and flesh, the sight
being appalling and sickening to those on the spot, as well
as to all who were subsequently engaged in putting the
same into something like the human form. The deceased
had not any business in the room whatever, except to
alk through it, and he wonld hare been severelyrcylrei.i
manded, if not discharged, lead it been known
be meddled
of
with the straps. Under these eireunistanees,. a....r veaminer.
"accidental death" was returned.—.3fancheste .b.

To SHIPPERS AND EXPORTERS.—A most profitable
article of export, to warm climates especially, are the Self-
cleansing Charcoal Filters, patented by
Messrs. Saunders
and Co., of 16, Parker-street, Liverpool—in fact they are
invaluable wherever there is bad water. S. an Co. allow
a liberal discount on export and wholesale orders,