The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1824-03-01 00:00:00

MURDER AT BETHNAL GREEN.

A painful sensation was excited in the neighbourhood of Beth.
sal.green on Friday morning, in cotriequence of the discovery of
the hody of a man in a mule or day-pit, in a place cslled the I ltube
Fields, near Green-street. The fields in question are situated about
is quarter of a mile front Rehnal-green, and are at present broken
up for the manufacture of bricks. Several large heaps of clay have
been collected, and near to them are extensive pits, in aide] the
clay is tempered with water, preparatory to its being placed in tile
moulds. In one of these pits, situated within about a furlong or
Devonshire-toreet and Globe-lane, the body was discovered by
some of the brick-makers on coming to work. It was nearly three
y rids from the bank, and the head was just visible above the sur-
face of the water ; and, on searching further, a hat was found near
'the bank. The men Inst no time in removing the body to the hank,
but it was in 'web a state from the clay, that the person was almost
fialistinguir.hable. They then removed it to the AVeavers' Arms.
where it wait stripped and washed, and several wounds were disco-
vered on the throat and head, from whence it was inferred that a
Saul murder had been committed. On searching the pockets.
as. dd. in silver and sine halfpence were found, in a pocket which
it was supposed had escaped the search of the murderers. A thim-
ble, some wax, and other articles, were found on the person of the
deceased, from whence it was Inferred he was a tailor by trade, but
ro clue was discovered to lead to a knowledge of his name or resi-
drive. Some persons supposed the unfortunate man hail put a pe-
riod to k's own existence, as the wounds appeared to be only sti-
perticil ; but on examination more closely by the surgeons, the
original opinion was confirmed. information was immediately des.
• paiched to Worship stmt police office, stating the fact; and
Thence and Hatfield, two of the officers of that establishment, were
sent to make inquiries on the subject. Thesetnen were occupied
slue whole of Friday in making diligent inquiries in the neighbour-
hood of Globe Fields, and discovered one person, who said he had
hexed, on the night previous, the cry of murder, but no other cir-
cnimtince, tending to elucidate the mystery, was ascertained.
On Friday evening two women and two men attended at the
Ni savers' Arms, and desired to see the body of the deceased, and
on being introduced to the room in which it had been placed in a,
shell, they recognised it to be Richard %beeline, a tailor, who had,
resided in Lower Kate-street, Spitalfields, who had been missed
ftvm his home from the preceding evening, and had not been seen
from the time he left his work at one o'clock.
3larce and Hatfield renewed their search yesterday, and at the
end of Devonshireureet diworered a quantity of clotted blood.
This was about MU yards from the pit In which the body had been
t tied. bionic of this blood was taken tip and preserved for the
isoaction of the Jury ; intermingled with it there was some hu-
man fair.
Various speculations were afloat as to the eirenmstances under
which the deceased had met his death; and the general belief was,
that he had been murdered at a distance from the pit, and carried
to the edge and thrown in. The head of the unfortunate man was
nine feet from the bank, and from the state of the clay it was utterly
ternoesifile for him to have got there himself. The body, in fact,
lay on the surface of the mule.

CORONER'S INQUEST.
At two o'clock on Saturday a Coroner's Inquest was held on the
body at the Weavers' Arms, before Mr. I2awin, the Coroner for
the district.
The Jury having been swam, they proceeded to view the body,
and afterward% went to imnect the pit in which the body was
found. On their return the following witnesses were sworn and
e►amined.

gl Ralph Robinson sworn.—l work for Mr. Wailes, a master brick-
maker, in Globe-fields, Bethnal-green. On Friday morning about
half-past sia o'clock, I was going to my work, to pump some wa-
ter from a well in my matter's brick-field : and I passed a merle-
pit in the same field, when I saw the deceased lying on a heap of !
clay in the pit. The head of the deceased was about nine feet trout
Ur brink of the pit. I instantly called to John Coles, Joseph
!Inward, and others of my fellow labourers, and informed them of I
whet I had discovered. We got a plank and placed it from the
brihk of the pit to the side of the body of the deceased, and drew
the bode out, by the handkerchief that was tied routed his neck, and
eor reed! it to this house. We saw no blood about the body, or
rear the spot, but we observed that his throat was cut, on lifting up
1•s neck handkerchief. We also observed a cut upon his head.
T.:e bi:dy was so much covered with clay and merle, that it was im-
possible for us to have observed if his clothes were in disorder or not.
(lid not see the body washed ; but after it was cleaned, I saw it
examined, and four shillings and sixpence in silver, and eighteen-
peatre-halfpenny in copper, were taken from his pockets. Two
such as are used by tailors a intim-v.l-bn%. and a comb
xj, re found on his person.do not know if his clothes were torn.
We found his hat on the brink of the pit, nearly opposite to where
we body was Mond, aiiil about sixteen feet from it. I had never
%,Cll the deceased before to my knowledge. I did not observe that
tint handkerciiiel round the deceased's neck was cut. 1 am satis-
d the deceiuied could not here walked to the spot where he was
trend, as the clay was so well tempered that he most have stink
uric it. The day was between two and three feet deep. The heed
ut the deceased was nearest to the side of the pit, and the body
was upend in a side position, lying on the right arm. I was at the
pit im Thursday night. at six o'clock, and the deceased was not
there at that time. When I first saw the deceased I could only
observe his toes and a litee of the upper part of his body ; the
rest of his person had sunk into the clay.
Jcror.--If there had been blood on the clay, would it have ap-
psered ?
W'itneas•—lf there had been much blood I am sure it would
have been observed. _ . - . • .

John ( oleo sworn.—T work for Mr. Wailes, the brick-maker, and
.41. .he deseased brought to the hank of the pit, by the last wit-
ness, and others ef nit' fellow-labourers, on Friday morning ; I as-
s,sted in bringing the body to this house.
The wife of the deceased, a female about thirty years of ave. in
an advanced stateof pregnancy, who was waiting in an adjoining
room, was requested to come before the Coroner awl give evidence.
the room, but was so overpowered by the acuteness of
t.•etiegs, that she was in a fainting state. II er distress met with
•,,c •mnntlty of ever• one nmsent, and the Cot-neer humanely
:0pi,,,51 Int to retire, and said he would entkavour to do withou

he- et ide••ce.
•n! \(ale sworn.--1 hPve lodged in the house where the de-,
i.iaseit resided, at No. 11, Lower Kate-street, Spitaltields, to'
t!,t• last twelve months, lie was a tailor. The last time I saw
Aire was on Thant(bly afternoon last, about two o'clock. Ile
TVI, then on the landing-pace of hie apartments. Ile hail then
iust taken his dinner, atm I thought he aas going to week. I made
!Prise Wise:vat:on to hint that it was a cold day, or something of' that
s.rt, and Ile made some brief reply. Ile was a man of very bur
wads. 'lie deceased worked at Mr. Simpson's, a master tailor. to
Leadenlool-street. Mere there was a very great pressure of per_
sons to goo admittance into the room ; the Coroner otis Trot, that
there could he no doubt that it was an open Court. but it could not
be so crammed as to cause inconvenience to himself and the Jury).
‘Vitiless continued.—l never noticed the deceased to be mini-
i-darly (hit:cud ; he was not a person )14S11.!tPli to drinking ; he
...:,;,•rells kept good hours at night, and lived upon good terms
....it ids woe.
An ev:ieland sworn.—l am a single woman, and lodge in the
st nr malt:, as the deceased, in Kate-street. 1 wash for the family
of fie tie:eased, and was in his room on 'rlittratlpy at dinner.
ditt •iir I saw the deceased take a Tarim' from the top drawer of
a •
e!iiis• of drawers in the same room, and pot it into his tvocket ; it
wis W-itt•teil in a piece of rag nr paper. 1 have often seen the de-
• I ie., that razor; the last tone was on 'Wednesday.
or of Worship-street here muse[ veil, that it WAS believed
UV: .1, tuok the rune to he set.
tW des.-1 heard the deceased say that he intended to tatte the
1,, it.• set. I have known the deceased three or four 'team; of
a t. I tt. ve sect a change in hint ; hit had become melancholy and
,meted. and would hardly speak when he came home.
atiitte! Utlington sworn.-1 am a fellow-workman of the de-
., is: the shop of Mr. Pitt:won, Leadeniull-street. On Thurs.