The National Register.
London, England, 1818-12-21 00:00:00

t• 141 -
-314.041 k. ...Or+ v..

MURDER OF MR. 7%4Y I.OR HORNSEY.

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, Conning'. starattEsT.—Ati inquisition was taken en Tires-
sfiestiffiereason, -before Thomas Stirling, Esq., Coroner, at the'
Hammer Woodhouse, on the body of John Thome. 're, tor. a
.asertigal gentleman, who was stopped on Thursday menniglit
en theism bridge of the New River, by some villains, and
basely 'robbed, entirdered, and thrown into the river.
'rise Jury being empanuelled and sworn, took a view of the
body pinta; deceased ; there appeared violent minks oration-
-gulatiireabont his neck; a knife was in his waistcoat pocket,
anti a gold ring upon his liager, which the ilia:wheal sillain.
who murdered him, in their hurry, did not take trues him.—
The following evidence was after wards taken:—
Mr. Thomas Thorpe, of Red Lion-street, Clerkenwell, de-
posed as follows :-..1 was a particular friend of tile tieveaseirs ;
he was at my house on Tuesday last, (Tuesday se'uniglit) lie
was then in good health and spirits. On the following Thurs-
day I wits at his house, and he was then from home ; his bro-
ther called on the following morning (Friday ) upon me, and
istquised if I had seen mr bad any knowledge of where Ins
lifulker..o::e deceased) might be found, as lie hail nut been
haute since the preceding lour nin g. I informed him th..t I
had not seen him since he called upon me on Tuesday. The
deceased's brother went from my house to Mr. Nun:tilt, of
Gray** Inn, and made inquiry, and there trained nothing at
all satisfactory as to his brother's absence ; he afterWilito went
with Mr. Norcutt to Guy's and St. 'rtionuts's Ha-pilaf, to
Inake inquiries there after the deceased, and was informed
that:lse had not been there since he was at the lecture. aim
• Wedseeday. The witness then related his calling au Mrs.
Peeseeland on the landlady of the Jolly Butchers, who gave
him such information as induced him to pursue his iniquities
towards Bonney. He then proceeded :—The first iiilorusa.
Ito. we gained was, that cries of murder had been heard near
West Green on Thursday night, and we were told it we would
Rise° the Black Boy, we might obtain snore particulars upon
the subject. • We proceeded there, and found that their had
bees au alarm in consequence of the cries of minder about
finno'elock on Thursday evening; and that three wen had
entered into *house, with an intention to rob it, but the lll-
mily not being in bed, gave an alarm, and the rubbers des
Attained. We then returned towards the Tile kdiis iii the
[keen lanes, erorsed a field, and made for the wood ; we tram -
ed some footsteps at the foot of the bridge, fur au hundred
yards, which the brother of the deceased said were much
like his brother's whom we were in search el; at the centre
of the bridge we lost the trace of the footsteps, and we sus-
pected that he hail been murdered there, and throw,. into
Ilse river. Mr. Taylor's suspicious were considerably excited
.by OwMarks of the boots being straight, and not right and
'eft, as are more usually worn, because his unfortunate bro•
thee had on, when be left his home, boots of that description.
We then inquired at the Hornsey Wood-hose, and at the
Sluice-house, if they had any drags, or it they had dragged the
river recently. 'they informed its they had no drags, nor
bail the river been dragged for a considerable dine. We
'Made several iteptiries, and were informed that a hat had
-Ibsen found at the Sluice. I and my blends requested it
!Astoria be sheen to us ; and thr men asked its what was the
"nseal the maker? We replied, ^ Wilson and Waugh."—
site answered, that is the name in the bat, and he immediately
votiured it, and we found it to be the hat of the deceased,
Mr. Jule' 'l'. Tas tor. We immediately sent to the Half Moon
tlibr the drags, and employed persons to drag the river. They
asoalinsted dragging from Saturday midi Sunday morning. I
went on Sunday morning with my friends *piss to the New
itiver; six of my men were dragging, and an alarm was made
that the body was found. I alighted (runt my chaise and saw
the body brought up ; it was perfectiy dead, and appeared
to have been in the water several days. The Slap of the
Assail clothes was unbuttoned ; the easels which the deceased
'always carried about him was not in his fob; and there was
so money about the deceased's person, and he never went out
sailboat Irking money with Isles; his pockets were turned out ;
and there were appearances of strangulation, mid a black
mark on the side of tier neck. I know the deceased bad a
Watch with gold chain and seals when he left home; he was a
Very ttigh spit ited yusing MAN amid from what I know of bias,
lie would not tamely sot 4to be robbed ;he had a practice
of twisting his Watch pocket after lie pet his watch 111 it, mid
I have frequelitly heard I • say. that be would defy any thief
to rob him, far if they took his watch, they must also take
his pocket. L stn of opinion that the villains also murdered
the deceased, unbuttoned the dap of his small clothe. fur the
purpose of untwisting the lob pocket and taking the watch.
In his pockets remained the following gritting articled ;---A
watch key, Akenside's poetical works, pair of gloves, silk
handkeichief, penknife' a stick of black sealing was The
• body was eat ries to Hornmey Wood-house. Au umbrella
which the deceased had atilt him on Thursday night was
feared on the iron blidge, which was torn recently, from its
spin artifice. Flout the deep marks ou the bank where the
body was found, I Mil coin/breed that lie made great resistance:
some of the heel marks are teveral inches in depth in the
go ound.
Mr. Norenit, of Gray's Inn, being sworn—l lent the deceive
td an umbrella v hen lie was at city Mose, and the one fumed
*pea the Sim bridge of the Sew River is the Name I lent him ;
it was 111/l hall when I tent it to him ; the rent in it appears
to have been 11Ct\iy made, mot in my upiisieu was dune in the
struggle wills the persons who attacked him. The It it pros
&wed I ass sure is the deceased's, and must have floated ohm It
time river to the Grate At the Silmee-huose. I made pal ticular
itsquiries at West Green, at the Black Hoy. and learned that
a gentleman's hoist wars robised mi Thursday night, ahnut the
Ilene the deceased telt the Jolly Butchers, mid I have no dm ni
Irene the directimi which the thieves. Wok, and the road the
deceased went, that the thieves went across the field., and
met with the deceased uu the bridge opposite the tile-
kilns.
%Ir.. Sarah Wilson sworn.—l keep the Jolly Butchers, at
Weed-green, Tottenham-parish. I knew the deceased before
he came to my house on last Thursday evening i it was hes
toceu *is dud seven teeleek elite he entered lily house ; I
.Itivited Will Intl/ the hat, sa he was aequaisitrd with nn} snit,
I tabor he aced to sehoul. I asked him to tea, 1111141 hel'ollielli.
litt, and sal tu my bar until between It/ and II o'clock At night;
• 411, had ehree assail glasses of brandy and water; he diii out
.selleitsk half the liquor himself, I and my sun drank with It ;
there were mu strangers in ;he house all the eveoing. 'Use'
drremmit had a watch in his pocket and some money ; he paid
Meas. for the liquor and tea, ate. ; it was a hunting watch
• wilityellow chafe mid seals, which I *opposed to be gold; '
atilt I advised him to hide Stein mules his cloths*. As they
, Ifilg,isf.alltaci the ettention of ill disooseil iierstsi. whom he
i, .P.4,L1 meet, and lie would be formed, and I saw Weil list
-- Illieuitilider the bolloppref his waistcoat. %Vero the deceased
rkris
.2 1 ' ere."l"waitilliii"g fu' tie
Lei ;brill; liwelieluegliiiiie srs!ti°4ll,tiarrisgiensiolintrii7ionsuitlee,ditliweealsi
a due bright muuttliglit tught. 'file Midge near *lnch the

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deceased 'Was fOlll4 was the nearest wit 1411liii obi
hirr good night, and was in excellent spiitt? silollleotia ,
Ili
John Was" a youth about 16 leafs 01, aii'ilcalapjliril. a
the sou of the {est Witness; I went to schaol Livitiltlhtelfgeglifs
ed ; lie called at say mother's &mine on Tnesillay ovmnollgli.
said that he had been on a visit to Mr. Pearce, of Southgate,
as he was going to write rb a Caller. at Caudle irrgeto.Mr.,
Pearce's son, arid wished to know if he had any thing to rota-
municate to hint. The deceased said that he had promiee4
to meet a gentleman at our home, on his return from Mr.
Pearce's, and he expressed surprise at his not hiving kopt his
promise.
Mr. Thomas Evans, 24, Old-atreet,stiegeon. stated-1 knew
the deceased about tire or six yenta :.we were fellow papils
at the Finsbury Dispensaty ; I have net seen him for Wall a
rot might, and then he was in good health and soirits, and I
am satisfied that he was not under any kind of distress or
derangement of mind ; our do I believe that he would have
put all end to Ina eaktelice. I heard that he wale missing, and
last night that his body was tomtit. I saa the Ito* of she
deceased this day, alma two o'clock, 4111 l in my oi.i urns I.e
aas imilotibteilly strangled previous to his being tin on ei into
the water. I fore* that coachivion from v.trions appearances
on the body; Use mark round the Neck -is not all I form n v
opinion from; the tongue is forced through the tee [hoist re is
a mark also tinder the ear, and the deceased was an excel-
lent swimmer, and, hall he fallen into the water by accident,
he could have saved hinivell. The teeth of the deceased
were closed, anti the tongue was forced, in my opluion, be-
tween the teeth by the violence in strangling him.
Mr. Richard Henry Major, surgeon.—l never saw the de.
ceased before his death hot once, 411 d that was a considerable
time nen. I saw the body this day, and my opinion is pre.
eisely the same as Mr. Evans's ; that he was strangled can.
not admit of a doubt, and lie must have been nearly dead be.
fore he was thrown into the water. I have seen limbo's of
persons who were strangled, particularly Bellingham. and'
other notorious murderers, and all had the same appearance!
of strangulation. I am sure the deceased must have lost all;
power of defence before he was thrown into the river; he,
even appears now to retain the posture of self defense.
The Coroner sumnmed Pp theevidence, and said that lie had'
hopes, wheal the investigatiou commenced, Dust the death or
the unfortunate young gentleman was produced by aerideut
but after the evidence which had been received he was sorry'
to say that there was proof adduced that the deceased came'
to his death by the violent hands of murderers,. It was clear
to him that the deceased was met in the fields by the villain*
who took away his life, and that he struggled with them until
they arrived at the summit of the bridge, where he was rob'
bed and thrown into the water. That his death was ousted
by the violence of some persons noiltiag could be more cow.
elusive than the evidence of the surgeons.
The jury instantly passed the following verdict :—Wilful
Murder against some person or persons unknown, the de-
ceased having been, in our opinion, strangled, robbed, and
thrown into the New River. A large reward has been offer-
; ed for the discovery of the murderers.