The Sun.
London, England, 1863-11-13 00:00:00

ALLEGED MURDER.

Last evening Mr. W. Carter, coroner for Surrey, held an
inquiry at the Anchor and Hope Tavern, Southampton-
street, Camberwell, respecting the death of Mrs. Mary Wat-
son, otherwise Gorman, aged 59 years. Captain Webster
Wedderburn said he was fo merly captain in the 4th Royal
Irish Dragoons. He had sold out, and was now living on
his means. He resided at No. 13, Addington •square,
Camberwell. He lived with the accessed. She was his
housekeeper for 20 years. Her name was Mary Gorman and
she was 56 years of age. On the evening of the 27th October
he was out. When he returned home he found the house in
the possession of the police. He had only been absent about
an hour. The deceased was lying on the sofa insensible.
Miss Watson was in the room, as were also two police-con-
stables. Miss Watson was the daughter of the witness, and
the deceased. The deceased had a terrible contusion on the
temple and a black eye. She had no such injuries befot a the
witness west out. The witness and deceased lived as Mr.
and Mrs. Watson. Miss Ellen Mary Gorman said that she
was the daughter of last witness. On the evening of Tues-
day, the 27th of October, she returned home at about six or
half-past 6 o'clock. She had been out all the afternoon. The
witness, in about 10 minutes after her return home, went
into the back garden, accompanied by her mother. They
noticed a light in the back room upstairs of the adjoining
house (No. 14), occupied by Mr. Grieves. It was Mr. and
Mrs. Grieves',bedroom that the light was in. The deceased
imagined that Mr. Grieves and family had returned home,
and she said, "It is strange they did not thank me for
looking after their house while they were out." The
Grieves had asked her to look after the house while they
were absent at the funeral of a relative. The witness
knocked at the back pailings dividing the two gardens, but
no answer being returned the deceased said she would go
to the front. She went away for that purpose, closing the
door after her. Witness remained in the back. Some little
time after a boy knocked at the door and told witness that
her mother had fainted. Witness closed the door, as she
did not believe what the boy said, her mother being so
well a moment before. Shortly after a ring of the bell
caused her to open the door. Her mother came in and said,
" Stay with me, or they will murder me." She fell down
in the passage. The witness saw that she was very much
confused and almost insensible. She ran next door to
Grieves' gate, and saw a policeman there. He and another
policeman returned with her to deceased, and they lifted
her on to the sofa. She was insensible and breathed very
hard. A doctor was sent for. The next morning witness saw
that she had a black eye. The deceased said that when she
knocked at Mr. Grieves's door she heard some one coming
downstairs. She thought it was Miss Grieves, andshe said
through the keyhole, " It's only me, don't mind coming
down." The door was then opened, and two men knocked
her down. They did it so instantaneously that she had no
opportunity of seeing who they were. The deceased became
again unconscious on the following Saturday, and remained
insensible till her death on Sunday last. The front door of
Mr. Grieves' house was a few yards down a passage leading
from the front garden gate. The witness had no relatives
in England. She had a half sister and a half brother in
Paris. She saw the latter about six weeks ago. The family
were not on goad terms with him. Her mother did not at
any time say she knew who struck her. Mr. G. Taylor,
surgeon, said that he was called to the deceased on the
morning. after the occurrence. She complained of headache.
Her right eye was very much blackened, apparently from a
blow from a fist. Dangerous symptoms set in on the Ist or
2d of November. They had not been before immediately
alarming, but they were always more or less dangerous.
She died on Sunday morning. The post mortem examina-
HAI, in witness's opinion, showed that the cause of death
was the blow which had been inflicted on her. He had no
doubt that her death arose from external violence. Miss
Mary Grieves said that she lived with her father and sister
at 14, Addington• square. On the 27th of last month wit-
ness and her father left home at half-past 11 o'clock. Her
sister was at the residence of her late brother, and they all
went to his funeral. The witness locked up the house.
The front gate was locked and the windows were fastened,
but the shutters were not shut. The witness took the keys
with her. She returned at 10 o'clock and found that the house
had been entered. The front gate and front door was open.
A pane of glass was broken in the back kitchen window ,
next to the drop catch. A person could have entered there,
but those that examined the premises believed that no entry
had been effected. The witness found that a variety of things
had beeni removed. Some rings, brooches, trinkets, and
silver spoons, and some clothing had been taken. She saw
none of those articles since. A hat and a jemmy were left
behind by the persons. They were found in the garden by a
policeman. By the Coroner--Witness told deceased that she
was going from home that day, and requested her to listen
at the back, to see that nothing happened. Witness didlnot
think that there was any access from one garden to another.
If a person had entered the house from the back he could