The Sun.
London, England, 1837-04-06 00:00:00

THE EDGEWARE ROAD MURDER.

STATEMENT OF CREENACRE.
The following statement has been madc in writing by
Greenacre:—

Having prepared my Counsel or legal advisers with every
true and particular statement of ea v cas-, I conceive it to
be a necessary duty towards myself, my family, and a re-
flecting public, to pen a brief outline .of my history, in hopes
of conciliating the vindictive feeling and public prejudico
which have been excited against me through falsehood and
exaggerated statements, which have appeared in the public
newspapers, and which it is my duty to refute by imme-
diately committing this narrative to paper, to prove to the
world that I am not that. bloody-minded character which
is reported of me, to the prejudice of my character in the
minds of those persons in whose hi tnds my life is placed.
I am not immaculate, neither AI I without many sins of
commission and omission ; but thaut truth may appear, and
that justice may be done to my naive when I:ain no more,
should the prejudice of my jury prevail over the extenuat-
ing facts of my case, I proceed to stite the circumstances
of my life. * -
I was born in 1785, in Norfolk, of hoariest and industri-
ous parents, who were farmers. I o uly of a large family
relinquished the business of a farme.r, and was put into
business in the grocery line, in the parit, of St. George, in
the Borough, by my oe parents, at titre age of nineteen.
From the moment I became a landlord, no tenant of mine
ever questioned the kindness of my disposition. I have
bls.en many years in possession of three cottages; which I
built, in Jane-place, Old Kent-road, and have had many
tencnts, but never destrained upon any of them for rent,
but have always took pleasure in assisting• them in any diffi-
culty ; and I have often, very often, given up to them their
back rents or arrears, that unavoidably hap pen to poor per-
sons in cases of sickness and want of enerAoyment. I had
also eight cottages in Bowyer-lane, Carnbarxen, but I never
once distrained upon a tenant in my life, but have abso-
lately felt all the sympathy of a near relative, when my
claim for rent has been met by an apology (through sickness,
the times of accouchement, and other cates,es of distress. I
can with perfect safety say, that of these eleven cottages,
and those two in Carpenter's-place, I never distrained upon
a poor tenant in my life.
Now, as regards my domestic history, L will just refer to
a few demonstrations of my disposition and general character
as a husband, a father, a master, and a friend. I have been
a man of affliction, losing three amiable csompanions, with
whom I always lived in the most perfect harmony. It may
ha added that I was no fortune hunter in those cases, but I
always sought after the prospects of my issue by forming
.an alliance where my children might reap the advantages of
their mother's dower on the death of her parents ; and I
have much consolation in finding that my calaildren, by each
of my wives' family, .are amply provided for by legacies.
Before I pass over this trait of my character as a husband
and a father, the scandalous reports of my enemies make it.
necessary to refer to the deaths of my wives. The first
was the daughter. of Charles Ware, of the Crown and
Anchor Tavern, Woolwich, to whom I was married at the
age of 19, and'my wife 18. I was then in business in the
grocery line by the as istance of my own parents, who were
farmers in Norfolk. My wife died suddenly, with a putrid
sore throat—she was attended by that eminent phy-
sician, Dr. Blackburn, who, and whose assistants, ad-
monished me not to go near my wife to receive
her breath, but such being the result of my feelings

that I could not resist the force of affection, avd there are
many persons now living who can bear testimony to the
fact, that I took the complaint and it nearly cost me my
life. I engaged a respectable housekeeper, who as a nurse
and housekeeper has since been in my service, at intervals,
a period equal to thirteen years, and who is now living.
My next wife was the daughter of John Romford, Esq., a
firmer and considerable landowner in Essex. By this lady
I also had two children. This wife died of,a brain fever,
brought on by exerting herself, I believe, riding on horse-
back whilst on a visit at her own relations, and having an
infant at the time her milk was affected by the fever, which

.
caused her death. Dr. Coltheard, now residing in the
Borough, attended her. My old housekeeper, who attended

my wife at each accouchement, now became my house-
keeper again. I continued a widower fifteen months, and
married Miss Simmonds, of Long-lane, Bermondsey, with
whom I also lived in harmony and affection up to the.time
I went to America (May, 1833). This amiable companion,
with whom I had arranged to come over after when I had
provided a home for her, died in London of the cholera,
about throe weeks after my departure. By this wife I had

seven children, two only of whoa) are living. My old
housekeeper always attended as nurse to all my-wives, and
upon all occasions of sickness, making a period of nearly
thirteen years. As a sober and affectionate husband, no
person living can deny but this has uniformly been my
character. I have always abhorred a public-house, and the
babble of drunken men. The society of my books, and
►wife and children, have always been to me the greatest

souwe of delight that my mind could possibly enjoy.
As a master and a friend I trust the following statement
will show that kinduess and liberality, and a desire to culti-

vale the friendship of my neighbours ►tnd the tranquillity of

my home, have always been the object of my study, and a
pleasure most dear to my heart. My apprentices and ser-
vants have always manifested much pleasure in their situa-
tions, and hare always continued with me several years.
My apprentices have always been the sins of respectable
persons, and have generally been the means. of recommend-

no each other through their connection with each other's
Families. I always recuived a good premium with each ap-

prentice, one only excepted, who was a cast off apprentice
from the Foundling, but who became a good servant under

a kid master andmiAress, and stayed with us many dears

after his apprenticeship was expired. I have hid seven
male approittices since I commenced business, in 1814.
Two were brothers, the sons of Mr. Falls, who was then

measurer in. his Majesty's dockyard, Deptford; and my

last apprentice, in 1833, was the ion of Alr. Green, of the
Royal Oak, Sevenoaks, in Kent, whose eldest son had
served his time five years with me, and with whom I re-

ceived a large premium. I have always encouraged my ser-
vants and apprentices by very many indulgencics and kind
treatment, and have always found them obliging and assi-

uous in business.

I had one who robbed nie.

This was

the son of a highly respectable tradesman in London. I
gave the boy in charge of the beadle, and, contrary to
my wishes, he was remanded to Horsentonger-lane gaol. I
applied to the youth's father to consult upon his son's
escape. This gentleman's tears and distress of mind I most
acutely participated in, and had near been brought into
trouble by refusing to prosecute. 'No servant or inmate of
my house can say that I was ever intoxicated, or that I
ever lifted my band against my wife, or caused a tear by
harsh treatment. Now as a friend I think I can give the
most incontrovertible testimony, and had it not been for the
infamous lying and slandering Newspapers, who glory in
any crime for te sale of their dangerous weapons, I might
have received the visits, advice, and assistance of hundreds
of friends ; but all are frightened by those horrifying false-
hoods. I have received anonymous letters whilst in gaol,
which I have shown to the Governor of tlie prison, and
have handed to my solicitor, wherein the writers express
their wishes to aid me, but durst not avow their names.
My Counsel also has received instructions to aid me by the
receipt of anonymous letters enclosing- money, with the
like expressions of the writer's fear that their names may be
known. Thus it is that I am compelled to pen this brief

outline of my life, in the hopes of defeating the poison of

falsehood and slander.

I hare continued in business 420 years in the parish of
St. George, in the Borough. I have always lived under
the same firm or landlord, and have alwa)s experienced
an increasing connection of custon:ers and friends. This

manifestation of friendship was evinced by my numerous
fellow-parishioners in their electing me to the (Ace of
overseer on Easter Tuesday, 1832, by the largest vestry
that ever assembled in the parish church of St. George.
A poll was demanded; and my friends increased, and never
before or since have there been so many parishioners polled.
These numerous parishioners with whom I had resided so

many years would .Low most willingly aid me by a subscrip-
tion or other means, but that they are actually frightened
by the false and slanderous newspaper reports.
• As a debtor when in business no person was ever more
punctual in his payments, and at the time when I went to
America my debts, about 1501.,, were never before so
trifling, and the number of my creditors so few. I had
left with my wife the invoices and the cash to pay them,
but her illness and sudden death by the cholera caused the
discharge of those bills to be neglected, when my creditors,
who knew that I had houses, and who, misconstruing the
cause of their not being called upon, proceeded by corn-
bining their small accounts to make me a bankrupt. Ne-
ver before, I believe, was a person made bankrupt whose
debts were so trifling as mine. Had fraud been my object
in going to America I could have easily had ten times the
debts and as many more creditors, with whom I had dealt"
with for many years. I have one creditor only ;vho has
refused to sign my certificate, and from him I never de-
manded a stamp receipt, Which has saved him a sum nearly
equal to the debt I owed him.
I have mentioned my abhorrence of public-houses. I
trust, therefore, that the vice of drinking, the foundation
of error and crime, may not be considered the cause of my
unhappy accident and subsequent resolve to put away the
body, which has produced my disreputable notoriety. It
was the horror of my feelings, and fear only, that took
possession of my mind. I was actuated by no feelings of
a felonious or malicious kind. The unfortunate deceased
was evidently very much in liquor when her chair went
backwards, and had candidly. avowed her poVerty when I
talked to her on the consequences of our marrying in de-
ception, and of her having been to a tally shop to obtain a
dress upon credit in my name. Felonious intentions cannot
be attributed to me, since it is well known that if she had
property it might have been mine in a few hours' time by
the legal right-of marriage. •