The Sun.
London, England, 1862-06-11 00:00:00

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ALLEGED MURDERS OF ILLEG
lg,
CHILDREN. t--- 4,
•g a s
—4..________-
Yesterday, al ten o'clock, Mr. H. Ruffles WL,7I-
- deputy coroner for East Middlesex, held an
investigation at the Green-gate Tavern, City-road,
Leaching the death of the illegitimate male child
of SanellgrPe,
spinster, which was alleged to have
been murdered !
=ler the
•
fellowing circumstances
Mrs. Catherine o.7en, 6, Warwick-place, White-
cross-street, said that S'.t'.arpe resided iu the same
house, and was a laundress. ' tihe came to ;io:9 there
five months ago, and she had then a child with her,
riged nearly two years. She shortly afterwards left,
as sho said, to go into Lambeth Workhouse with the
child, as it was ill. She returne
had been buriedfortnigd ht,
saying that it was dead, and at
Tooting. On Tuesday lest she was delivered of a
male child, which appeafq, quite strong and healthy..
The child was dressed-by w*:itne:,s and given into its
mother's care. Witness ;ben c'ent to the relieving
officer to get an order for the renOval of the mother
and child to the union, and waA ansent more than
an hour. Upon her return she infortue..l. Sh
d arpe that
she was to have an order, when she tcplit.. " Oh, i-
t
it; not necessary now, for the baby is dead: Wi/
ness said, " Dead! how can that be ? it Wh,S VA
right when I kit it." Sharpe did not reply.
By th:
=1 (coroner—Sharpe had only prepared one
small shirt rof the child. She stated that it 5a5 a
six months child.
Mrs. Smith gave siirilar testimony to the last
witness, and said that she 1:1. s t saw the child alive
four hours after its birth, and it was then quite
healthy.
Mr. Bruce, M.R.C.S., said that his osistant was
called in after the birth of the deceased. He Was
applied to on Saturday morning last for a ovrtifi-
cate as to the death of
adsdecease and his suspicions
being aroused, he performed post-nzortena exami-
ne found all the organa, healthy, and no
or death. Upon opening the 'leek
nnaattiuorna.l
eaur f
he found the muscles discoloured from pressure.
The windpipe mosque Nte_ned and made thin, appa,-
rently by being, zed. Those injuries could not
have been occasioned accidentally, and they were
undoubtedly.the cause of death. The appearances
led him to infer that some persons' fingers had
been passed around the child's throat, and strangu-
lation effected in that way.
The coroner said that the evidence showed clearly
that the child had been wilfully murdered, and he
should adjourn the inquirY to give time to inventi-
gate the mysterious circumstances attending the
death of the other child.
Before the court rose ini cked
nrmation was brought in
up in King's-square, City-road, by a pocecon-
-
stable, and that there were appearnuceo which in-
stable, pi
that the body of a female chili. had just bee
dicated that it had been murdefed.

..........

MURDER NEAR LAU:2-V-VES'YON.

One of the most cruel and barbarous murders
that has ever been perpetrated in this neighbo:ll—
was committed on Saturday night, or early'
on Sunday morning, at Langore, a small village ins
the parish, andabout two-and-a-half miles from the
town of St. Stephen's, in the borough of Launces•
ton, upon an old man named Boger Drew, who was
a carpenter by trade, and kept a small grocer's shop
in the village. He lived alone, altholigh married,
years.
having been parted from his wife for shis habits,
Ome
He was very industrious and saving in
but frequently made a boast of the amount of his
savings to his neighbours, and often took out his
purse and said, "I have had a lot of money in this
one." The clereased was in his usual state of health
on Saturday night, rind was last seen in the Smiths'
Arms, in the village, kept by a man named Basset.
Deceased was there in company with
the accused,
John Doidge, who is a labourer. Doidge left the
deceased at the Smiths' Arms, and in about ten
minutes afterwards the deceased left fOT his homes
ht.
and nothing more was seen of him that nig-
Sunday morning a woman, named Martin, ho
went to the house of the deceased to obtain sorna
sweets, having having knocked at the door, and obtaining'
no reply, looked in at the window. There she saw
the table and chairs in great confusion and thet
body of the murdered man.lying with his 'head in a
pool of blood. She immediately ran to the Smiths'
Arms, and informed Mr. Bassett and Mr. Cory of
what she had seen. The latter immediately went
to the deceased's house and knocked at the door,
but getting no reply, he looked in and saw
Drew,
in his blood. Mr. Bassett then went into the car-
penter's shop, which adjoins the dwelling-house,
and on entering the back door discovered that Drew
had been murdered. The police were immediately
made acquainted with the fact, and they were,eoon
on the spot. Inquiries having been made, it was
ascertained that deceased and Doidge had been
drinking the previous night at the Smiths' Arin.
Suspicion immediately fell upon the accused,
he was taken into custody by Inspector Woods. On
his clothes being examined blood was found up
(,n
his coat, shirt, and trousers. He was charged With
the murder, but declared his innocence. He was
taken into custody, handcuffed, and appeared
greatly agitated. lie was conveyed to the lock-up
at Egloskerry, a village about two miles distant.
On examining the deceased's bedroom it nos dis-
covered that a box bad been broken open, ontai
ing some pence, silver, and gold. The former was
taken away, but the latter in the hurry NV El 8 undis-
covered ; marks of blood were found upon the stairs.
The village was thrown into the greatest state of
excitement. A post mortem examieiation took place
on Sunday afternoon by Drs. Thompson and Pelee,
and the wound inflicted on the head was of such a
severe character that it no doubt caused instan-
taneous death. It appears the old man was pre-
paring for bed, as he had one boot unlaced and
slipper on the other foot.
Since writing the above we have been informed
that the deed was perpetrated by a bill or wood-
man's hook ; the latter implement Doidge is known
to have had in his pocket on Saturday night when
in the company, of deceased. Prisoner did not
arrive at his lodgings until three or four o'clock on
Sunday morning, and he got up before filiZ o'chscle
and washed his boots and some a his wearing
apparel, which was a very unusual course"ithe him.the
When Inspector Woods came to the g
awcictuhs,edtowastaskeeenabhyoMokrsa.nSduhtitg,ir
ahl!emayvhibeeshieindgdeda
water-barrel, and which Staten produced to the
inspector when he was apprehended, with. fresh.
blood upon it. The old man came into this neigh-
bourhood from Gosport, in Hampshire.-- Western.