The Sun.
London, England, 1862-08-04 00:00:00

THE ROYDON HALL MURDER.

It has been already stated that five men were ap-
prehended a few days ago by Mr. Hulse, the supe-
rintendent of the Kent constabulary, stationed at
West Melling, upon the charge of being concerned
in a brutal murder that was committed on the 21st
of January last upon James Gray, a gamekeeper in
the service of Major Cook, of Roydon Hall, East
Peckham. Since then another man has been ap-
prehended, and it is believed that the whole of the
party concerned in the outrage, with the exception
of one man, are in the hands of the police. A pre-
liminary inquiry took place yesterday, at the magis-
trates' clerk's office, west Mailing, before J. Savage,
Esq., one of the county magistrates. The names
of the prisoners are Thomas Stevens, John Hawkes,
John Hodge, alias " Happy Jack ;" Joseph Obey,
Thomas Allchin, and Stephen Burgess. They are
mostly young men, and are strangers to East
Peckham, where the murder was com-
mitted, but reside in different villages, within a
distance of five or six miles, and they are all known
to the police as notorious poachers. Ever since the
murder took place they have been suspected, but it
appears that it is only recently that information
has been obtained such as would justify their appre-
hension. Capt. Buxton, the chief constable of the
Kent constabulary, was present to assist in the in-
quiry, which, as may be expected, created a great
aeal of interest. The facts connected with the
murder were briefly stated. It appeared that the
deceased who was about 40 years old, and a fine,
courageous man, had been keeper to Major Cook for
about three years, and there appeared to be no doubt
that the poachers in the neighbourhood, of which
class, unhappily there is a considerable number,
entertained a great deal of ill feeling towards him
on account of the strictness with which he per-
formed his duties. On the morning on which he
lost his life he had gone to bed, but one of his as-
sistants hearing guns fired at one o'clock in the
morning in a wood called Moat Wood, went to his
cottage and informed him of the fact, and he got
up and immediately proceeded to the spot where
the firing was heard, and on their way they met
some labouring men, who accompanied them, the
party being composed of six persons. They had not
gone far before they came upon a number of men,
all of whom were armed with guns, and the moment
the latter observed the keepers they formed into a
line and presented their guns. The deceased called
out that they would not, surely, be so cowardly as
to shoot ; and one of the men with an oath, declared
that they would do so if they attempted to take
them. Gray, who was a very determined man, im-
mediately told his party to advance and seize the
poachers, and the instant he did so one of the men
discharged a gun at him,and the whole of the eharge
entered the thick part of his thigh. A desperate
struggle then took place between the keepers and
the poachers,lbut in the resultithe whole of the latter,
who were eight in number, succeeded in getting
away. The unfortunate keeper was removed to
his own cottage, where he died about half-past
five o'clock the same morning from the loss of blood
and the shock to the system. A great number of
persons were subsequently apprehended and charged
no
with being concerned in the murder, but two only
were eventually committed for trial. The only ad-
onal
evidenceahe gone into was that of Mr. Hulse,
wenx perintendent of police, who stated that he
his eot
n's cottage, accompanied by some of
said thatit::,)elea, and the moment Allchin saw him he
that he iutenlT
d expected him for some time, and
officer had noted to have come to him himself if the
subsequently arre,sso. The other prisoners were
themselves in cal-t1:41.,,e11,d,eal and when they found
give information in i'eCreY all appeared anxious to
however, declared :'llee to the crime. Bur-
..at
and he said that ,i4.;e knew nothing of
was one of the men in cuatod,om Stevens," who
Upon this Stevens was broughi,foruld clear him.
Burgess saw him he lost all his coward, and when
admitted that he was at the affray,
nee, and he
out denied, a
tgheessc'harge,