The Sun.
London, England, 1854-11-11 00:00:00

THZ ESSEX MURDER.

. .
We noticed in The Sun ef Wednesday last, the murder
of a woman named Hempstead, which her husband was
said to have perpetrated. A coroner's inquest has sine,:
been held, before whom several witnesses were examined,
and a verdict of wilful murder azainst her husband was
found. The following is the evidence of the principal
witnesses :

. -
Thomas Hempstead, son of the prisoner, a lad about
14 years old, who deposed —My father is a weaver.
I heard my father go down stairs, without his shoes,
about four o'clock on Saturday. I was awake at
the time, and I asked bins what o'clock it was. He
told me five minutes to four. I then went to sleep,
but soon after I heard him go down again. My
sister then called to him about the time, and he
answered her that it was near six. A hammer that was

hung up the previous night in the kitchen we missed that
morning. My sister went into mother's bed-room, and
found my mother dead in the bed. She made an alarm,
and I went in, and I saw wounds on my mother's head.
They looked as ii done by a hoomer. My father and
mother did not live comfortable. together. I have beard
him say several times he like to wash his hands
in toy mother's blood. [Tile prisoner here rose and said
in a firm voice, " I beg leave to correct that."] Wit-
ness prcceeded—l have often seen him strike
I wenther,b to
utl
did not hear them quarrel on Friday last.
bed before them, about nine o'clock.
Mr. Shepherd hero examined the witness, but elicited
nothing particular beyond the evidence given.
Elizabeth Hempstead swore— I our the daughter of
the deceased. I heard a knocking
in my father and
mother's room ; it was a dull kind of sound. I heard
my father go down, and I asked him the time, and he
said it was six o'clock. I got up and dressed myself by
moonlight, and went down stairs and opened the door,
and by the moonlight I could see what o'clockitwas, and
it was but twenty-five minutes past four. I went up to
my mother's bed-room, and found the door ajar. I called
out to my mother, but she did not answer. My brother
told me to shake her, but I said I would not disturb her.
My sister got up and went into the room, and put her
ear to the pillow, and could not hear my mother breathe.
She then put her hand on her face and on the pillow,
and found it bloody. She cried out "My mother is
killed." We ran down to our neighbours and got a
light, and entered the room and found our mother dead,
lying on her side in the bed. There was a quantity of
blood on her night-dress and under her hand. My
mother did not appear to have struggled. She looked
as if she were asleep. -We could not find -.the hammer,
which hung up in the kitchen the night before. It was
a large claw hammer. I have often beard my father
and mother quarrelling, but I cannot say what it
was about. It was generally father's fault. I
have not seen him strike her for the last twelve
months, but before that frequently. I was with him
on Fliday evening from a quarter-past six until
bedt,p. I went to bed just before nine. There had
been no quarrelling that evening, nor did I hear any-
thing during the night. They went to bed at the same
time as I did. We left my brother Isaac at his work in
the middle floor. I have heard my lather say several
times " I should like to wash my hands in my wife's
blood." [Prisoner again interrupted, and said, " That
is an incorrect statement ; if you give evidence, give it
correctly."] Witness proceeded—l have often heard
my father say he would kill my mother—that he would
catch her when she was asleep.
Examined by Mr. Shepherd—l have often known my
father get up in the night and go out walking about. I
have thought him to appear strange in his manners. My
mother used to think it temper. Sometimes I have
known him to sit half an hour very quiet, but when
mother spoke to him to get him into a good temper he
would burst out in a rage.
By the Coroner—l thought his strangeness nasty
temper.
The Foreman—Did he take beer ?—No, not for the
last two months.
Mr. Shepherd—Did you ever hear your father say
anything about the youngest child ? Did you know him
to dislike it ? No.
Isaac Hempstead was next sworn. [This was another
sou of the prisoner ; his whole air and manner was any-
thing but consistent with the position he occupied.] My
father is a weaver ; my mother was about 49. I was
with them both all day on Friday. They went to bed
about nine. I continued at my work, and went to bed
about eleven. My father had been working for Mr.
Burney, in his garden, the last three weeks. That's all
I have got to say to it.—On being further questioned
by the coroners he said—l sleep
-in the adjoining room,
and heard my father go down about a quarter past four
o'clock. My sister called out about the time. I heard
her call out to my mother. I heard my other sister
cry out, " Oh, my mother is killed." I then got up and
got a light, and we went into my mother's room and
found her dead in the bod. (The witness here repeated
what the former witness had said ; and then remarked
again, "That's all I have got to say about it.") On
being further examined by Mr. Shepherd, he said a Mr.

Forster bad called on him to talk to his father on Friday
afternoon, and in the course et conversation he had ad-
vised his father that if he Lad those thoughts come on
again, to go to the doctor and take some medicine. That
he had sudden changes come over him—sometimes he
would be very fond of his wife, and then again suddenly
show bad temper. He coaxed her down the face, and
said he would have her asleep. They quarrelled about
two months ago, but he had never talked of having his
father confined, because unfit to be abroad. When his
father's " thoughts" came ou ho was kind to his wife,
but did not seem to know what he was about. Witness
had never heard that any of his family were insane.
By a juror—Did you ever ki,..w your mother to find
a razor under the pillow ?—No. But after quarrels
mother used to lock up tise-keives in tb.,eupboard. She
was afraid of her life.
Mr. Robert Stedman, town-clerk of Sudbury, exa-
mined—l was summoned by the mayor to the Town.
ball, on Saturday afternoon, at two o'clock, where I
found the prisoner. In the presence of the mayor, after
duo caution, the prisoner made the following confession
—" I believe myself to have Ikon the murderer of my
wife, this morning, about four o'clock, at Halstead. She
is about 45 years of age. I have six children, the eldest
nineteen, the youngest three. I have often something
the matter with my head." He would not say more or
sign the deposition.
The prisoner had gone from Halstead to Little Cot.-
nerd, near Sudbury, where he met a person named
Rayner in the high road, and stopping him, asked who
was the constable of the parish, Rayner replying that he
was that person. The prisoner, lifting his hands, said,
"Then I am a murderer, and I wish you to take me in
charge." The constable was alarmed, bat took him to
his house, and placed on the handcuffs ; took him and
delivered him up to Cross, the gaoler of Sudbury, who
searched him and found nothing upon him but two old
pipes. He was then conveyed to the Town-hall of Sud-
bury, where he made the above deposition, and was
afterwards lodged in the police-station at Halstead.
The Coroner summed up, and the jury came to the
unanimous verdict of wilful murder against the prisoner.
The following is an exact copy of the murderer's con.
fession before the Mayor of Sudbury :
" I believe myself to be the murderer of my wife this
morning, at four o'clock. I did not go back to see. My
wife was about 45 years of age. My eldest child is 19
years old, and my youngest 3 years. I have frequently
something the matter with my head. I confess to be the
murderer of my wife, but I do not wish to state any fur-
ther particulars for the present:"
Hempstead is about 50 years of age ; his figure is tall
and very attenuated, and with Lis grey hair and care-
worn countenance he might easily be supposed to have
reached three-score years. He appears to have been
educated rather above the generality of his class, if one
may judge from the few sentences uttered by him during
the trial, and which were strictly grammatical, and
spoken in a well-modulated voice. The only successful
defence that can he pleaded on behalf of the prisoner, of
course, is that of mental derangement, but it does not
appear, until the commission of this crime, that he ever
complained of anything the matter with his bead.
His manner since his apprehension, though sullen,
has been perfectly rational, and affords no evidence of a
deranged mind. When being taken from the police-sta-
tion to the cart which conveyed him to Braintree, one of
the crowd observed that he deserved hanging, and he
then exclainied, "Oh ! I shall have it. I know that. I
shall have that !"
The bereaved children displayed, throughout the ex-
amination at the inquest and at the committal, a re,
markable insensibility and want of feeling strangely at
variance with their position as their father's accusers,
and which it is difficult to ascribe to any other cause
than extreme ignorance or their faulty education amidst!
the frequent broils of their unfortunate P
evidenceeludlessivtesonne,ThcillhapiaenertieCasulawr,agsalivtetiehicsaleulated t
iftef tss.teu.ch ro-e-
-ptions of pity for his unhappy situation.

Oct. 26.
nteWmiuilitaiteldinsetrgr' emigration in
Land of Promise." The
been so . lEWsueit:aßreliin°filo Palestine,rTl
noPtdhAeLoiso
rTamiflic:: m" atur e d , that
Cos the Germaw Diet for its intercea-
resolved to
P6tl Sublimel
Porte to grant a tract of land for
present
especially.s o c i al
Breolathtioa
Ilion with the
plan has already
The origin of this idea of the great
the above par
Dreg generally, and
considered to have fallen into decay to that extent that
elviigeiwouosi the
ee
exodus is theppeocousefliarr
ict°inssithe duty and requirement .of every one, to whom
the will of God and his .own true salvation are yet dear,
to disengage himself betimes from this degenerating
nosition. As far as we can learn, the petition to be
laid before the Diet has already received the signatures
of 300 families. This intelligence is the more remark-
able, since the families thus resolved to leave their fa-
therland for Palestine are not of the Jewish bat of the
Christian faith.—Jetcish G..roni*cle.
LONDON, TILBURY., AND SODTDEND EXTENSION RAID.
WAT.—Yesterday a special ;4ene1.:,1 meeting: of the share-
holders of this company v, as hel,l at the London Tavern,
fur the purpose of authori,inL; t.,0 joint committee of the
Eastern Counties, the London : ,id Blackwell, and the
London, Tilbury, and S )utheri Extension Companies
o their
to borrow money on mortL:ae, under the
act : Mr. Daniels in the.onair.. A repodrttP:wewasocirs
object plaining the position of the max, ay, an
of the loan
read ex.
con-
templated by the proposed loan. The amounta
ad the money
was 75,000/. to be raised by mo, tg
consequence of
works, stations, and sidings. in was to be expended in thy, con,trauilCiteionofadditional
The Chairman
the increased traffic Oil thel b
stated, in reply to a
of the proposed loan would paid by the lessees,
world not at all disturb
and that the arrangement w
shareht...b‘ c, er, that the interest
the
the works were
traffic
fact, their position would be bettered, as
the guarantee of 6 per cent. to shareholders. In
he lisle from Southend.
to come on t takee pro. which was expected
• the directors to
g
to meet the increased traffic, stud the further d.
The resolution authorising
p
jug sepapited•
d loan was unanimously agreed to, and the met-
ose

POLITIeatNVOIti BY AUTHOR OF "THE RIGHE.,
HON. BENJAMIN DISRAELI, M.P., A LITERARY AND
POLITICAL BIOGRAPHY."
Immediately will be published, in 1 vol. Svo.,
THIRTY YEARS of FOREIGN POLICY ;
or, a History of the Secretaryships of the Earl of Aberdeen
and Viscount Palmerston.
London : Longman, Brown, Green, and Longmans.

HEATRE -R Y AL, DRURY-LANE,
M. JULLIEN'S CONCERTS.
(FOR ONE MONTH ONLY.)
The Programme is changed Every Evening.
PROGRAMME for THIS EVENING (Saturday, Nov. II) :-•••
PART I.

Overture, " Zanspa"
...... • • ••• • • • Herold.
Quadrille, from Rosslai's Opera, "Le Comte Ory" Jullien.
bymphotay, the Larg hetto, from the " Symphonyin D" Beethoven.
Polka, " Katty Did"
Solo, tute, Variations Brilliante on sig. Tagliafico's
no•tnanza, " Del 'Amista," performed by Herr
F'risch
Vitae, " Valise D'Adien," with solo for cornet-a-
Jullien. :,
piston, by Herr Keenig •. • • •
.IJuo Concertaute, Violin and Violoncello, perform-
Bothtsini.
ed by Messrs. Viotti and George Collins ...• • • • •
Quadrille, " The British Army," assisted by the
Jumen.
military bands ...... •• • •
....... ..... • • " • • • •
" Partant pour la Syria.'
" God save the Queen." - "

PAST li.- •
Grand Operatic Selection and F mitosis, from Meyer-
beer's Opera, "Roberto 11 Dtavolo," arranged
expre, sly by M. Jullien, with Solos by M. Bau-
mann, NI, Lavigne, M. Wuille, and Mr. Trust .. • Meyerbeer.
Scher ische, "The loiciavian Schottische" ••• • • • Julden.
Sym phony, the " %negro Vivace, from the sym-
friorty in A minor ••••••-• • " • • • • • • •••• •• •• Siendelssohn.
Br,lo, Trumpet, performed by M. Dultcm T.uhem.
Czeddrille, „Tire Americ tn Quadrille" Julten•
-Solo, Violin, " Valso Diabolique," perfamed by
Signor itobbio
" The Atlantic" •. • •
The _Concerts on each evening will commence at Eight and termi-
nate at Eleven o'clock.
PRICES OF ADMlSSlON.—Promenade, boxes, and galleries, 1 Is* •
dress circle, 2s• 6d• ; private boxes 11. Is. ard 11, I Is* 6d.
M. JULLIEN'S GRAND 13AL MASQUE will take place en
MONDAY, Dec. 11.

THZATRE ROYAL HAYMARKET.
Under the managercent of Mr. Izuckatone.
THIS EVENDM, Nov. 11,

WM be performed the comedy of PAUL PRY. Principal cha-
racters by Mr. Wright, Mr. Chippendale. Mr. W. Farren, Mrs.
Poynter. and Miss E. Chaplin.
To which will be added THE SPANISH DANCERS.
To be followed by THE IRISH POST. Principal character by
kr. 'Judson.

ROYAL PRINCESS'S THEATRE, OXFORD-STREET..
Under the Management of Mr. CRAWL= £IAS.
THIS EVENLNG, Nov. 11,
Will be performed the highly ;opnlar comedietta, entitled LIVING
TOO FAST.
Will be performed FROM VILLAGE TO COURT. Principal
characters by Messrs. Harley, Fisher, and Cathcart ; Misses Mur-
ray, and Heath. 11$
After which will be presented a new Melo-dramatic Spectacle, in
three acts, entitled SCHAMYL, the Warrior Prophet.

TI RATRE ROYAL A.DELPHL
Pmrietor, Mr. B. Webster.—Directress, Madame Celeste.
TILLS EVENING, Nov. n,

Will be performed THE SERIOUS FAMILY. Characters by
C. seiby. Leigh Murray, and Keeley ; Miss Woolgar, and
llrs. Keeley.
Followed by BONA FIDE TRAVELLERS.
To conclude with MEPHISTOPHELES.
To conclude with THE FIFTH OF NOVEMBER.

ROYAL OLYMPIC THEk TRB.
Lessee and Manager, Mr. A. Wigan.

THIS EVENING, Nev. 11.
Will be performed THE TinTiTEE. Charactors by Messrs. A.
Wigan. F. Vining. Emery, and Leslie; Miss Moltke!, and Miss
Stephens.
To be followed by a Farce, called A BLIGHTED BEING, in
which Mr. Robson will appear.
To conclude with THE LOTTERY TICKET.

ARTLEY'S ROYAL AMPHITHEATRE.
Lessee and Manager, Mr. William Cooke.
The excitement of the Great Exhibition of 1851 equalled, and success
beyond all preceient I