The Sun.
London, England, 1853-11-28 00:00:00

MURDER OF AN AGED CRIPPLE.

LEIGHTON BUZZARD, BEDFORDSHIRE,
SUNDAY EVENING.
The greatest consternation has prevailed in this popu-
lous market town since Friday last, in consequence of a
most brutal murder having been committed at a place
distant about a mile and a quarter from here, called
Heathand Reach, by a man named Jno. Burrows, upon
an aged and cripple woman, named Glemister.
It appears that the murderer, who is an agricultural
labourer, is a married man, and, when at home, lives in
the village mentioned, but he bears a very bad cha-
racter, and has been frequently in the habit of ill-treat-
ing his wife and deserting her for weeks together, so
that they have led a very unhappy life. He had but
very lately returned home, after being absent for some
time at Watford, where he had been spending his time
in the most profligate manner. On Thursday night
he went to bed with his wife, but they had not
been there long before he began to ill-use her ; and
at last, seizing her by the throat, tried to strangle
her. After a violent struggle, she managed to get away
from him, and rushing out of the house, nearly naked,
she went to his father's, which is a short distance, there
to seek refuge from his brutality. The old man, learn-
ing what had taken place, at once gave her shelter, arid
said be would go down to his son and try and pacify
him. Ho did so, and finally lay down upon the bed
with him. He lay there until about three in the morn-
ing, when Burrows began to abuse him, and pushing
him from the bed, swore he would kill him. He then
beat his head upon the floor until the poor old man was
almost insensible. In this state the wretch left his aged
parent, and went in search of his wife. He then bent
his way to the borne of his father, expressing his de-
termination to do for his wife ; but she, observing him
approach, and fearing she would be deprived of life
should he get hold of her, slipped out of the house, and
concealed herself in a passage close by. At home
he found his mother, who had been for nearly five
months confined to her bed with illness ; and, learning
that his wife had fled, he commenced a most brutal
attack upon the poor old woman. His fiendish yen-
gearice being partially satisfied, he sat down and began
eating some breakfast, apparently quite calmed. In the
room, and attendant upon the sick woman, was the
deceased, who was a cripple and used a crutch. During
the breakfast she happened to make some remark about
the ill-treatment of his wife, upon which Burrows seized
a long-handled hammer, used for stone-breaking in the
roads, and attempted to strike her. So great was her ter-
ror at seeing this that she managed without her crutch to
get from the house and into that of a neighbour named
Adams, and, going into his bedroom, sought his protec-
tion. Adams got up and took the poor creature in his
arms, but no sooner had he done so than Burrows rushed
into the room armed with the hammer, and whilst the de-
ceased was in Adams's arms struck her three blows on the
head, completely breaking in the skull, and causing the
brain to protrude. Her death was instantaneous. Bur-
rows than turned upon Adams, and aimed a blow at his
skull, which he providentially missed ; and Adams, rush-
ing past him, escaped by leaping the entire flight of
stairs, and running out into the road, where he raised an
alarm. Burrows quickly followed him down stairs,•and
again attempted to strike him on the head with the ham-
mer. Adams, however, having avoided the blow, and
some of the neighbours coming up, Burrows kept them
at bay. Having threatened any one with instant death
who should oppose him, however, and swearing that he
meant to take the life of his wife, he compelled those
round him to give way, and walked off to find her ; but
three working men who had watched him turn his back
came from behind, and, throwing him to the ground,
got the hammer from him, though not before they had
been much hurt by his kicks. They then procured a
strong rope and bound his legs. The constable by this
time arrived, bringing with him the handcuffs and leg-
irons, and ultimately the prisoner was secured. They
then returned to -look after the deceased, whom they
-found lying where she first fell, quite dead, and sur-
rounded with so much blood that it seemed all she pos-
sessed had oozed from her body. Two surgeons from
Leighton were speedily upon the spot, but their services
were unneeded except to render some assistance to the
other persons who had been so furiously attacked. The
prisoner's father, an old man apparently verging upon
70, was most fearfully lacerated and bruised about the
face from the violence done to him by his son.
The prisoner, after he found himself secured, made a
'variety of grimaces, and affected to be insane, but the
two 'medical gentlemen who saw the attempt pronounced
it to be a most-clumsy act, and it was a matter of doubt
.whether he had even been drinking.
He was ultimately conveyed to the Woburn lock-up,
and the police having taken up the inquiry have dis-
covered grounds for suspecting that the attack upon his
*gib was not the result of a quarrel, but a preconcerted
latent to murder her, and that having been foiled in that
• he had wreaked his bloodthirsty vengeance upon the
poor unoffending creature who lies a corpse, mangled in
a manner
horrible to think of. Prisoner's last regular
"I°Pnent was with Mr. Bassett, the banker, of Leigh-
ton, and u
woman,
,toon leaving that service he ran away with a
which reeentlhought him a single man, but from letters
truth, and the fell into her hands she found out the
their acquaintance existence of the wife was deemed a bar to
on the night of the ran is said he had met this woman
utter threats against ilder, and was afterwards heard to
It appears that when I:ll7.:ifevictim first gained the interior
of Adams's cottage, she
itilrin such
to bar the door against
him, and that he struck it wt forcech
that the ham-
mier went right through the doors
tearing away all the fastenings, , forcing it open, and
The deceased, whose name was Charity G emister, was
a widow, her husband having been killedby a fall of
sand in a pit some years since. She leaves several chil-
dren, but none very young.
Contrary to the usual custom, no officer or official was
left in care of the corpse, which lay upon a bed in the
room where the deed was committed.
The place where the deed has been committed is one
of a few small old-fashioned cotter houses, about a mile
and a quarter from Leighton, on the Woburn road.

EXTENSIVE EURGLART.—ScarceIy had the above me.
lancholy affair become generally known, when a fresh
cause for excitement occurred in the town, namely, the
robbery, by some London thieves, of the shop of Mr.
Matthews, watchmaker, of the High-street. Between
Friday night and Saturday morning they had effected an
entrance from the first floor window, drugged the two
dogs, lit the gas in the shop, and swept off all they
could find, many being valuable watches left to repair.
The plunder is estimated at 1,6001. No clue to the
thieves has been obtained.