The Sun.
London, England, 1854-01-19 00:00:00

CONFESSION OF MURDER BY A SOLDIER

PLYMOUTH, Jan. 17.—1 t will be remembered that,
about three weeks since, a private soldier of the 50th
Regiment, named Benjamin M'Donald, who had
been apprehended for desertion, stated that he had
murdered a woman named Thomas, who had fol-
lowed the regiment from Preston, on Roborough
Down, between this town and Tavistock. Since then
the military authorities have flogged the man for deser-
tion, and he has been too ill to be removed to point out
the pond into which he says he threw the dead body.
Some suspicion was thrown upon the circumstances de-
tailed by M'Donald, but it appears that he had pre-
viously related tho whole of the facts to a constable
at Launceston, yet no notice of them was taken, pro-
bably because the county allows no expenses to the con-
stables for the prosecution of such inquiries.
On Thursday last the prisoner made another statement
to the chaplain of the forces here, the Rev. G. W. Lang-
maid, in which he said that he had also murdered a step-
brother. Thu chaplain went to Mr. Gifford, the super-
intendent of the Devonport police, and that official
having returned to the military prison, the prisoner
made the following confession :

"After the death of my father, my mother married a
man named Lambert Heaton, a small farmer residing
in the parish of Heaton, about two miles from Bol-
ton, Lancashire. Mr. Heaton at that time was a
widower, and had an only .boy, named John Heaton,
who was about fourteen years of age. About seven
weeks after my mother married Lambert Heaton, a
great disturbance took place between my father
and mother about me. He took a dislike to me.
I was at that time about fifteen years of age. Shortly
after this my mother gave my step-brother butter on his
bread, and would not give me any. She continued to
do this, and it gave quietness to Lambert. Heaton.
About this time John Heaton was taken ill with a cold.
In consequence of my step-brother being allowed butter
on his bread and I none I formed a dislike to him. Whilst
he was ill I was working at a rope-walk on Bolton-moor,
in the employ of a Mr. Riley. I one day told my mother
that I was poorly, and could not go to work, and I
remained at home. On the same day my mother
went down the street to buy some vegetables. She at
that time told me I might warm some milk on the fire for
Johnny. During the time of her absence I took th 3
milk down to the cellar. The milk was in a little tin
can. There was some poison in the cellar kept for poi-
soning rats, some of which I tool: and mixed with the
milk. Afterwards I put it into a, jug and gave it to my
step-brother, who drank it. About two hours afterwards
my brother, John Heaton, complained of sickness. He
gob worse, and about two or three days afterwards he
died.
(Witness) "ROBERT GIFFORD, Chief of Police."
This confession was signed by the prisoner in the pie-
Bence of the chief of police and the chief warden.
Mr. Giffard has received notice from Brigade-Major
Wetberall that the prisoner will be in a condition to
be taken out to Roborough Down on Thursday morn-
ing, at seven o'clock, when he will be accompanied by a
military escort, to search for the body.