The Sun.
London, England, 1824-11-11 00:00:00

MURDERS IN LINCOLNSHIRE.

It appeared that a child was missing in the
month of February last, and never since heard of, although
every possible means of giving publicity to the circumstance
was resorted to. On the 26th ult., two children were found in
a barn. An inquest was held on the bodies on Saturday
se'nnight, before J. 11. Holloway, Esq., Coroner. The body
of the child, which lay in the first floor of the granary, was in-
spected by the jury. The long time it had lain had obliterated
every feature; the vermin which invested the granary had
eaten part of the body, particularly the fingers on one hand.
Several marks of blood were observed on the clothes, fully prov-
ing the committal of a rape; but this was not the only marks
of cruelty discovered. Round the neck, and rather inclining
to the extremity of one of the ears, it wits very easy to discern
a mark caused by the tight pressure of a cord or other ligament.
It is highly probable that the villain who perpetrated this
atrocious crime, pulled his victim up by the cord round the
neck into the false roof where it was found.
James Thomas 'rester, and Robert Hall, deposed to the find-
ing of the body. Both thought it impossible for the child to
here got to the ceiling, or for a man to have carried it up in his
arms, but it might have been pulled up by a rope.
Mr. .1. It. Rogers, surgeon, stated, that from the very putrid
state of the body, very little medical opinion could be offered.
The marks of blood on the under-clothes of the child led to the
conclusion that violence had been committed on her person.—
There also appeared to witness, a furow round the neck of the
child, as if a cord had been tightlyl applied.
Susannah Smaller, mother of the child, identified the bonnet
and pattens found in the granary, as those worn by her daughter
on the 26th of February last. She was eight years old. De-
ceased left home a few minutes before nine o'clock in the morn-
ing, with the intention of going to the National School : the
granary where the body was found was in the road to the school.
The extreme agitation of the witness cannot be described.
One of her children was burnt to death some years ago, and she
now truly appeared-_a " Rachel weeping for her children, and
refusirig to be comforted because they are not."
George Smaller, husband of the last witness, also identified
the dress of the Child. Did not miss the child until night ; it
was a very rainy day, and thought she had stopped at the school,
but found, „on inquiry, that she had not been there. Wit.
ness dragged Boston river for a fortnight himself, and made
every inquiry, but could not find or hear of his child.
James Chantrey, clerk to Mr. Sheppard, who occupied the
granary, deposed as to the grain in it at different periods; slid
not remember the key Of the granary being taken from the
office on the 26th of February ; it was not customary to ask for
the key ; the persons who want it take it from the nail on which
it hangs in the office.
Harriet Jackson, Mistress of the National School at Boston,
deposed, that Francis Smaller was one of the scholars last Feb.
runty ; deceased was not at school on the 26th ; on the 25th. she
was; had not seen her since. She always came very cheerfully
to school, and witness had not occasion to correct her in any
manner on the day preceeding her death.
Robert Maydwell was examined several times, but his evi-
dence " was a mass of contradiction."
Benjamin Benton, who lived with Mr. Sheppard at the time,
said Mayd well used generally to open the granary windows;
sometimes they were opened by himself; did not know that he
had any conversation with Itlaydwell about the child being lost.
The Inquest was then adjourned to Monday; in the mean-
time a messenger was dispatclied to London to procure the at-
tendance of Thomas Parker, whose name had been mentioned
in the proceedings.
Richard Taylor, a shoemaker, deposed, that about a week
after the child was lost, Thomas Parker, who was ftequently
at. witness's house, told him that the child was found at the
back of 31r. Sheppard's granary. Parker said he had seen the
child, and that it hatibeen pulled out of the river. Witness
mentioned what Parker said to Mr. Davey. Parker was always
in low spirits, cried much, and once said he had something on
his conscience. One morning in June last, Parker had got.
some essence of sugar in a cup, and was going to swallow it,
witness's wife. Parker took witness's
cutting;
-out
thtehdi nth. e last witness as to the convey.
Ration between them.

Wm. llayes, waiter at the Dolphin Inn, deposed that Parker
slept there in lay last, and also about five or six weeks since,
when he pulled a knife out of his pocket, and putting it to his
own body, said, " I hope this will do the deed ere long."
Several other witnesses were examined, but their evidence is
not of importance. The inquest was then adjourned to Thurs-
day, to wait the arrival of Parker. On Thursday morning the
Jury examined the premises; the general conviction was, that
the child had been enticed into the granary in the morning, the.
rape committed in the first floor, and the child murdered to
prevent detection, and the body put in the third floor, which,
' was rarely entered.
John Potties, waiter at the Still Inn, deposed that Parker
said he had something heavy on his mind, and would be hanged.
Hannah Taylor gave similar evidence as to Parker, as her
husband Richard Taylor.
Thomas Parker, who had been apprehended on a Ma,
gistrate's warrant, was brought in and examined, but not on
oath. Ile is about 311 years of age. He stated that he had
lived with Mr. Hobert Sheppard, as groom. Ile
is wife, that
positively de-
nied that he had ever told Ponies, or Taylor and
ho should be hanged ; his low spirits and uneasiness was in
consequence of his wife having left him.
There was in Parker's appearance none of the confused
anxiety of discovered guilt or apprehended punishment.. In a
h
calm and composed manner he walked up to the am ro and
after looking for a few moments at the body, he exclaimed in
a distinct and unaltered tone--" This is a shocking spectacle,
hut I had no hand in it Gcxl knows." lie was then asked if he
had any objections to touch the body' He said, " Certainly
not ; I never injured the little innocent ;" and then finally
placed his right hand on different parts of the body.
The CORONER summed up the evidence, and the Jury, after
short deliberation, returned their verdict —" Wilful Murder
against some person or persons unknown."

Another inquest was held on Tuesday, on the body of ano..
titer child, seven years of age, found in n pit adjoining Maud
Forest Dam. Several witnesses were examined, and there was
no doubt that the child had been murdered; and it appeared
from the evidence of Mr. llollway, the surgeon, that there
was some reason to suspect that a rape had been attempted on
the child._

Alice Ifattenborrow, the mother of the child, deposed to
the fact of missing her, and identified her clothes, but no clue
was obtained as to the perpetrator of the horrid deed.
Verdict—" Wilful Murder against some person or persons
unknown."—(Boston Gazine.