The Sun.
London, England, 1841-09-20 00:00:00

71411 SUN, LONDON, MONDAY. 5 E PTEMIER 20, 1841.

DREADYCL - MURDER AT ESK-
DALESIDE, NEAR WHITBY.

(From the York Herald of Si: turday.)
It has never before been our painful du.tv to record so
foul and atrocious a murder, committed witi2in the above
quiet and peaceful d istr ict, as the one which Was perpe
trated at the dwelline- of Mr. William Rubinson, yeoman,
at Eskdale%ide, on the forenoon of Tuesday las:. Mr.
Robinson, it appear: ;, left his house on the morning of
that day, for the purr ose of attending Egton Fair, and
his servants for the he rvest field, leaving Mrs. Robinson
alone to manage the d omestic concerns of the house.
At about ten o'ck ick, Mr. Hill, miller, of Thura -
dale, made his usual call for orders, when he found
Mrs. Robinson cheerfully pursuing her avocations.
and apparently in frarfect health, wishing him good
morning when he took his departure. On the re-
turn of the servants, however, to dinner at noon,
a scene the most- horrifying presented itself--they
discovered their mistress lying upon her face on
the floor, surrounded by a pool of blood. After
they had in som e degree recovered from their
alarm, they raised the body and discovercd her
head nearly severed from the trunk, and in a
rigid state. The kitchen floor on which the deed
of darkness was coma pitted appeared to be in confusion,
and, on a closer examination, they found that the
drawers, &c., had been broken open and ransacked, the
murderers leaving traces of their guilt on the various
articles of furniture which they had touched during their
pilfer. Messengers were immediately despatched to
Mr. Robinson, at Egton, and to the police at Whitby.
We will not attempt to describe the agony of the be-
reaved husband.
Mr. Wilkinson, the head of the Whitby police, ac-
companied by two vigilant officers, promptly attended,
and after examinig the premises, and obtaining all the
information relative to the foul crime which those
around were able to atrord, commenced a pursuit after
two suspicious characters, who had been seen near the
house during the morning.. Some clue to their supposed
destination was furnished by the finding of a pocket-
book, which was identified by one of Mr. Robinson's
servants, and which had been left in safety in his box
in the morning.
Mr. Wilkinson, having discovered that the men had
taken the road leading to Lyth, immediately proceeded
to that village, and succeeded in capturing them. They
proved to be two Irish reapers, travelling in search of
employment. On searching them, not any evidence
of their participation in the crime could be found on
their :persons. They stated they were going to the
neighbourhood of Mickf,lby for work, at which place
they had been engaged last autumn.
Mr. W. felt justified in Weir detention, and removed
them to Whitby, where they Underwent an examination
before C. Richardson and J. Chapman, Esqs., and were
remanded until after the Coroner's inquest, which was
then sitting at the Tunnel Inn, which, after a lengthened
investigation, was adjourned until Thursday morning,
at nine o'clock.
During the whole of Wednesday the town of Whitby
and the surrounding neighbourhood were in a state of
the greatest possible excitement. The police and the
neighbouring farmers were unremitting in their exer-
tions to discover the assassin ; rumour upon rumour
was greedily received as fact by the multitude, and we
regret that one name was most unjustly connected with
this mysterious affair. Unfortunately at a late hour no
information could be gained of the murderer.
On Thursday morning the adjourned inquest met, the
Coroner (John Buchanan, Esq.) being accompanied by
the Whitby bench of Magistrates.. The Irishmen were
removed to the Tunnel Inn, for the purpose of being
present at the investigation. We much doubt if any
evidence can be adduced to criminate them. They were
recognised by several farmers, and from their testimony
we judge them to be quiet and inoffensive men.
The deceased was the wife of a very highly respected
farmer, and aged about sixty-one years. Though the
transaction of the tragedy is as mysterious as it is alarm-
ing, we fancy we should deceive ourselves were we to
imagine that it had been committed by the hands of a
perfect stranger. It is supposed that the deed had
been done with a shoemaker's knife, one having been
found in the fire with the handle burnt off it. There is
no doubt but booty alone has led to the crime,_ although
we have not as yet ascertained that more than 321. in
gold is missing up to the time that our account left
Whitby. The Jury were still sitting, and we, therefore,
are unable to give the result of their patient inquiry.

POLICE INTELLK,ENCE.
BOIV-STREET.

CHARGE AGAINST POLICE CONSTABLE BEVEREDGE.
—Captain Macdonald, of the Royal Horse Guards
(Blue), attended this day to prosecute police-constable
Beveredge, 59 F, for improperly and without just cause
taking him into custody. It appears that on Wednesday
night Captain Macdonald was coming along Russell-
street, Covent-garden, when he observed the constable
dragging along a female in a most violent manner, and
twisting her arm behind her in such a manner as to
throw her down. The prosecutor then went up and ex-
postulated with the constable on his violent conduct.
Beveredge told him to mind his own business. He (Cap-
tain Macdonald) then took hold of the woman's other
arm, and asked her to go along quietly, and on refusing
to go away on being ordered by the policeman, was
given into custody. He was brought before Mr. Jardine
on the following morning, and charged with attempting
to rescue the prisoner Collins; but on making his de-
fence, and calling several witnesses to pi ove that he
never attempted to release the woman, but had merely
requested her in a tone of kindness to go quietly with
Beveredge, Mr. Jardine discharged both the captain and
the female, remarking at the same time that the con-
stable was greatly to blame, both for dragging the wo-
man (whose arm was dreadfully bruised) in the way he
did, and also for taking Captain Macdonald into custody.
The worthy magistrate also made a note on the charge
sheet, to the effect that the case was one which ought
to be reported to the Commissioners, which was ac-
cordingly done, and this clay (Saturday) was appointed
for its being brought before this Court. On Captain
Macdonald and his witness coming into the office, how-
ever, and the Inspector being desired to produce his con-
stable, it was found that he had made his escape. Mr.
Greenwood, therefore, ordered the hearing of the case
should be postponed until the delinquent was found.

This is the second constable who has deserted from
this division of police during the past fortnight. The
former, a man named Job Thorne, deserted on Friday
night week, to avoid the punishment to which he had
rendered himself liable by being found in a brothel with
a female when he ought to llit-ve been on duty.
Four summonses, which worse taken out by musicians
at Drury-lane Theatre against Mr. Eliason for not pay-
ing their wages, were ordered to be issued afresh, as
the defendant was not present ; and on another player
making an application of a similar character, Mr. Green-
wood said he had better wait and hear what became of
the other cases, as he might only spend his two shillings
for a summons to no purpose.

HATTON GARDEJV.

Mr. James Williams, landlord of the Ship public-
hous in Glasshouse-yard, was charged with permitting
drunkenness in his house.
Mr. Duncombe, the solicitor to the Licensed Victual-
lers' Society, appeared in behalf of the defendant.
Inspector Penny, of the G division, said, that at a
quarter-past one on Tuesday morning, the 7th instant, he
visited the defendant's house ; it was closed, but on see-
.

ing a light inside and hearing voices, he knocked at the
door, calling out that the police were anxious to get in,
when he was instantly admitted. In the tap-room were
four men drunk, and in front of the bar were nino per-
sons, three of whom were women, and they were intoxi-
cated. He told the landlady it was quite time her house
was cleared, and that he should mention what he had
:een to the Magistrates at this office.
On cross-examination, witness admitted there was not
the least disturbance in the house.

Sergeant Hall, G No. 5, said three of the women were
decidedly drunk.
Mr. Duncombe being told that that was the case
against his client, remarked that publicans were so awk-
wardly situated, that it was very seldom indeed that
they could bring forward evidence to rebut the trumped
up charges that are too frequently made against them.
In the present instance, however, lie had an abundance
of testimony of the most respectable kind to produce,
and, although he was convinced there was no necessity
to put his witnesses into the lion to cause a dismissal of
the information, no charge being made out for which the
Magistrate could punish his client, still he thought, for
more reasons than one, that the Magistrate should hear
them, that the case might be put in a proper light before
the public. He then called
Sarah Sadler, of 37, Glasshouse-yard, servant. She
said she was at defendant's when the police went in. Sho
was there for a pint of half-and-half to take home. All
present at the time were neighbours, and were conversing

friendly together. There was a loud knocking at the
door before the inspector was admitted, and a voice out-
side called out, "Is my old woman here?" Mrs. Fos-
dick, one of the females, considering it was her " old
man" that was in search of her, requested that the door
might be opened, when in pounced the police. This
witness most positively swore that not one person in the
house was in the remotest degree the worse for liquor.
Two other witnesses gave similar evidence, and Mr.
Duncombe was about to call a fourth, when he was stop-
ped by
Mr. COMBE, who said there was contradiction enough
to call upon him to dismiss the case.

Mr. Isuncombe—l am much obliged to your Worship,
and I can assure you there was not the slightest founda-
tion for the charge, which has put my client to 6/. or 71.
expense.
Inspector Penny—l was desired by the licensing Ma-
gistrate to look after the house, the licence to which was
suspended on the last licensing day.

MARYLEBONE,
The defendant, John Alexandci• Willnwtt, a man of
about 60 years of age, describing himself as a solicitor,
was, on the 14th ult., summoned for assaulting Mrs. Mary
Ann Stamp, but he did not appear, and a warrant was
subsequently obtained against him by Mr. Johnstone, a
medical student, for a violent assault upon him. The
defendant is the father of Wilhnott, tried at Rochester
some time ago for bigamy.
Mrs. Stamp, on being sworn, said she was a widow,
and about two years ago the defendant took apartments
at her house, and in a fortnight after he came to the pre-
mises he made her an offer of marriage, saying he was a
man of property, and should come into 15,0001. He
wrote an agreement to marry her, and on the next day
they went out as if going to church for the ceremony,
but returned to their friends, who were invited to break-
fast, without having been married, a step he had been de-
sired to take for the purpose of not burthening her pro-
perty with any responphility,. regarding a sum of 5001.
Which he had made himself liable to on the part of his
son. The promise of marriage was this—" When-
ever my circumstances will enable me to marry
Mrs. Stamp without endangering the loss of. her pro-
perty, I engage, at her request, to marry ter without de.