The Sun.
London, England, 1846-07-08 00:00:00

quantity of brass and metal in his possession without being
able to account for it. The magistrates, in consequence
of there being some pewter pots belonging to publicans
in the neighbourhood amongst the metal, inflicted a small
fine, and advised the accused to be more careful for the
future.

On the morning of the murder a woman named Page,
who was present at the inquest on Saturday, but was not
examined, residing in a cottage a short distance from where
it took place, states that about three o'clock she was awoke
by the violent barking of her dogs in the yard, and on lis-
tening to it she heard a cry for help ; but the continual bark-
ing of the dogs prevented her from hearing anything more
distinctly.
Whilst the constables were busy in reference to the murder
on Saturday, information was received by the principal
officer of another constable, of the same division, named
George Hall, aged 20, belonging to the Ilford station, having
been killed. The unfortunate man in this instance, who had
only been four months married, had been on duty all day on
Friday at Fairlop Fair, and at two o'clock on Saturday
morning was returning on horseback from it, when his horse
shied, and threw him on his Lead. He was assisted by a
brother constable, named Corbyn, No. 100 K, who had been
on duty with him, to Barking side, whence he was removed
to his residence at Ilford. Mr. Abison, a surgeon, attended
him, and found a dreadful fracture on the left side of the
head, under the ear. He continued to attend him until half-
past twelve o'clock on the same day, when he died. An in-
quest was held yesterday by Mr. C. C. Levis, the coroner,
at the Rose and Crown, Ilford, on the body, and a verdict of
" Accidental death" was returned. The deceased had been
on duty from eleven o'clock on the Friday morning, and was
supposed to be asleep when his horse shied.
Up to the time at which our reporter left Dagenham on
Monday, the murderers had not been apprehended; and it is
understood that an immediate application will be made to
Government to offer a reward for their apprehension.

MURDER AT KINETON, WAR,

WICKSIIIRE.

LEAMINGTON, MONDAY EVaNLva. Another murder,
which at present is involved in as much mystery as that
which occurred at Berkswell, in this county, some months
ago, is just reported here, as having been committed close to
Kineton, a market town lying between Banbury and Strat-
ford-upon-Avon.
The occurrence has caused the greatest consternation in
the town and neighbourhood, where the deceased (William
Chater) was well known, being a blacksmith and machine-
maker, aged 53, residing at Cornbrooke, near Kineton, with
a decrepid mother of above 80 years, who had been confined
to her bed for the past ten years.
An inquest upon the body was taken before Mr. George C.
Greenway, coroner, this day, at the Swan Inn, Kineton, when
we gathered the subjoined particulars:—
Samuel Adkins, landlord of the Rose and Crown, Kineton,
said—On Tuesday, the 30th of June, there was an Odd
Fellows' feast held at my house ; some of the members were
there on the following day. The deceased, William Chater,
came about half-past twelve o'clock on the Wednesday, and
stayed half an hour, during which time he had some bread
and cheese. He then left, and returned about six o'clock in
the evening, when he joined the company in the club-room,
who were drinking ale and porter. About nine o'clock he
went into the yard, and remained there about half an hour,
and then lett the house rather in liquor, but walking pretty
well. He went out by the back way, and no one was with
him. I saw him off the premises. There were seven or eight
people in the lodge-room when he left, and lodgers in dif
ferent parts of the house. I did not see any money in his
possession whilst he was at the house. He complained of
being short of money, but witness, though he knew he had
paid for what he had, did not see him with any money, and
never saw him again alive. His body was brought in be-
tween three and four o'clock the next morning. Witness's
house was clear of all company, except the lodgers, at
ten o'clock.
Thomas Furnell, a groom to Mr. Brown, surgeon, of Kine-
ton, deposed to having seen the deceased on the Wednesday
evening alluded to standing against Mr. Winter's shop,
vomiting, and to 'all appearance intoxicated. Witness ad-
vised him to go into the Swan and sit down, but witness re.
plied that he would go home.
Martin Wisdom, the younger, said—l am a carrier, liv-
ing at Kineton. I knew the deceased. I saw him in the Odd
Fellows' club-room at the Rose and Crown, on Wednesday
afternoon. I saw him there from three to five o'clock. He
was quite sober, but I believe be was drinking. There were
five or six persona in the room. I left a little before six. I
left the deceased there. I was in the town half-an-hour
afterwards, and stayed until nine o'clock. I went home to
bed. I got up at eleven to go with a horse to meet my
father at the bottom of Friz-hill, near Wellesbourne. As I
went up Pittern-hill I heard groaning, and saw some one
lying under the hedge. I spoke two or three times and got
no answer. I got on the horse and looked in the person's
face. I saw it was Chater. I thought he was "fresh," and
that I would let him alone, I did not observe any wound or
injury to his face. It was rather dark, but light enough to
see it was deceased, and 1 knew him by his dress, having
seen him in the afternoon. I went on till I met the cart on
this side of Wellesbourne turnpike-gate. I waited for the
cart about 300 yards from the gate. I waited half an hour.
As we were coining home, which must have been about two
o'clock, I told my father I had seen deceased lying on the
road quite " fresh." When we came to Pittern-hill we
found him where I had left him ; he lay upon his left side,
with his head towards the hedge. My father placed him
against the bank. He was quite speechless ; he was much
injured about the head. The blood ran out of his mouth.
and there was a rattling in the throat. We took the load
home, as we had no room for the deceased, and called up Mr.
Brown, a surgeon, and the constable, and then took back the
empty cart, and brought deceased to the Rose and Crown.
He was then alive, but insensible.

John Mayor Brown sworn—l am a surgeon at Kineton.
I was called up to the deceased by last witness, on Thursday
morning, about half-past 2 o'clock. I proceeded imme-
diately to the spot, Wisdom following with his cart ; I found
Chater lying by the road-side ;I at first thought that he
was intoxicated, he was in a complete state of stupor, cold,
and insensible. I had him placed in Wisdom's cart, and
conveyed to the Rose and Crown. On examining him, I
found a wound on his forehead, the right eye was black and
swollen, there was a great contusion on the right side of his
head. I gave him brandy, bled him, put him to bed, and
staid with him several hours. He did not get warm. I saw
him several times on Thursday. He never recovered from
his state of insensibility, and died about 8 o'clock on Friday
morning. I made a post mortem examination, and found the
parts much contused, and a severe fracture of the skull. On
the right side there was a depression of the skull on the
brain, 3i inches by .2i, the fractured portion of bone being
forced on the br .in ; the back part of the temporal bone was
br..ken, and the fracture extended round the head, from one
ear to the other. [Several portions of the skull which had
been forced on the brain were produced by the surgeon to
the jury.] The cause of death was fracture of the skull,
which could not arise from a drunken man ou foot falling on
his head. I consider the fracture and injury arose from a
blow given with violence by some blunt instrument. The
dirt from the fall was on the left side, the injury on his
right ; the right lappet of his coat was torn. The deceased,
I am fully of opinion, could not have inflicted the injuries
himself.

The verdict of the jury was " Wilful murder against some
person or persons unknown."
The hat and coat of the deceased were produced by the
constable; the left side of the coat was dirty, as if from a
fall: only a few pence were found in his pocket, and an
empty purse; also some soap which he had purchased at
Kineton' where he had been spending the afternoon. He
had in his possession a packet of coffee, which was strewed
on the ground near to where he was found, evidently as if a
struggle had taken place. His walking-stick was lying
broken in the road.

The magistrates of the neighbourhood, Mr. E. B. King,
Colonel Miller, Rev. C. Palmer, &c., have been indefatigable
in their exertions to trace the murderer, whose object does
not appear to have been plunder, but bloodshed. The de
ceased was of a quarrelsome, disposition, often engaged in
disputes with his workmen, &c., before the justices of the
locality; and some of the persons with whom ho has been
thus engaged have been known to threaten him.