The Sun.
London, England, 1848-12-01 00:00:00

i,10,0.-.-.'-^-

, ,

•
frl„. •
4..
- -
4111,
• '!l',
7407. V.,
•
Ll'4
0.14 •
2,4 f
114,
•
Tip •
ic
**-4 ,
,
"
,4
.457- I 14.
-C- 1,1% Fr
• .„
er--;
,

onaSfenoxgdortneht
great
after
at
nseiaroi
ORRIBLE MURDERS AT STAN-
FIELD HALL, NEAR WYMONDFIAM.
On Tuesday evening Stanfield, near Wymondliam, was
the scene of the most atrocious murders ever perpetrated
innalarmedco u Norfolk,sebi: consequence
ec perhaps,
intelligenceerhap s,
Superintendent
i n any•
thaty altrirr
n.
Recorder
oen:goiwir
cto:job:eyui
r:ntm,nathysyse,.
mes-
sage to that effect was sent to Norwich police-station,
with a request that a Mr. Rush should be apprehended.
Thompson, arid Amiss, and four constables, proceeded in
post-chaises to the hall. They arrived there about one
there. They saw the bodies of foa.rf.n
o'clock in the morning, and found the inmates in a state
and ascertained that Mrs. Jermy and her maid, E,iza:
jdtAheirerilt
repyul telegraphic
noasdfdrehpoesnhrri
hise n
bath Chesteney, had been shot at and severely- wounded. •
Before giving the particulars of this horrible affair it
will be necessary to state the construction of Stanfield
Hall. It is a large building in the Norman style of
architecture, with a moat before it and an extensive park .
round it. Of late years a wing has been added, cons-
pri,ing the servants' apartments. In front of the main
building there is a porch entrance, leading into a spa-
cious hall, from which there is a passage to the dining
and drawing rooms on the left. To the right of the
porch them is au entrance and passage for the servants, -
leading of
ot
into their compartment of the building. This
Innen
2igg.hul letdes
toobnectseltaConstable
eouduset
thoa n Wymondham was
passage and the preceding one run front to back. A
passage runs from left to right across the centre of
the building. intersecting the servants' passage and •
leading to the dining and drawing-rooms. The per-
petrators of these murders were well acquainted with
the premises, as will appear from what iollows:—Mr.
Jermy, Mr. Jermy, jun., and Mrs. Jermy dined
together on Tuesday evening, little expecting any
murderous intentions towards them. The butler,
two female servant, and a man servant were on the
premises. Two female servants had gone to Wymond-
ham, and had returned to the park, but were not in the
hall before eight o'clock. About half-past eight o'clock,
Mr. Jenny, sen., left the dining-room, and walked
through the hall to the front of the building. On re-
tu, fling, just as he entered the porch, a man wrapped up
in a cloak, and wearing a mask, fired a pistol at him, and
the shot lodged in the upper part of his left breast,
close to the shoulder. He fell down and instantly
expired, but owing to what followed was not removed
for nearly an hour. The assassin went to the
servants' entrance to the right, passed through
the passage from the front, turned to the left
into the passage across the building, and met the but. -
ler. With a pistol in each ban he *lamed, -
Lo go back. Being
rition of a man i ask presenting two pistels, the but-
ler retired into his pantry. The assassin proceeded
onwards to the turn of the passage, where there was a
dark recess and a door opening into another passage,
leading to the back of the premises. He appears to have
arrived in the recess just as Mr. Jermy, jun., alarmed
at the report of a pistol, left the dining-room. The
young gentlemen went to the door opening into the back
passage, and there the man fired at him and shot him
through the right breast. Re instantly fell down dead.
Mrs. Jermy, hearing a noise, went to the same place,
and while standing over the lifeless body of her husband
the same diabolical assassin fired a pistol at her.
The shot shivered one of her arms and wounded her
in the breast. Her maid, more courageous than the
other servants, went to the same spot to see what was
the matter, and while supporting her mistress, the
murderer discharged a pistol at her and severely wounded
her in the thigh. The female servants, thinking they
should be alt murdered, hid themselves. The man-
servant, who was then in the stables, hearing all this
firing, and supposing that the house was attacked by a
number of ruffians, swam across the moat and set off to
Wymondham, where he gave the alarm which caused the
telegraphic message to be sent to Norwich police-station.
The murderer had, therefore, no difficulty in making his
escape. The two women-servants who had gone to
Wymondham returned with two young men, and while
they stood outside of the moat talking they heard the
report of a pistol and saw the flash. They thought Mr.
Jemmy, jun., was trying to frighten them, and they
went to the lodge.
Constable Pout and the city police remained in the
hall for some time, and found the ramrod of a pistol.
About two o'clock in the morning all the police went to
watch the house of Mr. Rush, at Hethel. They re-
mained all night watching the premises. About five
o'clock they saw Mr. Rush strike a light, and heard him
ring for his servant. They then entered the premises,
auctioneer,
Wednesday w d e powder-flasks.
great excitement prevailed among the
and took Mr. Rush into custody. The house was
searched, and a cloak quite damp was found upon Mr.
Rush's bed. Constable Morter took the cloak into his
possession, and Pout took charge of a pair of Mr.
Rush's boots, which were quite wet. The police also
took charge of a couple of loaded fowling- pieces, and
two
On po
-wfisass bks.rouMgh b
Mr.
Rush,
Reufsbhre Mr.who Cisanan, farmerthe magis-
trate,and examined, and remanded to Wymondham Bridewell.
residents in the neighbourhood of the hall. Numbers of
gentlemen arrived there to make inquiries, and to be
sure that such horrible murders had really been com-
mitted. Many viewed the bodies, which presented a
The
ex prgeesnsitolenmoetnthheadcdeuiendteinnances
shhoawstelydgreat
spectacle.the
unfortunate
agony. There was a trail of blood from the porch to
the rooms where they were lying. The coroners of the
g that
county were sent for, but they were nowhere to be
found. Mr. Press, the coroner for the district, had gone .
to London, and Mr. Pilgrim was not in the city. In the
afternoon the Hon. and Rev. B. Wilson, Mr. Cann, Mr.
Earkvr. and other magigulttes, held a private investiga-
rtush -.•,211‘11 on theremises Mr statements of the wounded women
appeared to be in a dangerous condition. Mr. Nichols,
rrge u of Norwich, attended them. Mr. Jermy,
e °sides being a county magistrate and recorder of the
city, was chairman and director of the Norwich Union
Fire and Life-office. His son was a county magistrate.
At present suspicion rests only on the party now in
custody, in consequence of Mr. Jermy and Mr. Rush
having had legal disputes.

[PRICE SD.

EXAMINATION OF TIIE ACCUSED.
WYRONDHAM, THURSDAY NICIIT.—The suspected
murderer, James Bloomfield Rush, underwent an exa-
mination this morning at Wymondham House of Cor-
rection, before the Hon. and Rev. R. 'Wilson and Mr.
W. R. Cave, county magistrates. Reporters were per-
mitted to be present, but for obvious reasons at the pre-
sent stage of the proceedings were desired,notto take notes
of the evidence. It may, however, be stated, that the
apprehension of Rusk was the result of his identification
by the lady's maid of Mrs. Jermy, who positively swore
that ho was the party who fired at herself and her un-
fortunate mistress. To enable his identification to be
effected Rush was last night taken to the bedside of the
young woman.
The,examination lasted from ten o'clock to five.
From fifteen to sixteen witnesses were examined, and
a strong case of circumstantial evidence was made
out. It was shown distinctly that Rush was absent
from his farm at the period of the murders being
committed. The prisoner endeavoured to rebut this
statement, but failed in his appeal to two wit-
nesses upon this point. He exhibited the coolest indif-
ference during the commencement of the proceedings,
and cross-examined the witnesses with some tact, but
towards the latter portion of the examination he ap-
peared to undergo much mental suffering. The magis-
trates determined on adjourning the examination, and
the prisoner thereupon applied to be liberated on bail.
The request was ref Used, and the prisoner was removed
warmly protesting his innocence.
Rush appears to be about 45 years of age, and is
stoutly made. He was attired very respectably. The
awful occurrence has excited the utmost horror and
consternation throughout the county, and the perk and
grounds of Stanfield-hall have been visited since the oc-
currence by a vast concourse of persons. The grounds
have been taken possession of by the constabulary force
under the personal superintendence of Colonel Oaks, the
chief constable of the county police.