The Sun.
London, England, 1851-07-08 00:00:00

MURDER NEAR HOLKRAM, IN
NORFOLK.
WELLS-NEXT-THE-SEA, SUNDAY NlGHT.—Norfolk
has gained and is likely to retain an unenviable notoriety
for crimes of the deepest dye. Scarcely has the excite-
ment consequent upon the recent discovery of human
remains in the neighbourhood of Norwich subsided, when
the news of a cold-blooded murder, perpetrated at mid-
day near the princely seat of the Earl of Leicester, has
spread consternation throughout the north-western divi-
sion of the county. The peculiarity of the case is that
the murderer made scarely any attempt to escape detec-
tion, and was apprehended soon after the commission of
the crime.
From the inquiries made on the spot we learn that the
murdered man, named John Ayton, was employed by
the Earl of Leicester as superintendent of his Lordship's
extensive brick and tile works at Burnham Overy, a dis-
tance of about one mile and a half from Holkham Hall.
It was Ay ton's usual custom every alternate Frid ly to go
with a donkey and cart to the hall, between eleven and
twelve o'clock in the morning, in order to receive money
with which to pay the workpeople and other charges.
We may here state that Holkham Park is very ex-
tensive, being fourteen miles in circumference, and that
the hall is in the centre of the park. On leaving the
ball, Ayton had always to proceed in a direct line
through the park gate to the brick works, passing a
plantation which incloses a sandpit at a short distance
from the road side, and about a quarter of a mile i'rom
the perk gate. The locality is very solitary and secluded,
there being-no habitations near; and -it was therefore
well suited for a deed of blood.
Lately a man, named George Groom, residing at
Wells, which is about two miles from Holkham
was employed at the brick works; but having been dis-
charged, it is supposed that he entertained a revengeful
feeling towards Ayton, though he was still employed as
a farm labourer on the Holkham estate. Groom was
well aware of Ayton's custom of going to the hall every
alternate Friday to receive money, and also the direction
and time of his returning to the works.
From the statements of parties in the locality, we
learn that Ayton went as usual to the hall on Friday
last, and between twelve and one o'clock he received from
'Mr. Shellabear, the chief clerk to Mr. Keary, Lord
Leicester's steward, the sum of 25/. ss. 6d., consisting of
sovereigns, half-sovereigns, some eilver, and a 51.
note of the bank of Messrs. Gurney. After
receiving the money he proceeded along his
usual route towards the brick works, bat did not arrive
there at the time he was expected. Soon afterwards
a lad named Savory, who was visiting in the neighbour-
hood, and who had occasion to pass through the sand-
pit before referred to, towards the farm of Mr. Doggett,
bis uncle, saw, as he supposed, a man asleep in the pit,
and he incidentally stated this to four men in his uncle's
employ, who were working in an adjoining field. These
men then remembered that they had, between half-past
one and a quarter to two o'clock, as near as they could
judge, heard the report of fire-arms, and made some re.
marks to each other at the time upon the subject, but had
thought nothing of it. The men requested the lad to go
back to the sand-pit and ascertain whether the man really
was asleep or not; but the lad, it appears did not do so,
and on their leaving work at five o'clock, one of them
saw Ayton's donkey and cart in the road without a
driver. Thinking this circumstance very strange, and
remembering what the lad had said, he went into the
sand-pit, and there discovered Ayton lying on his bide,
quite dead, and a small spot or two of blood on the sand.
there was a wound on the lower part of the back of the
head. Dr. Young, of Wells, who afterwards examined
the body, found that there was at this wound a perfora-
tion, into which he could introduce his finger. On taking
off the skull-cap he found that there was a bullet em-
bedded in the brain; that it had entered above the occi-
pital bone, passed through the brain, struck the
skull-bone, and recoiled into the central lobe, caus-
ing instantaneous death. Several shots of No. 4 size
were also found in the brain. The man who
first discovered that Ay ton was dead imme-
diately hurried to Holkham Hall, and informed Mr.
Keary of the circumstance, and that gentleman lost no
time in proceeding to the spot. Having seen the body,
he sent the news to the police at Hurnbam and Wells,
and took down the names of all the persons he could
meet with who were likely to be able to give any infor-
mation. As soon as the intelligence reached the police,
they mustered at Holkham New Inn; and upon making
inquiries they learned that Groom had been seen near
the sand-pit, by Dr. Young, who was passing in his car-
riage, and by some labouring men, very near the time
that the murder had been committed. Dr. Young had
his three daughters with him as he passed the spot, and
he distinctly saw Groom loitering at the entrance.
Groom touched his hat to the doctor, who remarked to
his eldest daughter—" That's a Wells man." Dr.
Young knew him well from having attended his family.
Police-constable George Lambley, having information
of these particulars, went, at eight o'clocki n the evening,
to the house of the prisoner and found him at tea. lie
appeared greatly confused when the officer entered, but
no words passed, except a request by Lambley—with
which the prisoner complied—that he would accompany
him to his house. On arriving there, the officer told him
the charge on which ho was apprehended, but Groom
denied all knowledge of the matter, and declared that
he had not seen Dr. Young that day. During the
evening the police searched the prisoner's house,
where they found a large pistol, which had been re-
cently discharged, together with a quantity of shots
and powder. They also found a box secreted under the
bed, containing 15 sovereigns and 12 half-sovereigns.
The half-sovereigns were wrapped in a piece of paper,
which turned out to be a memorandum in Ayton's
writing in reference to some payments made by him
during the
.previous fortnight.
On searching the prisoner's person, a 5/. note of
Messrs. Gurney's bank and Ayton's watch, were found
in his possession. When he was asked where he ob-
tained the note, he said that ho had found it about a
fortnight previously. The clerk at the ball believes it to
be the one that he paid to Ayton on the same morning;
" F 27" was written upon it in red ink. Inside the
watch case were found two watch papers, with the name
of Ayton written upon each.
The prisoner lived with his father-in-law, who keeps
a garden, and who used the pistol which was found for
the purpose of scaring birds. The father-in-law had so
used it on Friday morning early, and had then replaced
it in its usual position. After Groom had gone out the
father-in-law missed the pistol from its place, and
searched for it all over the premises; soon after Groom
returned, however, the father-in-law again saw the pistol
in its proper place. We may mention here, too, that
after the prisoner came home on Friday afternoon be
took the box,-(in which the money- was subsequently
found) to a locksmith, and had the lock repaired.
On the evening of his apprehension the prisoner was
taken before the Rev. R. Collyer, examined, and re-
manded to Walsingham prison, and on Saturday the
evidence of twelve witnesses, who proved the details
above narrated, was given before Mr. 11. E. Blyth, the
Rev. R. Collyer, and the Rev. Mr. Methwold, at Wal-
singham. The inquiry lasted the whole day, and the
result was that not the slightest doubt remained of the
prisoner's guilt. An inquest was also opened at Burn-
ham Overy, on Saturday, before R. Dench, Esq., but
great delay and confusion were caused by the magis-
trates examination being held at Walsingham at the
same time, and the necessary witnesses could not all be
obtained. The magistrates' inquiry stands at present
adjourned for Dr. Young's evidence; when that has been
given the prisoner will be fully committed for trial.
Groom and the murdered man were of the same age-
-32 or 33. The prisoner has borne the general character
of to quiet, harmless, and inoffensive man, and all who
knew him are greatly surprised at his being the subject
of so extraordinary an infatuation as to commit so hor-
rible a deed. Ayton leaves a wife and two or three
children; Groom also is married, and has a small family.

ALLEGED HOMICIDE BY THE POLICE.—YeSte
day Mr. Payne held an inquest at the Red Lion Tavern,
Shoe-lane City, on the body of John Hogan, aged 20, of
Plumtree-court, Holborn-bridge, who, it was alleged, had
been killed by a supernumerary officer of the City police, on
Saturday last. (A brief report of which applared in The
Sun of yesterday.) The inquest excited the highest degree
of feeling against the police, who were hooted as they at-
tended the court by the mob assembled. The principal
witnesses were a man named George Williams, a man
named John Long, and a woman named Legans, who lived
in the same court in which the deceased was killed, all of
whom deposed to the violence of the police-constable, and
to the inoffensive conduct of the deceased. According to
their evidence it appeared that the policeman struck the
deceased many heavy blows on the side of his head with
his staff, that the deceased in vain implored for mercy,
and subsequently fell to the ground, where he almost im-
mediately expired. Mr. Tapping, surgeon, of 205, Fleet-
street, was examined, and from his evidence it appeared
that he had been sent for on Sunday morning last to attend
the deceased, whom he found quite dead, lying on a bed.
He found several bruises on the back of his neck, on his arm
and right wrist. He could not ascertain the precise state of
the head without a post-mortent examination. Death might
have resulted from natural causes, or been accelerated by
violence. The inquest was subsequently adjourned. As the
police left the court the policeman was hissed and hooted at,
and order was not restored till same of the leaders of the mob
were taken into custody.
BRIDEWELL AND BETHLEHEM HOSPITALS.--OH
Friday the governors and supporters of these great institu-
tions held the anniversary in the great room of Bridewell
Hoital—Sir Peter Laurie, president, in the chair. The re-
porspt stated that within the last year 197 patients had been
discharged cured from Bethlehem Hospital, and that there
was on the 4th of July, 1851, in the hospital 215 curables ;
that in the house of occupation attached to Bridewell 121
young persons bad been admitted during the year, and that
69 had been outfitted and provided with situations, of whom
18 were placed in the Queen's, and 3 in the Merchants' naval
service, and that 25 had been rewarded for good conduct and
continuance in service. There were present amongst the
guests the Bishop of Chester, Baron Charles Dupin, Mr.
Hankey, governor of the Bank of England, &c. The Queen
and all the other loyal toasts were proposed with eloquence
and drunk with enthusiasm. The Bishop of Chester deli-
vered an admirable speech in favour of the noble institutions,
the anniversary of which they had assembled to celebrate,
and attributed the remarkable prosperity with which this
country was blessed in a great measure to the efficacious aid
which was given to the great charities with which it
abounded. Baron Dupin expressed his surprise at the fact,
that 30,000/. a year should be given by voluntary subscrip-
tion for the support of the institutions, at the celebration of
the anniversary, of which he had the honour to be a guest.
Great applause was bestowed upon the president, the trea-
surer, and the distinguished strangers.