The Sun.
London, England, 1851-03-15 00:00:00

MYSTERIOUS MURDER.

PmcsiouTFi, Mancn 11.—Considerable excitement
has prevailed in the neighbourhood of Brixton, a small
village about six miles east of P 1) mouth, in conse-
quence of a rumour having gone abroad that a boy,
who was found on Friday hanging to a tree in an or-
chard, hack been murdered by the son of his master, a
respectable farmer named Henry Rowe. The name of
the deceased was John Bunker. The coroner of the
district, Mr. Bore, has, instituted an inquiry. The sus-
picious circumstances connected with the case will be
gathered from the following portion of the evidence ad-
duced at the irquest:—
Thomas Froude, a police-constable of Ply mpton St.
Mary, said that on Tuesday last he received informa-
tion that there was a charge against William Rowe, the
son of Henry, that he had been guilty of a nameless
crime on a mare, and on Saturday he received such
further information as led to the apprehension of the
man on the double charge of having committed
a brutal crime, find with being the murderer of John
Bunker. The prisoner denied all knowledge of the acts
with which he was charged, and said that the boy had
fetched the rope that was found round his neck
Irons the house with his own hand. Witness sew
the deceased on a bed in the house of prisoner's
father. There were marks of coagulated blood on
the back of the right band and the left. There was a
scratch on the left temple, and blood coming from the
nose and mouth. That around the mouth was of a
fresher appearance than the rest. Witness afterwards
went to the orchard where the deceased was found, and
he there 'discovered footmarks that corresponded with
the boots taken from the prisoner's feet. Witness ob-
tained the clothes worn by the prisoner on the slay the
deceased was found. They consisted of a coat, waist-
coat, breeches, leggings, and a handkerchief. There
were marks of blood on the handkerchief and coat.
Some of them appeared tolhe fresh spots. There were
also in the waistcoat pocket five bullets. The prisoner
said he used the bullets to kill rabbits, as a matter of
fancy., [The clothes were produced, and the spots of
blood pointed out to the jury.]
William Good said he was in Mr. Scoble's field at
Chippleham at about six o'clock on Friday morning last.
He knew the pond orchard-gate, which was about a
quarter or half a mile distant from the place at which
he stood.. While there he heard a cry proceeding from
the direction of the wood, which nearly adjoins the
orchard. It was a loud screech, as if some one were
being ill-used. Witness thought it appeared as if a man
were strangling a youngster with his hands. Witness
saw the two young Scobles going in the direction of the
cry; one was on horseback, the other on foot. It was
shortly after nine o'clock.
Richard Scoble corroborated the evidence of the pre-
ceding witness.
James Ellis had had a conversation With deceased on
Wednesday as to the nameless crime that had been laid
to the prisoner's charge. Deceased, said there was no
doubt about the truth of it, and that he had been offered
money not to say what he knew concerning it.
Thomas Barber saw the deceased hanging in the
orchard, as he passed along the road. He took the body
from the tree and put it on the ground:
The jury, after consulting together for two hours,
brought in a verdict that "Deceased died from strangu-
lation, and that he was wilfully murdered by some party
or parties unknown."
The prisoner will undergo an examination before the
magistrates at Ridgway on Friday, on the charge of
having committed an unnatural crime.