The Sun.
London, England, 1859-05-21 00:00:00

MURDER AND ROBBEI?F:

LEDBURY, FRIDAY.
The Sun of yesterday contained a few hastily-
gathered particulars of a most atrocious murder and
robbery which had been discovered on the previous
day. The victim was a respectable widow, named
llarriet Baker, whose husband died only a few
weeks ago, and who since his death has for most of
the time been the sole eccupant of a house, part of
which is used as officeslby Mr. Masefield, solicitor,
in this town. It would be difficult for the human
mind to imagine anything more fearfully atro-
cious than the details of this crime.
On Tuesday night a female friend visited Mrs.
Baker and left. her a few minutes before 10 o'clock,
when she was preparing to retire for the night.
She had fastened the doors as usual, and hung a
bell on the inside of each door to create an alarm if
anyone should gain entrance to the house. This
friend remarked that the widow seemed less-absorbed
in grief than she had been since the death of her
husband.
About eight o'clock on Wednesday morning the
neighbours, who appear to have displayed great and
uniform kindness towards the bereaved woman,
observed that she was not stirring at the usual
time, and threw stones and peas at the window of
her sleeping room, which was in the upper part of
the house. Failing to arouse her by these and
similar means, they became alarmed, and were about
to force a way into the house, when one of Mr. Mase-
field's clerks, named Jones, who lodged next door,
produced the key of the back-door, which he said
he had just picked up under the office window, hav-
ing found it lying on the gravel path. Jones was
the first to enter the house, and wai followed by
several other persons. In the sitting-room occupied
by Mrs. Baker was a round table on which
was a white cloth, a jug with water, a knife,
two empty glasses (which appeared from the smell
to have contained spirits and water), a candlestick,
with candle nearly whole, and some other articles.
None of these things were about when the de-
ceased's friend (Miss Jackson) left, and when the
widow expressed her intention of at once going to
bed. A silver watch still hung on its accustomed
nail over the mantelpiece, and a widow's cap was
on the carpet, which was much disturbed, as though
there had been a scuffle upon it,
On proceeding through the house Jones discovered
that the upstairs offices (Mr. Masefield's private
room and that of his head clerk) were open, though
they had been locked at closing time on the pre-
vious evening, and the keys taken, as usual, to Mr.
Masefield's house. On pushing open the door of
the private room Jones saw the body of Mrs. Baker
lying on the floor, straight on her back, with
her feet about a yard from the door. The room
was about half filled with a heavy smoke, which
did not ascend, but hung in a body together.
Some more people came in on hearing the
alarm, and a closer inspection showed that
a most foul murder had been committed.
There was a contused wound on the forehead, from
which no blood escaped. Toe marks of strangula-
tidn were plainly observable round the neck, and
there was a deeper and broader mark under the
right ear, as though caused by a knot. A cord
with a running noose and slipknot was found par-
tially under the body. The dark brown hair of
the victim was thrown back in wild dishevelment ;

her face was of livid purple, and her eyeballs pro-
truding, but both eyes and lips were closed. The
whole of the middle part of the body was charred
by fire. The arms were dreadfully burnt, and
only the extremities of the feet remained uninjured
by fire. The body had been set on fire after it
was laid on the floor, and. a piece of news-
paper found in the room corresponded with
another piece found in the clerk's office down-
stairs. The office floor was covered with
cocoa-nut fibre matting, and this and the boards
were burnt through in two large places.
The fire was still smouldering when the dis-
covery was made, and creating a horrible stench.
From the appearance of the body and its position,
which was one in which it could not have fallen
naturally, it is presumed that the poor woman was
first murdered, then carried into Mr. Masefield's
office and set fire to, in the hope that a conflagra-
tion would destroy the evidence of guilt. The mur-
derer, whoever he may be, was evidently intimately
acquainted with the house and all its internal ar-
rangements, and chose the night after Mr. Masefield
had gone to London for carrying out his hellish
design. He must have been concealed in the house
before it was finally closed for the night, for no
violence was done to either of the outer doors, and
from the back door, by which the escape was made,
the warning bell was removed and placed in the
lower office.

It was ascertained that robbery as well as
murder had been committed. A drawer in Mr.
Masefield's room had been forced, and a desk
in the adjoining room. These were the places
where money was generally kept. The money
stolen amounted to about £47 in all. There was a
cheque for £ll 145., drawn by Mr. W. Maile on the
National Provincial ; a cheque for £l5, drawn
by Mr. C. Smith on Webb and Co., Ledbury ; two
Bank of England £5 notes, and £6 or £7 in gold
and silver. The secrecy and quietude with which
the whole plan was consummated may be imagined
from the fact that the people in the next house
heard not the slightest noise, and a little girl eight
years old, who had been put to bed by Mrs. Baker
in her own room about 8 o'clock, slept on unconscious
of the horrid business going on but a few yards be-
neath her. The deceased woman had not been to
bed at all that night. She was wholly dressed, and
her side of the bed had not been occupied. A post
mortenz examination was made ou Thursday previ-
ous to the opening of the inquest. No tangible clue

has yet been obtained to the perpetrator of the
crime, but from the turn taken at the inquest it
would seem that one person is suspected.
The coroner's inquest was commenced on Thurs-
day afternoon at Mr. Masefield's office, before Mr.
Henry Underwood, coroner for Herefordshire, but
after a jury had been sworn, and had viewed the
body and the premises, the inquiry was adjourned
to the Feathers Hotel.

John Jones, the first witness, was examined at
great length, and deposed to having found the body,
as detailed above, after finding the key four or fire
yards from the back door. It was a few minutes
after 9 when the discovery was made.
By the Foreman—l left the office about 7 o'clock
on the previous evening, and went for a walk. I
returned home about 10 o'clock. There was then no
light in deceased's house. I had known her three
years and a half, ever since I had been at Mr.
Masefield's.
BT the Coroner—Mrs. Baker was in the habit of
receiving visits from friends, chiefly of her own
sex.
Elizabeth Paine, the little girl who slept with
Mrs. Baker in the house, was questioned by the
coroner, and said Mrs. Baker put her to bed about
8 o'clock on Tuesday night, but did not come to
bed herself that night. She heard nothing, and saw
no man in the house.
It was agreed not to put the child on her oath.
Charlotte Jackson proved that she parted with
deceased a few minutes before 10 on Tuesday night,
when she fastened up the doors and said she was
going to bed. There was no cloth on the table
when she left, and no glasses or jug: The deceased
was not in the habit of drinking spirits at night.
The witness Jones, recalled by the Foreman—l
did not open any chest with drawers in Mrs.
Baker's parlour on Wednesday morning.
By the Coroner—l do not know if anybody saw
me go to bed on Tuesday night. I have a latchkey
to the back door, and I bolt it when I go in after
10 o'clock.
The Coroner—l should like to subject Bowkett
and the other lodger to a strict examination as to
what they saw and heard of Jones that night.
Jones continued—l did not go out on Wednesday
morning before I had my breakfast unless it was
into the shoe room. The back yard is common to
both houses. _

By the Foreman—l often took gin home at night
in a bottle. I had a glass of gin at Mrs. Baker's
house about a fortnight ago. She gave it to me. I
think I went into the office that night for change.
That was the only time I had gin there.
Thomas Bowkett, shoemaker, at whose house
Jones lodges, and whose premises adjoin those of
Mr. Masefield, gave a similar account of the dis-
covery of the murder. He went to bed shortly
after 10 and heard no noise, though there is only a
partition between his bedroom and Mr. Masefield's
office. He did not hear Jones go to bed that night,
but heard him getting up between 7 and 8 next
morning. When describing the finding of the body
the witness, who is a garrulous old man, burst into
tears, and exclaimed, "it was the cruellest sight
that ever anybody saw."
The medical gentlemen who made the post