The Sun.
London, England, 1857-05-15 00:00:00

MURDER, AT WOKI.NGIUM.

A man named John Blackwell, a shoemaker liv-
ing at Wokingham, has recently exhibited symp-
toms of aberration of mind in the shape of violent
religious delusions, and the parish officers had de-
termined to remove him to a lunatic asylum. On
Wednesday night a naan.named.Rance was appointed
to sleep with him to preVent mischief. Rance agreed
with two men occupying cottages on either side of
Blackwell' that if he required assistance in the
night he should knock loudly on the walls. Soon
after midnight one of the neighbours was awoke by
a loud noise. He went to Blackwells, cottage, and
saw Blackwell standing over Rance, who was lying
on the floor quite dead. Being frightened, he went
,into his own cottage, and shut the door, at which
the maniac presently knocked, saying, " I have
killed the devil, and I am the king of kings." Black-
well then went away, and was not found till Thurs-
day morning, when he was seen kneeling in the
street and praying in an incoherent manner. From
the appearance of Rance's body, it seemed as if he
had been first knocked down, and then had re-
ceived several severe cuts in the throat and hand.
The maniac's own account of the matter before the
magistrates was as follows :—" That man offered to
be my protector, and wished me to sleep on.- When
I had a certain evidence in my mind that eternity
was coming, I could'nt sleep. I got out of bed, but
he pulled me back. He said, You feel warm
and I said I don't feel everlastingly warm.' I had
a presentiment that he was a devil, and I deter-
mined to kill him. I struck him a blow, which
almost levelled him, but the second did quite. I then
got a knife, just as he managed to get the door
open, and stuck him in the neck. The knife didn't
cut, but I managed to hag and jag away till I hal
done the job."
The magistrate committed him for trial at the
assizes, and he was removed to the county gaol.

SHOCKING MURDER AT CANTERBURY.

CANTERBURY, THURSDAY.

A murder was committed this morning, at about
7 o'clock, on the Starry-road, by a young man,
named Stephen Fox, a plane maker, aged 24, upon
a young woman, named Mary A-un Hadley, aged
23, by shooting her. The latter, who is a laun-
dress, was on her way to her work, at Mr. Carter's
in the Sturry-road. Fox waylaid her in an alley
between the cavalry barracks and the new militia
stores, leading to the road where she had to pass.
When she came up he ran out an?l presented two
single barrel pistols at her, exclaiming " Now you
must die !" and immediately discharged the con-
tents of both at her. One ball passed through the
upper part of the left thigh, and the ether shattered
the third finger of the left hand. The poor girl
ran about 20 yards, and while falling was caught iu
the arms of Stephen Baker, a labourer working at
the new militia sores, who, on hearing the report
of fire-arms, ran to her assistance. Fox ran off as
soon as he had done the deed, but was soon cap-
li by Edward Gurney, a gardener. Hadley
was conveyed to Mr. Carter's house, which is close
by. Mr. Carter went for medical assistance, but
when Mr., T. Andrews, surgeon, arrived he gave no
hopes, and the wounded girl died about 16 minutes
afterwards. The parties had courted about 18
months, but the eugagement had been suddenly
broken off in consequence of Fox's misconduct.
In the course of the day an inquest was held on
the body, and the evidence adduced clearly proved
that the murder was premeditated, Fox having
shown the loaded pistols to a witness of the name
of Gurney, and said be me int to shoot the deceased.
Gurney informed deceased of Fox's threats, and she
tried to keep out of his way, but he watched for
her, and ultimately effected his diabolical purpose
as above related. It was shown that there had
been a courtship between them, which was broken
off by the deceased on account of Fox's intimacy
with another female.