The Sun.
London, England, 1861-01-11 00:00:00

ATROCIOUS MURDER.

A most brutal murder was perpetrated on Wed-
nesday night at Dundry, a small village near
Bristol. An aged couple named George and Sarah
Wate-man resided in a secluded cottage in that
hamlet. The old man was a pensioner, and w.,s
forme :•ly in the 9th Foot ; he hed brco!ne the owner
of the cottage, in which he had lived for the last
30 years, and to which is attached about at; acre of
land, and carried on busincss as a milkmai: and
small farmer. The age of Waterman is 75, acid
that of his wife 73.

Shortly after 7 'o'clock on Wednesday evening a
man named Lov-11, a butcher 'tiding in the neigh-
bourhood, was alarmed by Waterman coming to
his house and imp'oing assistance. The old man
was bleeding prorusely about the bead, and stated
that his cottage had been entered by two men, who
had beaten him and his wife, and then robbed the
premises. Lovell rt once accompanied Waterman
to his cottage, and there found the wife lying in-
sensible from the blows it frcted on her. Mr. Shor-
land, surgeon. of Durdry, was at once summoned ;
but media.' aid was unavailing, and the poor wo-
man died in about two hours. Two large maple
sticks, about 1* foot in length, and from two to
three inches in circumference, were found on the
premises. A pair of tongs, with which it is sup-
posed the unfortunate woman endeavoured to defend
herself from her assailants, showed stains of
blood and traces of bah- upon them, and two pools
of blood were discovered outside the cottage. The
head of the un:o:;:una`e woman was almost beaten
to pieces, and from the time she was di-,covered till
her death she was perfectly insensible.
Yesterday morning Mr. Mordaunt, one of the
acting magistrates of the division, took the deposi-
tions of Mr. Shorland, surgeon, and Waterman.
Mr. Shor'and stated that in his opinion Waterman
was in a very dangerous state from blows on the
head, producing extensive lacerated wounds, and
that he might not be able to give evidence at any
future time.

Waterman, who though much exhausted was
perfectly sensible, then made the following state-
ment :—" I em aware that I am very dangerously
ill, and that I may not, recover. About 7 o'clock on
the evening of the 9th of January somebody
knocked at my door. I asked who it was, and they
answered It is John, the Winford policeman.
opened the deo-, and some ore immediately struck
me on the forehead with a large stick. I ran back
into the inner kitchen; two men followed me, one
of them krocked me down; and struck me on the
head several times. When I got up they told in
to go upsta;rs to show them where the money waa
They went upsta:rs, pushing me before them ; they
asked me where the money was. I said, What I
have is in my box.' They searched the boxes, and
from one of them took out my money—about ss. or
65., and out of the other they took a silver watch.
They broke open my chest of drawers, and took out
a black wine bottle ; they tumbled over the things,
and took a silk handkerchief. They also took a Wa-
terloo medal, with riband and three silver bars
attached: They followed me downstairs, and

took a loaf of bread and piece of bacon, which
they cut off, and ',packed up in the handker-
chief. They then asked me for a cord, and
gave them one. The shorter of the two men
tied my hands behind me, took me into the
milkhouse, and fastened me to the bacon stand.
They told me to remain quiet for 20 minutes, and
then to call my wife to le:: me loose. They then
left me. From the tim e I was first struck till I let
myself loose I did not notice my wife, but while I
was being struck I laid, ' Spare my wife.' The
taller man said, I b ,ave put her to sleep.' When
I got loose I went to the kitchen, and there saw my
wife lying in the no .fiddle on her right side. She
was quite insensible I tried to lift her up, but
could not. I was bh .eding 'freely from the head. I
managed to get to Wm. Lovell's to call for help.
He lives about 300 S ards from me. He helped me
home. I think I should know the men again, espe-
cially one of tholi—th e shorter of the two. I looked
at him very clo3ely. I think I have seen him before.
H wore hair under hit; chin, and was a young man,
about 35. I noticed that the taller man had a thin
pale face, and wore a large jack-t, like a shooting-
jacket, with large insi, de pockets. They left their
sticks behind them. Al.fter they had broken open
the drawers they turned over the bed to search for
money. A brace of p;stols belonging to me fell on
the floor. The taller ma.n took them up and pre-
sented one at me, and threatened to shoot me. The
pistols were loaded. I missed a silver watch which
was down stairs. I saw it about six o'clock the
same evening, and had it in my hand at that time."
Waterman attached his mark with his left hand
to the deposition, h;s right band being so severely
injured that he was urab le to use it. His head is
frightful'y beatcn, and in the opinion of Mr. Shor-
land, if erysipelas were to intervene, death would
inevitably ensue. Mr. Sh orland expresses astonish-
ment that after the fearful treatment Waterman
must have experienced he should have retained his
consciousness.

Superintendent Jones of the Somerset County
Constabulary, within whose district this deliberate
murder has been committed, has placed Henry
Morse, acting-sergeant, and pollee-constable A.ndow
in charge of the case, and from inquiries he has
prosecuted someth;ng like a clue to one of the per-
petrators of this foul deed appears to have been
ascertain rd. A man named John Keevil, for-
merly st-.' el to be a policeman at Dundry and
Winford, but now in the service of the Rev. C.
Boutflower, incumbent of Dundry, as coachman,
states that on Tuesday week a man dressed as
soldier, apparently between 30 and 35 years of age,
came to the stable where he was at work about 7
o'clock in the evening, and asked if he knew a per-
son named George Waterman, or another named
Widmore. The soldier said that Waterman was his
uncle and Widmore his brother. Keevil told him
to wait a few minutes and he would show him
where both parties lived. He accordingly accom-
panied the soldier to Waterman's cottage and
knocked at the dcor. The deceased woman came
to the door and asked who was there. Keevil
answered, "It is John, the policeman." Mrs.
Waterman 1 hen said, "I know your voice, or 1-

should not open the door." She then opened the
door, and they both went in. The soldier stated
that he was George Widmore, brother of 'William
and a nephew of the Watermans. The old woman,
however, did not appear to recognise him, and
Keevil afterwards took him to the house of his
brother, William Widmore, a working gardener of
Dunclry. He there stated that he was on furlough,
and that his regiment was stationed at Portsmouth;
he was rather intoxicated at the time. He remained
with his brother some days, during which time he
paid another visit to the Watermans, and had an
interview with the old man. While there he pur-
loin ed a cutlass belonging to Waterman ,and shortly
afterwards left for Bristol, but was followed thither
by his brother, and the cutlass was found in his
possession and given up. It has been ascertained
that George Widmore is a deserter, and that he was
not at his usual lodgings on Wednesday night. The
police are making active search for him, and it is
believed he cannot long evade apprehension.

COUNTRY MARKETS.

BIRMINGHAM-JAN. 10,

To have made progress in sales to-day a reduction must
have been submitted to, but a fair business was done in
wheat wit'a a full supply. English old and now wheat
must be quoted at no advance on late rates. Barley dull,
but fully as dear. Oats and beans held firmly. Peas
held for less money.