The Sun.
London, England, 1861-07-22 00:00:00

FRIGHTFUL NU.RDER.

On Friday afternoon, between one and two
o'clock, a frightful and evidently premeditated
murder was committed at New Barns, a hamlet
within the parish of Town Melling, Kent. From
inquiries made upon the spot we are enabled to give
the particulars of the sad occurrence. About 17
years since a farm labourer named John Atkins
married at Brenchley, in this county, a very respect-
able young woman, the daughter of a sawyer named
Walker, living with her parents at Mile Oak. The
husband shortly after the marriage behaved very
strangely, and was exceedingly jealous of his wife,
but, so far as we can learn, without the slightest
cause. They moved about from place to place solely
in consequence of the jealousy of the husband; and
some three or four months since they-came to reside
in one of three cottages on the estate of Mr. James
Graham, New Barns, Atkins being employed on the
estate of that gentleman. Here the husband ap-
pears to have behaved most brutally, from time to
time, to his unfortunate wife. His fellow-workmen,
knowing his foible, were constantly in the habit of
what is familiarly termed " chaffing" Atkins, who
would go home and beat his wife and turn her out
of doors. Mrs. Atkins was the mother of 13 chil-
dren, of whom only three are surviving. She was
confined with her last child about nine or ten weeks
since, tut fortunately the infant did not live. Three
weeks ago the man had been plagued by the other
workmen, and he went home and ill-used his wife,
tearing successively no fewer than three dresses
from her person, and at length turned her out of
doors-and threw a quantity of water over her. As
usual, she sought refuge with her neighbours. On
Friday afternoon Atkins was in his cottage con•
versing with his wife and a neighbour. He seemed
in a jocular mood, and playfully pinched his wife's
cheek, with the observation, " You know you have!
You are a bad woman." The neighbour went into
her own house and upstairs to dress ; at the same
time the only inmate of Atkins's cottage (ex-
cepting himself and wife), their youngest child, a
girl, was upstairs putting on her shoes. Hear-
ing her mother scream out, the child ran
down, when she saw her father holding his wife
by one hand, and in the other brandishing a pocket-
knife. The girl at once ran to the neighbonr'shouse
and called for assistance, but could not get in, the
door being fastened. The unfortunate woman the
1)1
was
next seen to rush from her house to the ofdoo.eeir(hig
neighbour, to which she clung. She was
In the
profusely from the throat. The husbandbreutaolor.
followed her and dragged her fromhthourd
a woman
meantime Mrs. Smith, the neig b
nearly 70 years of age, being-
the evident intention
much 'frightened',
came out of her cottage,
way if she interfered
laTeitoliasosistance, but the hus-
bandof going to Mrs. Atkins' assistance,
face, threatening
ort distance down the
brandished the kniaf
to serve her in the same
opposite the cottages, closely
enable throu h •
g a gap in
were
lane,M r s Atkinsand
managed staggeredel
tdo ospcpr
husband. Here the parties
struggling together, and here
was consummated. Atkins then,
the
pursued
dg eby into
thea fi
pur
the fearful cram© seen by
unfortunate woman in the
leaving the
wipe upfield, not
turned to his cotta e
quite dead, of
...rg , took his wife's
returned
to the door
a little boy
where and wen
the blood. He
NI .9. Ridley% cottage,
ndeavoured to
be e
then went indoors, locking the door after him. The
alum, however, had been given and the house was I'