The Sun.
London, England, 1829-06-30 00:00:00

INQUEST ON THE BODY.

At two o'clock precisely, a Jury, composed of the
most respectable inhabitants of Blackheath, was
held on the body of-the deceased Maria Lambourn,
aged 44 years, at the Yorkshire Grey Inn, -in that
town. The road in front of the above house was
crowded with persons attracted thither by the report
of the almost unparalleled atrocity of the murder.
The CORQSER directed the Jury to view the body,
which was lying in an adjacent apartment, and
which they found in the mangled state already men-
tioned. A feeling of horror pervaded the minds of
every individual who, from the nature of their
ditties, were obliged to view the corpse, and one of
the jurymen was so overcome by the appalling
sight, that he was attacked with syncope soon after-
wards, but recovered on the administration of
powerful stimulants.
NVilliam Greenhoop examined—l am horsckcrper
to Messrs. Horne and Co. and attend at the York-
shire Grey stables. That morning, about twenty
minutes keforc six o'clock, while I was at work in
the stable, the deceased threw up the sash of her
bed-room window, and asked the hour. About a
quarter of an hour after this I heard a screaming in
the kitchen which fronts the stables, and on going
to ascertain the cause, it struck me the deceased's
husband was ill-using her, as he mas in the habit of
doing. On entering the kitchen I saw Lambourn,
Lis wife (the deceased) was in his arms, with her
head lying over his left arm. He had a knife in his
tight hand, with which he appeared to be cutting
her throat. She was struggling at the time with
Lambourn, who exclaimed while he was using the
knife, " I will, I will." I was so alarmed, said the
witness, on seeing what was going forward, that I
ran out of the kitchen in order to give the alarm,
and seeing some persons in the road, I re-entered
the kitchen, and saw the deceased lying on the
floor, with her head nearly cut off, and the place
about her in a pool of blood.
CoßosEtt—lnform the Jury the reason, when
you first entered the kitchen, and saw the deceased
struggling against Lambourn, who held a knife in
his haul, and was in the act of murdering her, why
you did not interfere to prevent the catastrophe?
Witness—l was so alarmed, for Lambourn held a
knife in his hand, and I had no weapon to resist him
if he attacked me. He looked at the time ghastly
and frightful, and the terror and state of agitation
into which I was thrown, completely paralyzed my
exertions. I heard Lambourn exclaim, when he
had his wife in the position described, " I'll do it,
I will."
Joseph Woodman examined—l am a labouring
man, and work for Mr. Disney. About ten minutes
after six o'clock that morning, as I was going to
work, I saw the last witness, and he called to me,
and begged I would go into the Yorkshire Grey,
which I did. On entering the kitchen I saw the
(4:ceased on the floor, and Lambourn kneeling down
near her head, with one band upon it, and with a
knife which was in the other he was in the act of
mangling and cutting her throat. There was a
great quantity of blood on the floor near the de-
ceased. I was greatly frightened at the sight, and
ran to the door to look for further help, and when
I went back into the kitchen, Lambourn, who was
then standing over the deceased, said, " There, I
have done it now." Witness exclaimed, " You
ruffian, you have murdered the woman." He made
no reply, and I turned again to the door to see if
any persons were coming; and on looking towards
Lambourn again, I saw that his throat was cut, and
I observed him endeavouring to tear open the wound
with his fingers.
Mr. William Rogers, a surgeon, described the
dreadful nature of the injuries inflicted on the de-
ceased.
In reply to a Juror, the witness could not posi-
tively state whether Lambourn was insane or not;
but his impression was, that he was not, from his
manner and conduct subsequently to the occurrence
having taken place.
Another ' medical Man' confirmed Mr. Rogers's

This. being the whole of the evidence adduced,
t he Jury, after a short consultation, unanimously re-
turned a verdict of " Wilful Murder against Richard
Lambourn," who is now in Guy's Hospital; but
when sufficiently recovered from the effects of the
wound in his throat, will be committed to Maidstone
Gaol, there to await his trial at, the forthcoming
Assizes•