Star.
London, England, 1830-08-21 00:00:00

DREADFUL MURDER AT LAMBETH!

The victim of the sanguinir—y—deed which we are now about
to relate, was named Mrs Jane Whillett, a widow, aged between b 8
and 60 years. She resided at No. 30, Upper Princes-street, Lam.
beth, a narrow thoroughfare leading from Lambeth-church towards
Vauxhall, where she lived for the last 28 years, and kept a small
marine-store shop. We understand that she has several sons now
living, all of whom arc labouring men, and are married, with the
exception of one named Samuel, who hved with his mother in
Princess-street. Besides the mother and this son, there resided in
the same house with them a man named Norris, married to one of
her daughters, and their child, together with a young man, named
William Witham, a journeyman barge-builder. This latter in-
dividual was the first person who discovered the lifeless body of Mrs.
Whillett after she had ben murdered ; it seems that he was a great
favourite of the unfortunate woman, she having reared him from a
boy, and always treated him with parental affection, evincing
equally as much love and attachment for him as any of her own
children. On Thursday, the whole of the parties above mentioned
dined at Mrs. Whillett's house together ; and after dinner
the daughter (Mrs. Norris,) and her husband agreed to go to
Camberwell Fair together, and take the child with them, which
they did ; and Samuel Whillett and William Witham went to
their work, leaving Mrs. Willett at home alone; this wall
about a quarter to four o'clock in the afternoon. At that
time the two latter individuals left Mrs. Whillett in the kitchen.
She was then preparing to wash some of her own clothes, and when
they went out they left the shop-door open, as it generally remained
so until the closing up of the shop window-shutters. About ten
minutes after seven o'clock in the evening Witham returned home
from work, and finding the shop-door closed he knocked several
times, and not being admitted he concluded that Mrs. Whillett hat
gone to take a short walk. Believing this to be the case, Whims
then went away towards the Three Merry Boys public-house, and
having gone in there he had a pint of porter, and stayed there
until about twenty minutes past nine o'clock, at which hour be
again went into Princes-street, and on his arrival at Mrs.
Whillett's house he found the door still shut and her son
Samuel sitting on the sill outside. It was at length, however,
that they should enter the house, and for that purpose
agreed
am knocked at Mr. Hunt's, next door, and asked leave to
got over the wooden palisades. Having obtained permission
Witham clambered over the railings, and on getting into the
yard of Mrs. Whillett's house, after some little difficulty he got
into the kitchen through the window, and having creased it, be went
along the passage leading through the shop, in the dark, and
then opened the front door to admit Samuel Whillett. They
both then went back into the kitchen, and having procured a light,
the moment the flame burst forth, they were terrified on seeing the
body of Mrs. Whillett lying extended along the kitchen floor.
On a closer examination the door was found deluged with blood
issued from several dreadful wounds on the head and face of the
unfortunate deceased. She appeared to have led with her
inhuman murderer. The unhappy woman's face tad wounds
*pen
of the moat terrific description. At first, from nature of the
wounds which are long and dap, it was supposed they -must
have been inflicted with • knife, Ituchet, or some sharp instru-
ment, but on examination, the weapon was discovered with
which the murder had been perpetratetL It is about two and a
half feet long, and very heavy, and a great portion •of it was
stained with blood, particularly one end; and on a comparison,
it was ascertained beyond all doubt that it . was the weapon
with which the murder had been effected. On different

parts of the deceued'e face there appeared six wounds, all of which
penetrated the flesh to a great depth, and the force with which the
blows were given with the weapon described, were struck with such
violence as to smash and lacerate the bones composing the Internal
portion of the face. Her right eye was mangled in a shocking
manner; one blow which she received Net that eyebrow smashed
the upper part of the socket, and laid the eye itself; sus by a
piece of flesh, low down on the cheek bone ! The artlllage of her
nose was also destroyed, and the back part of her skull was frac-
tured, through width a portion of the brain protruded! The mo-
ment the young man Witham loathe deceased's son, discovered the
mangled corpse of the deceased, they ran and acquainted the neigh..
bouts, when Mr. Jones and Mr. Fatty, and general others of re.
stable inhabitants, repaired to the spot, and commenced a most
rigid examination; but, as yet, have failed in. obtaining any clue
by which to discover the murderer.
On Inquiry, we have been given to understand that the deceased
I was generally supposed to be worth money ; and this CIICUMSIODCO