The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1841-03-30 00:00:00

ouproarD multrallt !it3rAvoon

On Wedtiexilay morning a very extraordinary and paiolVi
seniatiun was felt at Norwood in conscguance of the disco.
cowry of the murder of a female, who it appears was a mar-
ried woman, in her 38th year, and of very creditable con-
nexions.

The decased, whose name was Mary Ann Messenger, was
the daughter of David Osborn, a foreman in the employ of
Mr. Roupell, who has an extensive farm at Norwood, and
resides at Tulse-hill Cottage, Brixton. She was married to
a stonemason, about 20 years since, by whom she had a
family, and her eldest daughter is married to a farming man
named Smith, residing in the neighbourhood of Norwood.
This is the daughter whose disappearance has been reported,
and which is devoid of truth, as will appear by the sequel.
About nine years since the deceased quarrelled with her hus-
band, in consequence, it is alleged, of her being detected in
an act of adultery, and they then separated, and have not
since lived together. Her husband, it is stated by the police,
has since been united to another woman, who has borne him
children, and with whom he is now residing in Church- street,
Shoreditch. He is in the employ of Mr. Webb, of Goswell-
street, an extensive stonemason.

The unfortunate woman on Tuesday left the town residence
of Mr. Roupell for the purpose of toking home a little girl,
a relative of her son-in-law, to Norwood ; and on her way
thither, and throughout the day, her young charge, who had
been staying on a visit for some days with the deceased, says
that all the liquor which the deceased partook of was a glass
of gin and a glass of ale ; and this statement is corroborated
by the surgeon, who was called in soon after the body was
discovered, and who expresses his unqualified belief that the
deceased was not in liquor immediately previous to her
death.

In the course of Tuesday she changed a sovereign, and pur-
chased some tea and other trifling articles, which she pre-
sented to Mrs. Smith, her daughter, and, accompanied by
the latter, she left Norwood to return to town. Mrs. Smith
(and this is the most unaccountable part of the case) pro-
ceeded with her mother as far as the Telegraph public-house,
at Brixton, where the omnibuses take up passengers for town,
and while she wa% hastily making the necessary inquiries as
toithe next conveyance, the deceased suddenly disappeared,
and was not again heard of alive. Mrs. Smith, however, re-
turned home soon after, being impressed with the idea that
her mother had engaged some vehicle while she was in the
Telegraph. Upon the following morning (Wednesday) as
Shepherd, the watchman of the cemetery at Norwood, was
leaving duty he met with a gardener named Underwood, who,
with his boy, had occasion to pass through the field where
the deceased was discovered, and which lies to the left of the
high road. Underwood told the watchman he had seen the
body of a female, and he appeared to be much affected, and
so timid that he was unwilling to approach it a second time,
assuring Shepherd that she was dead. Shepherd leaped over
the hedge, and found the deceased in such a position as he
says leaves no doubt in his mind that a criminal assault had
been committed upon her. Her clothes were up, and she
merely once lifted up her right hand slightly, and then heaved
two sighs and expired. At this time the unfortunate woman
was being supported upon Underwood's knee, he having been
prevailed upon to render assistance, and when she died he
was so excited by the event that blood gushed from his nose,
and he retched violently.

The body was conveyed to the Horns Tavern at Norwood,
and Mr. Laurie, a surgeon, was soon after in attendance, but
medical skill was of no avail. He made a careful examina-
tion of the body, but the result will not be suffered to tran-
spire until the inquiry takes place by the coroner. The de-
ceased was dressed in a stuff gown, green bonnet, a figured
dark shawl, and black stockings and low shoes. She had in
her pocket 18s. 6d. in silver, and a snuff-box, and a needle-
case were found floating in a ditch near to where the body
was found, and which is five feet in depth. It may be here
remarked that a striking difference of opinion seems to exist
as to whether the deceased had been in the water or not.
Some persons assert that she must have been drowned,
whilst others are equally positive that she was first violently
treated and that she was afterwards removed to the spot
where she was discovered, and which is very unfrequented.
It is said that the deceased had two £5 Bank of England
notes in her possession, which have not yet been traced, and
that a man was seen lurking about Norwood-lane on Tues-
day night, who was subsequently seen with the deceased.
The police were yesterday actively engaged in endeavouring
to obtain some clue to the man, but nothing of a conclusive
or satisfactory nature had transpired up to last night. The
husband of the deceased states that he saw a man with her,
who was a stranger to him, about a fortnight ago, but, al-
though he felt annoyed at it he did not speak to her, as he
was fearful of being afterwards molested by them. He ex-
presses his extreme willingness to come forward, if required,
at the coroner's inquest, and the reporter could not ascertain
that there was any truth in the statement of a warrant having
been issued for the apprehension of the husband of the de-
ceased. Inspector Bass, of the P division, and some con-
stables were yesterday afternoon engaged in measuring the
ground where the body was found, and it appeared that her
head lay about five feet from the margin of the ditch, and
that the spot was 210 yards from the gap in the high road,
and 150 yards from the by-road, and there is no footpath
eading to the place.