The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1848-12-12 00:00:00

THE HORRIBLE MURDERS IN NORFOLK.

The examination of the prisoner Rush before the ma-
gistrates at Norwich Castle was continued until a late
hour on Tuesday night, when a most important disclosure
was made. A most careful search was made by the police
on Monday, when a black mask was discovered among a
bundle of newspapers, so carefully folded up and concealed,
that nothing but a careful examination of each newspaper
could have led to the discovery. This mask covers the
face as far as the mouth, to which a piece of black lace is
attached, effectually concealing the lower part of the face.
The prisoner appeared for a moment confounded by the
production of this important link in the chain of evidence,
but speedily recovered the same tone of levity and indif-
ference which he has exhibited ever since his apprehension.
He cross-examined many of the witnesses, but many of
his questions are so foolish and irrelevant that the magis-
trates have been compelled to tell him he is doing himself
no good by asking such questions. When taken to the
bedside of the lady's maid, Rush observed that he was
sorry to see her suffering so much. She remarked tha:,
she had no doubt it was he who fired at her. He said,
" Had I a cap on ?" but the girl, who was then suffering
great pain, only replied, " Don't ask me such questions,

The funeral of the deceased gentlemen took place on
Tuesday, at twelve o'clock. The funeral was strictly pri-
vate, the cortege consisting of two hearses, three mourning
coaches, containing the relatives of the deceased, and Mr.
Colman and several of the family tenantry on horseback.
The chief mourners were Mr. Thomas Preston, of Lowes-
toft, only surviving brother of the late Mr. Isaac Jermy,
and Sir Thomas Beevor, Bart., of Hargham, the elder de-
ceased's father-in-law. The coffins were of plain oak,
severally bearing the following inscriptions on brass plates :
—" Isaac Jermy, Esq., died 28th November, 1848, aged
59," and " Isaac Jermy Jermy, died 28th November, 1848,
aged 27." Great precautions were taken, in consideration
of the dangerous state of Mrs. Jermy, to conduct the fu-
neral as quietly as possible, and a quantity of straw was
laid down on all the footpaths and carriage-ways leading
to the hall, in order that the sound of the carriage wheels
might not be heard by the unhappy lady so awfully be-
reaved of her husband and son. The shops in the village
of Wymondham were all shut, and the entire population
appeared to have assembled in the village and churchyard
to witness the sad ceremony.
The following is an authentic outline of the statement
made by Mrs. James, Rush's housekeeper, before the
coroner and jury on Tuesday :
Emily James is rather a pretty young woman of about
26 years of age, who lived with the prisoner Rush at the
Potash-farm, and who is now enceinte by him. She was
called by the name of Mrs. James, but there is no reason
to suppose either that she has ever been married or that
James is her real name. She is said to have received a
superior education, and to have lived in the prisoner's
family as governess to his children, under the name of
Miss Sandford, until the illicit nature of the attachment
which existed between Rush and herself could no longer
be concealed. Mrs. James and the boy Savory were the
only persons who slept at the Potash-farm with the
prisoner on the night of the murder.
Her evidence is to this effect :—" On the night of the
murder Rush had agreed to take Mrs. James to a concert
at Norwich, given by Madame Dulckan. It was arranged
that they should have tea a little earlier than usual, and
at five o'clock Rush came home and found her dressed
for the concert. Rush then said to her ' L don't think
I shall go Norwich now, for I don't feel very well. Do
you mind not going ?" She immediately replied, that
she did not care about going. Rush said, If you parti-
cularly wish it, we will go.' She repeated that she did
not care about it, and it was agreed that they should
remain at home. They sat down to tea about six, and
lingered over the meal until about eight o'clock, when
Rush said, I want to go out for a short time.' She
replied, You had better not, as you will increase your
cold.' He took no notice, and proceeded to the back
kitchen (probably for the purpose of being seen by the
boy Savory), and thence upstairs into his bedroom. After
remaining there for some minutes he came down stairs,
and went out at the front door, without looking into the
room where the witness sat so as to give her any oppor-
tunity of seeing or speaking with him. The prisoner
could not make the front door latch after him,
and he called to her to come and shut it. She
went instantly, but took no light, nor, she says, did she
open the door to see him leave the house, so that she
cannot speak to his dress and appearance, when he left
the house. Rush held the door from the outside until she
had secured it after him, and then went away. She re-
turned to the sitting-room where they had partaken of
tea, and having removed the tea things, she read until
about nine o'clock, as nearly as she could say, which would
make him absent about an hour. She then heard him
tap on the door with his knuckles, and went to let him
in, but did not take a light, She drew the bolt of the
door, said " It is undone," and then returned to her
room. Rush waited a minute or two at the door after he
heard her draw the bolt, and she had regained her room
before he entered at the front door. He went along the
passage, and as he passed the door he called out You
had better go to bed." He then went up stairs without
asking for a candle; but this did not excite her surprise.
as she knew he had wax tapers in his bed-room by which
he could procure a light. Thus she had no opportunity, if
she speaks truly, of seeing him either when he left the
house or when he returned. The prisoner remained in
his bedroom a few minutes, and then came down without
his shoes, and so softly that she did not hear him until he
opened tie door of the room in which she was sitting.
He held the door a little way open, with his hand upon
the handle, and looked into the room. She then observed
that he was in his shirt sleeves. He said, " What a large
fire you have got. Put it out and go to bed." There was
something in his mariner that caused her to look at him
more attentively, and she then observed that his face was
deadly pale (he is naturally a man of very florid complex-
ion), and that he appeared much agitated. She said, "Is
there anything the matter with you ?" He turned from
her and said " No." After a short pause he added, " It
any one asks you about me, say I was not out more than
ten minutes." (This is what the girl stated next day
before the magistrates.) He then went up stairs to his
bedroom again, and locked the door. She took some of
the heated coals from the fire, and having a can of water
in the room, she threw some of it upon the fire, and
quenched it. She then retired to her bedroom. In the
course of a few minutes she heard the door of Rush's
room opened so as to make as little noise as possible, and
heard the prisoner groping his way stealthily down stairs
without his shoes. In the space of about two or three
minutes she heard him return up stairs with the same pre.
cautions, and re-enter his bedroom. She then went to
sleep, Laid &I not wake until the morning, when she was

aroused by the information that the police were in the
house.

The coroner having expressed a wish to hear something
about the disputes which had taken place between the
deceased and the prisoner,—a labourer named Stubbs
was examined, who had been in the late Mr. Jermy's
employment during the last seven years. He stated that
on the day after the auction on Standfield-hall farm
(when a distress had been put in by the deceased against
the effects of the prisoner), he heard the elder Mr. Jermy
say to the latter, " Come, Mr. Rush, let us go in and
settle our business without lawyers. I don't like lawyers
at all." Rush said, " I will bring the fellow Clarke (Mr.
Jermy's solicitor) to his recollection," meaning " to his
senses." Mr Jermy added, " 1 hate lawyers, they are
just like we barristers in London. They quarrel all day,
and at night they have dinner and wine together, and
shake hands." This witness further deposed that a trial
took place between Mr. Jermy and Mr. Rush last spring
about a breach of covenant, when a verdict was returned
against Rush, with £420 damages. He had heard Mr.
Jermy say that he and Mr. Rush could not agree as to
the Potash farm. This witness appears to have partici-
pated in the general apprehension which has been enter-
tained for some years past in the neighbourhood, that
Rush was a man who would not shrink from committing
some desperate deed to attain his ends or satisfy his re-
venge ; and he states that he warned Mr. Jermy to beware
of Rush shortly before the murder. Stubbs deposed that
about a fortnight since, he said to Mr. Jermy, sen., "If
I were you, I would not allow Mr. Rush on my premises
after dark." The witness continued—" 1 would not speak
to him after dark if I were you, for I think one day or
another lie will do you some serious injury." Stubbs
was, of course, asked by the coroner how he came to en-
tertain so singular a presentiment, or what reason he had
for giving the deceased gentleman so singular a caution.
He replied, "T don't know how I came to use such an expres-
sion, but the thing was impressed strangely on my mind.
I thought at different times that Mr. Rush would do
him a serious injury. I knew Rush was very angry
about the distress, and that a good deal of feeling existed
in his mind towards Mr, Jermy in consequence of the
distress." It does not appear that the deceased Mr.
Jermy attached any importance to the prediction of
his servant. Stubbs also mentioned, as a proof of
Mr. Rush's violent temper, that when the distress was
put on the farm he acted as bailiff there. Rush wanted
to take a stove out of the house, but the witness prevented
him. Rush seized the stove, and put it on the cart, say-
ing, " The first man who touches that I will blow his
brains out." The witness, who was not to be frightened
by his threat, exclaimed, " I might as well be without
brains as without the stove," and removed it from the
cart. He was advised to take steps against Rush for his
threats, and have him bound over to keep the peace, but
he did not do so.

We are happy to state that Mrs. Jermy is still pro-
gressing favourably towards recovery. Her lady's maid,
who sustained a compound fracture of the thigh from a
discharge of the slugs, and who has suffered great agony
from the wound, still lies in a precarious state. The me-
dical men have succeeded in reducing the fracture, and
she is doing as well as can be expected after so critical an
operation.

DREADFUL CATASTROPHE ON BOARD OF THE
" LONDONDERRY" STEAMER.

We last week gave, in a second edition, copies of two
communications posted at the Exchange News-room, to
the effect that from a revolt amongst emigrants, for the
purpose of plunder, a number of lives had been sacrificed.
The accounts, as we then stated, were vague, and irre-
concileable ; one stating the fatality to have occurred on
board of an emigrant ship, which had shortly before left
Ireland, and the other leading .to the supposition that the
crew of the " Londonderry" steamer, Captain Johnstone,
which had arrived at Londonderry, from Sligo, with a
number of dead bodies, had transhipped the same from
some emigrant ship which they had met off the coast.
The loss of life was stated in one account to be forty, and
the other fifty-three. It is now fully disclosed that the
fearful fatality occurred solely on board of the " London-
derry," on her voyage from Sligo towards Liverpool—that
it was not occasioned by a rising of passengers to rob
their fellows, though attended with circumstances in-
volving great criminality amongst some of the persons on
board. The whole catastrophe arose from the forcible
crushing down and closing up of the passengers, in a
small steerage apartment, in which want of air produced
madness, suffocation, and death. The loss of life was
even greater than that stated in our first accounts, no
fewer than seventy-two individuals having perished 1
The arrival of the " Londonderry" at Londonderry,
with the bodies on board, on Sunday morning, naturally
caused much excitement in the public mind, and gave
rise in the first instance to unfounded rumours, which
found their way to the Dublin, Liverpool, and even
London journals. •
It appears that the Londonderry left Sligo about four
o'clock on Friday evening, with about 150 deck passen-
gers, (besides a few others in, the cabins,) most of them
intending to emigrate to America, from Liverpool. The
night became stormy, and the deck passengers were
ordered below, into a room 20 feet long, 14 wide, and 61
feet in height.
The authorities of Londonderry. immediately on the
arrival of the vessel, instituted an enquiry, through the
coroner, into the circumstances of the fatality, and in the
cone= of the evidence the most horrifying details were
adduced. It is supposed that some of the men became
mad, and, it is supposed, killed their companions. Some
robberies it is also said were committed—the place being
for a long time in total darkness—and, it is further said.
-that vlolatiuu of fcuatalca woe attempted. righting couk
place, apparently promiscuously, amongst the men, but
this subsided as the number of the living gradually de-
creased. The reader of the details will be reminded of
the horrors of the Black Hole of Calcutta, a description
of which we give in another column.
On Sunday, Minchin Lloyd, Esq., coroner, proceeded
to hold an inquest on one of the bodies, that of Ann
M`Loughlin, a little girl eight years of age, one of the
sufferers. A sister of the deceased said, she, her mother,
and seven children, six of them girls, had left Sligo in the
vessel, to join her father and brother in England. They
were from Mayo. The mother and four of the children
died in the steerage. The place got very warm, from the
number of people in it, men, women, and children. Her
mother and others were clamorous for water, and she (wit-
ness) got some more than once, but it was always snatched
from her. The deceased said there were robbers, and the
witness saw sticks used, and men beating her mother and
other women. She got to the deck at last, but could not
tell how, she was so weak and exhausted.
The inquest was then adjourned, and the magistrates
issued a warrant for the commitment of the captain, mate,
steward, and crew of the vessel, which was immediately
executed.

A witness, named Michael Branan, from Sligo, stated
that on the night in question it became very stormy and
the sea broke over the deck. He was the last passenger
who remained on deck, and one of the crew called him an
Irish and made him go down. He with difficulty
made his way to his mother and sisters, the place was so
thronged that, while those at the sides were forced to sit
down, there was no sitting room for those in the centre,
and they were moved to and fro with every motion of the
vessel; some time after, some of the crew came to close
down the hatchway, when the passengers became noisy,
and insisted that the hatchway should not be shut, as they
could not endure the heat as it was, but their remon-
strances, if heard, were not heeded ; in the row that en-
sued the light went out; sticks were going, and he re-
ceived one blow on the wrist, but thought it was not in-
tended for him ; another blow struck the beam above his
head ; from the utter darkness it was impossible to see
what was going on. He did not think robbery was going
on. His eldest sister became delirious, and struck his
other sister. She died at his side. The following con-
tinuation of this witness's evidence we give entire :—An
old hale man, who sat beside him, and had a peculiarly
powerful voice which might have been heard over the
vessel, cried out " Captain, Captain, for God's sake come
and save us, and have mercy on us," and he continued so
to call until his voice fell away and he sank down exhaust-
ed ; witness's legs were so wedged in with the bodies of
persons lying about him that he could not extricate them
until by a roll of the vessel they were so shaken that he
managed to get his legs out, and then in an inclined pos-
ture, with his nose to a dead light in the side of the ves-
sel, he felt a little air come in at the side of the light,
which relieved him so much that he was able to make an
effort to
kgeeptttohitahme
iceodmpfiaxneidonfr,
eumpotnhethfierat, localityend of which
he pre-
served some consciousness of it ; in his attempt to gain it
he fell three times over the bodies of the dead and dying ;
when he got to the ladder, he found it occupied by three
men; when he got up he found that a tarpaulin had been
put over the opening, and three coils of rope round it, so
that it was with difficulty he got through the coils ; when
he got through there was a dead bullock at the opening of
the door; he then got to some bags of mussels that were
on the deck, and from them mounted to the bridge,
where he inquired of a sailor where the mate was ; the
sailor first d—d him, and told him to go back again, but
afterwards directed him to the mate on the quarter deck;
he with difficulty got to the mate, and so terrible was the
rolling of the vessel, that he had to put his arms And
the chains in getting to the quarter deck ; he there told
the mate the state they were in below, and the mate said
he did not believe him ; witness then told him that, if he
did not attend to those people he would have him tried
for his life when he got to Liverpool ; the mate then pro-
cured a light, and accompanied witness to the steerage ;
in going down the light went out, as witness believes,
from the foul air; the mate lost no time in procuring
another light, and got the tarpaulin and ropes removed
from the hatchway ; the steam which same out of the
steerage was like that from a boiling pot ; the mate then
made his way down, and when he saw the scene before
him he wept, and declared that he would rather have lost
twenty pounds than not been twenty miles awff.; witness
succeeded in getting his mother an' two surviving sisters
up ; and the mate and sailors did all that men could do to
relieve and assist all the sufferers who were still in life ;
they were taken to the cabin, and there treated with every
kindness and attention that it was possible to bestow
upon them.
The inquest was resumed on Monday. A female,
named Brady, said that the sea broke in several times
into the steerage. After that the companion was closed,
and her cousin, Mick M`Gowan, since dead, shouted out
not to do so, lest they should be smothered. A witness,
named Feely, said they were so crowded in the steerage
that he could only compare them to a batch of bread,
after it was some time in the oven. They were ordered
to go below, which would have been prudent if there had
been room enough, but there was not. He heard a per-
son on deck call out to them to pray for their souls, as
they were going to the bottom. He attempted to get
some water, but was rudely repulsed and sworn at by one
of the crew.
who was on
ple in the
Serg
aaandt lifaeretdhiethiroorefaathsetl3e9, thheßaredgitmheentp,eo
steerage bawl out murder, and to have a light. The cries

Dec. 12, 1848.

were continued almost unceasingly until four or five in
the morning. A sailor came down to the forecastle to
change his clothes, and in reply to questions put by this
witness, said that the people were only Irishmen fighting
amongst themselves, and that there was no danger. In
the morning, two of the crew were engaged in assisting
the geople, and no men could have exerted themselves
more than they did ; three women were handed into the
forecastle, where witness was, and one of them was dead,
and another died soon after.

Richard Hughes, m ate of the Londonderry, said the vessel
was in imminent danger from nine o'clock on Friday
night till nine next night, owing to the storm. The
steerage companion was secured, and a tarpaulin put over
it, secured with a rope and two nails. The rope was twice
coiled round the companion. Branan said to this witness
that the passengers were robbing and murdering one
another. He got a light and saw five of the passengers
dead. He saw a man almost naked strike several women.
The man was not mad at the time. He saw Branan, who.
had a dead woman, who, he said, was his sister, between
his knees, and threatened to have witness hanged. One
of the passengers who wore brought up died on the deck,
and two of them in the engine-room. When running
before the wind they did not use the tarpaulin, but, when
they hauled up to clear Arranmore, they had to replace
it, and again secure the companion. Putting aside fight-
ing and blows, he would thus account for the deaths—.
country people, even in moderate weather, are helpless
from sickness, and cannot be moved, even about the
decks; and, on this occasion, he can suppose that they
were rolling over each other from the terrible pitching of
the ship, and thus suffocation might have ensued. In
reply to a question, he said none of the cattle were thrown
overboard. The passengers were not prevented from
coming on deck, but if they had come, there was a risk
of their being washed overboard.
The inquest was again adjourned, and was resumed on
Tuesday. A cattle-dealer, named Timms, who was on
board, said that he was in the cabin, but went on deck
about midnight. The mate told him that the people
were robbing and murdering one another, and there were
men among them in women's clothes ; witness said he
did not believe it ; the captain, during the night and next
day, was never from the wheel.

A. widow, named Ann Gannon, from Sligo, said that
she was in the steerage, and the passengers cried out
" There are robbers," and began to beat one another.
A " boy" followed her from place to place, and at length
took hold of her and robbed her of her purse, which she
had endeavoured to conceal. It contained four half..
sovereigns and twenty shillings in half-crowns. The
purse was afterwards found in a dead man's pocket by
Sergeant M`Gee. The same " boy" tried to take the
rings from her fingers. There were great cries for
water. A witness, named Devham, stated that the
steerage was suffocatingly hot. He there saw a Miss
M`Gowan, who is alive, but her brother who was with
her died there. He said there was no impediment to any
one getting on deck while he was there.

Patrick Kerrigan spoke of the suffocating nature of the-
steerage, the incessant calls for water, &c. He spoke of
one having gone mad.
Eliza M`Gowan was in the steerage with her brother,.
who was dragged from her side and killed" (as she.
thought). After the entrance was closed, the passengers
complained of great heat and the want of water. Some
threw off their clothes. Several children were then dead.
Her brother had money on him which he lost. Her-
brother died, as the others did. She was hit on the
breast with a wooden block by some one, and some had-
belts which they were striking with ; she was comfortably
sitting beside her brother when the row commenced ; it
was then she received the blow, and her brother was
dragged from her; he cried out to her "Oh, you are.
killed ;" heard her brother groaning.
Sergeant M'Gee, of the constabulary, said he had
boarded the vessel on her arrival at Londonderry, and
went into the steerage. There he found only two spots
where he could put his feet without treading on human
bodies. All who were there were dead. This witness
went to Captain Johnston to enquire the cause of what
had occurred, but he seemed to know little about it; he
said he had been informed that the people had mutinied
on the passage, thrown sulphur, and stabbed and cut the
throats of one another ; witness told him that he was
asking officially, and he might not answer, and be asked
whether he was present when the deaths happened ; he
replied he was not, but the mate was, and he could tell
him all about it; he then pointed out the mate to him,
and, on enquiring of him, the mate said, there had been
sulphur thrown among them, and they had begun to rob
and cut each other's throats, and he thought they in-
tended to take charge of the vessel ; witness asked what
the captain and crew were then about; in reply to which
he said there was a very great storm, and it took them all
to save the vessel ; witness then left him to see whether
the dead persons had their throats cut, and having
got a light, raised several heads, and found their throats
whole, and no marks of violence ; two dead men he sup-
posed to be blacks, but was mistaken ; he returned to the-
mate, and asked how they could have been killed with.
sulphur ; thinks he said in reply that they designed to
burn the vessel. He took the captain and crew into cus-
tody. There were 72 bodies, and it did nut appear that
in any of them death had been caused by violence.

Joseph Miller, Esq., M.D., examined the bodies. He
attributed death in all the cases to suffocation, arising
from want of room and air. There were 140 prisoners in
Calcutta Blackhole, which was 20 feet every way, and in
three hours a third were dead ; there was much less pro-
portionate space in the Londonderry steerage ; persons
standing on the ladder must have obstructed the entrance
of air ; the wounds he spoke of were punctured : one
man had a puncture under the ear and on the breast ; and
a woman bad one under the chin ; believes from their
peculiar appearance, that they were inflicted after death
and even if they had been received during life, they could
not have so soon terminated fatally.

H. Skipton, Esq.. M.D., gave similar testimony.
The jury, on Wednesday morning, returned the follow-
ing verdict ;

We find that death was caused by suffocation, in con-
sequence of the gross negligence, and total want of the
necessary caution on the part of the captain, Alexander
Johnston, Richard Hughes, first mate, and Ninian Craw-
ford, second mate ; and we, therefore, find them guilty of
manslaughter; and we further consider it our duty to ex-
press, in the strongest terms, our abhorrence of the in-
human conduct of the remainder of the seamen on board
on the melancholy occasion ; and this jury beg to call the
attention of proprietors of steam-boats to the urgent ne-
cessity of introducing some more effectual mode of venti-
lation in the steerage, and also affording better accommo-
dation to the poorer classes of passengers."
We now subjoin the
NUMBER OF SOULS ON BOARD.
Steerage Fassengers 174
Cabin ditto
Captain and Crew 26

Tot Of these died board (all Steerage Passengers)

Men ...
Women .
Children

Remaining to be accounted for,
Steerage Parsenger, surviving,
Cabin ditto, ditto
Captain and Crew

26-131