The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1832-12-28 00:00:00

HORRIBLE MURDER AT ENFIBLD-CHASE

0 •On Saturday information was given at the various poliee-offices of
ja horrible murder committed in the course of the week near the plea-
sant little village of Enfield, which is situate' about 10 miles from
town. It appears that: on Thursday morning a little boy, named
Ellis, was coming from Enfield-chase towards Enfield-town, down
Holt White's-lane, when he observed something in the ditch, which
appeared to him a human body. He called out to a man named
Wheeler, who was going to his work at a farm occupied by Mr. l'oi-
ser, who went with him to the edge of the ditch, in which they found
the body of a man. The face was in the ditch, but on turning the
body face upwards a most awful and horrible sight presented itself.
The face was cut and slashed in a most dreadful manner : the flesh
was scored out, as it wete, in five places, and the right whisker cut
away, and in the throat of the murdered man there was a deep stab
right through, as a butcher would kill a sheep, and as if the knife
had been turned round in the throat... The body was insttntly reCog-
nised as that of a young man named Benjamin banby, about twenty-
four years of age. This young man, it appears, was the son of ti e
late Mr. Danby, the well-known forensic wig-maker, of the Temple.
When very young he adopted the seafaring profession, and he only a
few weeks since returned from a long voyage. On landing he started
off at once to Mr. Addington, a master-baker, of Enfield, who was a
neat relation. He, of course, met with a very kind reception, and
his joyous spirits and free sailor-like manner attracted the notice of
the inhabitants. He appeared to enjoy himself, and spent his mo-
ney, with which he seemed well provided, with great freedom. On
Wednesday evening last, about four o'clock, he left Mr. Addington's
house, promising to return at 10 at night, but he did not make his
appearance at the time specified. This, however, did not create any as it was imagined he had fallen in with sbme agreeable com-
panions, or had taken a longer stroll than usual. The next morning
the family received intelligence of the situation in which the unit)) -
tunate man had been discovered. Speedy inquiries were, of course,
set On foot, and it soon transpired that the deceased had bvn drinking
at a small public-house, called the Three Horseshoes, situate by tte
side of the New River, and near the Chase side. The following pe; -
sons who bear no Is very fair character, were then in coin-play. lilt
him, drinking and playing at dominos. It also appeared that they
left the house with him, undertaking to see him home, as he vevi-
dently the worse for liquor. The Enfield constables went intlitearch
of these men, and after some little trouble, succeeded in al feherie
t
ing them, and taking them before Mr. Cresswell, a magistr in the
neighbourhood. They then gave their names—Richard \ -taff, a
baker; Samuel Cooper, the son of a poor man in the tows .!ainuel
Sleath, or Fare; and W. Johnson, the sou of a gardener of that
name, in Enfield.

After a long private examination they were remanded ; and on
Thursday night an inquest was held on the body of the deceased.—
Observer.

The inquisition was taken at the sip of the Sergeant, Parsonage-
lane, Enfield, before Mr. Sawyer, coroner for the duchy of Lancaster,
in the jurisdiction of which the
,parish of Enfield is situate.
Joseph Perry, on being sworn, deposed that he is landlord of the
Crown and Horse=shoe, Enfield-chase-side. On Wednesday evening
the deceased entered his house and went into the tap-room, and called
,for a glass of gin. Shortly afterwards the prisoner Johnson and a
young man named Jackson also entered the tap-room, when the
latter proposeda game of dominos, and the deceased said that he had
no objection to join in the game to pass the time away. They then
had a game. At eight o'clock witness went into the tap-room and
found 'Fare and Johnson lying apparently asleep on the benches, the
:deceased being engaged at the tune in the game of dominos with
Wagstaff, Taylor, and Jackson. He disturbed Fare and Johnson,
and went out of the room, but hearing both of them express dissatis-
faction at being disturbed, he went into the tap-room and asked what
they were grumbling about. Fare threatened to knock him down if
he served liim so again. Witness told him that he did not wish for
his custom, and forbade him coming to the house. He then replied
that the house was a public one, and that he would come in when he
liked. Witness told him that if he persisted in coming there he would
take him before a magistrate. That was about nine o'clock, and
nothing further took
_place before ten o'clock, when he asked where
the dominos were. The pot-boy replied that he had taken them to
the bar. The deceased and Fare then tossed for two pots.of beer,
which the former lost, and took out his purse to pay for. They sub-
sequently tossed for two more, which Fare lost. They then tossed
for half-a-pint of gin, vitieh they had. It being eleven o'clock now,
witness went up stairs, and desired Mrs. Perry not to draw any more.
He then heard Fare call for a pot of beer, which was refused. Jack-
son previously td this had left the house, and Cooper came in. They
(Fare, Cooper, Johnson, 'Wagstaff, and the deceased) requested to
havehalf-a-pint of gin, saying, if they. got it, they would at once go
away. They then had the gin and left the house together. As they
were . going out Mrs. Perry desired the pot-boy to accompany the
deceased over the bridge that crosses the new river, close to the house,
lest, being a stranger, he should mistake his way and fall into the
'water. This the pot-boy did, and having seen the deceased over the
'bridge, he requested the prisoners Cooper and Fare to see him home.
.About eight o'clock on Thursday morning, a milkman; named
'Corney, informed witness that he had heard Addington's nephew
was murdered, and iu consequence he gave information immediately
to Mead and Watkins, the constables, and within three-quarters of
an hour afterwards the prisoners Johnsbn and Cooper were taken into
custody.
Joseph Matthews, the pot-boy at Mr. Perry's, was the next witness
called : he corroborated the evidence of his master in all its particu-
lars as to the prisoners being in the house, and their depafure about
.11 o'clock. lie also said that he had, at the request of his mistress,
led the deceased over the bridge, and left him in the care of Cooper
and Fare. In reply to a question, the witness said that the deceased
did not appear intoxicated while in the house; but staggered on get-
ting outside, as if the air affected

Tilehard Wagstaff examined.-11e stated that on the evening in
question, about 7 'o'elock, he went into the Crown and Horseshoe,
and saw the deceased, Jackson, Matthews, and Johnson, playing at
dominos. Soon afterwards witness heard Mr. Perry call Maftheirs,
the servant, to fetch a newspaper, and he went out, and witness
played the game with the other parties during his absence. Johnson
was invited to play, but refused, and lay down on some chairs and
went to sleep ; a man named Taylor played the game on Johnson's
refusal. Fare came in during the time, and lay down on:the bench,
and also went to sleep. About 9 o'clock the landlord came into the
room and disturbed the two men asleep, on which Fare threatened to
knock him down, saying, " I suppose you think 1 can't pay for a pot,
but I can pay for a gallon." The landlord came into the room about
10 o'clockotrui asked if the dominos were sent into the bar. Wit-
ness left the house in company with: the deceased, Cooper, Fare and
Johnson, and when the witness arrived at his own house the deceased
stopped for a moment opposite .the garden palings : at this time wit-
ness advised Cooper to go home, but he refused, saying that he should
see the deceased. home. The witness added, that he went into the
house and heard no more of the parties until the next morninc, , when
he was informed of the murder by Mr. Perry, who questioned' him as
to what place he separated from the deceased and the other men after
leaving his house, and he told him that it was at his own garden gate.
The witness, after leaving his house the next morning, saw Watkins,
the patrol, at the side of the river, who asked him what he knew
about the murder. The witnes then made him acquainted with every
particular that he knew respecting the affair.

The further inquiry into the circumstances attending the murder we s
postponed until the following evening- (Friday,) and at six o'clock,
when the jury met, the foreman being taken suddenly ill, it was ad-
journed over to Saturday.

After the apprehension of Johnson he betrayed great uneasiness of
mind; arid it was found necessary to leave -a -person- with him-both
night and day while locked up at the watchhouse, from Thursday
morning until Saturday morning, when it was considered prudent to
remove him and the prisoner Fare to the New: Prison, Clerkenp-ell,
until the event of the inquest wus known. Fare, on the contrary, did ‘;
not appear in the slightest degree affected. Cooper, who still remains
at the watch house 'Enfield, appears not to suffer lunch, and alleges
that his mind has been much relieved since he made a voluntary con-
fession. There is sufficient evidence, without his statement, to im-
plicate him as well as the others in the murder and robbery, and it is
the intention of the coroner to commit him and the others for trial.—
A witness, it is said, will be produced before the jury, 'who will state
that he had heard Fare say, a few nights before the murder, that, the
deceased appeared to have a purse, and that he should like to lighten
it.—Cooper is corroborated in that part of his confession wherein he
Stated that Johnson had thrown a handkerchief belonging to the de-
Ceased into the New River, as it was picked up on Thursday morning,
about two hundred yards from where it is said to he thrown, adherifik,
to a small bramble by the river side : no trace has been discoilgigd of
the knife with which the murder was perpetrated.—Johnson-haSlor
some time past led a dissipated life : about four years aw held Mar-
ried to the daughter of an industrious inhabitant of the taA,"tilfith
whom he got a portion of £lOO ; this sum he soon dissi,atoo, and
treated-his unfortunate wife with the greatest cruelty.--1.1x4 who is
a single man, -is about twenty-live years of age, and a labodrer; but
being latterly out of employ, wits in the habit of receiving ,pfroehial
relief,—Cooper, who is about- twenty years of age, is ernployciL in a
brewegy in Enfield, and up to the present transaction has never been
tin cselledy.