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 disc

A most careful search was made by the police
on Monday, when a black mask was discovered among a

losure

was made

. .
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 mouaent 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.
lie 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

.
piun, only replied,
Rush."

the remar
d at her.

" Don't ask Inc such question,

funeral of the deceased gentlemen took place on
►y, at twelve o'clock. The funeral was strictly pri-

vate, the cortege consisting of two hearses, three mourning
coaches, containing the rel2tives 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, axed
59," and " Isaac Jenny 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 Tueiday :
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 Dulcken. 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 ' I 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, 'lt 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
-- •

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 Fad 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 Cie 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 loom. She then observed
that ho 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 manner that caused her to look at him
more attentively, and she then observed that his -face was
deadly pale (lie 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 torts pause he added, "II
any one asks you about me, say a not out added t"
ten minutes., (This is what the girl stated next da3
before the magistrates.) He then went up stairs to his
bedroom again, and locked the door. She a
took some of
the heated coals from the fire, and having 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 we
sleep, and did.:not wehe until thninurning, when bile NM;

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

The coroner having expregsed 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. "I 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 he 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, " I don'tknov.--bow 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

about the d

s: and that a g

mind towards