The Portland daily press., 1865-02-17
Shocking Murder in japan,

By the polteness of Charles Fobes, Esq, of
this city, we are favored with copy Of the
Shanghai Recorder Extra, of Dec. 7Ih, re-
eeived by him from his son in that Chinese
city, from which we copy the following:
The Japan Herald of Nov 26th, says: On
the morning OF the 21st inst, Monday.) Ma
jor George Walter Baldwin, and Lieut.. Rob
ert Nicholas Bird, both of the ID Battalion of
FL. B. Ms 10Th Regt., 1.-TWO amongst all the
respected and beloved of the officers OF that
regiment, had, by their gentle inoffensive ma
lures and sterling worth gained the foremost
ranks in the atfectionate regards of all who
knew them) left Yokohoma on horseback for
an excursion to Kamakura and Daiboots.
About half past ten they arrived at Enosi-
ma, which place, latter exchanging courtesies
with other excurslonsts they met there,) they
left about twelve o'clock, with the intention
of proceeding to Daiboots. The same night,
information from the district authorities was
sent in TO the Governor of Yokohama, that
two foreigners had been assaulted at or near
Kamakura, that one was dead, but the other
yet alive. This information having been COM
municated forthwith (about 2 o'clock in the
A. M. OF the 3D. Tuesday, to the Foreign
Consuls, DIR. Landau, the Swiss Consul, Mr..
| Won Barndt, the Prussian Consul, and in va
| rious parties other foreign Residents, started,
at or about o'clock, towards the place indi-
Gated. Lieut.. Woods, with party of Mount
ed Artillery, and Mr.. Lakeland Fletcher, In
terpretor to the British Legation, being or
dered to proceed thither in all haste. A lit
tie after daylight they arrived at three fold
road leading from the Great Temple Hatch
burma, where it divides into three smaller
roads, one leading to Daiboots to the right, the
second straight on to the sea, and the third
into the country to the left" Near this spot
and between miserable tea-house and hut
| for horses, two small sheds of mats propped
| up by bamboo, and disposed on mats laid on
| the ground, were found most horribly mutt
lated, the bodies of the two unfortunate gen.
| tlemen; the pistol Of one Of them-one barrel
| of which appeared to have been recently dis
charged-by his side, that OF the other yet an
drawn from his belt. All the enquiries made
| by Mr.. Fletcher, land we all know how perse-
veringly and diseretely he would push them
to the utmost failed to elicit any information
No one knew nything but that there the
bodies were-and that one of the deceased
| the younger one, who said his name was Bird
| had lived several hours.
The following is the finding at the Coroner's
| Inquest:
| That Major George Walter Baldwin, and
| Lieut.. Robert Nicholas Bird, were cruelty
murdered near the town of Kamakurs, on the
Hisb NoFemuer hist, duout lour III tuo aibor
noon. ~
That from the evidence brought before
them, the jury have no doubt that this attro
cious crime was the act of Japanese swords
men unknown.
The Jury further find that this attack must
in all likelihood, have been made on boil
sides simultaneously, and by party of FIVE o.
six ruffians at the very least, but possibly o
even greater numbers
The Jury are further of opinion, that tn
Japanese evidence read in Court is utterl,
worthless, and that there must be ample testi
monv in the possession of the Japanese An
thorites, or attainable by them, descriptive 0
the whole circumstance of the tradedy.