Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1872-10-15

In the course of last May tdngs reached
bennington, demure wateringplace in War
wickshire, England, that Mr. Percy Walker
recently resident there, had been murdered in
New South Wales, to which colony he had en-
igrated. The circumstances under which this
and fellow crime, committed almost at the
same time, took place, are not q little remarka-
BILE. Walker and gentleman named Bridgers,
who had been mate in the queens ship Rosario,
were decoyed by an advertisement in one of the
Sydney papers for clerk in an up.country
store, good salary being offered. Bridgers
was the first accepted, the engagement being
made with two men named Nichols and Lester,
who represented themselves as the agents of the
advertiser, Mr.. Norton, the proprietor Of large
| country stores up the Paramatta river. Ac-
cordlng to appointment, BridgerS met them at
the Sydney wharf, and was conveyed with his
luggage up the river shortly before one even
ing. Several days after the body was dscoy-
cred in the river, the skull battered in, and
heavy stone tied round the neck. Mr.. Walker
was then engaged aud dispatched in a similar
way. In both cases the wounds were in the
back part OF the head, showing that the victims
had been attacked in a treaCheTOuS manner from
behind. The murders were discovered acci
dentally, and the men, Nichols and Lester,
detected while attempting to dispose of MIR.
Walkers watch.
The trial disclosed circumstances of the sort
which Mr.. FaLieon would, no doubt, regard as a
mine OF wealth for another such tale of Antpo-
dean life as Grf. The prisoners were persons
far above the ordinary criminal class; indeed
Lester was heir to considerable property in En-
gland, while Nichols had been a telegraph clerk,
and resigned a lucrative situation the day before
the first murder Lester had been contemplate
ing journey home to see his friends and ar
range his affairs. fast life had involved him
in some pecuniary difficulties, in con sequence of
which gentleman kindly offered to pay his
passage home. Lester accepted the proffered
assistance with apparent gratitude. His passage
money was paid, but at the last moment he de-
chned to leave the colony, and, returning to
Sydney, fell in with Nichols, who seems to have
been the leader in these diabolical murders. It
appears that Nichols had calculated on plumber
ing and killing succession of victims, for when
proposing the murder of Walker he spoke of
having received numbers of other answers to the
advertisement; which would no doubt have
been answered by plenty of NEW chums," as
fresh arrivals in the colony are called, eager for
employment and indeed, in a remote unire-
quented district, such hideous plan might
very well have been comprised when it is con-
sidered that thousands OF men arrive in the
Australian colonies having no friends there
who would make inquiries regarding them.
whats become of BridgersP" some acquaint-
ance might ask another. "Oh gone up Coun-
try" and nothing more would have been
thought about him. The design is worthy Of
such monsters as Burke and Hare who forty
years ago sent thrill through Great Britain,
when IL was discovered tDat they mad established
a dabolical scheme of kidnapping, to murder
and sell the victims for dissection. 10 this con-
nection may be mentioned a curious circum.
stance. A month ago a man was brought be-
fore London police magistrate for begging.
SAID Sergeant Horslord, the principal officer of
the anti-mendiciy society, the terror of evil
doors in the mendicant and begging-letter line:
81 have known this man as beggar for twenty
years, your worship, and | have many strong
reasons Tor believing him 10 be Hare, who was
Burke's assistant in the murder of the Italian
boy, and got off by turning kings evidence"
Or course the beggar protested his innocence of
this connection, but as lady once observed TO
a gentleman whose opinions She dislked, but
whose logic she found it hard TO controvert,
Horslord "has a horrid way of being right"
We have often wondered what becomes of the
people who "get off, but whom every one be-
lieves to be guilty, and of the "king's evidence"
men. 1t is stated that one Of the wretches IN
this Australian case oblgngly volunteered to
save himself by testimony against his fellow,
but the offer was politely declined, there being
ample ground for hanging both. They were
condemned to death in the central criminal
court of Sydney.