Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1873-01-30
A Dark Mystery.
An ENGLISH "HELEx JEwErr" CASH.

AN ENGLISH ''HELEN JEwETr' cAsR.
son December %" says the London
Daily Telegraph, "a most horrible muir
der was discovered at No. ~ Great
Coram street, Russell square, the victim
being a woman named Clara Bruton,
who is represented as an actress, or a
frequenter of one of the principal music
halls. 1t. appears that the deceased
went out about 10 o'clock on Christmas
Eve, having had occasion to borrow a
shilling from a woman of the name of
Alice Nelson, who lives on the ground
floor. 1t would seem from her state
ment, when she returned, that she had
met German gentleman, who had
bought her a quantity of oranges and
nuts after they left the Alhambra, and
these she gave to her landlady to take
care of. She went up stairs with the
gentleman-whO, by the way, preceded
her, as if he knew the way-to the
second floor back room, and came down
directly afterward with half a sovereign,
from which the landlady, Mrs. Wright,
took nine shillings on account of rent,
and returned one shilling to the deceas-
ed, who then went to the room of the
girl Nelson, and told her of the affair.
The deceased appeared as if she had been
drinking little, and chatted very freely
till Nelson warned her not to leave a
strange man up stairs, and she went
away, but returned Immediately down
to the landlady, and wanted some bot
tied stout, which. however, it was too
late to obtain. She again returned up
stairs. and nothing further was heard of
eitherof the parties till about $50 o'clock
yesterday CChTistmas) morning, when
the man was heard descending the stairs.
and he walked leisurely along the pass
age, and slammed the street door after
him. Mrs. Wright mentioned the cir
cumstance to her husband, but no notice
was taken of it nor did anything at all
suspicious transpire until between one
and two o'clock yesterday afternoon,
when the deceased not coming down the
landlady went up to call her, but receiy-
ed no answer, and returned and prepared
breakfast, which was taken up soon
after Not being able to make her hear,
the landlady looked through the keyhole,
and saw the Clothes of the deceased lying
on the floor. Upon bursting open tho
door a most CHASTITY and fearful sight
presented itself The dead body of the
woman was living in the bed, her throat
Dclilg cut NteDl1 uLNbt tllC tai CtfNliAAE
the iugular vein. and there was another
deep cash little lower dOwz. extend
ing to the upper part of the left breast,
life being extinct. An alarm was raised
and John Hovle. No. ia +, at once sent
for DIR. Murphy Of No. 43 Great Coram
street. and the circumstances of the dis
cOVery were then communicated to the
Hunter street Police station, where
Superintendent Thompson was on his
afternoon visit, and he at once person.
ally undertook the investigation Of the
case. The door had been locked on the
outside and the key taken away, but
there were no marks OF blood on the
door or on the walls or bed. as if blood
| had spurted from the wounds. The
| face of the victim was perfectly calm,
/ but fon the forehead there was the dis
| tinct print of a thumb, and little lower
down the palm Of a hand, in blood, as IL
after the first wound the poor creature
had been held down by the left hand
while the second wound was inflicted
| The pillows and bolster was completely
saturated with blood. A basin and a can
filled with water had not been touched,
but in a second large can there was
mark of blood on the side, and evidence
| that the murderer had rinsed his
hands IN the water. In front Oh the
| washstand there were ten large drops of
/ blood. and on the towel a mark as if
small pocket-knife had been wiped, and
that was the only clew to the species of
weapon used for the accomplishment Of
| the deed. The suspicion is, therefore.
/ that the murderer wiped his hands on
1 his handkerchief. The room was usually
| lighted by paraffine lamp, which the
| landlady lit at eight o'clock, and an ex-
animation of it showed it to be rather
/ more than half full, and turned down as
if to extinguish if. There were two
empty match-boxes on the table, one a
tin one, used generally for carrying wax
vestas, and on it were two spots OF
/ blood. The blinds Were down and the
windows closed, and no marks Of blood
on either. The most active and diligent
inquiries are being pursued by Inspector
Cruise and Detective Sergeant Kerry, IN
der the direction of Superintendent
! Thompson, and some circumstances have
already come to light which il is desir-
able should not at present be made pub
lie.