The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1878-12-27
A LONDON SENSATION.
AN OLD WOMAN MURDERED IN BURTON cREs-
cENr-ARREsT OF FEMALE SERVANT, WHO
is CHARGED WITH THE CRIME.

CENT-ARREsT OF A FEMALE SERVANT, WHO
is CHARGED WITH THE CRIME.
From the Standard, Dec. 14l
The murder Of Mrs. Rachel Samuel. which took
place at her residence No. Burton crescent. Euston
road, on Wednesday night. which at first thought
likely TO prove another mystery. viii now probably
be nnravelled large mass of circnmstantial
evidence has been accumulated pointing in a di-
reetion which the police have followed. Acting
upon the information obtained in their inquiries
upon the spot, Inspectors Kerley and Lansdowne yes
terday visited the house of woman named Mary
Donovan, who was living at No. A. Lancaster street.
Borough, and arrested her upon the charge of will
fully numbering Mrs. samuel This woman. who
was for some ten years servant in the deccaseds
employ, but who had ceased to be SO for consider
able time married some short time since respect
able man engaged as night watchman at large
brewery, lie being at the time q widower.
with two children. Since. then, however. up
TO within q few weeks. Mrs. Donovan has
been in the habit of going to the house Of
Mrs. Samuel to work about two or three times
week, and it is stated that she was treated by her
with the greatest confidence. For q short time she
has been unable to 20 with her work there in
sequence OF having received some bruises by fall,
but ii appears that Tuesday night she at Bur-
ton crescent ut ten o'clock being then the for
liquor. She then saw Mrs Samuel, but left mnledi-
ately: On the following day "wednesday, when the
murder committed, woman saw both the
deceased and Mary Donovan as late as hafpast eight
i'll the evening, and nothing more was known until
the ledger in the house, Mr.. Borschidsky, Pole.
came home and discovered the murder. The police
inspectors called upon Donovan yesterday, when she
admitted that she went to Burton crescent about
eight O'Clock and while there let man in to look at
some apartments She stated that she after
ward went out to fetch some fish for Mrs.
longer. The man looked like pasterer or
paperhanger. He had not left when she came away.
On being asked what shawl she the night Of
the murder she pointed to at the foot OF the bed
On examination it found that there was a mark
upon it which looked like blood. She was then
asked to produce the dress she had on that night.
1t the one she wearing and she stepped for
ward and turned her back to the window Upon
looking at the front Of the dress it found to be
covered with blood, and upon these suspicious cir
cumstances the woman was arrested
SUSPICIOUS ACTIONS
On the way to the police station in cab with the
detective officers the prisoner attempted to tear out
the front of her dress but prevented from doing
so. 1t has been discovered that she was out all
Wednesday night, which she accounts for by saying
that she lost her key and that the landlady
away at his work., but the landiady says
that she heard her knock ut the door
The theory is, that after numbering her old mistress
Donovan intended to rob the house, but that the
smashing OF the window pane undoubtedly by the
murdered woman. as the door is covered with bloody
frightened her lest some one had heard the crash
that she decamped As Mrs. Samuel appears to have
been in the habit of placing her dodgers supper
ready before tea and she alive at half past
eight the crime must have been committed between
those hours. The milk for the supper OF Mr..
Lorschidzky was found in the cupboard untouched
Donovan knew that Wednesday evenings the
lodger was in the habit of not reaching home until
about midnight, in consequence OF weekly profess
sional engagement instead of, as on other evenings
about two hours earlier.
BEATEN
Mr.. Phineas John Kendrick. NJ. X, G. s., 63 March
mont street, said:-l called little before
O'Clock Thursday morning, and went with him
to Burton-crescent. found deceased lying there
in pool of blood, dead and dressed have taken
no description OF the body. / found the hands
cenched the face blackened Her face was black and
looked Like having r been rubbed over Wta
swollen. l could rot say it was done by
violence. had the dy raised, and at the
back of the head there two cutsdistinct scalp
wounds--the scalp being absolutely detached from
five inches either SIDE Death was unquestion.
ably caused by act of violence. looked about
the place for some instrument that might have
caused death, but only found an old knife on the
table smeared with blood. | subsequently saw the
piece OF wood produced Ia broken oak hat rail,
strongly made, and covered with blood, evidently
split in two by force. but do not think it would pro-
duce the wounds deceased. blunt Ratchet
might do it. Great dissatisfaction expressed by
the Coroner and jury at the manner in which the
witness gave his evidencel
Mr.. L. Hutchinson, Il. II. G.. 81 said: II am acting
divisional surgeon and called by Inspect " De
Maid to go TO the house went into the kitch, and
found Mrs. Samuel lying on her back. There was
large quantity OF blood saturatng her clothes and
upon the floor. There had been blood wiped up. l
raised the head and found two large scalp wounds 1
passed my finger round to epdeayor to find a frac-
ture, but there was none. The hands We're quite
black and have some punctured wounds think
they must have been caused by her putting up her
hands protect herself from the blows. / went
the place with the inspector and the piece
OF wood found The blood was quite fresh and there
also some hair upon it. the same as the de-
ceased's. Mrs. Samuels' hands were covered with
blood there blood in the sink. / generally
roborate the whole of the evidence of the inspector
have this evening made post-mortem examination.
1 opened the scalp and found the whole of the
inside IL covered with blood. Deceased must have
been beaten terribly There fracture, but
great confusion OF the face and head generally.
think the cause of death must have been from
ems of the brain and ~ lemDrrhaue Ina
killed instantly. but doubtless batled long
az she had life. The blows must have been laid ON
with great force think unconsciousness must have
been caused by the battcring.