The daily gazette., 1880-02-13
A Remarka BILE Crime.
BY JOHN BERNIER.

peared so strangely more than tw,
centuries ago, and, after the lapse o
eight years, was proved to have beel
murdered, had been land-steward +,
several gentlemen in Cambridgeshire
England, and had saved considera
BILE sum of money. In 1854 he set ou
for London, whittier he had previousl.
sent his wife; and according to tn,
custom of the period, he travelled OF
horse, sleeping at night at inns on the
road. He never reached London, anC
he was never again seen by any one
who knew him.
Various rumors concerning him
fioated about for some time after his
disappearance. 1t was at first said
that he had gone to Amsterdam, and
his wife sent to that city to make in
quiries for him, but ascertained that
he had not been there. Some time
afterward she heard that he was at
Cork, and caused diligent inquiries to
be made, not only in the city and
county of Cork, but throughout the
province of Munster, but without
learning any tidings of him. After a
considerable interval, she heard that
he had been seen in the island of Bar
BADGES, and there, also, she caused in
quiries to be made, but with no better
success. In this manner eight years
passed away without anything having
TRANSFERRED to throw the faintest light
upon the mystery in which the fate Of
the unfortunate man was involved.
In the beginning of 1862, high
1 xxytn1 hlax.r 4ha fa,Aa hot -
orchard in the rear of the "White
Horse Inn," at Chelmsford, and an ad-
joining meadow; and the landlord,
whose name was Turner, resolved to
replace the fence with brick wall.
| In digging out the earth for this pur-
pose, human skull was found, hav-
ing hole on the left side about the
size of a crown. Upon digging deeper
| the remainder of skeleton of male
adult was found, doubled up, as if the
body had been hastily thrown into the
grave dug for its concealment. An in
quest was held upon the remains, and
the surgical evidence showing that the
| fracture of the skull had been the
cause of death, the jury returned
verdict of willful murder against some
person or persons unknown.
The landlord of the inn conceiving bis
reputation to be touched by the dscov-
cry applied to the Justice for warrants
aga nst man named Sewell, who had
formerly kept the inn, aud his wife; and
these persons were taken into custody,
but denied all knowledge of the affair.
No eTidence beiug adduced they were
liberated on their recognizance TO appear
at the next assizes, and Turner was
bound to prosecute. II was said that
Sewell showed visible signs of troubled
mind, and that on becoming seriously
II, shortly afterward, he several times
expressed wish TO see some of the chief
Inhabitants of the town, as he could not
lie without relieving his mind of some
hat was on it; bu: this his wife would
not allow. About fortnight before tie
ass.Zes he died he died, and it was ru-
mored about town that his wife had poi
soned him.
As 10 evidence could be adduced to
criminate the ex-hostess, her trial was
postponed until the next assizes, when
tine Lord Chief Justice, Sir Orlando
Bridgman, finding that no clear account
Of the personmuIdered could be obtain
ed, nor any evidence, either positive or
clrcums antial, as to who were the per-
petrators of the crime, ordered an adver-
iIsement TO be inserted in the newspa-
pers, which, after setting forth that the
bones of an unknown person, supposed |
70 have been robbed and murdered, had |
b zen dug up in the back yard at Chelms- |
ord, concluded as follows: "Whoever |
can give notice of any person missing, let |
them give notice to MIR. Talcott, Coro- |
ner, in Feering; or to the constable of
Chelmsford; or to Mr. Roper, bookseller,
ever against st. Dunstan's church, in
Fleet street."
The sister of Kidderminister's widow
was one day reading newspaper to
her, when her eyes rested on this adveI-
tisement, and she Immediately exclaim-
ed: "Sister, here is news of your hus-
band" The time mentioned in the
a nolncement as the period during
which the remains were supposed to have
pern buried agreeing with the time
which had elapsed since Walter Kidder-
minister had disappeared, 1t seemed
extremely probable that the bones were
those of the missing man;and the widow
went Immediately TO the shop of Roper
the BOOKSELLER, by whose advice she set
out for Chelmsford.
On her way she stopped at Romiord,
and there learned that one Moses
Drayne, who had been ostler at the
"White HorIe," at Chelmsford, at the
time of her husbands disappearance was
then living IN that town. The man was
sent for but declined to appear. The
widow then went to Chelmsford, where
she learned from Turner the circum-
stances attending the discovery of the
On her way back to London, she again
stopped at Romford; and having found
out MoseSDrayne, asked him to desert be
the man who left his horse behind him
at the "White Horse" at Chelmsford,
IN 1864, and what clothes he wore, OBJ.
serving that she thought he might be
her his band, who had disappeared at
that time, and has never been seen or
heard of since. Drayne replied that the
gentleman in question we1 a tall, stout
mau, with dark-brown hair, curled at
he ends, but not very long; and that he
wore dark gray suit, and a black hat.
This description corresponded with that
of Walter Kidderminster, with the ex-
cepti On of the hat, that of the missing
N IN being gray; and on the widow no.
ricng this point of difference, Drayne
changed color several times, and never
looked her in the face afterward. He
broke off the conversation with the re-
mark that Mary Kendall, who had been
ser eant at the "White Horse" at the
time, could give her more information