Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1898-01-09
DISCOVERED BY A DREAM.
A VISION WHICH RESULTED IN
MURDERER'S CONVICTION.
The killing of Maria Mnrtcn-StOry of
a Crime-One of the StrnnEest in
in the History of English
Jurisprudence.

The strange story OF how a murderer's
guilt was discovered through a mothers
dream is told by E. NJ. Burrell in the Eng
lish Illustrated Magazine. The story is a
true one, and. although the crime was
committed sevenyt years ago, the killing
of Maria Marten has made the village of
Polstead, in Suffolk, notorious to this day
as the scene Of one of the most atrocious
murders ever perpetrated.
Maria Marten left her home on May Is.
1927, with her lover, William Corder. osten-
sibly to be married to him. Mrs. Marten
| grew anxious at the prolonged absence and
silence of Maria, and about the following
Christmas she twice had a vivid dream
| that the girl had been murdered and buried
in a certain red barn which stood about a
mile from their cottage. She also frequent
ly dreamed of Maria, and again, in the fol-
lowing February, dreamed she saw her
murdered and buried in the same place;
Mrs. Marten repeatedly asked her husband
to go and examine the red barn.
Marten. however, did not seem to place
much faith in these dreams, ana some time
elapsed. during which his wife continued
to be troubled by similar night visions
of her daughter. At last Mrs. Maften SO
importuned her husband that on April 10
he and a friend determined to go ana make
a search in the barn for the purpose OF set
ting her mind at rest. ,ao,
filled with corn. but this had recently peen
threshed. and there was a good deal OF
straw on the floor: This straw the Two men
raked about, and presently they noticed
that the floor at one end of the building
had been disturbed. They Immediately be-
gan to remove the earth. ana soon came
upon a body in a sack, from which a green
silk handkerchief was protrudihg. ms Hau
belonged to Corder, and it was known mat
Maria had worn it when she lett her iath-
er'S house.
A coroner's inquest was held. at winch
it was indisputably proved that a ioui
n n fhqf Inc
body was that of the missing Maria MaTten.
Suspicion at once fell upon William Cor
der. He had strong reasons TO wish ner
out of the way. as the prospect OF MS mar
very distasteful to his widowed mother.
Moreover, there had been causes OF DIS.
money paid for one of her children and
m~isappropriated by Corder. Then, II ne
had had a hand in her baby death. as
was believed, he would have feared Maria
and felt that he was in her power While
she lived.
william Corder was the son of a we'll
TODD farmer at Polstead. He was TWO years
younger than Maria, and is desGrlned as
being only five feet four inches in height. Of
a very fair and freckled complexion: WIN
spite of his appearance. which can not be
considered prepossessing. he seems to nave
been attraetiye to the t opposite aer seS; Of a
laborer and molecatcher. and % years old
at the time of the murder. She is said to
nave DeGn very ATTRACTIVE III "iiSS
and pleasant in manner. But, unfortunate-
ly. her good looks got her into trouble
the first admirer being Thomas Corder, the
elder brother of her murderer: then a gen
tleman became acquainted with her. who
seems to have treated her, well on the
whole. as he made her a good quarterly al.
between her and William Corder. The re
suit OF this connection was that Tor the
third time Maria became a mG d ce eaTay
should keep his promise of marriage. but
he always found reason for postponlns the
ceremony. He had had ma eoi Mara had very a wan ar-
rant out against her on account OF her
children. This was a false report, but, I'M
child died in a sort of fit on Mrs. Martens
lap when but a few weeks old; and. al
though no suspicion arose at the time, in
the light of after events it seems probable
that the unnatural father was guilty.
ON Friday. May IS. Corder came to the
cottage and asked Maria to get ready to
marry her the next day. AS she was afraid
of being arrested. he advised her to dress
in mans attire. and go to the red barn.
which was a mile distant, and change her
clothes there. while he would bring a gig
in the evening to drive her to Ipswich:
They met in the fields to go to the red
April 10. eleven months after, nothing more
was seen of the hapless girl.
When brought to trial Corder PLEADED
fessed that he and Maria had had a quar-
rel. chiefly about the dead baby. and that
a scuffle ensued. during which he drew his
pistol and shot her.
On August II an extraordinary number
of people came to witness the execution.
The sentence. which included being dis
sected. was carried out to the letter, and
tho public were admitted by thousands to
see the body. The skeleton is still at the
West Suffolk hospital. at Bury st. Ed
munds; and an account of the murder.
bound in Corder's tanned skin. IS in the
Athenaeum library.
Maria Martens grave in PoIstead church,
yard is still shown to visitors. but the
hunters. who have carried it away piece