Murders In Lincolnshire.
The Times, 1824-11-11T00:00:00

(Froai the Boston Gazette.) Itappeared that a child was missing in the month of February last, and never since heard of, although every possible means of giving publicity to thc circumstance was resorted to. On the 26th tilt., two clil dren were found in a barn. An innuest was held on the bodies on Saturday se'nnight, before J. H. Holloway, Esq., Co- roner. Thc bedy of the child, which lay in the first floor ofthe gra- nary, was inspected by the ijry. The fong time it had l.,in had ob- literated 'every feature; the vermin which invested thie granary had eaten part of the body, particularly the fingers on onc hand. Sever_l mnarks of blood were observed on the clothes, fully proying the com- mittal of a rape; but this wasnot theonly marksof crueltv discover- ed. Round the neck, and rather incliling to the extret iiv of one of the ears, it was very easy to discern a mark caused bv the tight pres. sure of a cord or othier ligament. It is highlv probable that the vil- lain who perpetrated this atrocioas crirne, pufled his victim up by the cord round the neck into the fuilse roof where it was found. James Thomas Tester, and Robert Hall, deposed to the finding of the body. Itgth thouglt it itmposAible for the child to have got uo the ceiling5 or for a man to have carried it up in his arms, but it might have been pulled up by a rnpe. IUr. J. IL Ro"ers,surgeon,sta'et, that from the very ptttrid state of the bodv, very little medical opinion could be offered. The mrarksof blood on the under-clothes of the child led to the conclusion that violernce had been committed on her person. Thert also appeared to witness, a furrow round the neck of the child, as if a cord hadI been tightly applied. Susannah Smaller, motlier of the child, idrentified the bonnet and pattens foundl in the granarv, as those worn bv her datighter on the P6th of February last. Slie was eight years old. Deceased left home a fewr minutes before nine o'clock in the moaning, with the in tention of going to the National School: the granary where the body was found was il the road to the school. Theextrense agita- tion of the witness cannot be described. One of lher childreti was butrnt to death some years ago, antI shc now truly appeared-a i Ra. ct4el weeping for her children, and refusing to be comforted because they are not." GeorgeSmaller,husband of the last witness,also identified the dress of the child. Did not miss the child until eight ; it was a very rainy day, and thought she had stopped at the school, but found, on in- quiry, that she had not been there. Witness dragged B .ston river for a fortnight himself, and made every inquiry, bat could not find er hear of his clild. James Chantrey, clerk to Mr. Sheppard, who occupied the gra- nary, deposed as to theegrain in it at different periods; did not re- member the key of the granary being taken fioma the office en the 26th of February ; it was not customary tc, ask for the key; the persons who want it take it from itle nail on which it hangs in the office. Harriet Jackson, lMlistresa of the National School at Boston, de- posed, that Frances Smaller was one of the sciolars last February; deceased was not at school on the 26th; oti the 2.5th she was; had not seen ter since. Site always came very checrfully to school, and witness had not oecasion to correct her it any manner on the day pro- ceding her death. Robert illaydwell was examuined several times, but hisa evidence cc wtas a mass of contradliction." Benjamirn Bentotn, who lived with AMr. Sheppard at the time, said Mlaydwell used generally to apen the granary windows; some- times they were opened by himself. Did not know that he had any conversation with blaydwell about the child beinr.lost. The Inquest was then adjourned to Mondtty; sn the meantime, a messenger was despatched to London to procure the attendance of Thomnas Parker, whosunatne had beenmentiotied in -he proceedings. Richatird Taylor, a shoemaker deposed, that about a week aftler the child was lost, Thomas Parker, who was frequently at witness's house, told himn that the child was found at the back of ilir. Shep- pard s granary. Parker said he had seen the child. and that it had been pulled out Qf the river. Witness metntioned what Patker said to Mlr. Davey. Parker was always in low spirits, cried much, and once said he had something on his conscience. One morning in June last, Parker had got some essence of sugar in a cup, and was going to swallow it, but was prevented by witness's wife. Parlcer took witness's cutting-out knife away with him. Thomas Davey corroborated the last witness as to the conversation between them. Win. Hayesm. lterat the Dolphin Inn, deposed that Parker slept there inhay last, and als about five or six weeks slice, when he pulled a knife out of his pocket, anti putting it to his own body, said, I hope thtis will do the deed ore long." Several other witnesses were examined, but their evidence is not of importance. The inquest was then adjourned to Thursday, to wait thc arrival of Parker. On Thursday morning the jury exa- mined the premises; the general conviction was, that the child had been enticed into the grantary in the morning, the rape committed in the first floor and tihe child matrdered to prevent detection, and the body put in tihe third floor, wlhieh was rarely entered. John Pooles; waiter at the Still inn, deposed that Parker said be had something heavy -on his mind, and woald be hanged. IIannah Taylor gave similar evidence as to Parker, as her husband Richard Taylor. Thomas Parker, wha had been apprehended on a Mlagistrates warrant, was brought in and examined, but not on oath. He is about 38 yesrs of age. Ile stated that he had lived with Mr. Ro- bert Sh ard as groom. He positively denied that he had ever told P.epli, or Taylor and his wife, that he sbould be hatiged; his low spirits and uneasiness was in consequence of his wife having left hinl. There was in Parker's appearance none of the confused anxiety of discovered guilt or apprehended punishnment. In a calm and composed manner he walked up to the coffin, and after looking for Afew moments at the body, he exclaimed in a distinct and unaltered tone-" This is u shocking spectacle, but I bed no band in it God knowvs." He was thletn aslced if he had any objections to touch the body ? He said. "Certainly not; I 'never injjured the little inno- cent;" atid then firmly placed his right hand on different parts of The d oRoNER summed up the evidence, and tho jury, sfter a tihortdeliher ation, returned their ve;dlct--' Wilful Murder aginst somie person or persons unknown." Anotler inquest was held on 'Tuesday1 on the bPdy of another child, seved> years of age, found in a jst djoining ;Jaud Forest Dam. Severalwitnescss were examinYd =nd there vratknbo* ddTbt that the chilybhad been murdered; -and itappesred fromr tLe evidence Mfr. 1follway, the surgeon, that there was vame reagon:tbasuspect, that a rape had been attempted on the child. e Alice Hattenborow, tbe mother of the child, deposed to the fact of missing her, and identified her clothes,, but no clue was olbtained as to the individual who had perpetrated the horrid deed. Verdict-" Wilful AMurder against some person or pemofns un- known." AZURDERS IN LI.TCOLSIHIRA.