The Staffordshire and Potteries Examiner. — 1880-11-06 (Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, England)

ATROCIOUS DOUBLE MURDER.  A brutal double murder was committed near Chislehurst early on Sunday morning, under circumstances of the most atrocious character. It appears that Joseph Waller, aged 24, a labourer, after being turned out of the Five Bells public-house, on Saturday night, where he had created a disturbance, was found in a pigstye on enclosed premises belonging to a farmer at St. Mary Cray, and the owner gave information of the fact to the police, who in consequence proceeded to the cottage of Waller, for the drpose of apprehending him upon the charge of icing on the same for an unlawful purpose. On tie subsequent arrival at home, Waller was met by Police Constable Palmer, who was waiting for him, and who remarked that he was going to Cray, whereupon Waller replied, "I am going there toe," and the pair together went to tho police station. Inspector Higgins and Police Constable Mackay were vii duty, when at five a.m., Waller was brought in. It seems that about four o'clock Police Constable Mackay had heard shots in the direction of a gamekeeper's lodge, and going thither to ascertain the reason, ems Waller standing outside the house of Edward Ellis, head gamekeeper to Mr. R. R. Berens, J.P. He mid, in answer to a question, that he was waiting for "old Ned Ellis.', At the police station, the charge of being on enclosed premises having been stated to him, Waller said to Police Constable Mackay, " You have a good charge," and then to inspector niggles, "If you have eight men and two stretchers, you go to old Ned Ellis's, and there you will find two dead bodies." The inspector asked, "Who are they 'r " Waller replied, "Ned Ellis and his wife. You go in at the big gate, down Ned's ride; and there you will find Mrs. Ellis, with her husband's truncheon under her." Inspector Higgins at once proceeded to Ellis's lodge, and on searching the adjoining wood he discovered the dead body of Mrs. Ellis a quarter of a mile from the house, and that of her husband half a mile away. The heads of both were frightfully battered. It is suspected that Waller had first fired a shot from a gun, and enticed old Ellis auay from the house under pretence that there were poachers in the wood, and then foully murdered him by a shot from the revolver (sixchamber) found on him at the station, canplating the deed with the gamekeeper's own truncheon. It is then surmised that Mrs. Elite, anxious after her husband's long absence, went out in search of him, met the prisoner returning, and shared at his hands a similar fate. Ellis was 74 years of age, and had been 50 years 'in Mr. Berens's employ; his wife was 60, and had been cook twenty years In the same service. The motive for the murders was probably plunder, as Ellis was reputed wealthy, and to have money hoarded in his ledge. Medical assistance was promptly obtained, but Drs. Matthews and Bull pronounced life extinct. Mrs. Ellis's fingers were broken, and her husband's frightfully smashed, for Ellis, though an old, was an active and determined man. Both had horrible gashes upon their foreheads, arid each had evidently struggled desperately with the murderer.. Waller was discharged two years ago from the police force for drunkenness and violence and was suspected of being the originator of the rick-burning in the Cray district of late. Ho bears a very bad character in the place. The scene of the murder was visited by a crowd of people on Sunday. Waller had been employed throughout the whole of hurt winter by Edward Ellis.