The Express. — 1861-01-11 (London, England)

SHOCKING MURDER AT DUNDRY, NEAR  BRISTOL.  BRISTOL, THIANDAT.  The village of Dundry, which is located at about five miles westward of this city, was last night made the scene of ova of the most brutal murders which it has been for a long time past my duty to chronicle. Occupying a small cottage, situated at about 200 yards from the church in that village, were an old man, named George Waterman, and his wife Sarah. The husband was of the advanced age of 75 years, and the wife some two years his junior. They were humble and inoffensive poisons ; but as the cottage and about an acre of land adjacent were their own property, it is believed that the murderers supposed them to be possessed of money. The old man farmed • small quantity of ground, and also kept a cow and sold milk, by which means he was enabled to eke out • slender but comfortable income. It would seem from • deposition made by the old man, and by other teatiniony, that at about 7 o'clock last night, the aged couple were eouvereiug Ly their fireside, when they heard • knocking on the outside of the door. The old man got up to answer it, but before lifting the latch adopted an expedient which he always observed by asking who was there? The person outside answered, "It is John, the Winford policeman "—a ruse which unhappily succeeded, for Mr. Waterman, knowing • policeman of that name, and suppwog it to be him, undid the door. He bad no sooner done so than he received • heavy blow from a thick heavy stick on his forehead. He staggered and ran back, upon which two men rushed in, one of whom knocked him clown, sad struck him several desperate blows en the head. The old man succeeded in getting on his legs again, when they told him that he must show them where his money was, and forced him upstairs. He said it was in • box. and baring opened the box to which he pointed they proceeded to ransack other boxes in the room, and also a chest of drawers. From those they took • silver watch, a silver medal, a bottle of brandy, some bottles of home-made wine, and a silk handkerchief. On turning over the bed they found a pair of loaded pistols, which they took, and then returned down stairs, coinpalling the old man to accompany them. Having possessed themselves of soma broad and bacon they dragged the old man into an outhouse and bound him with a cord to a bacon stand, telling him he must remain there for twenty minutes, when be might call to his wife to let him loose. They must then have brutally murdered the poor old woman, who it is thought ran to her husband's assistance with • pair of tongs, as • pair was afterwards found covered with blood and hair. The old man, though weak, contrived to get loose, and on going to his house found his aged partner lying on the ground insensible. Being too feeble, from the loss of blood, to raise her, he crawled to the house of a neighbour, who helped hie'. The old woman's head had been terribly beaten, and exhibited several wounds; and although medical aid was obtained, she died at half-past nine o'clock last night, without having once recovered sensibility. Suspicion fell upon Charles Wedmore, a nephew of the deceased, a private in the marine artillery, and a brother of his, a lumper on the Bristol Quay. 'I first had been seen in the neighbourhood • week previously, end on the first tune of his going to his uncle's be was accompanied by ft man who used the same remark, "It is John the policeman." Of course as yet this is mere suspicion. but the police have Wiled piamrds giving descriptions of the parties referred to.  lanky, 3ti. to 46w ; out., 21s. to 30*. ; pair, 40.. to Z6s. ; heana, 40a. to 545. pm qr.