The Sun. — 1851-12-30 (London, England)

EXTRAORDINARY MURDER.  BELPER, SUNDAY EVENING.—It is our painful duty to record one of the most cold-blooded and daring murders that have ever taken place in the county of Derby. The scene of the foul deed is Belper, about eight miles from Derby, and near the extensive cotton manufactories of the Messrs. Strutt. The facts of the case are as follows :—lt appears that a man named Anthony Turner, who resides at Laneend, and about half a mile from Belper, has been for some years in the habit of collecting rents for a widow lady named Barnes, who lives with a relative named Bannister, a clergyman of the Church of England, at Field-house, Belper. Turner having been a defaulter to s considerable amount, Mrs. Barnes sent him a note to say that he would not be allowed to colleet any more rents, and that he was to consider himself discharged from his situation. On Saturday evening last he went to a provision shop, kept by a Mr. Husland, and borrowed a large carving- knife, used for cutting bacon. After they gave it to him he said he was going to kill Mrs. Barnes with it, for not letting him collect the rents. This was about eight o'clock in the evening, and it appeared that he went direct from Mr. Ilusland's shop to Field-house, deceased's residence, and asked to see Mrs. Barnes. The servant went up stairs, and told Mrs. Barnes that Turner wished to speak to her, but she refused to grant him an interview. The servant returned with a message to that effect. Turner said he would not go away without seeing her, and, entering the house, pushed the girl on one side and rushed up stairs. The servant girl was very much alarmed, and ran to fetch the Rev. J. Bannister, who was in the adjoining house. Mr. Bannister immediately ran into the house, and on proceeding up stairs met Turner coming down with a large knife in his hand, which was covered with blood. Turner made a blow at Mr. Bannister with the knife, and after a struggle between them Turner was precipitated to the bottom of the stairs. Mr. Bannister then went into the unfortunate lady's room, and found her lying  on the ground with her head literally severed from her body I Ono of her thumbs was also cut off, as if in struggling to prevent the murderous knife from lacerating her throat. Medical aid was immediately in attendance, but life was quite extinct. After the foul deed had been perpetrated, Turner; after passing Mr. Bannister on the stairs, as alluded to above, on leaving the house met the servant girl coming in, and made a❑ attempt to strike her with the knife, but she turned her head on one side and evaded the blow. The murderer then ran off at the top of his speed, and has not since been heard of. He is a married man, and has one child; is a tailor by trade, and was formerly a local preacher among the Wesleyan Methodists. His age is about 45 years, he stands about five feet 8 inches, has very small black eyes, and had on at the time of the murder a pair of drab trousers and black coat. The most extraordinary part of this awful tragedy is the great ease with which the murderer made his escape, as it was only about half-past eight o'clock in the evening, and numbers of people were stirring about the neighbourhood. The electric telegraph was immediately set to work at the Belper station, and the news conveyed in a few minutes to Derby, Nottingham, and other midland counties. In Belper the greatest excitement prevailed on the awful tragedy becoming known, and a mob of some hundreds soon collected round the deceased lady's residence. Mr. W. Wragg, superintendent constable of Belper, and formerly one of the detective officers of the Derby police, was unable to render any assistance in finding the murderer, in consequence of having received severe injuries in attempting to prevent the fight a few days ago between the pugilists Paddock and Paulson. It appears that Turner cohabited with a woman in Derby, and this afternoon Sergeants Hardy and Fearn proceeded to the house of the woman, but could find no trace of the murderer having been there. The deceased, Mrs. Barnes, was about 60 years of age, of eccentric habits, and the owner of considerable property in Belper and Derby. The inquest will commence to-morrow (Monday), before Mr. Henry Mosley, coroner for the district.