The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette. — 1858-05-04 (Dorchester, Dorset, England)

APPALLING MURDER  AT STOKE ABBOTT.  A fearful murder was perpetrated in the neighbourhood of Bemninster, on Friday afternoon, by • young man named James Seale, aged 20. Whilst the neighbours were absent in the fields at work • young woman named Sarah Anne Guppy, aged 23, of short stature, and somewhat deformed, was alone in a double cottage, a few hundred yards from the village of Stoke Abbott. In one part of the cottage, the owner, John Flutchings, resided, and, in the other portion, James Seale, sen., and the mother of the unfortunate victim. The girl was seen about 2 o'clock, and at 4 smoke was seen issuing from her mother's cottage, and on some labourers making their way in they found the lifeless body of Sarah Anne Guppy, lying on the floor. They carried her body to the adjoining orchard and discovered that her head was well nigh severed from her body, being cut from ear to ear. Just before the fire broke out James Seale the younger, was seen by Jane Cornick to leave deoeased's house, and she asked, having heard a scream from the house, what he had been doing at "Sarah." He said nothing. She noticed that blood was on his hand and trowsers. He said he had cut his hand with some grass. She gave him some paper, which he applied to a cut on his finger. They together walked to Broadclose, • few hundred yards oft, and parted. The cottage was called Puckshorn House. The mother of the deceased lodged with James Seale, the elder, and had lived there for years, and on Friday morning her daughter took her sewing up stairs in order to watch the doings of "Jim Seale," who had been lurking about a good deal. When the elder Seale saw his house on fire he ran in and found the deceased on the floor, fainting, as he thought, with a cloth over her, and he went up stairs to save the goods. The fire originated from the outside of the house. The prisoner's father, Job Seale, was present at the fire and assisted. John Hutchings cautioned the occupiers of Puck' shorn House not to leave their doors unlocked, as the prisoner was about a good deal in a suspicious manner ; and he found two knives near to where the body was at first lying. One of the knives, covered with blood, did not belong to deceased or to the elder Seale. The handles of both knives were burnt off. The prisoner's father, Job Seale, carried the body out into the orchard. There were smears of blood on " Jem's" trowsers and jacket sleeve, and the left cuff was burnt. P.C. WilliamLavenderapprehended the prisoner in • lane near Horsetail at 5 o'clock. Prisoner had a bit of rag on one of hie fingers, but the cut on his hand was neither fresh nor bleeding. Seine of the blood marks on his clothes had been rubbed with dirt. Mr. John Staines Webb, surgeon, said the wound on the neck under the left ear was about live inches in length. The wind pipe WAS quite cut through, and the young woman had not been, as was reported, ravished before being murdered. Her death must have been instantaneous, and she could not have inflicted the wound herself. An old cheese-knife, one of those found near the body, was the instrument used, in all probability. On Saturday afternoon an inquest was held at the Anchor Inn, Stoke Abbott, before Samuel S. Corry, Esq., coroner, and the above facts deposed to, after which the jury returned • verdict of " WILFUL MURDER against Jame. Seale." The prisoner Is very short and thin, and looks about 23. He was oommitted on the coroner's warrant on the capital offence. He was not long ago committed to 4 months hard labour and to be once privately whipped for stealing Is. 10d. from • child. He had not been "keeping company" with the young woman, who was of very quiet, retiring habits, and of irreproachable character. But there was no evidence that he set lire to the !muse, which was totally consumed. He refused to eat for a long time, and endeavoured to convey the idea that he was inane, but the surgeon believed he was only " shamming." The excitement In the neighbourhood, at Bearninster, and at Bridport was very great. Thu prisoner was taken before the Beaminster bench yesterday morning, and after the evidence had been gone into, was fully committed to the assizes on the charge of Wilful Murder. Crowds of persons thronged the streets leading to the county gaol, to catch • glimpee of the prisoner, but he had not rushed Dorchester at the time we went to press.