The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle. — 1881-05-07 (Stourbridge, West Midlands, England)

THE GRAVESEND MURDER.  The trial took place on Saturday, at the Lewes Assizes, before Mr. Justice Hawkins, of Albert Moore, aged twenty•three, a soldier, described as being imperfectly educated, for the wilful murder of Mary Ann Marsh, widow, of Gravesend, on the 14th of February last.  Mr. Denman and Mr. Byron prosecuted en behalf of the Treasury; and Mr. Willoughby and Mr. Gell defended the prisoner. Since the prisoner was first arrested a great change has taken place in his appearance, and he was looking haggard and thin. About seven o'clock on Monday evening, the 19th of February, Miss Burton, who is in the service of the Rev. R. Joynes, rector of Gravesend, and whose residence adjoins the house in which the unfortunate woman was murdered, went to see Mrs. Marsh, with whom she was acquainted. On going to the street door it was opened by a man whom she had formerly known by sight, the servant of Lieutenant Scrivens. Miss Burton inquired for Mrs. Marsh, and the man said he would call her. The man then ran upstairs, but was not heard to call, and almost immediately afterwards came down again and left the house hurriedly. As Mrs. Marsh did not come downstairs, Miss Burton went away, but returned, and becoming uneasy about not seeing anything of her, reported the matter to the police, observing that it seemed suspicious for the door to be open and no one apparently in the house. Policesergeant Goodwin accompanied by two police-constables then entered the house, and on going upstairs in the front bedroom, on the floor at the foot of the bed, in a pool of blood, lay the body of Mrs. Marsh, with her throat cat from ear to ear, and quite dead. On the top of the body were placed an eiderdown quilt, the pillows from the bed, and also the sheets, the litter being very much stained with blood. superintendent Berry proceeded to - Chatham Barracks, and found that the prisoner was there in the service of Colonel Barvisell, of the 52nd Regiment, and was in the barracks. On entering Moore's room blood was found on his coat, trousers, and boots, which he could not account for. He was then taken into custody, and brought back to Csravesend, where he was charged with having caused the death of gra. Marsh. On being asked, the prisoner gave his name, and stated that he was a soldier in the 52nd Regiment, and also that he haa a wife and two little children. The prisoner was afterwards placed along with sixteen or seventeen other men, and Miss Burton was called in. On being asked if she recognised any of the men as the person she saw leaving the Woodlands on the previous night, she went straight to the prisoner, placed her hand upon him, and said, "That is the man I saw coming out of the house." Prisoner said, "Yes, and you are the lady I passed when I came out of the house." Whilst in pi ison prisoner said to Police-constable Gent, "I did not intend to murder the old woman. I came up with the intention of getting more money. She refused to give me any, and I tried to get it from her by force. I then got the razor to frighten her, when she began to scream. I was afraid some one would hear her holloa, and I pushed her down and drew the razor across her throat. I was frightened at what I had done, and I immediately left the house without taking anything."  Witnesses having been called to bear out the openstatement of the counsel for the prosecution, Mr. Willoughby, on behalf of the prisoner, said he would not dispute the fact that it was the prisoner who drew the razor across this unfortunate woman's throat, but the question was whether the prisoner intended to commit the crime of murdair. No evidence had been adduced that there was any intention on the part of the prisoner to deprive this woman of her life. He contended that there was a difference between the deceased woman and the prisoner relating to money matters, and that most likely led to blows and a struggle, ending in the death of the woman. If that was the case, he asked that the prisoner should not be convicted on the grays charge of murder as the law allowed.  Mr. Justice Hawkins then summed up the case, after which the jury returned a verdict of " Wilful Murder," and sentence of death was passed on the prisoner in the usual form.  - During the trial the prisoner exhibited great emotion, and appeared to feel his position acutely.