The Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle. — 1866-04-21 (Stourbridge, West Midlands, England)

THE MYSTERIOUS MURDER IN LONDON.  On Wi ilneaday evening, the llth instmt, Sarah Matson, widow, aged about forty, housekeeper to Messrs. Bevington. the well-known leather cutters, Cancon.strect West, London, left the dming-room, where she was sitting with Elizabeth Lowe, the cook, to attend to a bell which she said "was for her." About a unarter.past ten o'clock the cook went to look for her, and funuil Mrs. Millson lying dead in the passage with a number of wounds on the back of her head, apparently inflicted with a blunt instrument, supposed to have been a crowbar belonging to the premises.. The following are the detailed particulars :  After office hours, and when the principals and clerks had left, the custom was to leave the house in the charge of two women, a housekeeper and a cook. Since the death of the housekeeper's husband some six years ago no man seene to have slept upon the premises. About half-past ten on Wednesday night a ',Miamian, passing on the beat„ was called into the warehouse by the cook, a woman named !owe ; and he timid the body of lint Mahon, the housekeeper, bine on the floor of the passage which led from the street don-. The woman was th.n already dead: her head hail literally been beaten in by a booth-I. of blows dealt with some heavy instrument and thorigh the floor was covered with blood, there was no Indication that any struggle had taken place between the murderer and his victim. Stich, we should state, Is all the positive, unquestionable evidence we possess with regard to the murder. What further information we have as to the probable facts of the case is scanty, and is derived from the evidence of the vietirn'a fellowservant. It seems that on the night in question. Messrs. itevington's warehouseman left the building ahout eight o'clock, havii.g called down the housekeeper, as usual, Ao let him oust of the door. After his departure, the two wotnen, as far as we at present know, were left alone in the house. Lowest account, given before the Coroner'a bullied on Friday contributes but little to onr infornlatlon. According to her statement, she and her companion sat talking tog, titer till sonic time between eight and nine, when the street-hell was rung. The housekeeper said the ring was for her, and went downstairs to open the tioor, while the witittss went up to her bed-room. Not hearing an) thing of her fellow-servant for np wards of an hour or an, she went to look fir her, and f• tool her lii rig on the ground in ar the street•door Thinking that %fie litlain was hi a fit, the witness immediately calleoPfot mFbntance A wmnin, uhn win standing ander the doorway tor shelter front the rout—the night being dark and sternl—retihed t,i arene lu When she was told there was a person inside ill alt Nobody else passed by till a police Cal= Up Mat OMR it was that a murder had be-en canntratel. - -  The nthrter it shrrolholed with more than ortin try difficult) (rota the rc,eree which thin dammed hervelf appears to have maintained with respect to rotor of the person. with whom she was Intimate Pertains called orcasionclly to we her in the evening alter