Blandford, Wimborne and Poole Telegram. — 1879-03-07 (Blandford, Dorset, England)

HORRIBLE MURDER NEAR ILMINSTER. The charred remains of an old man named Samuel Churchill, aged 83, was found on Tuesday afternoon on the floor of his cottage at Kn ,wle St Giles, and the circumstances under which the discovery was made lead to the belief that the man has been foully murdered. Churchill has lived in the parish for many years past, and, with his wife and mother-in-law, inhabited an isolated cottage, which was his own property. About 10 o'clock on Tuesday morning Churchill's wife called in a neighbour and told him that her husband had fallen into the fire. An alarm was raised, and one or two neighbours going into the cottage found the poor old man lying in flout of the fire terribly burnt, and quite dead. Owing to cries of murder having been heard in the cottage several hours previously, the villagers suspected foul play, and sent for the police. About three o'clo( k in the afternoon Mr. Superintendent Gerity and Dr. Munden, of Ilminster, arrived, and an examination of the body was made. The back of the skull was entirely gone, having been but nt away. l'he right shoulder was nearly burnt through, and when the body was moved the right arm was hanging only by a hit of skin. There was sums marks of deep cuts upon the back of the head, and two fingers of the left hand were bleeding, marks of cuts extending both across the head and on the fingers, The cuts on the head were nearly obliterated by the fire, and it is coojectured that an attempt was made to burn the body. Large spots of blood were on the fi 'or, and were distinctly traceable from the fir -1 lice to th, door, and about the kitchen. The police searched the house, and discovered a bill-hook stained with blood. The wife was afterwards apprehended and taken to the police station at Umbaster. Staing of 0100 I were found upon her dress. She was charged with the murder of her husband. but she denied it, saying "she never injured the man." She is 50 years of age, was her husband's second wife, and deceased was her second husband. The man possessed some property. The mother-in.law i lived n the house; but she is nearly 90 years of age and bedi idden.  The wife b log the junior by nearly 30 years we fear it is beyond dispute that their marriage life was not a happy one. It would appear him the drops of blood found near the fireplace that the poor old man was first struck with the bill-hook, not so severely as to cause death, as th. re were marks of his haying proceeded fr .m the fireplace to the door. Here lie seems to have cried "Murder," but that being at uncommon, no notice was taken. He would appear then to have staggered round the room and again to the fireplace, and sustained many blows, there being several cots on the head, but the back part was burnt. He might have fallen on the fire, and his assailant finding the uld man nearly dead, tied from the house. When the wife ultimately gave the alarm he had been dead several hours, and was quite cold. Yesterday (Wednesday) afternoon the DeputyChief Constable of Som-rset Bisgood) and Mr. Superintendent Gerity we e investigating the affair ; and last evening sufficient evidence was forthcoming to connect the woman with the tragedy.