The Kenilworth Advertiser. — 1880-02-28 (Kenilworth, Warwickshire, England)

THE RICHMOND MURDER.  EXTRAORDIN ARY CONFESSION.  On Thursday morning, a woman, who gave the name of Sarah Nelly Essam, made an extraordinary statement to the police at Uxbridge in reference to the Richmond murder. She said.Lhat for five weeks previous to Monday last she cohabited with a man at Ealing, with whom she had been acquainted four years, and on Sunday fortnight he made a confession to her, which she felt she could no longer keep secret. The man was a carman, and she mentioned his name, also giving the police information as to where he might probably be found. Just before he made the confession to her they were sitting together at dinner. He suddenly jumped up and went into the parlonr in a great state of agitation. She followed, and asked him what was the matter. He replied, "For God's sake, Nell, don't ask me. I shall go mad, I know I shall." She begged him to tell her, and he then began to cry, and said the matter which troubled him occurred at Richmond, adding that if she spoke of it to anyone she was a dead woman. She replied that she would not tell so long as he kept "straight," and he then told her that he was present at the time Mrs. Thomas, of Richmond, was murdered, and that he assisted Kate Webster to cut up and dispose of the body. Kate Webster, he says, committed the murder while he was standing behind the door, and he remained in the house for two days afterwards. He had been acquainted with Webster for some years, and was the father of her children. He also stated that he was on the bridge when the box containing Mrs. Thomas's remains was thrown into the river. They had some difficulty in getting the furniture away from the house, but he asserted that Church was entirely innocent. He also told her that Kate Webster obtained situations for the purpose of robbing her employers, and that he had always been implicated. She (Webster) told him that Mrs. Thomas had a thousand pounds in her house, and that she knew where to find it. He further stated that he and Webster made up their minds to do away with Mrs. Thomas a fortnight before the murder was committed, and that he had slept at the house two or three nights a week. He also told her of an extensive robbery in which be ard a man whom she only knew by sight were concerned ; and three weeks ago to-day he returned home from his work at Hanwell earlier than usual, and prepared to go out for some hours, telling her to go to bed. From his manner and the clothing he selected, she judged that he was " up to no good." But he declined to tell her where he was going, till she saw him place a short poker down the leg of his trousers, and charged him with having it there. He then told her that a woman whose husband had been sentenced to five years' penal servitude had been brought down from LDndon by the other man referred to, and that she threatened to " open " unless they paid her a sum of £5. He did not have the money, and she would not accept less, and he and the other man therefore intended to entice her near a canal, give her a blow on the bead, and throw her body into the water, adding that it would be some time before it rose to the surface. The women, who made her statement in a lucid manner, and apparently as though she was speaking the truth, assigned as her reason for making it that she thought the man should be brought to justice. Moreover, she was afraid that he would murder her, as he appeared to regret having made the confession to her. He deserted her on Monday, and she gave up her house immediately, because she was afraid of him. On receiving the woman's statement, Inspector Eames at once placed himself in communication with the Criminal Investigation Department, and detained her.