The North-Eastern Weekly Gazette. — 1891-05-23 (Stockton-on-Tees, Cleveland, England)

HORRIBLE TRAGEDY IN LIVERPOOL.  A BOY MURDERED AND lIITILATED.  A shocking discovery was made in Liverpool on Tuesday pointing to s case of murder and mutilation. About four o'clock in the morning Police-constable 162 E and two dock gatemen were staading on the Iluskisson Pierhead, when they notified floating in the midi]. of the Se.ndon Basin what was seen to be a sailor's bag. They hid it brought to the side and landed on the quay, when they found it to contain the dead body of a boy. The throat was out from ear to ear, and both legs had been cut or lawn off a little below the knees. The severed legs were in the bag, in which were also a knife and a tenon saw with portions of flash adhering to it. The remains have been identified as those of Nicholas Martin, aged 10, the son of a fore- i man in a soap manufactory, and who lives at 34, Bridgeweteratreet, Liverpool. The boy was missed last Saturday evening, and his distressed parents could ascertain nothing of his whereabouts. On Tuesday, however, the father happened to read the published descriptions of the body found at the Dock, and went to the mortuary, accompanied by another little son named John Karlin.. The father immediately recognised the body as that of his missing eon. The bey John I says he last saw Nicholas playing at ball last I Saturday evening in Bridgewater-street Deceased is described as • well-behaved boy. HA had only fliel in his possession last Sonavdsy, and as 6d was frond on the body the supposition is that he was decoyed to a secluded spot by the offer of money. Many yearn have elapsed since the people of Liverpool were so startled and shocked at the discovery in their midst of what appears to be • horrible and atrocious crime as they have been In oonnection with the murder and mutilation of , the lad Nicholas Martin. The identification of the I poor little victim by the parents has afforded but very alight material for thepotioe to go I upon in prosecuting their orti for the criminal or criminal.; and public excitement grows in intensity from hour to hoer. Prom the statements of the father and members of the boy's family it appears that the lad was last seen at nine o'clock on Saturday night playing in the street opposite to his father's door. As he did not acme into the house later on, and was never , ineywn to stay out, search was made for him in the I neighbourhood, but without resalt. When enquiries from neighbours failed to elicit any information, the search wee prosecuted among relatives of the family m other parts of the town, and an uncle who lives in Great Howard-street was visited, but bad neither seen nor heard anything of his misssag nephew. On Sunday the mother, Mrs Martin, , mad a lodger in the house weal to the Detective Office, Dale-street, and reported the boy as having disappeared, it the segue time giving as close • description as possible of his appearance and clothtag. The following morning, there being OM Mk word, enquiry was mode at Sa which the murdered boy had for seareenesebdora attended, but, of mums, wholly without rad& - It wee not until • description of the deceased appeared in an evening paper that the relatives came tothe conclusion that the body was that of their hay Nicholas. The family and lodgers accordingly went to the police office, and on Tuesday night visited the Deadhouse, where all of them at once Identified the remains. The scene at the identilination was • painful one. The parents were overawes with grief, for the murdered hid was a favourite, and is described as having been en exeeptionally fine little fellow. Nicholas Martin, -the father, is • foreman at Messrs Keeling's soap works, in Kitchen-street, and is a man of respectability. Be has • family of twelve children, the eldest now at sea, and the youngest • girl aged two. John Martin, a brother of the deceased, appears to have been the last to see anything of him, and states that at about eight o'clock on Saturday night he left Nicholas in Bridgewateratreet playing with a penny ball, but saw nothing of him afterwards.  1 oonkl  I tali,