The Sun. — 1846-08-24 (London, England)

THE DAGENHAM MURDER. Thursrlav rnor&II:j. a morn minulc cxamii.at;on  was made ot the spot where the tl;m el,.r was perpetrated, in the presence of the reporter, and the facts elicited are most important, as ghosting that the murder must have been cool and premeditated, and the spot selected admiri'ily calculated for the commission of the crime. The field in question is situate shout a quarter of a mile from the Mtge] ham Road. It is an extremely large one, and on the western side there is a great bend in the high blackthorn hedge which surrounds if, forming a perfect nook. In this nook the hefty was found; and, as if it were planned, the spot selected is the farthest point from either of the three farms in the vicinity, and upwards of a quarter of a mile from the main road, and the same distance from the deceased man's beat. The question arises how Clarke came there. It is absurd to suepose that sing,le• handed he would have ventured to foil .w smugglers or depredators to such a spot, while on the other hand he would be compelled, as an act of duty, to follow his sergeant or any brother officer who expressed a conviction that something might be going on wrong there. An absurd statement made its way into cne of the papers of Friday, that Clarke was known to have a quantity of sovereigns in his box at the station, and that the failure to obtain the key by some of his comrades induced the murder. If the author had read the evidence of constable Stevens who came with Clarke to Dagenham from the Arbour-square station, he would see that there was no key to Clarke's box, for being unable to find it when he left Arbour•square, he himself har-t it open to show his comrades that he was taking nothing away but his own. Aithour„oh not in evidence, it is a fact that a handkerchief stained with blood was picked up in the field adjoining that in which the murdered man was found, and it is thought likely to lead to certain and tangible results. However strong the suspicions may appear against Sergeant Parsons, it is considered that the stroi.gest point is that of his not accounting for his time on the night of the murder, and his persisting in the assertion that he was on duty, although all the constables admit that, in the first instance, they committed perjury in saying so, and now declare he was not. There appears to be an absence of motive, unless it could have arisen from the simple circumstance stated in the first day's evidence, namely, that on the evening of the murder, while Clarke was talking to Parsons, who was at the time on horseback, Mrs. Pat sons came along with his sister, and on complaining of being tired, the deceased Clarke jocosely offered to lift her on the sergeant's horse. The conduct of the constable Butfoy throughout the affair, together with his anxiety to cross examine all the witnesses as to his being on duty on the night of the murder, has also excited great suspicion; and he, as well as the sergeant, are closely watched. It is under• stood that steps are being taken by the authorities of the Home-office and the Commissioners of Police to indict the whole of the constables who have sworn falsely for perjury, but it will not be carried out until evidence is adduced, which is supposed to be in train, for bringing home the more atrocious crime of murder to the right parties.—Obsei ver.