Swansea and Glamorgan Herald, and South Wales Free Press. — 1864-09-28 (Swansea, West Glamorgan, Wales)

ATROCIOUS MURDER.  On Saturday morning a most cold-blooded murder was perpetrated in a cottage on Chadwell-heath, midway between Ilford and Bamford, near the main Londonroad. The unfortunate victim was a woman named Amelia Blunt, verging upon 40 years of age. She had been married many years, and had two grown-up daughters, and up to two or three years since resided somewhere in the north of London. Her husband died about two years ago, and she then came to live in the neighbourhood of Chadwell-beath. She there became acquainted with Francis Wane, a labourer, and they seem to have lived togother as man and wife. Wane is described to have been of idle and dissolute habits, and their home was maintained by the industry of the woman, who went out washing. About three months since she left him and engaged herself as a kind of housekeeper to an old man named James Warren, nearly 80 years of age, and his son John, who was about bar own age, both oceuping a cottage on the dge of Chadwell-heath. It seemed that the two were so comfortably cared for that the eon John made her a proposal of marriage, which was accepted. The bans were read on Sunday week at Dagenham Church for the first time, and she was preparing her wedding dress and making other arrangements for the marriage, which was fixed to take place in the early part of next week. Wane frequently requested Mrs Blunt to return to him, and on learning that she was about to be married to John Warren he was heard to say that it should not take place and that he would "do" for her. On Saturday morning he was in a public-house near the heath, drinking, and in an excited state. While he was in the ' place the woman Blunt, who had been out marketing, I met a woman coming out of the house. In the course of conversation Mrs Blunt made some allusion to her forthcoming marriage, which, no doubt, was overheard by Wane. She then proceeded on ber way to the cottage, and, having prepared the dinner, she went to wash in a kind of little washhouse or lean-to, and James Warren, as was his usnal custom, took a short walk for half a pint of beer. This was shortly after 10 o'clock. The ell man, on his way, called at the house of a grandson, and among other matters spoke of his son's intended marriage, and how comfortable they would be. He returned to the cottage and called " Milly," the name by which they called the deceased. Not receiving any answer, he went into the washhouse, and there saw her apparently leaning over the copper, as if she had been taking some clothes out of the boiler. He again called her, and at the same time put his arm partly round her waist to raise her. In consequence of his feebleness, however, he was unable to bear the weight of the unfortonate woman, and stumbled and partly fell with her. He then found that she was covered with blo el flowing from frightful gashes inflicted in the throat and side of the neck. He went out of the cottage as quickly as he could and alarmed the neighbours. His grandson, James Warren, who occupies a cottage near the heath, with several others at once rushed into the place, and they found that the woman was quite dead. Messengers were instantly despatched for medical men and the police. Mr Bowers and other surgeons residing in the district were soon in attendance. The deceased had received three fearful wounds in the throat and right ' aide of the neck, which extended to the vertebrce, and