The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle. — 1870-05-28 (Stourbridge, West Midlands, England)

FAMILY OF SEVEN PERSONS MURDERED.  One of the most extraordinary tragedi( a which has taken place f,a- many years Wa9 diSCOVertd n Monday eveniu:t at the village of Denham, about two  wiles from Uxbridge. It seems that a family named Marshall resided at • cottage is that village, the husband carrying on buai. nese as an engineer. Besides Marshall, there lived in the cottage his wife and three children, whose ages ran between three and nine years, and also the mother and ster of Marshall. Tuesday in this week had been fixed for the marriage of the sister, and it is to the fact of her wedding dress being brought home that the discovery of the murder is to be attri buted. Netliing had been seen of the murdered per. , sons since Saturday; but upon a young girl going to ! the cottage on Monday, with the garment referred to, and gaining no reply, the neighbours had their euspi. cions aroused, and an entry was soon effected into the house. ! A recite of the most horrible description then presented itself. On the ground-floor the bodies of Mrs. , Marshall and her sister-in-law were ound quite dead- the former lying on her back, and the latter, who had her night-dress on and was evidently preparing for bed, was placed across her. Both had their heads fearfully mutilated, aril the abiexca of blood about the place was remarked by those who witnessed the dreadful discovery. At the right hand, on entering the cottage, and near the flee-place, three children belonging to Marshall were also found with their heads frightfully battered, and also quite dead. The mother of Marshall was likewise found, having been brutally murdered in the same way ; and on entering the shop where Marshall had been at work, wearing a smock-frock, his body was also found. It was covered with sacks, and it was apearent that he had had a desperate struggle. His hands were scratched in several places, and there were marks as if he bad been dragged about the ground. His head had also been beaten in in the same manner as those of the other victims. There was another child belonging to Marshall—a little boy, aged sixteen months—who bad been sent to his grandmother's to he "out of thttway " during the wedding of Marshall's sister • and but for that circumstance there is very small doubt that the little creature would have been added to the list of the murdered members of the family. The medical gentlemen who were called in said that in their opinion the awful deed had been perpetrated as long since as Saturday night or Sunday morning. A forge hammer and an ordinary axe— with which the murders are supposed to have been committed— have been discovered with traces of blood upon them. Whatever the motive by which the murderer or murderers—for it seems difficult to imagine the fearful work can have been done by one person—robbery does not seems to have been the object, for nothing appears to have been disturbed ; the rings and several articles of jewellery worn by the unfortunate persona hot having been removed.  As. may be ii.n.agiami: the. ,eacitea.tent in the village