The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle. — 1874-01-24 (Stourbridge, West Midlands, England)

STRANGE MURDER.  A shocking murder has been commi t d in Nor:h Wi!tr. An old man usrned Joseph Gurnee, aged 77, living in a vottsge by himself, situated in an isolated part of a lonely I :ne in the parish of l'urton, .ut four miles from SiVitAol3, was not noticed about since 'Charley last. But being a man of eccentric habbe Cis das DOS appear to hove attracted attention. On Sunday norning a little girl residing some alma distance from the c .ttage west to the place to ascertain the time. She knocked and rot being answered opened the d.,or, which was unfastened, and on entering the cottage found the body of the old man lying in a pool of blood h,fL,re the &elk ce, She immediately gave an slam, the polbe were sent for, and, on examination it was found that the old man bad been murdered by blows from a billhook, which wc found in the room oovered with blood and hair. It le conjectured that, when attseked, the murdered man was seated by the ireplace, and, on rising to answer the intruder, received a terrible Wow above the left ear, causing • wound 815• in length. It is thought that he than fell to the ground, his head resting iv his chair, a pool of blood being found in it. While in this position the murderer appears to have inflicted a similar blow two inches below the first, taking off a piece of the ear and cutting the chair. Of course death must have been almost instantaneous, the head being nearly cloven in two. The murderer then appears to hive thrown aside his weapm and made cif, the furniture of the cottage being undisturb.d and £3 in money and other valuables untouched in a bureau. As plunder wan not the object of the murder, the police have a diffienity in arriving at the motive for taxing the life of • man nearly 80 years of age.  The inquest was held on Monday at the Railway Hotel, Parton station. The Inquiry failed to afford any slusha to the perpetrator of the murder, the old own having been Willed by blows from a bill-hook, a  meet formidable weapos, which was produced at the inquest. It was proved that he was last seen alive on Friday afternoon.i Mr. Samuel Waldegrave, surgeon, stated that on entering the cottage he forma the deceased lyiug Cs Ms left aide in a pool of blood on the floor near the fireplace. On examination he found the deceased had received frightful wounds about the head. The jury having heard the evidence the police were provided with, which afforded no clue to the perpetrators, re. turned • verdict of "Wilful murder against some persons persen or person' unknown." The police have been must active in their inquiries but the fact of nothing being taken from the house— the furniture remaining undisturbed, money (£3) being f iund untouched in the bureau, cmpled with the fact that there is not the slightest trace of ideistificotion by means ef any article left behind by the murderer, the billhook w.th which the murder was perpetroted loslonginc to the deceased, Tentless it next to impossible to obtain any clue upon which to work. The deed being committed with a weapon bolonging to the deceased seems to point to the assumption that the murderer, whoever he be, was no stranger, and that he was acquainted with the premises. So far, tl'erefore, there is an utter absence of motive. The old mina had an annuity of Bs. jr week bequeathed him by a s+ster, who had saved the money while in dOenefftle eeryiee, in the fomily of a Wiltshire gentleman. Ho Aso hod mist ey of his own, haring evoked I e fame, es in the neighbourhood up to within the last three or font years, sod hod never been married. Ile loot aiso lived in the house the whole of his life, haying ben born there. The crime has caused a strong feeling In the district, inasmuch as deceased was an Mellen. siveiman and.very much respected by the residents of the parish generally.  es I