The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle. — 1870-08-13 (Stourbridge, West Midlands, England)

EXECUTION OF THE DENHAM MURDERER.  John Owen, alias Jones, was executed on Monday morning, at eight o'clock, in the yard of Aylesbury Gaol, for the murders of Emanuel Marshall, his wife, ri..ter, mother, and three children at Denham, in May last, . .  The circumstances of this horrible tragedy are still fresh in the public recollection, and these, together with other incidents of the prisoner's career, prove him to have been an extraordinary criminal. It will be remembered that it WM only on the 20th of May last that the prisoner was discharged from Reading Gaol. On his release he made straight for Use bridge, a mile and Behalf from Denham, and, having obtained lodgings for one night at a tramps' house, quietly awaited an opportunity to avenge an old grudge, and also sought toenrich himself by the plunder of the victim's property. Accordingly about five n'olock on Sunday morning, the 22nd of May, he proceeded to Marshall'. cottage, and, without &doubt, first murdered him in the smithy with a sledge hammer, and, the; taking up a large axe, murdered the other six members of the family while they were seeking to make their escape from the house in the night dresses in which they had just rigen from their beds. Since the prisoner's condemnation on the conclusive evidence against him it has been arcertainei that three years ago he worked for Marshall, and while repairing the wheels of a neighbouring farmer's cart, so burnt them that the owner refused to have them, and sent them back. On account of this Marshall stopped the prisoner's money, and Owen becoming exasperated struck Marshall in the eye, and a fearful fight between the two ensued. For this work Owen never was able to obtain the money, and this fact now throws light on a statement since agcertained to have been made to several persons,—" There is a man near Uxbridge who owes me some money, and if I don't get it off him next time Igo I'll murder him." This he repeated several times on the two day a preceding the murder. After the discovery of the murders it will be recollected he was captured at Reading by Superintendent Dunham. It was at first generally believed that he ' was a brother of Marshall's, returned from Australia; but by means of photegraphs he was ascertained to be the son of a tailor residing at Byfield, Northamptonshire. In his more prosperous days he kept a beer' ehopg at Shipaton-on-Stour, but, loging his licence through keeping a disorderly house, he 12 years ago deserted his wife, sod entered on a series of felonies which has ended in the gallows. Since his apprehension he has maintained a callous indifference to his situation and refused all religious counseL The Rev. Mr. Bumberry, the chaplain of the gaol, has been unremitting in his solicitations to bring the prisoner to penitence for his terrible crime, but the prisoner only returned his kindness by curses and foul expresaiol2ll. At length, on Tnureday lad, he said he was • Catholic, and a Roman Catholic clergyman from Wolverton cu being sent for visited him. He, however, only received similar treatment, and the prisoner eventually declared that he did not believe that there was either God or devil, Heaven or hell. At one time he vatually confessed to the murders by saying, "I am only sorry that I did not shoot Superintendent Dunham and a --- Justice gf the Peace that once sentenced me as welL" He has been visited lately by his father and wife, neither of whom he had seen for years, but he treated them coldly, and when they shed tears replied to their grief by saying "What have you to snivel for?" Oa Saturday he further sought to show him Indifference by making to see his coffin, and stating that he , should like W sleep iJI It the last two nights of his life.