Stockton Herald, South Durham and Cleveland Advertiser. — 1872-02-24 (Stockton-on-Tees, Cleveland, England)

FRIGHTFUL MURDER IN LAMBETH. EXAMINATION OF THE ACCUSED.  On Saturday morning, a most atrocious murder was perpetrated in the Belvedere-road, near Hungerford Bridge, tort the Surrey side. A man named Geo. Merritt, a stoker, was proceeding to his work at the Lion Brewery about three o'clock, when he was met by a man who at once fired a pistol at him. The first shot missed him, then a second was fired at him, which also missed. He began to run, when a third shot was fired, which struck him in the neck. The assassin then came up to him, and, attacking him in a fearful manner, with a dagger, it is stated, stabbed him several tunes, and then ran away. He was met at the top of Tennison-street by a constable' who stopped hun. Another officer took him back to the spot whence the report of the pistol proceeded. The body of the victim was then found. On the policeman turning his lantern on the unfortunate man, the assassin then said, "Why, that is not the man I wanted." The wounded man soon afterwards expired, and the assassin was taken into custody. It is stated that his name is W. C. Minor, and that he came from New York seven weeks ago and is a medical student. It is rumoured that he had lately been induced to enter a hosse of ill-fame, where he was robbed, that a man assisted in the robbery, and that it was this man whom he intended to kill. His unfortunate victim leaves a widow and six children. There were some hundreds of persons OR Saturday morning looking at the indentation made by the bullet on the dead wall opposite the Lion Brewery. On Saturday afternoon, at Southwark Policecourt, William Chester Minor, aged thirty-seven, described as an American physician, residing at 44, Tennison-street, York-road, Lambeth, was placed in the dock before Mr Partridge, charged with the wilful murder of George Merritt, aged thirty-two, a man employed at the Lion Brewery in the Belvedere-road, by shooting him in the neck with a revolver in Tennison-street.—Police-constable 236 L said that a little after two o'clock that morning he was on duty in the Belvedere-road, when he heard the report of fire-arms. He proceeded in that direction and sal,/ the prisoner coming on the opposite side of the road. He went over to him and asked him who it was that had fired. He said he had; and asking him who he had fired at, he said, "A man. I should not be such a coward as to shoot a woman." Witness seized him, and took the revolver produced from his right hand—it was quite warm. He then took him to the sessionhouse, and on the way met another constable, whom he directed to proceed to Tennison-street, while witness conveyed him to the station house, where a "bowie" knife was found concealed under his coat. The prisoner was very cool and collected, and did not appear the least excited from drink.— Another officer said he met the last witness taking the prisoner to the station-house, and from whit he said he and another officer proceeded to Tennison-street, where he found the deceased lying near the wall of the Lion Brewery stores, bleeding from wounds in the throat. Another constable came up, and took the body to St. Thomas's Hospital, when he was found to be dead.—John Chapman, a labourer employed at he Lion Brewery, identified the body as that of George Merrit, who had worked with him in the brewery for seven or eight years. Witness roused him up to come to his work a little after two that morning. Some other evidence having been given, the prisoner was remanded to Horsemonger-lane Gaol. He seemed quite unconcerned, and asked no questions. On Tuesday, a verdict of wilful murder against William Chester Minor for the murder of George Territt, in Lambeth, on Saturday morning, was tturned by the coroner's jury.  trei