Glasgow Courier. — 1854-03-18 (Glasgow, Strathclyde, Scotland)

MURDER ON BOARD A STEAMER IN THE  LIVERPOOL DOCKS.  A shocking ease of murder took place on board the City of Dittolin Company's steamer Trafalgar, lying in the Bandon graving dock, on Tuesday night last, the victim being a youth named William Hare, aged fourteen years, anti the supposed murderer being John Jordan, the steward of the Tame]. No motive can be assigned for the perpetration of the foul deed; and the only supposition is that, If the amused be the guilty party, he committed the act from some sudden im. pulse whilst labouring under the effects of drink. The circumstances were these ,--At half-past eleven o'clock on Tuesday night, two police-officers, who were on duty at the Sandon Dock, heard a lond noise as if a door were being violently closed. They immediately went on board the steamK Trafalgar, and on going to the quarter-deck they discovered the deceased (who had been an assistant steward) lying stretched, with his head between the wheels of a gun carriage. He was quite dead, but the body was warm. Under his head there was • quantity of blood, and there was • cot over the right eye. The unfortunate youth was lying about three or four yards from the cabin door. One of the crew and the carpenter, who were asleep in the forecastle, were aroused and informed of the circumstance. The cabin was then entered by the officers, who shouted for the steward, but they received no answer. At length they found him in a sleeping apartment adjoining the saloon, apparently in a stupid, half-awake condition, and on being told what had occurred, he went to the spot where the body was lying, and exclaimed, 'Poor Bill! poor Bill' lie then returned to the cabin. Owing to the very suspicious circumstances attending the case, the steward was taken into custody. The most material evidence against the prisoner was that of Thomas Ford, • plumber, who was employed on board the steamer on Tuesday. The officers, on searching • bag belonging to the prisoner, found in its wet shirt, which had been recently washed or rinsed, having a collar attached to it with spin, and Ford deposed that he sawn shirt of the same description on the prisoner on Tuesday. This circumstance would lead to the supposition that the prisoner had washed some stains from the shirt. The witness Ford also missed a screw-driver, and notwithstanding the strictest search it could not be found. The whole of the evidence showed that the prisoner had been indulging excessively in drink, but there was no evidence elicited to indicate that he entertained any malice towards the deceased The father of the boy attended the inquest, a telegraphic message having been sent to him in Dublin. He declared that on the 'Tuesday night the whole of the circumstances attending the death of his ton Were 'visible to him in a dream. The prisoner, on being chanted by the Coroner, 'solemnly declared that he had not lifted • finger to the deceased, and accounted for hi, shirt being found in a wet state in his portmanteau by stating that on Monday he was relaxed in his bowels, and preferred doing that which he did not like to give to his washerwoman to do. This statement, of course, will clash with, the evidence of the witness Ford, who said that he saw • shirt of the same description on the prisoner on Tuesday. The Coroner summed up the evidence at considerable length, and the jury, after having consulted for three quarters of an hour, returned a verdict of 'wilful murder' against the prisoner, and he WWI committed under the Coroner's warrant to Kirkdale jail, to take his trial at the ensuing assize..