The Barrow Herald and Furness Advertiser. — 1866-01-20 (Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria, England)

HORRIBLE MURDER AT PORTSMOUTH. A frightful murder was committed on Friday at Landport, the murdered woman being a person named Caroline Shoreland, the wife of a seaman belonging to her Majesty's ship Victoria (flagship of Vice-Admiral Sir R. Smart, G.C.8.), on the Mediterranean station. The deceased had been carrying on an adulterous life, and she was last seen alive about eleven o'clock on Thursday night. On Friday morning, about two o'clock, a woman, a neighbour of the deceased, named Reed, heard screams, and cries of "Murder," and spoke to her husband on the subject, but no further notice appears to have been taken of the confusion, from the fact that it was a frequent occurrence. Soon after eight o'clock, however, another woman passing deceased's house observed a paraffin lamp burning, which attracted her attention, and she looked in at the window, but failed to discover anything unusual in the appearance of the room. The deceased's house still remaining closed at twelve o'clock, and nothing having been seen of her, the suspicions of the neighbours were increased, and Mrs. Reed then went through the adjoining house to endeavour to obtain an entrance by the back door; as this was bolted she could not do so, but entered the house by the kitchen window, and in the front parlour found the deceased lying on her back quite dead. Her hair was hanging loosely about her neck, a large pool of blood being on the floor, and her features wore most fearfully battered about, her face presenting altogether a most ghastly appearance. It does not appear that any sharp-pointed weapon was us3d in the murder, but the beating must have been of a most brutal character. Information was at once forwarded to the inspector on duty at the Landport police station, and Detective-sergeant Pool and Detective-constable Comptor were quickly at the scene of the murder, who took charge of all the letters and likenesses they could find.. Inquiries were at onee instituted in the neighbourhood, from which it was ascertained that the deceased and an armourer on board the Excellent, named Erie, with a woman and two seaman, had been drinking at the bar of the Painters' Arms, in Arundel-street, Lanclport, the preceding night, and that the deceased woman and Erie had been seen in company in Hereford-street. The officers therefore went on board the Excellent, where they saw the man Erie, who was at once placed under arrest, and on his bag being searched several articles. of clothing were found saturated with blood, with human hair adhering to them. On a likeness of the deceased being shown Erie, lie admitted that he had been in her company the preceding night, but denied all knowledge of the murder. He was at once taken on shore and formally charged by Mr. Superintendent Barber with the murder, to which he made no reply. The accused is a young man about 23 years of age. When an important article of domestic Ton. sumption commands a lasting preference, it is evident that its intrinsic value is highly prized by the public. To this cause is attributed, the unequalled demand for Horniman's Pure Tea ; which preference, we submit, is a further confirmation of the fact, that "the public are real judges of good tea." Horniman and Co,, from highly favourable imports, together with the recent reduction in the duty, are enabled to lower their prices Bd. per pound ; that is, about twenty per cent, cheaper to the consumer, and the quantity passed for duty, as published by the Custom House, shows, in cnnse quence of this reduction, a consumption hitherto unparalled in the annals of the tea trade. This marked preference has attracted a host of copyists : the public will do well to observe that all genuine packets bear the signature " Horniman and Co., London, Original importers of Pure Tea." Agents in every .town, and those in the district are advertised mu our I solunans.  A woman being enjoined to try the effects of kindness on her husband, being told that it would heap coals of fire upon his head, replied that shn had tried "boiling water, and it didn't do a bit of good."