The Sun. — 1852-07-01 (London, England)

DREADFUL MURDER AT SATE/LEY. (From the Derby Mercury of yesterday.) On the eve of our going to press, we have received information of a fearful crime which Naas perpetrated yesterday (Tuesday), et a lone cottage in the neighbourhood of Sawley. The particulars which we have at present been able to obtain are necessarily very meagre; but, from what we can gather, the following is something like en outline of the facts It appears that an elderly coeple, of the name of Waters or Wailers, lived in a solitary cottage upon Mr. Thompson's farm, in the lane between Sawley and Wilne, and about midway from either place. The husband, a labourer, eves employed in hoeing turnips on the farm, and his wife—a woman of about 60 years of age—bad been, in the morning, to Dreycott, shopping. See must, on her return, have found the culprit in the cottage, for the flour and other articles which she had been purcha,,ieg were found on the door-step outside; and the supposition is that she had found the murderer in the act of plundering the house, aed that he must immediately have commenced the attack upon her. &me boys were in the neighbourhood at the time, and one of them, about 14 or 15 years old, hearing a noise, went to the cottage, where he saw a strange man beating the poor old woman with a hatchet or some other heavy weapon. The man caught sight of him, and said he would stick him; and the boy immediately ran off to Wilne Mills to give an alarm. A number of people immediately hastened from thence, and on their arrival they found the windows and furniture of the house had been smashed, and the strange man was still inside. A woman had also seen him beating the poor creature, and had gone away alarmed ; and another boy, who had turned back from his associate, had seen him carry the body across the yard. He had, however, found time to bury the body in a dung-heap, but a portion of one leg remained uncovered, which led to its discovery. The murderer had placed en inverted trough over his head. He resisted for some time all ingress into the cottage; but a boy threw a stone through one of the window-panes which had been broken, and hit him over the eye, causing a severe wound and knocking him down. He was at once seized and placed in safe custody. The body of the murdered female was quite cold when found. She appeared to have been dreadfully beaten about the head and face. The murderer is au entire stranger to the neighbourhood, and he refuses to give his name, though he says he comes from Suffolk. He appears to inches high. about 25 years old, and five feet seven or eight high. He had no coat, waistcoat, shoes, or stockings, but he wore a checked shirt and trousers. The dreadful occurrence seems to have taken place about half-past one o'clock in the afternoon. A hatchet was afterwards found in the yard. The floor of the house was covered with blood, and some human hair was found on the wall. He refused to say anything about the crime, but appeared to the bystanders either drunk or insane.  We understand that Mr. Whiston, coroner for the district, received information of the offence in the evening, and that he at once proceeded to Sawley.  A