The Sun. — 1861-03-27 (London, England)

MURDER.  THE SUN, LONDON, WEDNESDAY EVENING, MARCH 27, 1861,  A fearful crime was committed yesterday morning at the Militia Barracks, Kingston-upon-Thames. The victim was a fine young woman, only 20 years old, named Diana Wickens, and while asleep she was murdered by her step-sister, a married woman, the wife of a sergeant-major in the 3d Regiment of Royal Surrey Militia, who while in that state nearly severed her head from her body, dividing the right carotid artery, the jugular vein, and the windpipe with a razor. It would seem that the husband of the wretched woman, who is highly respected by his officers, had left his bed about 7 o'clock in the morning, and gone out into the barrack-yard, leaving his wife in her own bed and the unhappy deceased in an adjoining room, where she slept upon a temporary bed, made up for her upon a sofa, and his wife must have got up almost immediately, taken one of her husband's razors from the drawer in which it was kept, and then proceeded to the adjoining room, where the unhappy deceased was lying. There appears to be very little doubt that at the time she was asleep and lying on her left side, and while in that position the murderess inflicted a dreadful wound upon the right side of the neck, which was uppermost, thus causing the injuries above described. Instantaneous death would not appear to have been the result, for there is very little doubt that upon the first sensation of pain the poor creature raised one of her hands, and in so doing received a severe injury upon the fingers. She then got out of bed and staggered for about six feet in to the adjoining room, where she fell dead, literally covered with blood. Dr. Cory and Mr. Sudlow Roots, surgeons at Kingston, the latter gentleman being surgeon to the police force, were speedily in attendance, but all human aid was, of course, unavailing. After committing the dreadful deed the wretched woman went out to the barrackyard, where she met a sergeant belonging to the regiment named Oates, to whom she at once stated that she had murdered her sister, and she then went to the pump and washed her hands, which were covered with blood. A constable belonging to the V division of police was then sent for, and the prisoner was taken to the police station, where the charge was entered by Mr. Armstrong, the inspector on duty. It may naturally be imagined that the occurrence created the most intense anxiety in the town, and, as is usual in such cases, there was a variety of rumours as to the cause of the dreadful occurrence, among which was one that the deed was committed through jealousy ; but, so far as the evidence which was given before the magistrates went, there does not appear to be any ground for such a supposition, and at present the motive for the commission of the dreadful crime appears to be entirely a mystery. At a sitting of the Borough Bench of Magistrates the prisoner was brought up for examination. Her name on the police sheet was stated to be Martha Bradish, 46 years of age, and she was charged with the wilful murder of Diana Wickens. The magistrates present were Mr. S. Grey, mayor of Kingston ; Mr. S. Mason, Mr. F. Gould, Mr. E. Lowe, and Mr. E. H. Fricker.