The Manchester Examiner. — 1848-06-13 (Manchester, Greater Manchester, England)

SUPPOSED MURDER OF A GENTLEMAN.—OnFridayevening an inquest was opened before Mr. W. Carter, the coroner for East Surrey, at the Albert Tavern, Battersea kields, upon the body of a gentleman unknown, who was found lying on the shore of the river near to the above-mentioned house. The deceased is apparently 26 years of age, stout figure, fair complexion, dark brown hair, close cut whiskers, his height about five feet five or six inches, and he was attired in a black dress coat, a striped vest, tweed trciwsers, white shirt spotted with red dogs' heads holding a stick, long cotton drawers, coloured socks, and Oxford shoes, black silk neck tie, and web or canvass braces embroidered with flowers. A pair of kid gloves were found in his coat pocket, but no other property was found on his person. The appearance of the body was such as to induce much suspicion, and this suspicion was greatly increased by the absence of money, jewellery, papers, and everything of value.- On a nearer examination of the body the forehead was found to be severely bruised, and in the centre of the frontal bone there was a small wound penetrating the skull, and apparently inflicted by some sharp instrument. The following was the evidence adduced :—Two men, named Norris and Snow, were empty. ing mud out of a barge into a dock about 300 yards from the Albert Tavern, on the Red House side, on Tuesday morning last, about eleven o'clock, . when they observed the body of a man lying on the inner side of a rise of ground forming a portion of the embankment adjoining the Albert, and about one hundred yards from the house. The body had not been left more than ten minutes by the tide. These men brought the body to land, and as they lifted ,it the blood began to flow from the face, and after washing that part, a deep but small wound was discovered in the centre of the forehead; one of the eyes was blackened, and the face was altogether much bruised. The wound continued to bleed for some hours. The deceased was searched in the ,presence of the police. The witness Snow said he thought that the body had not been in the water More than ten or twelve hours. • He bad never seen the body of a drowned man bleed .like the deceased, and he thought the injuries were received before death. After some further evidence the inquest was adjourned, that a post mortem examination might be Made, the coroner directing that the body should be moved afterwards to the bone-house,, and. kept.there as long as possible for identification. On Saturday, Inspector Busain had an interview with Mr. Beadon, the sitting magistrate, and stated that Dr. ,Wing had extracted a: pistol bullet from the deceased gentleman's head, and had stated it to be his firm conviction that the deceased was murdered. The post modem examination was made on Saturday morning, by Dr. Wing, assisted by Dr. Holmes. The forehead or frontal bone exhibited externally three very severe contused wounds, evidently. , inflicted by some deadly instrument, such as a ”life-preserver." In the centre of the frontal bone was a small orifice, through which a pistol ball had entered arinadged in the table of the cranium, so as to press on the train without passing through the skull. The position of the ball would scarcely be such in a suicide's case, as they generally fired at the side of the head or in the mouth. Another reason kir it not being . 8, suicide case was, that there were no traces of powder in , the wound, which would have been the case if the pistol had been fired clgse to the.person, and the base of the skull was not injured. 'The backs of the hands were much bruised by being betiteriviith a thick stick Oilife-preserver. Respiration hatirnevertakeiiplace in the water, therefore he had been carriepthlt slead,ataie _to tke river and tbtown in, and 'flout ' the macerated _appearave ,of his hands, he had been merSed bkirePeif tWelbei anitfoniteen hours. It ileonsidered : ~.,that the absenee`a blio6llr oh the deceased's clothes is a still :t. greater prof, of thin being no suicide; and the absence of the. deceased's handkerchief almost proves that it was used to staunch the wound of the pistol shot. Immediately that the body was immersed in the water bleeding would cease, and thus the deceased's linen might remain spotless. The dreadful affair has created an intense,.sensation in Battersea, since it has become known that the unfortunate gentleman was the victim of a brutal and cold-blooded murder.— Observer.