The Staffordshire and Potteries Examiner. — 1880-10-30 (Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, England)

HORRIBLE OUTRAGE AND MURDER.  A horrible murder has been committed at Acton, Middlesex. The victim was a girl between ten and eleven years of age, the eldest daughter of a master painter and decorator, named Shephard, of Herbert Villa, Cowper Road, and who has resided in the neighbourhood for some years. Mr. Shepherd had on Thursday completed the sale of some house property, receiving the amount partly in gold and partly in notes. The former he immediately placed in the bank, but retained the latter in the house. On Friday morning he had occasion to go to London, taking his wife and youngest child with him. Of his four other children, three were sent to school, and the eldest, by name Ada, was left in the house, a labourer named George Pavey, who was employed on the premises, and had been in Mr. Shepherd's service some six months, being requested by his master not to leave until his return in the evening. The elder child was instructed to give her brother and sister their dinner and take them back to school, which she did, and returned to the house. When the children went home from school in the afternoon they were unable to get into the house, and they were taken care of by neighbours. Mr. and Mrs. Shepherd returned about seven in the evening, and found the house in darkness. Upon entering the kitchen, Mr. Shepherd stumbled against the body of his child, which was lying in a pool of blood, her face covered with a handkerchief. He at once sent for the police and Dr. Murrell, and onthe letter examining the child he stated that she had been outraged and murdered. She had been dead about three hours. A closer examination showed that the poor child had been stabbed through the throat from side to side, and an ordinary table knife covered with blood was discovered lying upon the dresser. Upon investigating the premises, Inspectors Smith and Savage observed that a bedroom door had been forced open and a box ransacked; but though the room was in such disorder, nothing appeared to have been taken away. Mr. Shepherd-had taken the precaution to put the notes referred to above in his pocket and take them with him. Inquiry in the neighbourhood soon elicited the fact that the workman George Pavey was seen to leave the house shortly after three o'clock in the afternoon, and a person who had called just before that time for the purpose of borrowing a ladder was unable to obtain any answer. Both of the doors giving access to the kitchen were found to be fastened. From the circumstance that in one of the child's hands were found a thimble, a farthing, and two or three nuts, it is conjectured that she was attacked immediately upon her return to the house from conducting her sistors to school. She was the child of Mr. Shepherd by a former wife, and has passed much of her time with a grandmother. The man Pavey did not return to his home. He is described as being between 25 and 30 years of age, five feet five inches in height, of a sallow complexion, with short dark hair, inclined lobe curly, and clean-shaved face, with a thick dark vein running across the forehead. Owing to a partial paralysis of the left aide he rests one hand upon his back while walking, and slightly drags the left foot along the ground. He wore a dark velveteen coat with black jet buttons, corduroy trousers that hail been recently washed, round felt hat, and a blue necktie with white spots. He is married, and formerly lived at Acton, but has resided latterly at Notting Hill. Without placing any great confidence in him, Mr. Shepherd had considered Pavey to be a steady, reliable man, and had kept him in constant work, partly on account of the physical disability under which he labours. His more intimate copmanions, however, allege that he was often seen in company with loose characters, and his antecedents are not , very favourably described by the police. There was considerable excitement manifested in the vicinity during Saturday, and had Pavey been discovered anywhere near the scene of this atrocious crime it would have been difficult to save him from being lynched. Various reports found circulation during the evening to the effect that he had committed suicide, and that his body had been found; that he had surrendered to the police at Ealing, and so forth. Up to mid-day on Saturday all clue as to the whereabouts of the suspected murderer Pavey seemed to be lost. A discovery was then made by the detectives placed in charge of the case that relatives of the Mall resided in Brighton, and the Brighton police authorities were immediately communicated with. Ass result a man answering in some respects to the description given was arrested, but on inquiry was found not to be Pavey. The description of the man which Mr. Shepherd was able to supply accurately to the Criminal Investigation Department was at once furnished to all the police stations and workhouses in the metropolitan district, and as it was known that no money had been taken, and that Pavey had not received his week's wages, it was supposed that unless he possessed money enough to go to Brighton he would be probably wandering about the neighbourhood of London. On Sunday evening a man answering in every respect to the description of Pavey presented himself at the Hendon Workhouse for admission. The police were sent for, and the man was arrested. He confessed that he was Pavey, and on examination his clothes were found lobe stained with blood marks. He was subsequently positively identified as the labourer Pavey left in charge of Mr. Shepherd's house,and clues absolutely identifying him with being present at the time of the murder were traced. Late on Sunday evening the prisoner was conveyed to Paddington police station. There is strong reason to suppose that robbery was intended. It was only at the last moment before leaving for London on Friday that Mrs. Shepherd advised her husband to take the notes with him. The room in which they would have been deposited was broken open, and it is supposed that at the time the men visited the house for the ladders the room was being ransacked. Beyond acknowledging his identity the prisoner made no statement.