The Sun. — 1858-10-11 (London, England)

THE TRAGEDY NEAR PRESTON.  (From the Manchester Guardian.)  An inquest upon the bodies of Mary Hannah Weinman, who was shot by her lover at Norton, near Garstang, on Wednesday afternoon, and Robert Bond, the murderer, who immediately after the perpetration of the dreadful deed committed suicide, was held by Mr. L. Holden, coroner, Of Lancaster, on Thursday afternoon, at the house of Mr. Nathaniel Calverley Bond, the father of the suicide and murderer. The scene of the dreadful occurrence is on the highway in Porton, at the junction of three roads, one leading to Cockerham, another to Scorton, and the third to Winmarleigh and Preston. Mr. N. C. Bond was formerly a spirit merchant in Liverpool, of the firm of Bond and Procter, and now resides at a mansion named Richmond Grove, as described.. His household consisted of his -wife, the young man Robert, their only son, and a woman servant. The son has for some time past led a dissipated life, and has been much addieted to drinking. He is said to have been a person of considerable educational attainments, and during his short career (he was only 25 years of age) he has visited Australia, America, and other countries. His victim, the young woman Weinman, was 19 years of age ; she lived at a house adjoining that of Mr. Bond, with three brothers, their father and mother being dead. This family rented the house and land they occupied from the father of the deceased. What is certain is that the murderer had conceived a passion for his victim, who did not reciprocate his sentiments towards her, and to the feelings engendered by this fact may be attributed the awful tragedy which we are about to describe. One day last week, Mr. and Mrs. Bond went to Liverpool, leaving their son and the servant in the house, and they did not return till Wednesday afternoon, to behold the blood-stained corpse of the young woman Wainman, and the mangled remains of the suicide. During their absence, the murderer conducted himself in a very wild and irregular manner, drinking brandy to excess, and exciting such alarm by his conduct that a note was sent to his father requesting him to return. He was seen with a loaded gunin his hand, and one of the brothers of Miss Weinman contrived to obtain possession of it, discovering it under a sofa in the house of Mr. Bond, in the absence of its owner. • The murderer, missing the weapon some time afterwards, went and demanded that it should be returned to him • but the persons then in Wain• t man's house (Miss Wainman, and a housekeeper) refused to comply with his request. He uttered a sort of half menace, and went away, saying that he had another gun. A little before 10 o'clock on Wednesday forenoon the murderer appeared at the back door of his father's house, with a single-barrelled gun in his hand, and, as it proved, loaded. Mr. Bond's woman-servant, and the housekeeper at Weinman's, immediately ran away, screaming, from the house towards the garden. He allowed them to pass, but the moment that Miss Wainman, probably to ascertain the cause of the alarm, appeared at the door of her own house (a distance of about eight yards from where he was standing), he levelled the piece, fired, and discharged the contents into the right side of her head and neck. The hapless victim fell to the ground covered with blood, her right eye being shot out, and one of her jawbones smashed to pieces. One of her brothers, who was near, hearing the report of the gun, hastened to the spot, lifted his sister's head,"and then seeing her condition, ran into the lane, -calling out " Police !" " Murder !" Mr. Jas. Myerscough, a butcher, from Cockerham, who was passing, attracted by the alarm, came up ; but at first nobody venturned to enter Mr. Bond's house, whither the murderer had went. About six minutes after the first report of the gun a second was heard, and on the parties looking through the drawingroom window, they witnessed a most sickening spectacle—the murderer was seated upon a chair, with the gun still in his hands, the top part of his skull blown off, and his brains scattered on the ceiling and in various parts of the room. Hence, it is -obvious, that as soon as he had despatched his innocent victim, he re-entered the house, and made preparations for despatching himself. He had reloaded the gun, and after seating himself, placed it between his knees, the muzzle in his mouth, and pulled the trigger with the tongs, which were found still in his hand. He was, of course, quite dead. The poor girl lingered in great agony for nearly an hour, when death ended her sufferings. Her dress was covered with blood, and she presented a sorry sight. The author of this crime was, however, far worse disfigured, and his appearance made the jurymen turn sick and pale, as the corpse had not been disturbed, and was still sitting in the chair when they viewed it. The above facts having been substantially given in evidence, the coroner briefly addressed the jury, who returned a verdict of " Temporary insanity.' The occurrence has caused the most painful feelings throughout the whole district. The conduct of the murderer is in some measure unaccountable, but he appears to have primed himself with drink prior to committing the double crime. Both corpses, we understand, will be interred on Sunday next, the murderer in Cockerham churchyard, and the young woman, (who was a Roman Catholic, in the burial ground belonging to the chapel in inmarleigh.