The Sun. — 1846-06-22 (London, England)

LAMBETH. THE LATE EXTRAORDINARY AND SUSPICIOUS DEATH or A BOY AT DULWlCH.—lnspector Campbell, of the P division, attended before the Hon. G. C. Norton, in compliance with a message sent to him to give an explanation to some disclosures made to the Hon. Magistrate late on Friday evening relative to the extraordinary and suspicions death of George James Benwell, a lad, aged fifteen, who had been found dead in a muddy pond at the back of his master's house,on the evening of Tuesday week last, with a 281 b. metal weight tied round his neck, and both his hands tied together. The short facts of the case appeared to be these:— The deceased had been in the employment of a person named Evans, a manufacturer of piqua," or British tea, as errand boy, since last April twelvemonths, and on the evening of Tuesday week his master and his master's son proceeded to Sydenham in a pony-chaise for the purpose of purchasing some greens, and on their return they found written on the foot-board of the deceased's bed in chalk an intimation that his body was in the pond at the back of the house. A board was also found floating on the pond, on which was written with chalk, " The body of George Benwell is in this pond." The body was found there, and upon being taken out a 281 b. weight was round his neck, and both his hands were found tied together. An inquest has since been held on the body, and, after a lengthened inquiry, the jury returned a verdict to the effect that the deceased had been the author of his own death, and had committed suicide, Subsequent to the inquiry, Mr. Bishop, the half-brother of the deceased, had received several communications imputing the death of the deceased to very different causes ; and one, in particular, from a female, named Theobald, who had lived as servant with Evans, who states that there was an exceedingly bad feeling between the deceased and his master, and that this had recently become considerably increased on the part of the latter on account of her (Theobald) communicating to the boy the secret of the manufacturing in which he (Evans) had been engaged, and it was on the application of Mr. Bishop that Mr. Norton required the attendance of Mr. Campbell to give some explanation of the case. Mr. Campbell said that he had taken much trouble in and was still pursuing the inquiry into the case, which was one of the most suspicious and extraordinary that he recollected during his lengthened experience as an officer. When before the coroner and jury, Evans, the master of the deceased, who is a most eccentric character and a Socialist, said that he did not observe anything more than ordinary in the deceased's manner, when himself and his son left home for Sydenham, on the evening of Tuesday week, yet when he had proceeded half his journey, he said that something struck him that all was not right at home with George. Upon this he was asked by a juror why be did not return, if such was his feeling; and his reply was, that he should have done so, but that he thought that if anything happened, he should be then too late to prevent it, but the answer to this and other questions from the coroner and jury was considered anything but satisfactory to them. There were several points in the case which he (Mr. Campbell) could not reconcile to his belief that the deceased had committed suicide, and even to say the least of them were of a highly suspicious character. In the first place, the cord by which the metal weight was suspended on the neck of the youth was so short, as to be barely sufficient to tie behind, and it was exceedingly doubtful to him whether the lad himself would have been enabled to tie it in the manner in which it had been found. In the next, if even he had so tied it and his hands, he had then to get over a wooden paling four feet six inches in height, and such wouldi be the difficulty of getting over such an impediment with a quarter of a hundred tied to his neck, that he Campbell) should not be able toaccomplish it much a boy of 15 years of age. In the he (Mr.o more third place, Campbell) found in the boxes of the lad a copybook and other papers, which bore the hand-writing of the deceased, and upon comparing, them with the chalk writing on the foot of the deceased's bed, and also the piece of wood found floating on the pond, they bore no comparison what. ever, and in his opinion had never been written by the same hand. The jury were of a similar opinion previous to the stepmother of the deceased being called,buts ohestrtohree point blank that both were in the handwriting deceased, and this it was that principally induced the jury to come to the decision they had. Since then the step-mother had been most anxious to get possession of g both the writing and the board bearing the chalk marks; but he (Mr. Campbell) refused to let her have them, particularly as he had found that Evans had been stopping at her house ever since the death of the boy, and some of her neighbours did not hesitate to impute a more than ordinary intimacy between the two parties. There was another circumstance which he (Mr. Campbell) felt it necessary to mention, and that was, that on a medical inspection of the body, appearances of an extraordinary description, arid which he could not particularly allude to, were found, and Evans had acknowledged to him (Mr. Campbell) and others, that he had been accused of an atrocious offence.  Mr, Bishop, the step-brother of the deceased, here begged to mention another circumstance, which appeared to add to the many other suspicious incidents in the ease. The chalk writing on the footboard of the bed, and whiob be did not belieye to have been written by  the deceased, were in these Words: -have the kindness to remember me to my friends. George B' nwell is in the yard at the back of the house.' And after the words " Please, Sir," and "my friends," there were commas placed. This circumstance satisfied him that the writing was not by the deceased, as he was palpably ignorant of grammar; and, even if he had not been, lie doubted at such a moment, when on the point of self-destruction, he would have taken the trouble to write so methodically; and altogether he was very dissati,fif,d with the inquiry, and huped his Worship would not allow it to rest where it stood. Mr. NORTON admitted that the circumstances of the case were exceedingly suspicious, and directed Mr. Campbell to bring all the parties who could throw any light on the inquily before him on a future day, when he should enter on a full investigation of the case.