The Sun. — 1848-06-12 (London, England)

MURDER OF AN OFFICER.  About nine o'clock on Saturday morning the inmates of Coldbath-fields prison were thrown into the greatest consternation by a report that William Woodhouse, one of the wardens stationed in yard No. 5 of the old prison, had been murdered by a prisoner named George James Hewson, who was committed from the Old Bailey in the session of November last, convicted of concealing the birth of au illegitimate child, the incestuous is.aie of his own daughter, a yeueg woman 18 years of age. who was sentenced at the same sessions for the same offence to nine months' incarceration in the above prison. Notwithstanding the privacy unnecessarily persevered in by the authorities at the prison, the refusal of the governor, Mr. Chesterton, to deliver up the murderer to Inspector Penny of the G division for examination before a magistrate, and the, jealous exclusion of persons connected with the press from the prison, the following particulars, furnished to our reporter by an eye. witness, may be relied upon :—The deceased man, Woodhouse, who was only thirty-three years of age, and during his five years and a half servitude in the establishment bore the character of a steady, sober, and humane officer, had occasion, on Saturday morning, to report the prisoner to the governor for talking, contrary to the prison regulations, and was directed to lock him i up in his cell until further orders. He proceeded to do so just as the men in the yard were preparing to go to morning prayers, but before locking the cell he went in to remove the pannikin in which the prisoner had had his food. He was about to close the door on his return, when Hewson lifted up his arm and with great violence struck him a downward blow, saying, "Take that." The deceased staggered back, but was instantly supported so f the i. to prison, Mr. by two of the prisoners who ran to his assistance. He setravYedlei cried out, " The Lord have mercy on me. I am stabbed to the heart," and sunk in the arms of his supporters. Several officers then ran to his assistance, and he was conveyed to the infirmary, where he expired in less than ten minutes without uttering another word. A post mortem examination was made by the surgeon e thWakefield,ing amongsta nd As soon as Hewson struck the blow he was observed which he had been • picking in his cell. The officers seized him without r • . resistance, and on searching the oakum they found three inches, and a shut knife with a blade of about The prisoner, for sharpenedi to a point like a dagger. had evidently possessed purpose it is impossible to say, shomiseaslajoossteanot'akMumr. considerable time, as he had himself of the knife for a conon purpose to conceal it ina tpbock. et apparently contrived of his trousers. When ask e inner seam of the left leg who had done him no ed why he had killed a man b— right, he did i • injury, he replied, "It served the injure me." F. he said he had brought into the ive farthings, which found in the same pocket. An ni prison with him, were day before Mr. Wakley, the coroner, will be held this expected that any facts in addition to but it is not on to those will be elicited by the inquiry. above stated  SUPPOSED MRU On Friday evening an inquest was opened before 11,1 r W. Carter, at the Albert Tavern, Battersea-fields, upon. the body of a gentleman unknown, who was found lying on the shore of the river near 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 trousers, and white shirt spotted with red dog's heads holding a stick. 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. After hearing some 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, about noon, Inspector Busain had au interview with Mr. Beadon, the sitting magistrate, and stated that Dr. Wing had extracted a pistol bullet from the deceased gentleman's head, and bad stated it to be his firm conviction that the deceased was murdered. In consequence of this announcement on the part of Dr. Wing, fuller particulars of the unfortunate deceased than had been deemed necessary to give at the finding of the body were sent by route to all the metropolitan police-stations with a view of ascertaining who the deceased may be. The post mortem examination was made yesterday 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 and lodged in the table of the cranium, so as to press on the brain 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 for its not being a suicide was, that there were no traces of powder in the wound, which would have been the case if the pistol had been fired close to the person, and the base of the skull was not injured. The backs of the hands were much bruis( d by being beaten with a thick stick or lifepreserver. Respiration had never taken place in the water, therefore ho had been carried in a dead state to the river and thrown in.