Star. — 1830-04-17 (London, England)

EXTRAORDINARY CIRCUMSTANCE. In the month of September last, as a man was passing through a field at the rear of a house occupied by the family of Sir Matthew Bloxam, at Walworth, he observed something white near the surface of a small bank, which was close to a hawthorn hedge. The man at first supposing it to be a stone, reached down with the view of taking it up; but he found the greater portion firmly fixed in the earth. After having moved away sonic of the mould with his hands, he then saw that it was the upper por. tion of a human skull, and, on the discovery, lie immediately procured a spade and dug it out. He conveyed the skull to the residence of a gentleman in the immediate vicinity of the place where it was found, and a large nail was found driven to its full extent in the socket of the left eye. The parish officers had the ground carefully dug up, and the remaining portion of a human skeleton was found. As the bones were supposed to have been buried a number of years, it was considered unnecessary to hold an inquest, and the skeleton was again consigned to the earth. Nothing more was heard of the matter until the last few days, when la communication was forwarded to the Home Office, from the Go. vernor of the House of Correction at Cork, stating that a man named John Hawitins, who had been prevented from committing suicide, had confessed having committed a murder in England. In the confession, which was taken down in writing, Hawkins stated that in the year 11127, before he inlisted into the regiment, he was in the service of a butcher at 11'alworth. One evening he went out and met a female, and in the course of their conversation she used some vile expressions towards him, and that he, irri. tated at her conduct, led her on to a field in Walworth, when tak. ing advantage of the solitariness of the place, he struck her. This ledd to further violence between them ; and having a large nail in his on at the time, being the only weapon he had, he forced rt°lll:rher head, and effected her death. Atter she was dead, he threw the body into a pond, not far distant ; but fearing that it would be discovered, if left in that situation, he got up at three o'clock the next morning, and having proceeded to the pond, he dragged the body out. He then dug a hole in the field, and having divested the body of the clothes, lie placed it in the ground, and covered it over carefully, and afterwards buried the clothes at some little distance from where he had covered over the body. After having made the above statement, Hawkins said that the cause of his absconding from his master, and enlisting in the army, was in consequence of hearing that the body had been found. Yesterday the circumstances of the case were investigated by 3lr. Chambers, the Magistrate of Union Hall. A gardener named Murrell proved having found the skeleton in September last, and thee a nail was then in the socket of the eye. Mrs. Bertram, wife of a butcher at Walworth, said, that when the skeleton was found, a young man named John Hawkins was in her husband's service, but he absconded when the discovery was made. She said that Hawkins was in the habit of going out occasionally at night, but she was not aware that he was keeping company with any young girl—Evans, the beadle, said he did not hear of any female having been missed at the time described by Hawkins in his confession. The Magistrate havinp heard the whole of the evidence, ad. journed the further investigation, in order that the bones might be examined by a medical man, to put it beyond all doubt whether it was that of a male or female. eseurnmeemeeemiffmnin Mr. Clarke, the surgeon, of Shrewsbury, has not only a door bell for persons to ring, when he is wanted in the night, but by the side of hie door there is an a are, about the size of a emoc.piste, which is the end of a p that pm to an up-stairs room; so that, when a patient sends the night, the person who comes can ring the bell, and then direst the pipe tell who becomes trt from, and what is wanted, without being obliged to wait till some one in the house is dressed, and can comedown stairs. In the day. time the aperture is covered with a plate tlf metal, painted of the colour of the bricks of which Mr. C. 's bowie is built.