that on the evening of Wednesday, the 5th of January, two young men took
outside places by the Express coach, from London for Brick-hill, which
is situated about nine miles from Stoney Stratford; and that having
arrived at that place, they slept at the White Lion Inn, and on the
following morning walked on towards Fenny Stratford, one of them
carrying a gun in a green baize bag, while the other had a box on his
shoulder. On their being overtaken by the Eclipse coach, they mounted
it, and rode as far as Whaddon Chase, where they both suddenly jumped
down, and one of them, carrying the gun, ran into the Chase, which is a
wild, unfrequented spot, intersected by many roads, whither the other
followed him. In a short time after, a labouring man named Meechan, who
was employed in mending a hedge, heard a sound which appeared to him
like a cry of murder. He listened, and distinctly heard the cry repeated
in the direction of a place called Snell's Copse; and on his looking
towards that spot, he saw two men whom he had before observed walking in
the neighbourhood, one of them with an upraised gun, with which he
suddenly felled his companion to the ground. The stock of the gun
appeared to be broken by the blow, and then he saw the same person
repeatedly strike the fallen man with the barrel. He was so alarmed as
to be unable to render any assistance to repel the murderous attack; and
he presently saw the man who, as he supposed, had killed his companion,
change his coat, which was a blue body-coat, for a fustian
shooting-jacket, and walk away. He felt totally unable to follow him;
but as soon as his alarm had in some degree subsided, he ran to his
master's house, which was situated about two hundred yards off, and gave
information of what he had seen. Mr. Clarke, his employer, and his three
sons, instantly accompanied him in pursuit of the murderer; and after an
unavailing search of nearly two hours' duration, they at length saw him
emerge from a thick copse, when they instantly seized and secured him.
They conveyed him to the Haunch of Venison public-house at Whaddon,
where he underwent an examination before Mr. Lowndes, Mr. Smith, and
Major Mansel, magistrates of the county, to whom he stated that his name
was Charles Lynn, and that that of his late companion was Abraham Hogg.
A coroner's inquest was held on the body of the deceased on the
following day; and then it appeared that the prisoner was the son of a
respectable woman residing at No. 4, Morehall-place, Vauxhall, where she
kept a confectioner's shop, and that he, as well as the deceased, had
been employed in the vinegar manufactory of Sir Robert Burnett, at
Vauxhall, as coopers. Since his apprehension he had conducted himself in
a most violent and extraordinary manner. He had repeatedly attempted to
destroy himself by dashing his head against the walls and furniture of
the room in which he was confined; and on his being informed that his
late companion was dead, he answered, "I am glad of it, for he should
not have had any of the money." He afterwards attempted to kill himself
by drinking boiling water from a tea-kettle, and was only prevented from
attaining his horrid purpose by the vigilance of the constables in whose
charge he had been placed. He then begged to be permitted to write a
letter to his mother; but having written "Dear mother, I have committed
murder," he appeared dreadfully agitated, threw down the pen, and
exclaiming, "O that I could kill myself!" attempted to strangle himself
with his neckcloth. He was now handcuffed, in order to prevent his
making any fresh attempt; but in spite of the utmost exertions of the
officers, he obtained possession of the snuffers, with which he tried to
stab himself in the throat; and having been disappointed in this
project, he swallowed two half-crowns, hoping to choke himself. The
evidence which was taken before the coroner went to prove the
circumstances which we have stated; and witnesses having also deposed as
to the finding of the body, and to the injuries which appeared to have
been inflicted, and which were obviously the cause of death, a verdict
of "Wilful murder against Charles Lynn" was returned.
The prisoner was then removed to Aylesbury jail, but not until he had
made repeated new attempts to destroy his own life. He viewed the body
of his murdered victim without the smallest degree of agitation or
excitement; and on his arrival in the prison, he dictated a letter to
King, the jailer, for his mother. He was subsequently visited by Mr.
Ashfield, the chaplain of the jail, by whom he was brought to a proper
sense of his situation. His mother, sister, and a clerk in Sir R.
Burnett's establishment, subsequently reached Aylesbury jail from
London, and at the entreaty of the first named individual, the wretched
prisoner made the following singular statement as to his inducement to
commit the horrid crime of which he had been guilty. He said, "I and
Abraham went to the Saracen's Head, Snowhill, and got upon the Liverpool
coach: I saw two men in deep conversation with him, and two gentlemen
were on the coach; the two men who spoke with Abraham I knew to be
resurrection-men; and I was convinced that Abraham was agreeing to sell
my body to them for the surgeons, two of whom were on the coach. Just
before the coach started, one of the resurrection-men, who was dressed
like a sailor, got a bottle of gin, and on the road they wanted me to
drink two glasses for their one. The men afterwards threw the bottle
away, but purchased another on the road. I and Abraham got down at the
White Lion, Brick-hill, and the landlord and others were talking about
robberies and murders: I did not like the conversation, and I went and
slept at the public-house opposite. On the following morning I went to
the White Lion, and the landlord said to me,--'It's lucky for you that
you were not up sooner, or your body would have been half way to London
by this time.' I got on another coach with Abraham, and passing by a
common, I jumped down and ran away; Abraham followed with my gun. When I
got near a wood I heard the sound of horns and trumpets, and I thought
the resurrection-men were after me, and that Abraham intended to kill
me, and I am sure if I had not killed him he would have killed me." This
remarkable statement was reduced to writing, and was produced at the
trial of the unfortunate prisoner, which took place at Aylesbury, on
Tuesday, the 8th of March, in the same year.
The evidence, which was then adduced, was precisely similar in its
details to that which we have stated in substance; and the prisoner in
his defence addressed the jury in an unconnected strain, repeating his
belief that an intention existed to murder him. Witnesses were then
called, who swore that they believed that the prisoner was insane, and
the jury returned a verdict, finding the prisoner guilty of killing the
deceased, but declared that he was of unsound intellect at the time.
The prisoner was thereupon ordered to be detained during His Majesty's
pleasure, and was subsequently confined in an asylum for lunatics.
It appears that the prisoner had been employed by Sir Robert Burnett
from a very early age, and that he was always considered there to bear
an excellent character. Hogg was also engaged in the same establishment,
and was a constant companion of the young man, by whom he was eventually
killed. A considerable degree of suspicion was excited against them on
the discovery of the murder, in consequence of the sudden disappearance
of one Mangan, alias "Long Dan," who was their fellow workman, and who
having been seen last with Lynn, on Sunday the 2nd of January, at
Manor-place, Walworth, had become suddenly missing. Every inquiry was
made for him, and at length Lynn was questioned upon the subject, but he
most solemnly declared his ignorance of the cause of his quitting his
friends, as well as of his hiding-place; but the observation which he
had made, that "Hogg should not have any of the money," for a
considerable time favoured the suspicions which were entertained. At
length, however, Mangan came forward, and stated that he had enlisted in
the East India Company's service, for a reason which he refused to
disclose; and Lynn's statement explained the meaning of the expression
which he had used. The reason for Hogg and Lynn quitting their work, and
going out of town by the Liverpool coach, however, yet remains
concealed.
JAMES EVANS.
TRIED FOR THE MURDER OF THOMAS PRICE.
The scene of the mysterious death of Mr. Thomas Price was Manchester,
where he carried on an extensive business, as a fustian manufacturer;
the accused James Evans being in his employment, as warehouseman.
It would appear that on Friday, the 3rd February 1826, at about
noon-time, the attention of some persons passing through Marsden-square,
Manchester, was attracted to the premises occupied by Mr. Price, in
consequence of its being discovered that smoke was issuing in
considerable quantities from the window of a room on the first floor,
occupied as a counting-house. The greater part of the men employed on
the premises were at this time absent, it being their dinner hour; but
the alarm being spread some assistance was obtained, and several
persons, having procured admittance to the house, attempted to force
their way to the point at which the fire was burning. Their efforts were
rendered for a considerable time unavailing, in consequence of the
density of the smoke; but the windows on the stairs having been opened,
the air became gradually cleared, and at length the door of the
counting-house was reached. Upon it being pushed open, it was found that
a number of pieces of fustian had fallen against it inside, and then
through the dense clouds of vapour, in which the apartment was
enveloped, the indistinct outline of burning goods was perceived. It was
some time before any person could venture to explore the room, but the
engines having arrived, any fire that existed was extinguished, and the
vapour was by degrees dispelled. By this time, a report had become
prevalent that Mr. Price had perished in the flames, and several
persons, in consequence, now proceeded to ascertain how far it was
justified. They had not searched long, before they found that the
suggestion of the death of Mr. Price was well founded; although there
was reason to believe, that it had been caused by other means than those
of burning or suffocation. The removal of a half-consumed piece of
fustian exposed the body of the unfortunate gentleman to view, his
clothes being burnt, and his person blackened and scorched. He was quite
dead, his head resting upon a piece of fustian, and his left arm being
raised as if to ward off a blow. On his body being removed, appearances
were perceived which induced a belief that he had been murdered, and
that his premises had been set on fire to conceal the bloody deed. It
was found that he had received a dreadful fracture on the left side of
the skull, through which the brain protruded; and in the immediate
vicinity of the spot where he lay, several small portions of the brain
were observable, as if they had flown from his head, on his receiving
the blow, by which injury was inflicted. A most minute examination of
the room took place, but all search for the weapon with which the wound
was given proved ineffectual. A supposition was raised that the deceased
might have put an end to his existence by shooting himself, and that the
wadding might have set fire to the goods, but the impossibility of such
a circumstance became apparent. Mr. Price was a man of cheerful
disposition, and unlikely therefore to commit suicide; besides which no
pistol was found, and the wound was discovered to be of a nature which
could not have been caused by a shot. The only remaining solution of the
mystery therefore was, that which had been first suggested, that the
unfortunate man had been murdered, however improbable it might appear
that such a deed would be committed at noonday, in a building, in which
there must have been other persons at the time, and which was situated
in one of the most crowded places of public business.
At the coroner's inquest, which was held on the next day on the body of
the deceased gentleman, Mr. Gresswell, a surgeon, gave evidence as to
the cause of death of the deceased. He stated that there were two severe
wounds on the head, one on the left side, and one on the right side, and
that they appeared to have been given with some blunt instrument. This
gentleman was of opinion, that it was possible that the wounds might
have been produced by a blow from one of the axes carried by the
firemen, on their proceeding to search the room and that they might
have been given as well after as before death: but Mr. Jordan, another
medical man, was of a contrary opinion, and thought that they had been
given before death, and that a hammer was the instrument with which they
had been inflicted. The other evidence which was adduced, and by which
it was sought to implicate Evans, was that he was last seen with the
deceased, at about one o'clock; and that at the time of the fire being
discovered he exhibited the utmost apathy. It was proved also, that the
deceased had purchased a hammer, a day or two before his death, which
could not now be found; and that on the collar, neck-handkerchief, and
shirt of the prisoner marks of blood were found, for the existence of
which he did not attempt to account. A coat belonging to him, which was
found in the counting-house, was also discovered to be similarly
stained; and it was besides proved, that no axes were used by the
firemen, on their being called to Mr. Price's premises, a fact which
negatived the suggestion thrown out by Mr. Gresswell, and upon this
evidence the jury returned a verdict of wilful murder against James
Evans.
The prisoner was firm in his protestations of innocence, but he was
immediately committed for trial to Lancaster Castle. The case
subsequently excited a great degree of interest; and the most anxious
curiosity was exhibited by the public to procure admittance to the court
during the trial. The trial came on at the ensuing assizes at Lancaster,
held in the month of March, when a verdict of Not Guilty was returned,
and the prisoner was discharged out of custody.
The prisoner appears to have been respectably connected in Manchester,
but we are unable to give any minute history of his life. The real
circumstances attending the death of Mr. Price have since continued, and
doubtless ever will remain, a mystery.
SAMUEL GILBERT.
INDICTED FOR ROBBERY.
The case of this detestable villain is extraordinary in many respects,
but particularly on account of the determined and effectual resistance
offered by a young woman to the savage attacks of the prisoner, whose
original intention was to violate her person, an object which he
subsequently changed to that of robbery. The circumstances of the case
as they were detailed by the prosecutrix, whose name is Charlotte Smith,
exhibit a wonderful degree of perseverance on the part of the prisoner
to secure his desires, and on the part of the young woman in resisting
his foul attempt.
The case came on at the Taunton assizes, held on the 30th of March 1826,
when the prisoner was indicted in the usual form for a robbery. It
appeared that the prosecutrix was twenty-three years of age, and was the
daughter of a decent clothier, living at about a mile out of Frome, and
that the prisoner was a labourer, aged eighteen years, residing at no
great distance from the same place, but that they were unacquainted with
each other. On the second day of the fair at Frome (26th November 1825),
the prosecutrix accompanied one of her brothers to that place, in search
of some other relations. They went into the Castle, public-house, and
there found the persons whom they sought with the prisoner. They
remained a short time, and then the prosecutrix got up to go home
alone. She had not gone far before the prisoner came up with her, and
addressed some conversation to her in a civil manner, and he accompanied
her home to her father's house. They sat there together for a short
time, her younger brother only being present, and then the prisoner
asked her to return to the fair. She consented, and they walked together
arm-in-arm, and while at the fair, he invited her to accompany him to
the house of his aunt at Coal-ash-walk. She at first refused, but was
subsequently induced to consent to his proposal, on his assuring her
that he would see her safe home again. They proceeded on their walk
together, but they had not gone far beyond the termination of the houses
of the town, when the prisoner took her by the shoulders, and threw her
down, accompanying this action with a very improper expression. She
demanded to know whether he knew who she was, and he answered,
"Yes;--Mr. Smith's daughter, and if you don't submit I'll murder you."
Her answer was, that "she would die first;" and he then proceeded to
take liberties. She screamed out, on which he thrust his fist into her
mouth, and grasped her throat until he had almost choked her; but being
convinced of the baseness of his intentions, she resisted him for three
quarters of an hour, during which she still lay on the ground. At this
period a man approached them, and having disengaged herself for a moment
from the prisoner's grasp, she screamed for help. The man said, "Why,
you murderous villain, you have got a woman there; are you going to kill
her?" upon which the prisoner jumped up, and threatened to murder him if
he did not go away. The prosecutrix now got up, but the prisoner threw
her down again, and, in the presence of the man, continued his brutal
liberties. The latter endeavoured to force him away, on which the
prisoner flew at him with his fists. The girl ran to the man for
protection, but he pushed her away from him, and then, thinking he would
afford her no assistance she ran off as fast as she could. She had gone
more than a mile, but in her alarm towards Warminster, instead of Frome,
when the prisoner overtook her. He said that she was going wrong, but
she thought the contrary, and said so, and then he repeated his
determination to do what he pleased with her, saying, that if she did
not give up, he would throw her into the river. She, however, again
resisted him, and he took her towards the river in his arms. When they
reached the bank, she cried for mercy, and he put her down, but
immediately dragged her up a lane, and threw her over a gate. He there
pulled her through some brambles, and into a ditch of mire, and swore
what he would do to her. Having detained the wretched girl here for
upwards of three hours, during which he beat her in an unmanly and
brutal manner, she at length found herself becoming insensible, and
taking some of the blood from her mouth, she showed it to him, and asked
him how he could have the heart to do it. He said that he would be d--d
if he cared, and that he would murder her if she did not give up. She
said that she had a shilling in her pocket, and that she would give it
to him if he would let her go, to which he replied that he would be d--d
if he would not have it then, and without waiting for her to get it, he
tore off her pocket, jumped upon her, and tore off her clothes. He
dragged off her gown first, and then her under clothes, and there was no
shape of clothes left. He then continued his barbarous treatment to her,
by forcing her head under water, and keeping it there until she was
nearly drowned; and while she was so defenceless, he took away one of
her ear-rings. On her raising her head, she heard a dog bark, and she
exclaimed, to intimidate him, "The Lord be praised, here's my father!"
and he then ran off. She followed in the same direction, because she did
not know her way home, and at length, at three in the morning, she
reached her father's house in a pitiable plight. In consequence of the
injuries which she received, she remained bedridden during three weeks;
and it was much longer before she recovered her health.
This detail of the frightful barbarity employed towards her by the
prisoner produced a strong impression in court, and a verdict of Guilty
was returned by the jury.
The prisoner subsequently escaped the capital punishment, which he
richly deserved for this offence on a point of form, but upon being
indicted for the assault with intent to commit a rape, he was again
found Guilty and sentenced to two years' imprisonment.
ALEXANDER AND MICHAEL M'KEAND.
EXECUTED FOR MURDER.
Few cases have occurred, in which more deliberate and cold-blooded
cruelty has been exhibited by the murderers, than in that which we are
now about to detail, and for their participation in which these unhappy
malefactors underwent the dreadful sentence of the law.
The victim of their crime was a defenceless and unoffending servant,
named Elizabeth Bates, and the circumstances under which they deprived
her of life are as follows:--
On the evening of Monday, the 22nd of May 1826, Alexander M'Keand
entered the Jolly Carters, public-house, which was situated at Winton,
near Worsley, in Lancashire, and was kept by a person named Joseph
Blears; and being known to Mrs. Blears, the landlady, took a seat in the
bar, and called for a glass of ale. Having been served, he placed it
before him, but he drank none of it for half an hour, at the expiration
of which time his brother Michael entered, and sat opposite to him. They
appeared from their manner to be strangers to each other, and Michael
was unknown to Mrs. Blears. The new-comer, almost immediately on his
entry, called for some bread and cheese and ale; and then his brother
Alexander also had some bread and cheese. For a time they sat together,
but did not appear to be in conversation; but then Mrs. Blears having
quitted the bar for a moment, on her return she found that they had
shifted their seats to a sofa, and that they were closely engaged in
whispering to each other. Her suspicions were alarmed, but she made no
remark; and then Michael asked where her husband was. She answered, that
he had gone to Manchester; and, in reply to a further inquiry, said that
he would be back at about eight o'clock. They remained until his return,
and then Michael invited him to drink. He at first declined, but on the
man pressing him, he drank a glass of whiskey, and subsequently a
second. The two M'Keands also drank whiskey, and then they called for
some cider, and entered into conversation. In the mean time Blears, who
had doubtless been hocussed, became quite overcome with the liquor he
had drunk and lay down on the sofa, where he went to sleep. After about
half an hour spent in whispering together, Michael inquired of Mrs.
Blears, whether he could have a bed, as it was too late then to go to
Manchester, and she answered, that he and his companion were welcome to
the accommodation which her house afforded. They made some observations
in reference to her husband being intoxicated, and then they desired to
be conducted to their rooms. Betty Bates, the servant, was called to
bring a candle, and she accompanied them up stairs. The circumstances
immediately attending the murder of this poor girl were learned from a
boy named Higgins, fourteen years of age, who was permitted, from
motives of humanity, to live in Blears' house, and who slept in the room
in which the bed intended for the two M'Keands was placed. It would
appear that on their reaching the top of the stairs, the two men
separated; and while Alexander went on with the servant, the other
returned down stairs. The former was conducted to the room where Higgins
was sleeping; and the boy, being awoke by the noise, looked from under
the bed-clothes, and saw the man put his arm round the girl's waist. She
resisted, and said, "Be quiet!" upon which, with great force, he threw
her back on the floor, and did something which the boy could not see.
The girl cried "Murder!" and succeeded in rising; but the fellow threw
her back again, and then again did something under her ear, with his
right-hand, in consequence of which, as it appeared to the boy, blood
flowed over her bosom. The woman struggled very much, and cried out that
she would mark him; but the boy being dreadfully alarmed, looked to see
no more, but concealed his head beneath the bed-clothes. The murderer
was doubtless disturbed by the movement of the boy, and directly
approached the bed in which he lay, pressed his hand upon his mouth, as
if intending to despatch him also. The servant at this moment, however,
managed to rise, and stagger towards the door, and the villain instantly
quitted the boy, and went in pursuit of her. Higgins at this moment,
taking advantage of the diversion of the man's attention, succeeded in
passing him, and jumped over the banisters, but in his doing so, the man
grasped at his shoulder. He, however, escaped and ran out of the house,
and hiding himself in a ditch, was not further pursued.
In the mean time the second villain had attacked Mrs. Blears. The
latter, it appears, hearing the cries of the servant from the upper
room, was on the point of rushing up stairs to ascertain the cause, when
Andrew M'Keand seized her, and made a cut at her throat with a knife,
which she saw him produce from beneath his coat. The wound was not
serious, but she attempted to cry out, and then he took her by the
throat, and drove the knife in under her left ear. He attempted to
withdraw it, but could not; and having pulled several times, the handle
at length came away, and he ran off, leaving the blade still remaining
in the wound. Blears during the whole of this time had remained asleep
on the sofa, suffering from the effects of the narcotic with which he
had been plied; but now, awoke by the outcry, he started up, and found
his wife wounded as we have described. The alarm was given to the
neighbours, and the boy Higgins having returned, the body of the girl
Betty was found lying on the landing, outside the bed-room door. Several
persons attempted to pull the knife from the wound in Mrs. Blears' neck,
but unsuccessfully; and Mr. Garthside, a surgeon, having been called in,
he at length succeeded in extracting it. It was a whittle knife, and was
sharp-pointed;
[Illustration: _Farraday apprehending Alexander & Michael M'Keand._
_P. 110. Vol. 2._]
and upon subsequent inquiry, it turned out that one of the murderers had
obtained it on the morning of the murder, and had sharpened it on the
hearth-stone of a Mrs. Stewart, living near Blears' house.
Notwithstanding the immediate alarm given of this diabolical murder, the
villains, for the time, succeeded in escaping detection; but their
persons being known, it was not long before they were secured and
brought to justice.