of the foremost of the murderers, who, having mounted his horse, led the
way, dragging the terrified group after him, while his infamous
companions guarded them on all sides. Groans and tears burst from the
wretched beings, whose worst fears were excited. In vain, however, did
the aged and youthful of both sexes appeal for compassion. Their doom
was cast. Onward they were dragged till a fitting place in the bush was
reached, and then the work of slaughter commenced, and, unresisting,
were these hapless wretches, one after the other, brutally butchered.
Fathers, mothers, and children, fell before the previously sharpened
swords of these self-appointed executioners, till all lay a lifeless
mass, in death clinging to each other with the throes of natural
affection. But one shot was fired, so that it was presumed one only
perished by fire-arms. The precise number thus immolated has not been
accurately ascertained, but it is computed that not less than thirty lay
stretched on the ensanguined earth. The demon butchers then placed the
bodies in a heap, kindled an immense fire over them, and thus
endeavoured to destroy the evidence of their unheard-of brutality.
Fragments of the unconsumed bones, however, still remained; but even
these were collected, and attempted to be hidden from human eye. But the
vengeance of Providence was not to be thus thwarted; and although for a
time these miscreants imagined they had effectually disguised their
horrible work, circumstances led to their detection and apprehension.
Birds of prey were seen hovering about the spot where the unconsumed
remains yet existed, and stock-men in search of their strayed cattle
were thus attracted to the locality, supposing they should find their
carcasses. In this way it was that the ribs, jaw-bones, half-burnt
skulls, and other portions of human skeletons were found--while symptoms
of the conflagration in the vicinity were likewise detected. This led to
inquiry, and ultimately to discovery of the horrible truth. The place
was fifty miles from the nearest police-station, but the whole of the
villains were apprehended, and their own admissions and conduct previous
and subsequent to the bloody work, added to a chain of circumstantial
evidence, left no doubt of their guilt. It chanced, too, that on the
night previous to the murders, a heavy rain had fallen--and traces were
thus discovered of horses' hoofs, as well as of the naked feet of the
wretched natives, on the way to the field of death.
On the 15th of November, the prisoners were put upon their trial before
the Chief Justice, Sir James Dowling, charged with the murder of a
black, named Daddy, the remains of whose gigantic frame had been
observed and distinguished among the discovered ashes. Every possible
means had been adopted to secure the acquittal of these atrocious
malefactors by an association, which had been formed with the ostensible
object of preserving the property of the settlers from the incursions of
the blacks. The pretence for the diabolical murders which were committed
was the supposed aggressions of the natives in killing and spearing
cattle; and every instance of violence of this description was carefully
brought forward to secure the liberation of the prisoners, by a verdict
of acquittal. The strong prejudice which was excited against the
aborigines was not without its effect, and in spite of the evidence
which was adduced, the jury found the prisoners "Not Guilty."
There were still other indictments against them, however, which
remained to be tried, and in the month of December they were again
arraigned. Upon this occasion they were not quite so fortunate, and the
men above-named were declared to be "Guilty," and sentence of death was
instantly passed upon them. Renewed efforts were now made in their
favour; but their horrid guilt being proved beyond a doubt, Sir George
Gipps, the governor, determined that the law should take its course, and
on the 15th of December, 1838, the convicts underwent the execution of
their sentence.
ARCHIBALD BOLAM.
TRANSPORTED FOR MANSLAUGHTER.
Few occurrences of the nature of that which is now before us, have
attracted more marked attention than that of the dreadful and most
mysterious death of Mr. Joseph Millie, assistant-clerk in the Savings'
Bank at Newcastle-upon-Tyne. The discovery of this event took place at
two o'clock in the morning of Friday the 7th of December, 1839, when
flames and smoke were observed to be issuing from the offices of the
Savings' Bank. The aid of the engines having been procured, the fire was
in a short time extinguished, and the police then entered the house, for
the purpose of ascertaining the cause of the conflagration, and that all
danger was passed. Upon their going into the clerk's office, they were
astonished at perceiving Mr. Millie lying extended on the hearth-rug,
with such wounds upon his person as left no doubt that he had been
murdered. His skull had been literally smashed in, and his brains were
scattered about the room; and what was more singular, his pockets were
found to be filled with coals, as if the object of his murderer had been
to prevent the discovery of his dreadful crime, by securing the
destruction of the body of his victim by fire.
In the adjoining room, they were more alarmed to find that Mr. Archibald
Bolam, the actuary, was also lying on the floor, apparently insensible.
He was lifted up, and some slight wounds were discovered in his throat,
which passed through his stock; but before many minutes had elapsed he
was sufficiently recovered to give an account of the mysterious affair.
He said "I have lately had two or three anonymous letters, threatening
to do me harm; and one was put under the door of the Savings Bank, last
evening, after dark, saying that something would happen to me at home.
In consequence of this, though I generally get my tea at the bank, I
went home, the other clerk, Millie, having previously gone to his tea. I
returned about half-past seven o'clock in the evening, and finding the
door locked as I had left it, I opened it, and put the key into my
pocket. When I got into the bank I saw Millie lying on the rug, and I
thought he had fallen asleep. He also has a key, and sometimes locked
himself in. I then went towards my desk, intending immediately to go and
speak to Millie; but while I was about to open my desk, I thought I
heard some one coming behind, and was in the act of turning round, when
I received a blow on my right temple from a man in disguise, with his
face blackened. I immediately started up, and ran shouting towards the
window, intending to give an alarm, on which the fellow followed me, and
said if I stirred, or made the least noise, he would serve me as he had
served the other man. He struck me again when I was near the window; and
when I was down, I felt a knife at my throat. Shortly after this I
became insensible for a while; but afterwards my recollection seemed to
return, and I heard somebody in the other office, as I supposed, going
about and making a noise. I dared not make the least outcry. I burnt the
threatening letters which I had previously received. The one which I
found last night under the waiting-room door I left upon my desk. I
cannot well describe the man, excepting that I think he was under the
middle size, and spoke roughly, but apparently in a feigned voice. I had
a few shillings in my pocket, and I think 4_l._ 10_s._ in my desk, which
was left by Mr. Airey to deposit on Saturday. In the inner safe I had a
further sum of 80_l._ of my own, which I kept to meet current expenses."
Further than this, Mr. Bolam said he had no recollection of what took
place.
A story so extraordinary at once excited suspicion, more especially when
it was discovered that the apparent object of the supposed murderer,
namely plunder, had been left unfulfilled. The greater part of the
papers and books of the bank were discovered to be undisturbed, and
uninjured by the fire; and although the outer door of the strong-box was
standing open, the inner lock was still fast. The key of this lock was
stated (by Bolam) to have been left by him in his desk, but it was now
nowhere to be found.
At a coroner's inquest held upon the body of the deceased, Bolam was
examined at great length; but the confusion which he exhibited, and the
inconsistency of his declarations still further increased the belief
which was generally entertained, that he had himself committed the
murder, and had fired the house to conceal the act, while he hoped to
divert suspicion from himself by a simulated attempt at violence on his
own person. The inquiries and statements of the police confirmed this
suggestion; and at the conclusion of the inquest, a verdict of "Wilful
Murder" was returned against him, and he was taken into custody. The
investigation, however, was still carried on by Stevens, the
superintendant of the constables of the town, with the most praiseworthy
diligence. At a search of the house of the prisoner new evidence was
procured. This consisted of the discovery of the key which was missing
from the Savings' Bank, and also of a considerable sum of money in gold,
which was concealed behind some books. It was also ascertained that
Bolam had been seen at his own house at a period later than that at
which he stated he had quitted it; and many other minute facts were
learned at variance with his declarations. A new and more extensive
search at the Savings' Bank brought fresh cause of suspicion to light.
The absence of blood on the spot where the prisoner had been found
lying, and the evident fact of the blood having flowed down his clothes,
as if the wound had been inflicted while he was in a sitting posture,
clearly showed the falsity of his story in this particular; and the
further circumstance that three of the most recent account-books were
missing, tended in some degree to supply a motive for the commission of
such a crime by him, although it could hardly be supposed, that where
means so much more easy to procure their destruction, had such been his
object, could have been resorted to, he would have been guilty of an
offence so atrocious in order to attain so simple an end. The excitement
which prevailed upon the subject throughout the kingdom was very great,
and motives and reasons for the commission of the crime by the prisoner
of all descriptions were assigned, but the most reasonable, and that
which was eventually adopted by the jury upon the trial was, that some
misunderstanding having arisen between Bolam and Millie, the former, in
the heat of passion and anger, had assaulted the latter with the poker,
and destroyed him; and had then arranged the tale which he subsequently
narrated, and the appearances which were exhibited in order to conceal
his guilt.
The sympathy which was created for the family of the unfortunate Millie
was extraordinary. He had been left a widower with four children, and he
had striven hard amidst adversities and vicissitudes of the most painful
nature to maintain his children in a respectable station. Through the
instrumentality of Bolam he was appointed to the situation which he
held, the salary of which was 60_l._ a year, and he had performed the
duties attached to it with great credit. The managers of the bank took
care that his family should not be left entirely destitute in
consequence of his death, and they liberally provided them with the
means of immediate support; but an equally generous feeling was
displayed by the public, and in less than one month 1000_l._ were
collected by subscription to be appropriated to their use.
At the Spring Assizes of the year 1839, a bill of indictment was
preferred against Bolam, for the wilful murder of the deceased; but in
consequence of the very strong feeling which then prevailed against him,
and the uncertainty which might be said to exist as to his obtaining a
fair and impartial trial, the conclusion of the proceedings against him
was postponed to the ensuing Assizes.
On Monday, the 29th of July, 1839, he was tried at Newcastle before Mr.
Baron Maule. The case for the prosecution occupied the greater part of
two days. At its conclusion, a great number of witnesses were called to
the prisoner's character. The learned baron, in summing up, after having
remarked upon the evidence produced to substantiate the crime of murder,
said, "The prisoner may be guilty of the death of Millie under other
circumstances. Some difference or altercation may have taken place
between them. The evidence goes to show that there was no ill-will or
malice; but among a thousand causes some spark of anger may have been
kindled and blown up; a scuffle may have ensued, and the man at the bar
may, in a state of excitement, have been the death of the deceased; and
if he were so, and blows passed between them in conflict, he would have
been guilty of manslaughter, and that would furnish motives enough for a
statement which would, in his opinion, screen him from banishment from
his native country and his friends. This view furnishes motives quite
sufficient for the fire as well as for the other facts. I do not say
that this is the inference you ought to draw, nor has it been suggested
on either side; it is for you to consider it." The jury seem to have
adopted this suggestion; and after having been absent considering their
verdict for three hours, found the prisoner guilty of "Manslaughter."
He was subsequently sentenced to be transported for life, and quitted
the country in pursuance of this judgment.
FRANCIS HASTINGS MEDHURST.
CONVICTED OF MANSLAUGHTER.
Mr. Medhurst was a young man of highly respectable connexions, and the
offence of which he was found guilty was that of the manslaughter of a
schoolfellow, Mr. Joseph Alsop, at the Rectory House Academy, at Hayes,
in Middlesex. It would appear that this establishment was kept by the
Rev. Mr. Sturmer, a clergyman of the Established Church, and minister of
the parish of Hayes. Mr. Alsop and Medhurst were his pupils, the latter
being about twenty-two, and the former twenty-one years of age. Mr.
Dalison, another pupil, had quitted Mr. Sturmer's establishment on the
morning of the day on which the unfortunate occurrence, which was
subsequently the subject of judicial investigation, took place. On
Saturday the 9th of March, 1839, Mr. Sturmer was in his study with Mr.
Alsop and a pupil named Bunney, when Medhurst entered the apartment, and
complained to Mr. Sturmer, that Dalison, whom he designated as "a
blackguard," had broken the glass of his watch. Mr. Alsop, who had been
a constant companion of Mr. Dalison's, indignant at the language applied
to his friend, and perhaps irritated at former bickerings with Medhurst,
exclaimed, "You are a liar and a blackguard for saying so!" and
thereupon Medhurst, who carried a stick in his hand, immediately struck
him several severe blows over the head and arms. A scuffle ensued, in
the course of which Alsop wrested the stick from his opponent, and they
had separated to the distance of five or six feet, when just as Alsop
was again advancing towards Medhurst with the stick upraised as if to
strike him, the latter suddenly drew a clasp-knife from his pocket, and
opening it, stabbed his unfortunate antagonist in the belly. Mr. Sturmer
had quitted the room at the commencement of the affray; and Bunney,
horror-struck at the dreadful act of his fellow-pupil, rushed from the
apartment to procure assistance. Mr. Sturmer now hastened back to the
scene of the affray, and he found that Alsop was on the floor, supported
by Medhurst, while the latter appeared to be bitterly lamenting the act
of which he had been guilty. They both of them declared that they had
been in the wrong, and Mr. Alsop freely forgave his scarcely less
unfortunate fellow-pupil. Surgical assistance was obtained; but it
proved to be without avail, and after lingering a few days the unhappy
young man died.
It was not, however, until Friday the 15th of March, that Medhurst was
taken into custody; and on the next day, and the following Monday, an
inquest was held on the body of the deceased. From the evidence which
was then produced, it appeared that the deceased and the prisoner had
quarrelled upon more than one occasion before the 9th of March, and that
in all these misunderstandings the part of the deceased had been taken
by his fellow-pupils. Expressions of a violent description had been made
use of by Medhurst, as to using a knife in case of his being attacked;
and he was shown to be in the possession of an instrument of a most
dangerous character. It was his habit, it appeared, to carry a stick
almost constantly in his hand; and Mr. Sturmer admitted that he had
known him go about the house, armed with loaded pistols. In the course
of the inquiry, facts were elicited which showed a great want of energy
in the conduct of Mr. Sturmer, who by his interference on the morning
of the 9th of March, might have prevented the melancholy result of the
quarrel, the commencement of which he witnessed. A verdict of "Wilful
Murder" was returned against Mr. Medhurst by the coroner's jury, and he
was conveyed to Newgate to await his trial upon that charge.
At the Central Criminal Court on Saturday the 13th of April, the
prisoner was put to the bar to be tried upon the indictment which had
been preferred against him, and he was found guilty of the minor offence
of "Manslaughter."
Upon this conviction he was sentenced to three years' imprisonment in
the House of Correction.
Mr. Medhurst, as we have already stated, was a young man of respectable
connexions, and of considerable expectancies. It is not a little
remarkable, that his grandfather was also tried for murder, though he
escaped the consequences of his act, by proof being given of his
insanity. His wife, it appears, was the victim of his attack; and her
death was caused by a stab which she received from the hand of her
husband in a moment of passion. For this alleged murder he was tried at
the York Assizes in the year 1804, but acquitted as we have stated, on
the ground of his being insane. At that time the unfortunate man was a
stock-broker of eminence, possessed of great property in Yorkshire,
where he kept a large establishment and a pack of hounds. At the time of
the conviction of his grandson he was still alive, and an inmate of a
lunatic asylum at Hillingdon, Middlesex, but bowed down by age and
infirmity almost to the grave, and unconscious of the guilt of his
descendant. The father of young Medhurst died about two years before his
son's conviction. He had married an Italian lady, and the unfortunate
culprit whose case we have detailed was the offspring of the union.
There were other sons, however; one of whom was an esteemed member of
the Church of England at the period of his unhappy brother's trial.
WILLIAM JOHN MARCHANT.
EXECUTED FOR MURDER.
The criminal in this case held the situation of footman to Mr. Henry
Edgell, a magistrate, resident at No. 21 Cadogan-place, Chelsea, and the
victim of his crime was a young woman, named Elizabeth Paynton, who
lived as under-housemaid in the same family.
The circumstances of the case are few and simple, and may be narrated in
a short compass. On Friday, the 17th of May 1839, Mr. Edgell and his
family quitted the house in Cadogan-place in their carriage, for the
purpose of proceeding to Foot's-cray, in Kent, leaving Marchant, the
deceased, the cook, and the upper house-maid, at home. The two latter
individually also went out, and thus Marchant and the girl Paynton were
left alone in the house. On their return they were unable to obtain
admittance; and the coachman and upper-footman having now got back from
Foot's-cray, they went to the stables and procured their aid. Middleton,
the coachman, scaled the garden-wall, and with some difficulty burst
open the back-kitchen door, and having let in the other servants they
all proceeded to examine the house. On their reaching the drawing-room,
they saw the deceased lying on the floor, and it was at first supposed
that she and Marchant were lying there together. This idea, however, was
immediately dispelled by the discovery of a pool of blood near the head
of the unfortunate young woman, whose throat was observed to be
dreadfully cut. A razor lay by her side, which was evidently the weapon
with which she had been killed; and it being ascertained that Marchant
had absconded, suspicion at once attached to him. Surgical assistance
was at once called in, but in vain. The carotid artery and jugular vein
had been severed by a most determined cut; and the wretched young woman
must have been dead some hours. Upon an examination of the body it
became evident that the deceased had struggled hard before the murderer
was able to effect his object, as her hands were found to be much cut;
but there were no appearances to justify the supposition which was
entertained, that there had been any criminal assault committed upon her
person.
On the Sunday after the murder, Marchant surrendered himself into the
custody of a police-officer at Hounslow, to whom he at once confessed
the murder, without, however, assigning any reason for its commission.
He appeared to be terrified at what he had done; and as he walked into
town frequently looked behind him, declaring that he fancied he heard
the murdered woman at his back.
On Friday, the 21st of June, the prisoner pleaded "guilty" to the
indictment for the murder which had been found against him at the
Central Criminal Court, and sentence of death was immediately passed
upon him. He appeared to be in a lamentable state of weakness and
misery, and to be deeply penitent for his crime. He subsequently entered
freely into conversation upon the subject of the murder, and confessed
the circumstances attending its commission. He stated that he had found
the deceased in the drawing-room of his master's house, and had made
overtures to her of an improper character, which she had indignantly
repulsed. He strove to force the unhappy girl to a compliance with his
wishes, but she resisted with her utmost strength; and then drawing the
razor from his pocket, which he had taken from the upper-footman's
pantry on his way from the kitchen, in a moment of ungovernable passion
he cut her throat in three places, with the greatest determination,
amidst her cries for mercy and of "murder."
On Monday the 8th of July the wretched culprit was executed. He met his
death with much firmness, and was apparently sincerely penitent. He was
attended to the scaffold by the Rev. Mr. Carver, the ordinary of the
jail, newly appointed in the room of Dr. Cotton, who had so long held
that post, but had recently resigned.
The unhappy youth Marchant, at the time of his execution had only
reached the age of eighteen years. He was the son of decent parents, and
had been remarkable during the early part of his life, the greater
portion of which he had spent in service, for his extreme humanity and
gentleness of disposition. The victim of his crime was twenty years old
at the time of her death. She was a young woman of prepossessing
appearance and of sprightly disposition, and she had often laughed at
her fellow-servant and eventual murderer, for a supposed affection which
he professed for her. Up to the moment of their being last seen
together, however, they were upon the best terms. The dreadful crime of
Marchant could only be attributed to the cause which was assigned for it
by its perpetrator.
LEWIN CASPAR, ELLIS CASPAR, EMANUEL MOSES, AND ALICE ABRAHAMS.
CONVICTED OF FELONY.
The extraordinary robbery to which these persons were parties, involved
circumstances probably more singular than any other which ever came
before a court of justice. The affair has generally been known by the
name of the "Gold-dust Robbery;" the produce of the plunder being
gold-dust of the value of upwards of 4000_l._; and the facts which
attended the investigation of the circumstances most forcibly
illustrated the adage, that "When rogues fall out honest men get their
own." As will be observed from the names of the culprits, the persons
who were convicted were of the Jewish persuasion; and truly, the
proverbial cunning and habits of cheating of these people were most
singularly exemplified throughout the whole course of the inquiry.
On Monday afternoon the 25th of March 1839, the robbery was effected. It
appears that two boxes of gold-dust, from the mines of the Brazilian
Mining Company in South America, had reached England on the 18th of the
month, and had been landed at Falmouth from H.M.S. Sea-gull, from
whence they were to be forwarded to London, consigned to Messrs. Marsh
and Co., the agents of the Company. At Falmouth they were put on board
the City of Limerick steam-ship, and on Monday morning, the 25th of
March, they were landed at the wharf of the Dublin Steam-packet Company
at St. Katherine's. On the same morning a letter was received by Messrs.
Hartley and Co., the agents of the Dublin Steam Navigation Company, in
John-street, Crutchedfriars, to whom the City of Limerick steamer
belonged, purporting to be from Messrs. Carne and Co., of Falmouth,
apprising them of the transmission of the gold-dust, and instructing
them to hand it over to a person who should call at their office, and
produce certain documents. This letter was opened by Lewin Caspar, a
clerk in the establishment; and on the same afternoon a person drove up
to the counting-house, and presenting certain papers desired that the
boxes of precious metal should be delivered to him. From his manner no
suspicion was raised, and the credentials which he produced, giving a
description of the boxes and the marks upon them, tended to remove all
doubt as to the authenticity of the character which he had assumed. His
right to the boxes, therefore, being apparently established, he paid the
wharfage dues, and the trunks with their golden contents were placed in
the cab in which he had arrived. He gave the foreman of the wharf a
shilling for his civility, and then drove away without the smallest
suspicion being excited that he was not fully entitled to the goods
which he had claimed.