On Sunday morning, a most horrible murder was discovered on
the prethises of Messrs. Williams and Son, soap-boilers, Compton Street, Clerkenwell. It appears that when the carters called about eight o'clock that morning to feed the horses, they rang the bell of the yard for the clerk, who resides on the premises, to admit them ; but after repeatedly ringing and receiving no answer, they effected an entrance through an tadjoining house ; and finding the counting-house door open, they entered, and discovered the body of the clerk lying on his back, his skull most frightfully fractured, and his blood and brains strewed about in all directions. There were no fewer than fourteen blows traceable on the skull : the right arm was also fractured, and the wrist dislocated. The poker was found under the fire-place, bent nearly to a right angle, and covered with hair and blood. A young man named Newland, formerly in the employ of Messrs. Williams, was taken up on Wednesday, tut -nothing was proved against him to war- rant his detention. Government have advertised a reward for the dis- covery of the murderer: On Tuesday night, the counting-house of Messrs. Sant, Leslie, and Co.; coal-merchants, Adelphi Wharf, was broken open. Every desk was ransacked, and all the papers were strewed about the floor. For- tunately, there was nothing left but a few coppers ; which were taken, together with a set of fire-irons, a chimney-glass, and three umbrellas.
Previous page
