MURDER AT ENFIELD CRASE.—A murder, attended by circum- stances of
more than ordinary atrocity, was perpetrated on Wednesday night last week, at Enfield Chase. The subject of it was a young man, a sailor, named Benjamin Con* DAllb3r, NVIIP .had. been residing there with a relation for some time before the murder. A little boy
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named Ellis diseovered the body on Thursday morning, in the ditch in a lane called Holt White's Lane : the legs were lying in the lane, and the face in the ditch. The face was cut and slashed in a most dreadful manner ; the flesh scored out, as it were, in five places ; the right whisker cut away; and in the throat of the murdered man was a deep stab, right through, as a butcher would kill a sheep: the knife appeared as if it had been turned round in the throat. 'The body was imme- diately recognized. On making inquiry, it was soon discovered that Denby had been drinking the previous night at a small public-house called the Three Horse-shoes, by the side of the New River, and in the neighbourhood of Chase-side. Four persons, it was ascertained, had been in his company all the evening, playing at dominoes and drinking with him. The names of these persons were Richard Wag- staff, EL baker ; Samuel Cooper, the son of a poor man in the town ; Samuel Sleath, or Fare ; and W. Johnson, the son of a gardener. These men were immediately arrested. Wagstaff, who satisfac- torily'showed that he had no concern in the murder, has been set at liberty, and will be used as one of the principal witnesses on the trial, as he was before the Inquest on the body. The two men Fare and Johnson made no declaration. They belong to a class unfortunately too numerous in the agricultural districts of England. They are poor, overworked, starving wretches, brutalized by a passion for drinking. The third, Who is a slim-built boy, made a full and voluntary confes- sion of the whole affair. He seems to be quite as destitute of sen- sibility as his more aged companions. It appears that on the morn- ing after the murder, he took out a dray, which he generally drove for a brewer in the neighbourhood, and that he actually drove it past the scene of murder, at the moment that a crowd of persons were standing gaz- ing in horror on the spot. He took no notice of the crowd,.but passed without asking a question; and on stopping at a beer-shop where he was soon after seized, affected great surprise on bearing the awful re- cital : while thus engaged he was taken into custody. He had on his head the cap he wore at the murder, and there was a quantity of blood incrusted inside it. Some two hours after he was in custody, he sent for the officers, and made the confession which he afterwards repeated. before the Inquest Jury. :It is to be received, of course, with some grains of allowance. Cooper has not been admitted as King's evidence ; nor does it appear to be necessary be should, as there is ample circum- stantial evidence of the murder. The Jury examined a great number of witnesses previous to their coming to, their verdict ; and the testi- mony of the whole tended to the same point.
The following is the substance of Cooper's confession. " I went into the Horse-shoes public-house about ten o'clock on Wednesday night, to get a pint of beer. John Taylor, Charles Jackson, the de- ceased, and Richard Wagstaff, were there playing at dominoes. When they bad done playing at dominoes, Fare began to toss with the de- ceased for gin and beer, some of which they gave me. We left the house about eleven o'clock. Johnson and Fare were also in the room. I went out of the house about eleven o'clock, and the others followed me immediately after. The man who was murdered fell against the rails of the river, near the door of the Horse-shoes ; and he asked some of us to lead him home. Johnson and Fare took hold of him, and led him as far as Wagstaff's. In going along, Wagstaff persuaded me to go home ; but I did not follow his advice. A scuffle took place be- tween Johnson, Fare, and Denby; and just when it commenced Wag- staff arrived at his own house, went in, and shut the door. Fare then fell down, and then Denby took hold of my arm, and asked me to lead him home. I, Johnson, and Denby then went on, and Fare. stopped behind. When we got opposite Mr. Addington's [the person with whom the murdered man was at the time residing], Johnson per- suaded Denby to go on and get a pint of beer. The deceased said, Yes, with all my heart ;' and I, Johnson, and Denby, went on to the bottom of Holt White's Lane, or Chase-side, as it is called. A man and woman then passed us, and I wished them good night. I, Johnson, and Danby then turned up the Chase Road, as I thought to procure some beer. When we came near Pinnock's beer-shop on the Chase, Johnson turned us round to go back. I at that time bad hold of the deceased's left arm, and Johnson the right. On going down the road, Johnson, said I am d—d if Sam hasn't robbed him.' About half a minute after, Johnson put his foot behind the deceased, and threw him down on me. I was close to the ditch at that time ; and the deceased falling on me, threw me into the ditch, and the deceased fell on top of me. I drew myself from under him ; and in so doing my cap came off, and when I found it, it was covered with blood. I said to Johnson, What have you been doing to him ? don't hurt him!' Johnson replied, I have done him.! I then got out of the ditch, and went and stood in the middle of the road trembling. The deceased then lifted up his head, and said, ' Oh pray ! oh pray! don't, pray don't.' I know John- son then came up to me, and said, I have begun it ; here, take this
knife and finish him.' I said, I won't ;' and he said, 'Don't say a
word,' and shook his fist at me. He then went to the deceased and killed him. I would have run away, only I thought be would follow
me and serve me the same. I saw Johnson pick up something lying
beside the deceased after he had killed him. He took a red handker- chief from the deceased, and gave me a piece of bread, part of which I threw over the hedge. We then came away down the row amid John- son several times said, 'Don't say anything to anybody.' I wanted to go to my own house, but he said, ' Come this way across the fields ; don't go that way.' We then went across Mr. Coney's field, and over the New River Bridge. Johnson then washed his hands and the knife in the river. It was a black-handled clasp-knife, which I have seen several times. After washing the knife we went on over the Horse- shoes Bridge, and turning down by the river-side, near Mr. Robinson's, Johnson took the deceased's handkerchief from his pocket, and threw it into the water. We then parted, Johnson again urging me to say
nothing. I then went home. Fare left us near Mr. Shuffle's [near the house where Wagstaff lived]. I did not see him again after I took hold of the deceased to lead him away."
In corroboration of what Cooper here states, that previous to the murder Fare had left him and Johnson, witnesses were examined ; who swore to having seen two men in the neighbourhood of the spot where the murder was committed,—one of whom, it is evident, must have been Cooper, although one of the witnesses mistook him for anothar person. . The Jury, on Thursday, after a long, minute, and careful investiga- tion, reLamed a verdict of Murder against Johnstone and Cooper as principals, and against Fare as Rceessory before the fact, and also of robbery against all three.
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