A BARBAROUS MURDER.

Dunstan Times, Issue 410, 25 February 1870, Page 3 (Supplement)

A BARBAROUS MURDER.

Early on "Saturday morning a most horrible murder was committed in an hotel in Finsbury. The victim is a young woman 30 yearg of age, 5H 2in. in height, and belonging to the very lowest of the class known aa " nnfortunatea." The body was in a moat 'dirty condition, with but two thin petticoats, a linsey dreaa, white Btookings, and boota much too large for tho feet. The person accused of the crime ia Jacob Spinas, a Swias, employed as porter at tho hotol, which ia kept by Mr. ifuecker. Tho scene of the crime is a bed-room in the kitchen. Tho discovery was mado aa follows: —About kalf-past live Mrs. JBuceker wa3 awnkenod by hearing a loud noiso, and first ringing tho bell ran down fetalis, where the night portor, Spinaa, was lying at the foot of tho stairs, raving iu German about the dovil. Her orioa brought down a gentleman; the day porter, Webber; and a man cook. Spinas ran down tho staira loading to tho kitchen, and was followed by Webber into his bed-room. Spiuaa then said, "Look here, Joseph, what I have done to-night." Webber placed his hand upon the bed, and felt something like a body, lie ran upstairs, and soon returned with a constable Meanwhile the man cook eaw tho prisoner dragging something off the bed. When lights had been procured tho police entered the kitchen, whero, lying on her back, lay tho body of a woman. Tho features were wholly undistinguishable, the whole of the face being beaten in by repeated blows; the jagged flesh from the oheeka hanging down, the jaw-bone exposed to view, and the portion of the cheek-bone under the eye broken; the eje-holoa "running into tho cheeks, and into one auothor. The long dark hair of the woman was twisted and matted together by fast-congealing blood; white her dreaa, of the poorest deacription, and frightfully dirty, was torn, bloody, and diaarranged, having tho naked body partly exposed to view. The bed boars sickening evidence of the struggle. Opposite tho bed ia an immovablo window, having about eight panes of glass, all which had been violently dashed out by tho woman, in her endeavours to escape, madly flinging herself at the window and striking out tho glass with her handa. Close above tho bed on the wall hung a silver watoh going to time, and near it a print of " Christ Crucified." How tho woman got into the house can only bo surmised. Prisoner was let in at half-past one by Webber, but he was then alone. It is supposed that when in tho kitchen together Spinas and tho woman having procured some wine and spirfe from the oellar, became intoxicated. It Beems probable that a quarrel arose between them in their drunken condition, and that he then attackod her with one of the bottles, beating ner about the head and face. Several broken bottlea were found about the kitchen, and some with pieces of flesh adhering to them. A heavy brass candlestick was found, and had been naed aa a weapon, for the loading in the Btand of it was broken out. Spinas ia described as being a very quiet man, not given to drink, and much liked by his fellowservanta, bat early on Saturday morning a police-eon-stable found him ia a very loiv neighbourhood near the City-road, and, aa ho appeared inclined to be obstinate, tho constable took him into custody. There the inspector declined to charge him, and oxplained to aim the danger he had been in, and advised him to return home. Spinaa expressed himself thankful for cho advice, and Baid, " I will profit by it, air." Ha-lf an hour later he waa at home in the hotel. Upon tho discovery of the murder the police at once took Spinas into custody. It was Been at tho pohce-station that hia shirt and trousers were covered with blood, and cho police-sergeant, while stripping the prisoner, folt something warm and wet fall ou his face. Looking up ho saw tho prisoner tearing open with his teeth a ainall scrateh on hia fingers. The blood spurted out in a jet through tho opening. The sergtant at oneo seized him and stopped the bleeding. Tho prisoner remarked that he had heard a noise and thought somebody was in the house. He called out, b:it receiving no answer, ho throw a candlestick in the direction of the sound. He fancied lota uf men were around him, and that the devil was imong them. Later in the day Spinas waa charged at Worshipstreet with tho murder of the woman. Evidence waa given of the finding of tho body. Tho prisoner said that being attacked, ho defended himself with a candlestick and a looking-glass. Tho prisoner, who displayed great agitation during tho examination, did not say anything in defence, and Mr. Ellison remanded him for a week. The inquest was opened on Saturday, and horo again evidence was given of the discovery of the murder. Joseph W-abber, however, saying that when he let Jacob Spinaa in, ho was nearly drunk. Witness left him at a quarter to two in tho kitchen, and ho, Webber, said to him, " You axe drunk. You go to bed and I will stop up for you." Jacob said "No; you go to bed." At this stage the inquest was adjourned. The young woman appears to have been miserably poor. Her hair is dark brown, and sho was about live feet two inches in height. Her dress consisted of a brown stuff skirt with two bodies, one of blaok cloth, and tho other of grey linaey, with white buttons. There wero two petticoata, one of black and white, and tho other of red and grey stuff, a ootton chemiso, white cotton stockings, and side-spring boots, much too large. There was a bonnet, black, with beading. In tho pockot waa nothing but two clay pipes. The deceased waa a fair-complexiened young woman. Her hands and feet were remarkably small. From the look of her hand it was evident that Eho had never done any bard work. At the post-mortem examination it waa shown that the left side of her face was comparatively uninjured, and that when she waa ulive Bhe must have been by no means a bad looking young woman. From her appearance it was evident that before she had fallen she had belonged to a respectable family. Upon removing the scalp on tho right sido of the head a largo piece of the skull waa found broken in. The right ear waa cut into two pieces, and the temple bone waa fractured. In fact, all the bones on the left Bide of the head, from behind tho ear to the nose, were found to bo smashed. The right jaw-bone was fractured in two places. Two pieces of a peculiar composition, which formed part of tho bottom of a loaded candlestick, were also found imbedded in the brain. The hands of th 3 deceased were found to be clenched, and upon opening tho left one six short ourly black hairs resembling the hair of Spinas were found grasped in it. In tho stomach of tho deceased waa found some clarot, which had been taken a few minutes before death. The cause of death was ascertained to be an injury to the brain, caused by a blow. On Sunday evening three women, named Eliza Ward, Bridget Martin, and Mary Anno Walker, came to the police-station to see the body. They stated that a female friend of theirs waa missing. The inspector admitted them to tho dead-house, when they immediately recognised the body to bo that of their friend. They all agreed in stating that they could not be mistaken in the identity. Thoy stated that thoy lived at Spitalfields. Deceased was one of the lodgers in the samo house. She waa an " unfortunate." She loft home on Friday evening at about nine o'clock, since when thoy had not seen her alive. Although they had known her two years they could not tell her name. She waa always known aa " Sissy," and nothing moro. Tkey recognised her by the dress she wore and by her teeth. Sho waa thirty yearß of age last month, but looked younger. It was arranged that tho three women should appear aa witnesses at the adjourned coroner's inquest. On Monday evening a young girl, of about IS yeara of age, entered the Windmill Tavern, Castlestreet, Finsbury, and after asking whether that waa the place at which an inquest had boen opened, said : " That young woman was my sister ; two years ago she lived with my father and mother in Liverpool. A Bhort time after Bhe fell into misfortune. That waa her fault. Sho afterwards camo to London, and I, a short time afterwards, followed hor. Whilo I waa employed in London I found out that sho had taken lodgings in Spitalfields. I frequently Baw her. Tho last time that I spoko to her waa six weeks ago, but aince then wo had not been able to meet. On Saturday last I went to seo her at hor lodgings, but I found that she had not been heard of Binco tho previous night, and I thought that something strange had happened. Sho was 25 years pf ago, and her name waa Cecilia Aldridgo. I have Binco gone to see her body, and it is that of my sister. Her mother and father are now living in Liverpool, but I have written for them, and they will come np to London to sco her." Tho identity of the deceased has, from inquiries made by the police, now been placed beyond doubt. uu Monday night a young woman, named Mary inn Gauge, called at tho Old-Btreet Police-station, .rod said •. " The boots whioh you have shown me ore I mine. On last Friday night deceased borrowed them, saying that Bhe would return them alter she had

taken a walk in them. She always told me her name was Ceoilia JVilliamß." The prisoner has made the following statement : " I was lying asleep on tho bed in my room wheE some porson approached my bed Bide. I did not then know that it was a woman that was in tho room. I thought that some person had got into tho house with tho intontion of robbing it. Tho first thing I saw when I awoke was an object in tho dark, and tliinking I was dealing with a robber, I caught hold of the candlestick and struok at tho object. I then, let go tho candlestick and took hold of a ohampagno bottle and struck at tho object again. After I had been striking at the object somo time it fell upon the floor, and I then found that I had been striking a woman." Alter the above acoount had been written, no fewer than 20 young women called at the scene of tho tragedy and represented themselves to be sisters of tho murdered young woman. This attracted tho attention of tho police, and they clearly proved the fact that every one of tho 20 persons intended to commit a fraud. Tho most remarkable ease, perhaps, was one practised by the yonng girl mentioned above. The police went to Wukefield-plaee in consequence of information, and tho statement made by the mother of the girl will show that the whole story told by her daughter is false from beginning to end. " She said : On Monday I thought i-he had gone t J work, and at night she returned home. Afterwards several peoplo stood in front of our house, and I threw up tho window and asked them what they wanted. I was then told that my daughter had said that Ehe was the sister of the murdered woman, and upon my asking her whether she had done so she said, 'Yes, I know that I have done wrong.' " On Friday tho inquest on the remains of the un. fortunate girl so barbarously murdered at Mr. Buecker's hotel, Finsbury, was resumed and concluded. In tho course of examination of witnesses the following additional evidence was given : Joseph ttowe, policeman, said : I was on duty at tho policestation on tho morning in question, when Spinas was broug'.it in in custody. I made him change his trousers. Ho had a wound on one hand, and while I was stooping down to assist him he bit it open, and the blood spurted over me. I told him he was charged with murder, and ho said, " I thought it was a thief in tho houso. I had been drinking, and I hea:d a noise at tho side of my bed. I said 'Joseph,' fori thought it was tho porter. I then took tho looking - glass and hit her and broke it. I then took the candlestick and broke it; I then hit her with the bottles. I battled with her for half an hour. When tho lights came I found the woman dead. I thought it was a thief iir the house." After tho remand, when I was removing him to the House of Detention, ho said, " You no take me to prison; I have dono nothing." Several witnesses having proved the identity of tho body, Mary James, one of the deceased's own class, said : I knew tho deceased, and Spinas also. Ho was waiter at tho hotel, and I have known him for twelve months. The deceased and I generally walked in company--On several occasions I have beon with Spinas in Mr; Buecker's hotel. On theso oceasioLs I used to ring tho bell, and ho would let me in. I used to go into a little bedroom by the side of tho kitchen. I saw tho deceased twice on Friday night. I met her accidentally tho second time, near Mr. Buecker's hotel, at about a quarter to two, or it might be a little later. Spinas looked out at tho doer. Deceased had previously told me eho was going to see him. They went into the hotel together, and I, after waiting outside a little while, went home, aa it struck three. I had seen her speak to the man at tho door several times, but was not awaro that she was accustomed to go in. I last saw him four weeks ago. My aunt and friends thought at first it was mo who was murdered. On Saturday I went to Lea-bridge, and heard nothing of tho murder till Sunday morning. I was persuaded by my friends to go to tho police-office, but did not like to have my namo published. On Tuesday night I met a policeman in the square. I voluntarily told him what I knew. I had nover quarrelled wit? the prisoner Spinas, who always treated mo vci> kindly. I went to Mr. Buecker's hotel on Monday to see the body, but as they told mo it had been identified, andthatno oneelso was to seeit,lwentaway and mado no further attempt. The medical evidence having been given clearly showing that death resulted from fracture of tho skull, tho coroner summed up, and the jury, after consulting a few minutes, returnod a verdiot of wilful murder against the prisoner.