DREADFUL MURDERS IN THE COUNTRY.

Globe, Volume IV, Issue 300, 29 May 1875, Page 3

DREADFUL MURDERS IN THE COUNTRY.

(From the Standard, Mvrch 22.) On Saturday morning, about 7 o’clock, a son murdered his father and mother at Fordham, a village about seven miles from Colchester. The victims are named Solomon Johnson, aged eighty, labourer, and Susannah, his wife, aged over seventy. The murderer is their son, Thomas Johnson, aged thirty-five, a farmer’s horseman. The old people lived in a treble-tenement cottage on a farm held by Mr Knight, situate in a lonely spot some 400 yards from the high road, and a considerable distance from any neighbors. The centre tenement was occupied by the Johnsons, the wings by a woman named Mills and by four orphan children, whose mother lay dead in the house. Young Johnson recently suffered from religious mania and a suspected love affair, so that he was in the local union for some weeks under treatment. Having got better he was about a month ago allowed to go back to his parents’ house, whence last week he came to Colchester for a change. On Thursday evening his conduct wss observed to be very strange, and on Friday he suddenly left the house of his sister, and went roaming about the town. Among other eccentricities he consulted a lawyer about his sweetheart, whom he described as having been seen by him in “a glorified state,” and therefore he must have her. He left Colchester on Friday evening, and slept at his parents’ house at Fordham. Next morning, at 7 o’clock, Mrs Mills’s attention was called to some cries of “ murder,” and she saw the accused, poker in hand, chasing his father and mother in the garden. The old man, after receiving some blows, fell into an ashpit, and was then despatched by his maddened son. The poor man had his head battered in a fearful manner. Johnson next attacked his aged mother, and beat her so much that he left her for dead. Meanwhile Mrs Mills, who was much frightened, locked up the four orphan children, of whom she had kindly taken charge, and ran for assistance. The man must have seen her, for he threatened to kill her, and pursued her a short distance. It was a fortunate circumstance that the children had been looked in, for Johnson broke the window in an attempt to get at them, and he exclaimed to them, “ I’ll kill you.” Mrs Mills went to the parish constable (there being no policeman in the village), who sent forward Mr Sparkes and Mr Partridge. They found the murderer making his way to the village, and after some parley they closed upon him, one of them, however, receiving a severe blow with the poker, which the madman still carried in his hand. However, he was overpowered, and ultimately lodged under lock and key in the union workhouse at Stan way. The neighbours kindly attended Mrs Johnson, who was alive and sensible, but she died before medical aid could reach her. Johnson, who is a short thick-set man of unprepossessing appearance, was conveyed to Colchester and taken before the county magistrates then sitting, with Mr P. O, Papillon, chairman, In reply to questions, he stated the names of his parents, and after some formal evidence had been given he declined to ask any questions, but said, “No, I am fully decided about it.” Prisoner was then remanded till Wednesday. Early yesterday morning a shocking case of double murder, followed by a determined attempt at suicide, was discovered at Penge, on the London, Chatham, and Dover Railway. As the boat up train from Dover was approaching Beckenham the signalman at the junction observed a man throw himself across the metals on the down line, apparently intent on suicide. After the up-train had passed he obtained assistance, and gave the man in custody. On being charged at the police station he (the prisoner) was found to be suffering from the effects of narcotic poison. Strenuous efforts were made to bring him round, and he had to undergo severe pedestrian exercise in the station yard until two o’clock in the afternoon before he could be considered out of danger. His name was then ascertained to be Frederick Hunt, a drapers’s accountant, residing at No. 3, Melbourne terrace, Dulwich road. On inquiries being made, it was found that a dreadful murder had been committed by him. The bodies of his wife and one child were found lying dead at his residence, the former with her throat cut, and the latter, it is thought, dying from the effects of poison. An attempt had also been made to poison his remaining two children, but fortunately it had failed. It is supposed that the motive of the murder arose from embarrassed pecuniary circumstances. Hunt was recently in the employ of a large commercial firm, but being unable to obtain re-employment, he was endeavouring to obtain a living as accountant.

Year. Date. Winner. Course. Time. Won by 1829... dune 10 Oxford ... Henley M. 14 S. 30 Easily 1836... June 17 Cambridge W. to 1*. 36 0 I min 1839... April 3 Cambridge W. toP. 31 0 1 rain 45 s 1840... April 15 Cambridge \V. to P. 29 30 f length 1841... April 14 Cambridge \V. to 1'. 32 30 I min 1 s 1842... June 11 Oxford ... \V. to P. 30 45 13 sec 1845... Mar. 15 Cambridge P. to M. 23 30 30 sec 1846... April 3 Cambridge M. to P. 21 5 2 lengths 1849... Mar. 29 Cambridge! P. to M. 22 0 Easily 1849... Dec. 15 Oxford ... P. to M. Foul 1852... April 3 Oxford ... P. to M. 21 36 27 sec 1854... April 8 Oxford ... P, to M. 25 29 U strokes 1856... Mar. 15 Cambridge M. to P. 25 60 length 1857... April 4 Oxford ... P.toM. 22 35 35 sec 1858... Mar. 27 Cambridge P. to M. 21 23 22 sec 1859... April 15 Oxford ... P.to M. 24 40 Cam. sank i860... M ar. 31 Cambridge P. to M. 26 5 I length 1861... Mar. 23 Oxford ... P. to M. 23 30 48 sec 1862... April 12 Oxford ... P. to M. 24 41 30 sec 1863... Mar. 28 Oxford ... M. to P. 23 6 43 sec 1864... Mar. 19 Oxford ... P. to M. 21 40 26 sec 1865... April 8 Oxford ... P. to M. 21 24 4 lengths 1866... Mar. 24 Oxford ... P. to M. 25 35 15 sec 1867... April 13 Oxford ... P. to M. 22 40 i length 1868... April 4 Oxford ... P. to M. 20 56 6 lengths 1869 .. Mar. 17 Oxford ... P. to M. 20 5 3 lengths 1870... April 6 Cambridge P. to M. 22 4 li length 1871... April 1 Cambridge P. to M. 23 5 1 length 1872... Mar. 23 Cambridge P. to M. 21 15 2 lengths 1873... Mar. 29 Cambridge P. to M. 19 35 3j lengths 1874... Mar. 28 Cambridge P. to M. 22 35 3 lengths 1875... Mar. 28 Oxford ... P.toM. 22 2 26 sec