HORRIBLE MURDER BY A CLERGYMAN.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 48, 23 December 1871, Page 6

HORRIBLE MURDER BY A CLERGYMAN.

The'** Home News” remarks :—“ In the annals of crime for the month one record has to be made of peculiarly sad character. A clergyman of considerable reputation, an accomplished scholar, and a kind man, has slain his wife, and undet' circumstances of such brutal barbarity that the only consolation in connection with the affair is that at the time of the murder he was utterly irresponsible for his acts. He has been committed for trial on a charge of wilful murder, and so far not one word has been offered in his defence. The murder was discovered on October the 11th, in Stockwell, the murderer being the Rev John Selby Watson, M.A., a clergyman well-known in London, having for upwards of twenty-five years filled the important position of Headmaster of Stockwell Grammar School. The victim of this lamentable crime is his wife, a lady of sixty-two or sixty-three years of age, and her body had been lying concealed in the house ever since October 8. when the murder must have been committed. Mr Watson resided with his wife and a female servant, named Jane Payne, who has lived with them for three years, in a large house in St Martin’s Road, at the back of Stockwell Crescent, and from the statement of the young woman it would seem that on Sunday evening, October 8, she left the house and did not return to it until nearly ten o’clock. When she left Mr Watson and his wife were sitting in the library, and when she returned Mr Watson told her that her mistress had left for the country, and would be absent five or six days. She was a little surprised at the communication but made no comment, and, from her statement, did not seem to think much about it. Mr Watson retired to rest at the usual time. No disorder was manifest in the room, but the next morning the girl called the attention of her master to a large dark stain on the carpet and the floor at the library door, when Mr Watson replied

with great coolness, * Oh, there was an accident last night. I split a decanter of port wine there, and wiped it up as well as I could.’ It now appears that the unfortunate man attempted to commit suicide, by poison, on October 11, three days after the murder of his wife. The servant girl, finding her master very ill, went for Dr Rugg, saying that her master was in a fit of apoplexy. In a short time Dr Rugg was at the house, and, on being admitted, the servant put the following letter into his hand :—‘ln a fit of fury I have killed my wife. Often and often have I endeavored to restrain myself, but my rage overcame me, and I struck her down. Her body will be found in the little room off ike library. T hope that she will be buried as becomes a lady of birth and position She is an Irish lady, and her name is Anne. The key is in a letter on the table.’ And then follows a word which has been erased, but which is apparently a surname. On seeing this letter Dr Rugg immediately rushed upstairs to the bedside of Mr Watson, whom he found very weak and speechless, apparently suffering from some violent poison. He administered a sedative, and proceeded at once to the room indicated, in company with the servant girl There they found the body of Mrs Watson in a comer of the room, with her knees touching her chest, her hands convulsively clenched, and her clothes saturated with blood, which still seemed to ooze from the body in a dark, almost purple, pool. On examining her, Dr Rugg found there was, in addition to numerous other wounds, a fracture on the occiput sufficient, probably, to cause death. Both temples were beaten in. Mr Watson recovered from the effects of the poison, and, after a preliminary investigation, was fully committed to take his trial for. the murder.”