MURDER OF THE RECORDER OF NORWICH AND HIS SON, AND ATTEMPTED MURDER OF HIS WIFE AND SERVANT.

New Zealand Spectator and Cook's Strait Guardian, Volume V, Issue 402, 9 June 1849, Page 4

MURDER OF THE RECORDER OF NORWICH AND HIS SON, AND ATTEMPTED MURDER OF HIS WIFE AND SERVANT.

[From Lloyd's Weekly Newspaper, Dec. 2.] On Tuesday evening, soon after eight o'clock, the town of Wymondham was thrown into a state of consternation by the intelligence that Mr. Recorder Jenny and his son had been shot dead. A telegraphic message to that effect was sent to Norwich police station, with a request that a Mr. Rush should be apprehended. In consequence, Superintendent Yarrington went by the next train in quest of Rush, and a party of police proceeded at once to Stanfield-hall." Ihey arrived there about one o'clock in the morning and found the inmates in a state of great alarm and grief. Constable Pont, of the rural force, was there. They saw the bodies of Mr. Jenny and his son, and ascertained that Mrs. Jenny and her maid, Elizabeth Chestney, had been shot at and severely wounded. Before going further it will be well to mention some particulars relative to the plan of

Stanfield-holl. It is a long building in the Norman style, with a moat before it and an extensive park around it. Of late years a wing had been added, comprising the servants' apartments. In front of the main building there is a porch entrance, leading into a spacious hall, from which there is a passage to the dining rooms on the left. To the right of the porch there is an entrance and passage for servants, leading into their part of the building. The perpetrator of these murders was well acquainted with the premises, as will appear from what follows. Mr. Jenny, Mr. Jenny, jun., and Mrs. Jenny, dined together on Tuesday evening; the butler, two female servants, and a man servant, were on the premises ; two female servants had gone to Wymondham, and had returned to the park, but were not in the hall before eight o'clock. About halfpast eight o'clock Mr. Jenny sen., left the dining room, and walked through the hall to the front of the building. On returning, just as he ent-red the porch, a man, wrapped up in a cloak, and wearing a mask, fired a pistol at him, and the shot lodged in the upper part of hys left breast, close to the shoulder. He fell down and expired ; but owing to what followed, was not removed for nearly en hour. The assassin went to the servants' entrance to the right, passed through the passage across the building ant 1 met the butler. With a pistol in each hand he beckoned the butler to go back. Being greatly alarmed at the apparition of a man in a mask, presenting two pistols, the butler retired into his pantry. The assassin proceeded onwards to the turn of the passage, where there was a dark recess and a door opening into another passage leading to the back of the premises. He appears to have arrived in the recess just as Mr. Jenny, jun., alarmed by the report of the pistol, left the dining room. The young gentleman went to the door opening into the back passage, and there the man fired at him, and shot him through the right breast. He instantly fell down dead. Mrs. Jenny, hearing a noise went to the same place, and while standing over the lifeless body of her husband, the assassin fired a pistol at her. The shot shivered one of her arms and wounded her in the breast. Her maid, more courageous than the other servants, went to the same spot to see what was the matter, and, while clasping her mistress, the murderer again discharged a pistol and seriously wounded her in the thigh. The other female servants thinking they woulJ all be murdered, hid themselves. The manservant, who was then in the stables, hearing the shots, and supposing the house was attacked by a number of ruffians, swam across the moat", and set off to Wymondham, where he gave the alarm which caused the telegraph message to be sent to Norwich police-station. The murderer had therefore no dillculty in making his escape. The women servants who had gone to Wymondham, returned with two young men, and while they stood outside the moat talking, they heard the report of a pistol, and saw tha flash. They thought Mr. Jenny, jun., was trying to frighten them, and they went to the lodge. Constable Pont and the city police remained in the hall some time, and found the ramrod of a pistol. About two o'clock in the morning the police went to watch the house of Mr. Rush, at Hethel. They remained all night near the premises. About five o'clock they saw Mr. Rush strike a light, and heard him ring for his servant. They then entered the premises and took Rush into custody. The house was searched, and a coat quite damp was found upon his bed. The police took the cloak, and also a pair of Rush's boots, which were quite wet. The police also look charge of a couple of loaded fowling-pieces and two powder flasks. Mr. Rush, who is a farmer and auctioneer, was brought before Mr. Cane, the magistrate, examined, and remanded to Wymondham bridewell. On Wednesday great excitement prevailed among the residents in the neighbourhood of the hall. Numbers of gentlemen arrived there to make enquiries, and to be sure that such horrible murders had been committed. Many viewed the bodies, which presented a sad spectacle. The expression of the countenances shewed that the unfortunate gentlemen had died in great agony. There was a long trail of blood from the porch to the rooms where they were lying. In the afternoon the Hon. and Rev. R Wilson, Mr. Cane, Mr. Parker, and other magistrates, held a private investigation, and examined all the servants of deceased. Mr. Rush's housekeeper was sent for and examined, and the statements of the wounded females were taken. Mr. Nichols, a surgeon of Norwich, attended them. Mr. Jerrny, besides being a county magistrate and recorder of the city of Norwich, was chairman and director of the Norwich Union Fire and Life Office. His son was a county magistrate. At present suspicion rests only on the party now in custody, in consequence of Mr. Jenny and Mr. Rush having had legal contests.

Late on Wednesday night a telegraphic despatch was received by Mr-D. W. Harvey, the commissioner of the City police force, and also by the commissioners of the metropolitan police, which stated that a person named J. B. Rush had made his escape from Wymondlmm, suspected of having committed the murder at Stanfield Hall, the residence of the late J. Jenny, Esq. The despatch stated that the suspected party was travelling on the Eastern Counties Railway, and steps were to be taken to apprehend him immediately, He is described as being of " dark complexion, rather stout made, five feet seven inches high, and stoops when walking." The- moment the news arrived in town the commissioners issued copies of the despatch, which were sent to every police station-house in the metropolis, and from thence to the country police depots. The same were read over to the men before they went on duty on Thursday morning, with instructions to the constables that they were to keep a good look out for the suspected murderer. These precautions were, as it now appears, unnecessary, Ru^h having been apprehended at his own house. Stanfield Hall, the scene of murder, is said to have been the birth-place of Amy Robsart, the heroine of Sir Walter Scott's " Kenilworth."