San Francisco Mail News.

Poverty Bay Standard, Volume X, Issue 1027, 24 January 1882, Page 4

San Francisco Mail News.

Double Mubdeb at Nottingham. Intense excitement was caused in Nottingham on the 19th Nov., by the report that two murders had been discovered, and that there was every reason to suspect that the same person was implicated in both. Mr Henry Westby kept a tobacconist’s shop in Peas Hill Road, and lived with his wife, his son, Henry Smith Westby, about 19 years of age —and two younger daughters. The elder Westby, besides keeping the shop, was engaged in the lace trade, and the young man was a clerk at the office of Mr E. H. Fraser, solicitor, Wheelergate, Nottingham. The details of the first crime are surrounded with some mvstery.

The police officers, Sergt. Carr and Constable Cockerell, who were on duty in the neighborhood shortly before 3 o’clock on the above morning, heard "murder” and “police” proceeding from the residence of the deceased. They at once made their way to the house, and noticed a young man, the supposed murderer, emerge from the premises into the street. The moment, however, that he caught sight of the policemen he ran up the road and disappeared in a by-street. When the policemen entered the house a scene of the greatest confusion prevailed. On going upstairs they discovered on the floor of a bedroom Westby, who had been shot two or three times, and with such deadly effect, that he expired before the assistance of a surgeon could be obtained, and, indeed, as soon as the police officers attempted to raise him. Superintendent Court, on searching the premises, found two bullets; one in the bedroom and the other on the stairs. It appeared, from an examination of the body made at the earliest possible moment by Dr. Dunn and his assistant, that there were traces of three shots having been fired, two of which had resulted in wounds, each sufficient to cause death ; one of the bullets had passed through the body and out of the back, and the other, it is believed, had lodged in the chest.

The statement of the widow is as follows: —The family, including the deceased, myself, and sou, retired to bed about 11.30 o’clock. We heard nothing to disturb us after retiring to bed until about 2.30 o’clock. About that time a little dog, which belonged to my husband, and was a great favorite, came upstairs and jumped upon ■our bed. My husband tried to make the dog go away, but he could not do bo, as the little thing seemed so •“ fussy.” At last he thought the best thing to do would be to take the dog downstairs, and by shutting the door at the bottom prevent it from My husband got out of bed, and toos the dog in his arms for the purpose of ■carrying it away. In about half a minute, and when he was on the stairs, I heard a loud report as if a pistol or a revolver was being fired. This was repeated twice, and the deceased then shouted out at the top of his voice, ■"I am shot! I am shot!” Mind yourself, but do open the window and shout.” At this I jumped out of bed and ran to the top of the stairs, but only to see my husband enter the room and drop lifeless to the floor. I opened the window as quickly as I could and called “ Murder ! murder ! Police ! police!” In a short space of time a police sergeant and another officer came running into the house, but the person who had done the murder was not there. A search was made in the house by the policeman, but neither a revolver nor a pistol was found,. I believe some bullets were found, but I do not know of my own knowledge. With regard to the person who has ■■done this horrible deed, none of us know anything. Some people—in fact, almost everybody—point to the lad, my son, as the murderer, but why should he do it ? I don’t think he ■would do such a thing, He never had a pistol or a revolver in his possession, so far as I know. He was a young, fine-looking man, about eighteen years of age. He was of light complexion, and his hair curled. My son, I am sorry to say, had gone when we got downstairs, and we have not seen him since last night when we went to bed. I really do not think it was he w ho did it. At any rate, if it was, I think he must have thought it was a burglar or something of that sort. But I cannot tell wherever, if he did kill his poor father, he got the pistol or revolver from that he did it with. When we first missed my lad I fancied that he must have gone after the person who had fired the bullets. I know that he went to bed at 11.30 o’clock, because I was last up, as I generally am, and he had then gone lipstairs, the same as the rest of the family. My son hardty ever went out at night after he left work. He was very fond of reading, and would sit for hours at his favorite amusement, studying periodicals and sensational literature. As to my husband, he was a lacemaker, and worked at Gregory’s, and I believe he was pretty much liked by the men who worked with him and under him. We have lived here fourteen years, and we are well known by all the people around this part. The police-officers proceeded to Mr Fraser’s office at a late hour in the morning, in the hope of ascertaining some intelligence of young Westby. Before this the charwoman employed on the premises had discovered that the door of a room adjoining the office occupied by the supposed murderer and another clerk, and which was used for the storage of lumber, was locked. The woman said she had never known ibis room to be locked before, and this

fact almost led the officers to conjecture that the object of their search would be found there. The door was accordingly burst open, and before the detectives got over the threshold they were staggered at the sight before them. Lying huddled up on the floor was the body of a youth covered with blood, the head being nearly severed from the body. Near him were found a small iron rod and a large butcher’s chopping knife. The body was quite cold. The appearance of the room showed that a severe struggle had taken place. There were spots of blood all over the room, and it is thought that the murderer, having enticed the lad into the room, struck him with a large fish knife, which was afterwards found, and then followed him around the room until he became insensible. An examination of the body showed it to be that of Wm. Onions, a boy 15 years of age, engaged in Mr Fraser’s office. The jaw was broken, and the neck and throat nearly severed. No sound of a quarrel or struggle was heard in the office on the previous night. But it is evident that the poor lad was killed prior to the office being closed on Friday night The remains were taken in a cab to the police-station, St. John’s-street. Shortly after the discovery Onions’s father arrived at the office, and was completely overcome by the dreadful ‘ calamity. As yet no cause can be i assigned for the crime. Pursuing their inquiries, Detectives Golding and Atherton found that Mr Fraser had handed to the youth Westby a cheque for £7 10s. a day or two previously, payable to “ Leonard Lindlay,” but which he would be able to cash. This was not to be found in the office, and the officer accordingly proceeded to the Nottingham and Notts Bank.Thur-land-street, where it was found that the cheque had been cashed on Friday. The clerk who received the cheque remembers that it was presented by a young man with curly hair, and so far as it goes this description tallies with Westby’s appearance. Westby was always considered a smart lad, but of late Mr Fraser and Mr Day have noticed that he has become eccentric in his manner and habits. He has been in Mr Fraser’s employ five or six years, and was generally a well conducted youth. Onions had not been engaged at the office for so long a period. Chief Detective-in specter Eddy, accompanied by a clerk named Hobson, who was aquaiuted with Westby, went in search of the suspected murderer, and in the course of the afternoon visited a garden at Lenton Sands, near Nottingham, in the occupation of Mr Fraser. On a peice of ground near this garden Westby was discovered concealed in a fowl house. He at first refused to surrender, but after much persuasion came out of his hiding place, where he had with him a new revolver, six chambers of which were loaded, lie said had it been anyone but Inspector Eddy he would have shot them. He asked if the lad was dead, and being told that he was, and also that his father was dead, he replied, “ It’s about time.” Some spots of blood were seen on his clothes. He was taken to the police-station. Thousands of persons on Sunday visited the house where Westby was shot, as well as the scene of the murder ot the boy Onions. There is no doubt that the accused had been reading sensational literature. The walls of his bedroom were embellished with pictures from life, of Dick Turpin, and and many newspaper cuttings were found in his office desk with accounts of marvellous adventures. In his bedroom he made a trap door through the floor, and always bolted himself in at night, A few hours after Westby was arrested he was visited in the police cell, and was found atttended by a special warder and police-officer. His coat and vest being blood-stained, were removed, and he was wrapped in a rug In reply to a question, it was stated where certain articles might be found at Mr Fraser’s office. He is rather tall, thin, and of pale complexion, with a boyish appearance. He seemed agitated and bewildered. The prison surrgeon states that he his sane, though there have been traces of insanity in the family. A later telegram announces that the prisoner has confessed to the murder of his father, but maintained a marked reticence as to the death of the boy Onions, saying, “ A’o one saw me do it. They will have to prove that.” Although he had money, he states that he had eaten nothing for two days preceding the murder. He slept well on Saturday night, and partook of refreshment on Sunday morning. In the afternoon he asked for some legal assistance for his defence, but afterwards said it would be of no use. His mother wished to see him, but he declined to see her. The purchase of the revolver has been traced.

The inquest on the murdered man Westby was concluded at 3 o’clock on Tuesday, when the jury found the prisoner guilty. His mother gave evidence against her son, and fell in hysterics into the prisoner’s arms, who exclaimed, “ Don’t be so soft.” He merely smiled when the coroner told him he was committed on both the charges. The body of the murdered lad Onions was interred on Tuesday in the general cemetery in the presence of thousands of spectators. From private information receeived, the Press Association Nottingham correspondent is enabled to state that the prisoner Westby has not only made a full confession of the murder

of his father and the boy Onions, but has detailed the whole of his proceedings on the day preceding the murder and the following morning. He seems rather to glory in his crime, and says he contemplated the murder of his father some time before he mustered courage and found a suitable opportunity to accomplish it. He only killed I the boy Onions as a means of nerving himself for the act of murdering his father. After shooting his father he went out of the house with the full determination of shooting the first person he met, but he did not meet anyone.