DREADFUL MURDER IN THE COUNTRY.

Thames Star, Volume VII, Issue 2010, 14 June 1875, Page 3

DREADFUL MURDER IN THE COUNTRY.

(from thh sta-dabd, maech 22.)

On Saturday morning, about 7 o'clock, ■■■* a son murdered his father and mother at Fordhnm, a village about seven miles from Colchester. The victims are named Solqman Johnson, aged 80, labourer, and ' .v Susannah 'his' wife, aged over 70^ ' The murderer is their son, Thomas Johnson, aged 35, a farmer's horseman. The old people lived in a treble-tenement cottage 011 a farm held by Mr Knight, situate "in a lonely spot some 400 yards from the highi road, 1 and«a considerable-distance from nßy neighbours. The ceiitre 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 afiair, so that ho was in the local union for some weeks under treatment. Having got better he was about a month ago allowed to go back to hi* parents' house, whence last week ho came to Colchester for a < change. On Thursday evening his conr I ' duct was observed to bo very strange, i and on Friday he suddenly left the house of his sister, and went roaming about the town. Among other eccsntricitieshe 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. lie left Colches? ter on Friday evening, and slept at his parents' house at Fordham. Nest morning, at 7 o'clock, Mrs Mills' attention was called to some cries of " murder," and she saw, tho accused, poker in hand, 1 chasing' his falher and mother in the garden. The old man, after receiving some blows, fell into an ashpit, and was then despatched by his maddoned 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. Meanwhilo 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 locked in, for Johnson broke the window in an attempt to, get at them, and) he exclaimed to them, " I'll ki.H you." Mrs ; Mills went to the parish constable (there being no policeman in the vjl'age), 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 }vm, one 6f them, however, receiving a severe blow with the poker, which the madman still'carried in his hand. However, he wus overpowered, and ultimately lodged' . under lock and key in the union workhouse at Stanway. The neighbors kindly attended Mrs Johnson, who was alive aha 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 country magistrates • -fluni' 'sitting,'' with Mr P,: O. Papillon, chairman.l .In reply to questions,' he "stated the names'of hisparents, and after t some formal .evidence had been given he -'declined 1 to ask'any questions, but'said, '.'.Uo, I. am fully decided about. it." ' Prisoner was then reinended till Wednesday. - , . .- . - , ,;.