MURDER AND MUTILATION IN HAMPSHIRE.

West Coast Times, Issue 678, 26 November 1867, Page 3

MURDER AND MUTILATION IN HAMPSHIRE.

On Tuesday morning, August 27, Mr B. Harfield, the deputy -coroner for Hampshire, opened an inquiry at the Duke's Head Inn, Alton, into the cause of the death of Fanny Adams, aged seven years and six months, whose murder was reported in our last. The facts appear to be as follow : — Three little girls, Minnie Warner, Elizabeth Adam?, and her unfortunate sister,

Fanny, went out in the forenoon on Saturday, August 2-4, to play in a spot called the. - " Hollows." They had not been there long when a young man came up to them and spoke to them. He then gave to the girl Warner a penny, and told her if she would run down the hollow a little way with Fanny Adams he would give her a halfpenny. The children did as they weie asked, and then were again joined by the tame man at the bottom of the hollow, who suggested that they should go to pick some blackberries in an adjoining field. They went accordingly, and after they had amused themselves a short time doing this, the aan who was with them told Minnie Warner and Elizabeth Adams to go home, while he took \vp Fanny Adams in his arms and took her further up the hollow. The other children went home, in their youth and innocence suspecting no wrong, while the third remained in the company of the man who had taken hold of her. In the evening Mrs Adams, the mother of the victim, became alarmed that her other daughter had not returned home, and questioned the sister as to whnt had happened to her. She naturally told how Fanny had been left with the man in the hollow some hours before. Mrs Adams, on hearing this, got anxious, and started off with little Minnie Warner and a neighbor of the name of Mrs Gardner to look for the missing child. She had been left by her companions at about half-past one, and it was between five and six when her mother started to try and find her. On their way the three searchers mef a man going apparently away from the hollow into the flood meadow. Mrs Adams called after him, and he stopped and then came to meet her. She immediately asked him where the child was whom he had taken with him that day at halfpast one. He denied any knowledge of a child at all, when at this moment Minnie Warner came up and immediately said, " This is the man who gave us the pennies,'' to which he answered, "No, it was three halfpence." Mrs Gardner then asked the girl what the man had done with Fanny, and she said that he had taken her up behind the high hedge of the hop-garden, to which the hollow lane led. It was theii proposed that Mrs Adams should give the man in charge of the police. He professed himself ready to give himself up to them, and said he was to be heard of at the office of Mr Clement, a solicitor in the neighborhood, and was ultimately identified as Frederick Baker. He then left them. The mother and her friend returned with the child they had with them, but with no news of what had become of tho one they were in search of. That evening, however, a man named Thomas Gates, who looked after the hop-garden belonging to a Mr Chalcraffc, and to which, as we have already mentioned, the hollow lane led, having heard tho story of the missing girl, wont out to see if he could find any traces. He was successful in his object. The first discovery he made that bore upon the tragedy which had taken place was that of a portion of a child's dress covered with blood, at tho bottom of the hop-garden, by tho.flood meadow. He passed up the garden, and there, resting between to hop-poles which were lying on the ground, he saw the head of a child, covere.d with dirt, but without the body. Having lifted this awful object to carry wifh him, a few paces further on another trace of the crime which had been committed lay on the ground before him in the shape of n child's leg, while, only a few yards distant again, the body was discovered cut open and mutilated. He placed these scattered remains together, and waited there with them till he was able to hand them >over to the charge of the police. Another person was also engaged at the same time in seeking for tho lost child. Nor was he working in vain. Im the same garden he found the heart, and on Sunday morning, while continuing his search, he lighted on the lungs and the arm of a child, the latter outside the hedge round the hop-garden, and the former in the place itself. Some more detached portions were picked up by other people, and formed a mournful collection at the policeoffice. On the came day Frederick Baker, who was a clerk in Mr Clement's office, came there at six in the evening. He usually sat and worked in the same room with his fellowclerk, Maurice Biddle, but on this cay does not seem to have done so. At all events Biddle left the office at one on Saturday afternoon, and cannot say whether Baker was there or not. But on Baker's return at six they met each other, and he mentioned to his friend that he had been accused of doing something to the child, adding that if anything had happened it would be awkward for him. The two then went over to a public-house tap together, and in the course of conversation Baker said that he was going away from Alton. The boots at the inn observed that he could not turn his hand to anything, to which the accused replied, "Oh, I could turn butpher." A short time later, while in a shop, Biddle told him that it was said he had killed the child. He observed that it was a badjob, and soon after, when they went together to the office, the police took charge of him. Tho medical testimony was given by Louis Leslie, M.D., divisional" surgeon to the police force at Alton. He said he had examined the part 3of the body of a child, and that the dismemberment must have taken place after death. A post mortem examination of tho head showed a contused wound completely dividing the scalp. The blow must have been severe, and ho was inclined to think was inflioted by a stone. Such a blow would cause immediate insensibility, and death might follow. It was perfectly impossible to say whether any act of criminal violence had taken place. On Saturday night witness examined the person of the prisoner, there were no marks or scratches about him, but his trousers, socks, and boots, one leg particularly, were very wet. Tho witness spoke of that fact to him, and he said, " Unfortunately for mo they are, but that proves nothing." There was blood on both wristbands, and Superintendent Cheyney asked him how ho could account for the blood, and Baker said, " I cant't account for it," and, looking at his person, he added, " I don't see any cute or scratches that would ac-

count for it." Mr Superintendent Choyney Tsaid that, having heard of the murder, he went to Baker's office, he having been last seen with the child, and on telling him of the charge he said, "'I know nothing about . it. lam willing to go where you like." The witness left a constable with him, and after hearing the statement of Mrs Adams and Mrs Gardner, took him into custody. Tho prisoner's clothes were produced, there being spots of blood on tho trousers, as if they had been washed. On Monday morning witness and Superintendent Everitt went to the office of the prisoner, and in his desk they found a diary, with a memorandum under date Saturday, August 24, "Killed a young girl. It was fine and hot." That entry the prisoner admitted was in his handwriting. The coroner asked the accused whether he desired to suy anything, to which he replied, " No, sir, only that I am innocent." The coroner then summed up, and the jnry returned a verdict of " Wilful Murder against Frederick Baker, for killing and slaying Fanny Adams," and a warrant was made out for his committal to Winchester gaoel, for trial at the next assizes. * -*» The Jamaica papers report that a seaman on board Her Majesty's steamer Constance fell from the rigging of his ship and broke his neck. The coroner of Port Royal, hearing of this, summoned a jury, proceeded in a boat and boarded the Constance, which was then lying in the harbor of Port Royal. The captain refused to allow any inquest on board his ship, and ordered the coroner and jury over the ship's side. Sir Leopold M'Clintock, being the commodore on the station, was next appealed to, but in vain, for ho dismissed the offended coroner, telling him that he must not again interfere with any of Her Majesty's ships. The body of the unfortunate seaman was interred without further trouble. (Continued in page 4J

English News — Continued from, Page 3. AQUATICS. « We extract the following interesting letter addressed to the Editor, from the " Australasian :" — THE CANADIAN OABSMEN AT THE PAEIS BEGATTA. " Sir, —At the commencement of the boating season it will not be inappropriate to refer to an event which took place at the All Nations Regatta at Paris during the Great Exhibition, and which vSeems to show that the English style of building and rowing boats is very far from being the most efficient to produce the swiftest boats or the best oarsmen. However grievously it may wound the national pride to find out after so many years of practice, and such an enormous expenditure in aquatic sports that the best English, racing boat is a mere tub in point 'of speed in comparison with the Canadian boat of the same class, we in this colony had better at once turn our attention to the system in rogue among our fellowcolonists in America, and ascertain whether a contest between the old and new styles will be attended with a similar result to that which bas excited so much astonishment in England. " Bell's Life in London," of July 13, gives a full account of tne two races rowed by tne Canadian crew, and in its general remarks upon the events of the day, observes :—": — " But more surprising than all was the remarkably easy victory of the Canadians over all comers. In heavy boats their victory, looking at their style of rowing, was sufficiently astonishing, but when they afterwards beat the pick, perhaps, of the London Rowing Club and Oxford University in an equally easy manner in outriggers, the excitement knew no bounds, and many and hearty were the congratulations bestowed on them by tbe crews of all nations. They were brought over here, it would seem, by Mr Harding, the sheriff we believe of their town, St. John's, New Brunswick, and are splendid specimens of perfectly trained athletes. Their 1 inrigged boat is stated to weigh. 170 lb., and their outrigged one 200 lb., and having examined both carefully we see no reason to doubt it. They have no stretchers, no buttons on their oars, and no coxswain, the bow oar having command of the boat by means of a contrivance which is simply a slight sheer. They row at first sight like Hammill, until it is discovered that they are thoroughly good powerful fellows, and although they only get half forward, and not at all back, there is an enormous deal of work done in the water." It is stated further, that the St. Jobn crew rowed both, races on tbe same day — the first in ordinary gigs against six or seven crews from various counties, including England. The distance was two and a half miles, and there were two turns in the race. Flag boats were placed at each end of the course, the start and finish being in tbe centre at the grand stand The St. Jobn crew won with, great ease, and soon afterwards appeared in an outrigger to contend against Oxford, London, Brighton, Boulogne, and several other places famous for iboat racing. All the outrigger crews were fresh men except the St. John crew. The Oxford boat was pulled by four of the eight who lately defeated Cambridge, and tbe boat weighed only 601 b. The St. John boat weighed 2001 b., and the men who had only a few hours before rowed a race in heavy boats, must have been very far from fresh. On this occasion the course was straight and the race was won very easily by tne St. John crew, the Oxford boat second, London third, and the rest nowhere. It is impossible to account for this result by attributing superiority in point of condition to the St. John crew. Their average weight is stated to be list.. 41b., which is considerably less than the others, and their boat is stated by "Bell's Life" to w.eigh three times as much as the Oxford boat. Reports in other English papers slated that the St. John's boats are both built with keels and planked in the usual way, stand well up in tbe water, and are paintel. But, it is added, that they displace wonderfully little water, and that their buoyancy is very remarkable. The time of tbe crew is stated as perfect, and at the rate of forty-five strokes a minute. " Bell's Life" reporter adds that the St. John's men were talking and laughing throughout the race, and that the only time the English boats appi'oacbed the lead was when the stroke of the St. John's boat slipped off his seat and was recovering himself. It is quite evident that tbe style of boat-racing which thus deals with the best English boats and crews is immeasurably superior to that prevailing in this colony, which, indeed, is simply the style which, so ridiculously failed at Paris. A few years ago the Americans taught the English yachtsmen a lesson which opened their eyes, and it seems now as if the row- " ing men of England have met with some useful instruction. It is very likely that English prejudice will resist for a time so great a revolution in the great national pastime, but I should be very glad to see the new ideas adopted here. If we can increase the speed of our boats by casting out the coxswain, or improving our models, let us do so. It has been proved that with proper skill a boat can be rowed straight without a man being carried to steer her, and I would ask you to call upon the conimittecs of regattas hereafter to leave it open to all crews to carry coxswains or not, as they please. I perceive the Sandridge committee stipulate that the gigs shall carry them, and this of course would disqualify any crew who rowed without one. But I have no doubt that if you take up the subject, we shall soon have an opening made for a little of that light which' the subject seems to require. I am, &c, Nov. 4. Remex.

A letter which M. Mazzini addressed to the Geneva Peace Congress has been published in the Italian organ of his party. It breathes the spirit of universal war. He has no faith in the regeneration of nations being achieved except at the point of the sword ; and he gives a programme which, if sought to be carried out by ■warlike means, would convulse Europe for the next 50 years. M. Franc's Lacombe, the author of a " History of Monarchy in Europe," lias just died. M. Lacombe fought, some years ago, a duel with Louis Blanc'a brother, M. Charles Blanc, and would have been killed, if luckily the ball of the pistol had not struck a silver coin in his waiscoat pocket. The poet Mery said, on hearing this, " That was a good investment." The Grand Duko Michael of Russia is about to pay a visit to the Sultan. There are at the present time more than eight millions sterling of taxes in arreav in Italy. The Imperial commission has been officially informed that the Emperor of Austria will honor the Cbamp de Mars -with his presence on or about the 10th October. Some great preparations will be made for this the last of f iju |overeign»' yif its \o tho Parii Exhibition,