It appears the early Victorians loved to hear about blood and gore. This report of a horrendous murder in Easton-on-the Hill revels in the details of the victim’s wounds.
“Murder at Easton, near Stamford. – On Tuesday morning last, about four o’clock, a shocking murder was perpetrated on the person of Elizabeth Longfoot, a maiden lady, residing in her own house, near the church in the above village. The unfortunate victim’s mother died about twelve months ago, since which time she has lived alone, notwithstanding she laboured under an aberration of mind, in which state she would frequently wander about the village at untimely hours. It was on her return from one of these wanderings that the unfortunate creature met her fate. The wretches who imbrued their hands in her blood appear to have entered the house in her absence, at the kitchen window, the centre part of which they had broken and opened, but finding a strong iron bar down the middle, which prevented their ingress, they took out the whole side of the window, and so effected an entrance. They then procured a bunch of keys belonging to the poor woman and left in the house, and proceeded to ransack all the drawers in search of treasure. From the penurious habits and a small independent property possessed by the deceased, it was said she had money secreted in the house. Whilst the search was going on, it would appear she returned home, and was knocked down with a bludgeon just as she passed the outer gate: her body was then dragged within the door of her house, where on Tuesday morning she was found weltering in her gore, quite dead. The blood had flowed profusely where she fell, and on each side of the body appeared the imprint of a man’s knee in corduroy breeches, who had hastened her death by gripping her throat. The wound on the left temple was not above half an inch in length, but the blood had flowed so freely as to leave a pool under her head and completely saturate and fill her bonnet and cap. In consequence of three persons being already apprehended on suspicion of having committed the murder, and warrant being issued for the apprehension of others, it was deemed essential to the ends of justice not to report the evidence taken on the inquest, which was held at the Bell Inn at Easton on Wednesday, before Thos. Marshall, Gent. of Kettering, a coroner for Northamptonshire, but we were able to gather the following particulars:- Henry Mitchell and Samuel Mitchell, two young men residing nearly opposite Mrs. Longfoot’s house, heard about four o’clock in the morning the cry of ‘murder’ three times repeated by the deceased, and the latter distinctly heard what he is now convinced was the fatal blow; but they took no notice of it, as they had been long accustomed to hear her make similar noises during the night. Two brothers named Thompson, residing a little higher up the hill in the village, state that they heard her come home about four o’clock, and when she arrived at her gate she exclaimed ‘You villains, I’ll swear my life against you in the morning;’ and instantly she cried out ‘Murder, murder, murder.’ On this they got up and came into the street, where they stood for some time listening, and saw a light carried about the rooms: they advanced to the house, and just as they got to the gate, the door was shut to and locked, as they supposed by the deceased, on which they went away. – On the day of the murder, the Rev. C. Atlay and Dr. Hopkinson, magistrates for Northamptonshire, investigated all the circumstances then brought to light, and also examined several witnesses, which led to the apprehension of three brothers named Archer, residents in Easton, William a shoemaker, and John and James labourers, who were lodged in Stamford gaol on Tuesday night for further examination. On a post-mortem examination of the body by M. W. Jackson, Esq. on Wednesday, the marks of the fingers of the murderer on the neck of the deceased were distinctly observed, and it is believed that her death ensued from strangulation: her age was 54: the brain was in a healthy and perfect state, except as to one part, which is supposed to have occasioned her insanity. The inquest was adjourned by coroner till Tuesday the 13th Inst. Yesterday morning, a young man of Easton, named Andrew Porter, a baker was apprehended, and after examination before the magistrates, was committed to Oundle gaol for further examination t0-morrow at ten o’clock.”
The Stamford Mercury, 9th March, 1838.