The dreadful murder at Easton, reported in last week’s post, continued to fascinate. However, it appears they had apprehended the wrong men and had to discharge them.
“In the case of the late atrocious murder of Elizabeth Longfoot, of Easton, the coroner’s jury on Wednesday last returned a verdict of wilful murder against some person on persons unknown; and yesterday the inquiry of the Magistrates on the same painful subject, which has continued almost daily at Easton since Tuesday se’nnight (the day of the murder), terminated by the release on his own recognizance of Andrew Porter, on whom suspicion had fallen: other parties apprehended had previously been discharged: thus it would seem that the perpetrator of this dreadful crime must remain undiscovered till the writhing of a guilty conscience, or some act of that Great Being ‘from whom no secrets are hid,’ shall develope (sic) the horrid transaction.”
The Stamford Mercury, 16th March, 1838.
But the police did not give up and three weeks later, another man was arrested:
“John Stansor, on whom suspicion rests as a party concerned in the later murder of Eliaabeth Longfoot at Easton, and for whose apprehension the most unremitting exertion have been made in various directions since the perpetration of the horrid deed, was on Wednesday last taken, whilst emplyed in spreading manure at Willow-hall Farm, near Peterboro’, (where he was engaged under the name of Islip,) by Mr. Wm. Reed, the chief constable of Stamford, and is now in safe custody.”
The Stamford Mercury, 6th April, 1938.
But then again, perhaps some of the released men were guilty after all . . . ? We think the gang of thieves mentioned in the last sentence were unconnected with the murder.
“Easton Murder. – Since the apprehension of John Stansor, noticed in our last paper, the searching inquiry of the Magistrates has been pursued with additional zeal: breathless anxiety now prevails on the subject, both in the village of Easton and in the neighbourhood. On Wednesday last Stansor underwent an examination before the Rev. Charles Atlay and W. L. Hopkinson, Esq. M. D., ad was remanded. A meeting of the Magistrates was afterwards held at the Bull and Swan inn, St. Martin’s, and was attended by the Marquis of Exeter. Richard Woodward, slater, and John Archer, labourer, inhabitants of Easton, are in custody: the latter was one of the persons originally apprehended as implicated in the crime: the fact elicited are, however, properly kept secret, and we studiously avoid promulgating various circumstances which rumour has brought to our knowledge, lest any observation at present in a public paper might tend to defeat the ends of justice. Yesterday a whole gang of thieves were apprehended at Easton: many are lodged in Stamford gaol.”
The Stamford Mercury, 13th April, 1838.